---
title: Food & Cooking
---

# Food & Cooking

One of my hobbies is cooking. I've collected some techniques and recipes that I
find useful to refer to, along with some other resources that are specific to
my kitchen.

## Resources

* [My tare list](tare.html)
* [The Big List of Temperatures](temps.html)

## Recipes

While I often cook without using recipes, there are a few things that fall into
the categories of "things I don't cook often," "things where the measurements
actually matter," or just "things I like and want to remember." Here is a small
sample:

* [Sourdough Bread](recipes/sourdough-bread.html)
* [Apple Butter](recipes/apple-butter.html)
* [Cheese and Nut Loaf](recipes/cheese-and-nut-loaf.html)
* [Crisp Topping](recipes/crisp-topping.html)
* [Ice Cream](recipes/ice-cream.html)
* [Pasta Dough](recipes/pasta-dough.html)

## Techniques

### Cooking apples without them getting mushy

This is a technique I learned from [Kenji][pectin]. When pectin reaches 183ºF,
it begins to break down, resulting in mush. However, there are two things that
can be done to prevent this from happening. First, you can provide an acidic
environment to strengthen the pectin, which is why you often see lemon juice in
apple pie filling recipes.

Alternately, if pectin is held between 140ºF and 160ºF for about 10 minutes, an
enzyme present in the apples will convert the pectin to a heat stable form. This
can be achieved in various ways, I typically use a sous-vide setup for about an
hour.

[pectin]: https://sweets.seriouseats.com/2011/10/the-food-labs-apple-pie-part-2-how-to-make-perfect-apple-pie-filling.html

### Pasteurizing Eggs

Eggs can be made safe to eat raw by holding at 135ºF for two hours. Applications
include dressings, cookie dough, ...