Stumped in the Kitchen? Sara Moulton Answers Your Cooking Questions
How do I make pesto? Why is my meatloaf dry? Sara answers!
Feb. 15, 2011— -- Celebrated author and TV chef Sara Moulton is food editor at "Good Morning America."
You've written to her asking questions about what you want to do in the kitchen -- and she responded.
Carol Berey from Kansas City, Kan.: Looking for recipes for stew. The "Ultimate Beef Stew" and others have as much as 2 cups of flour to dredge beef in, while others use just 1 or 2 tablespoons. What do you recommend?
Sara's Answer: Wow, 2 cups of flour is crazy, but 1 or 2 tablespoons might not be enough. It depends on how much beef you are dredging. One cup should be enough for 2 to 3 pounds of meat. And here are a few tips: Work in batches. Dredge only as much meat as you can fit in one layer in the skillet you are going to brown it in. Toss the meat in the flour (you can either season the meat first with salt and pepper or season the flour) to coat it well and then transfer it to a strainer and shake it to remove the excess flour before adding it to the hot pan. If you flour the meat ahead of time and let it sit before you cook the flour will become gummy on the meat and you will not be able to properly brown the meat.
Linda Hachenski from Michigan: What is the difference between broth and stock? Also what potato is the best for making potato salad?
Sara's Answer: Linda, this is slightly murky territory, but what is generally agreed upon as a broth is made with meat and bones, and a stock is made with bones. ,p>The best potato to use for making potato salad is a boiling potato. How do you know it is a boiling potato? It has a thin skin. Baking potatoes have thick brown skins. Boiling potatoes are lower in starch than baking potatoes and hold their shape when cooked. Baking potatoes crumble when cooked. Boiling potatoes come with many different colored skins -- red, blue, yellow. A Yukon Gold potato is a cross between a baking and a boiling potato, and can also be used for potato salad.
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