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The Serious Eats Guide to Taco Styles

I applaud your use of a post for this instead of those wonky, page-view-grubbing slideshows that force me to keep clicking through each photo.

Cybele at 7:47PM on 07/13/11

Is Turkish Delight/Lokum okay for vegetarians?

True Lokum is never made with gelatin. The gelatin recipe is an American shortcut (and it never comes out with the same texture - it definitely is "bouncier" than the starch thickened version).

It's thickened with some sort of starch, sometimes corn starch, sometimes tapioca starch, it all depends on where it's made and what's traditional in that area.

Cybele at 5:22PM on 06/12/11

http://www.flickr.com/photos/typetive/4361964746/

Japanese Snacks: Chewy Candy

CTE has it right. The true Japanese HiCHEW are fantastic. The ones now sold in the US are made in Taiwan and though they're still quite good, they're definitely inferior.

Cybele at 11:11AM on 06/03/11

From Drinks

Marmalade Meets the Cocktail Shaker

@cookiequiz The posts Derek Brown makes with the recipes mention that you can strain it (or not). I prefer not.

Cybele at 7:34PM on 09/15/10

From Recipes

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Buckeyes

As a kid I was always squicked out at "true" recipes that called for parafin. I could always tell the moms that used wax at the bake sale. I get that the combination of chocolate and fatty peanut butter can cause setting problems.

Getting good quality couveture chocolate (not just grocery store chocolate chips which are made for baking) and proper tempering takes care of the firmness issue.

Cybele at 6:39PM on 09/15/10

From Drinks

Marmalade Meets the Cocktail Shaker

As I commented over there on the Atlantic:

I've been picking up something called Honey Citron Tea at the Korean grocer for a while now. It's supposed to be a drink, but it's basically a marmalade. Just add it to hot or cold water for a "lemon tea."

I've also mixed it with gin & seltzer, it's really nice.

Cybele at 6:34PM on 09/15/10

molasses

Molasses isn't really "just sugar". It's only about half sugar, the rest is water and minerals. Most of it is sucrose with smaller amounts of free glucose and fructose. Most of all molasses has flavor along with heaping amounts of minerals like manganese, copper, selenium, calcium, magnesium and selenium.

A tablespoon has 58 calories, versus 86 in corn syrup (which basically has similar water content).

Unsulfured, as mentioned, means that it comes from older cane. As long as you're not sensitive to sulfur, it shouldn't matter much which you get, though I prefer unsulfured because I think that mature cane has a better flavor profile.

I also love muscovado sugar which is one of the darkest there is.

Cybele at 1:00PM on 08/31/10

From A Hamburger Today

Poll: How Long Have You Gone Without Eating Burgers?

sdfishtaco - this post is on the home page of Serious Eats. As if they wanted a larger cross section of the readership for the poll.

Cybele at 2:56PM on 08/19/10

From A Hamburger Today

Poll: How Long Have You Gone Without Eating Burgers?

23 years this month. (That doesn't count those "Portabello Burgers".)

Honestly, I don't miss them and never really cared for them. When I found that I was craving them in the first few years of being a vegetarian, a nice grilled cheese sandwich actually did it for me. (I think it was just a hot sandwich I wanted after all.)

I think it's been 33 years since I had a hot dog.

Cybele at 1:33PM on 08/19/10

Serious Chocolate: Corn Syrup vs. HFCS

A sock puppeting, according to the NYTimes is the act of creating a fake online identity to praise, defend or create the illusion of support for one's self, allies or company.

I am not saying that your identity is fake, but a communications specialist should probably be aware of the PR issues. You did not identify yourself as an employee of an agave syrup company until confronted and it's still not noted in your profile page.

I never said all sweeteners were the same ... actually, I think I illustrated quite the opposite. I asked for expert information on why that would be better than a glucose syrup or a 50/50 mix. Baking especially is chemistry and fructose syrup does not offer the same function as glucose syrup in many instances.

For the record, I'm not Serious Eats staff ... just, well, like this sometimes.

Cybele at 7:51PM on 07/07/10

Serious Chocolate: Corn Syrup vs. HFCS

Tamadhur, do you think that information was important as an ethical commenter to include in your first post?

It says on the website that Sweet Cactus Farms 100% Blue Agave Syrup is 90% fructose. That's "better" than the glucose of plain corn syrup (or glucose syrup from other grain sources) or the 50/50 glucose & fructose mix of HFCS how?

Sorry, sock puppets don't do much to convince me that any sugar is better than another.

Cybele at 12:18AM on 07/07/10

Serious Chocolate: Corn Syrup vs. HFCS

Say Tamadhur, who do you work for?

Cybele at 4:34PM on 07/06/10

http://www.sweetsandsnacksexpo.com/exhibitor_list.cfm

Serious Chocolate: Corn Syrup vs. HFCS

"Sucrose - table sugar - is made up of one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose."

Actually, sucrose is made up of sucrose, which is a di-saccharide - it is a bonded pair of glucose and fructose molecules. It's not the same as HFCS because HFCS is made up of free glucose and free fructose.

I agree with everything else though - it's just a cheap bulking agent that appeals to our senses. And I think this whole campaign to use Agave syrup (it's not nectar) is pure silliness - not only is it the same thing in the end, but it's just as "processed."

Cybele at 1:20AM on 07/02/10

From Chicago

Report From the Sweets and Snacks Expo, Part IV: My Stars of the Show

Daniel - I picked up the fudge back at the end of April. It was even on sale. I like it, it's different from American fudge, it's more milky, but not sticky.

Also, I live in Chuao land, but I still haven't been able to find the Panko or Honeycomb bar in stores after looking for 6 months. The only solace is that Chuao does a chunky honeycomb bark in bulk at Whole Foods.

jerseygirlinSC - you can check out the Sweets & Snacks Expo website for a list of exhibitors and if you click, they usually have a link to their website.

Cybele at 10:53AM on 06/24/10

From Chicago

Report From the Sweets and Snacks Expo, Part IV: My Stars of the Show

I think the clotted cream fudge is available here. I mean, it must be, I bought a box of the Chocolate Hazelnut at Bristol Farms in Los Angeles.

Cybele at 12:20AM on 06/24/10

seeking an old-fashioned candy

Great tip, Randy.

I found them on their website here. It looks like you have to special order weeks in advance, but then they'll be fresh & perfect.

As for Daffin's, I think you can always call as well, since they're a smaller company they may be able to do special orders.

Cybele at 12:28PM on 05/07/10

seeking an old-fashioned candy

I second Vermont Country Store. I haven't seen them at Economy Candy, but they might stock them seasonally. I don't think Dylan's is really the source for candy in bulk as they're so expensive. (But fun to shop at.)

I've had the version from Daffin's in Sharon Pennsylvania which are quite nice and come in a variety of colors/flavors. (My review is here.)

Jelly Belly also makes a version, they're not ridged on the bottom but smooth on all sides. (Photo here) You can order them directly from Jelly Belly but they appear to be out of stock right now.

Cybele at 5:42PM on 05/06/10

The Best and Worst of Dean & Deluca's 15 Licorice Varieties

MonkBoy - I disagree about segregating salty and sweet. I think the pieces that aren't actually licorice though shouldn't be included. (The fruity Kookaburra stuff.) But whaddayagonnado?

It's funny too that this is branded as "Dean and Deluca's Licorice" as if D&D actually makes the stuff.

Cybele at 4:44PM on 05/05/10

The Best and Worst of Dean & Deluca's 15 Licorice Varieties

I like your tasting notes, but which were the "best and worst?"

I've never seen it called Licorice Ice before, it's always been some variety of School Chalk or Skoolkrijt.

Cybele at 9:53AM on 05/05/10

How to put Salmon into your weekly diet?

I just meant that most forums (fora?) have a button where you just click & select a reason for reporting it. The post goes into a queue. Some systems give the community the ability to suppress suspected spam or offensive content by creating thresholds - if say 25 people flag something, it's removed from public view until an admin looks at it. It may make weekends calmer for SE staffers to know that the community is policing itself.

Cybele at 9:36PM on 03/28/10

How to put Salmon into your weekly diet?

Could we just get a report button for these SEO folks & spammers?

Cybele at 7:55PM on 03/28/10

Serious Eats Logo

I often see it as haggis.

Cybele at 5:10PM on 03/10/10