Cooking with Dave

Salt. We have more choices than ever it seems.

So what is the difference?

Are some salts really saltier than others?

The short answer is no.

The real answer is that bigger flakes have less salt per volume. The salt chart available in The Science of Good Cooking should help explain. The results were determined by weighing out each brand of salt per volume and scaling them so they all contain the same amount of salt by weight:

Brand Amount Equal to 1 Tsp Table Salt
Maldon Sea Salt 2 teaspoons
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt 2 teaspoons
Espirit du Sel Fleur de Sel 1 1/3 teaspoons
Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt 1 1/4 teaspoons
Morton Course Kosher Salt 1 1/4 teaspoons
Fleur de Sel de Camargue 1 1/4 teaspoons
Morton Salt (noniodized) 1 teaspoon
Morton Iodized Salt 1 teaspoon
La Baleine Sea Salt 1 teaspoon

So as you can see, Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is just less tightly packed than more regularly shaped salts. Just because you use twice as many teaspoons/tablespoons of Diamond as you would normal table salt, doesn’t mean you’ve actually added any more salt to the dish.

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From Peacock’s Terms of Use

Kevin’s Chili (from The Office)

At Peacock, we don’t make promises we can’t keep. So, please see below for the chili recipe inspired by Kevin Malone’s legendary family dish, which he so memorably brought to Dunder Mifflin on The Office.

Dried ancho chile peppers.

Ingredients
4 dried ancho chiles
2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable, canola or grapeseed)
3 lbs ground beef (80/20 or 85/15 lean)
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 large jalapeño, finely chopped
1 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 12 oz. bottles of beer (lager or pale ale)
3 cans Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups beef stock
2 ½ cups chopped ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Chopped scallions, shredded Jack cheese and sour cream for topping

Directions
Tear ancho chiles into pieces, discarding seeds and stems. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, toast chiles over medium-high, stirring occasionally until very fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer toasted ancho chiles to a food processor or spice mill and process until very finely ground. Set aside.

Add oil to pot and heat over medium-high. Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally to break beef into small pieces, until well browned (about 6 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate and set aside.

Add onion to pot and cook briefly over medium-high until barely softened, about 2 minutes. The secret is to undercook the onions.

Using a garlic press, press garlic directly into the pot, 1 clove at a time. Then stir in jalapeños, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper and tomato paste. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add beer and continue to cook, stirring and scraping the pan, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, put beans in a large bowl and mash briefly with a potato masher until broken up but not fully mashed.

Add mashed beans, stock, tomatoes, salt, and cooked beef to pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low to maintain simmer and cook 2 hours so everything gets to know each other in the pot. Remove from heat, uncover and let stand at least 1 hour (can also be refrigerated 8 hours or overnight).

Reheat gently, taste and add more salt if necessary, and serve with your favorite toppings. We recommend chopped scallions, shredded Jack cheese and sour cream.

Enjoy! While we wish you could dish us up a bowlful (without spilling it all over our reception area, naturally), feel free to share this recipe (tagging @peacocktv, of course). And now, back to your regularly scheduled legal document.

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Savory Nordic Oatmeal

Ingredients
For the Oatmeal:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1⅓ cups steel-cut oatmeal
2½ cups vegetable stock
Kosher salt, to taste

For the Sausage:
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
8 ounces soppressata, thinly sliced
Kosher salt, to taste

For the Beans:
Kosher salt, to taste
4 ounces mixed beans
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest

For the Eggs and Garnish:
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Kosher salt, to taste
4 eggs
Freshly grated horseradish, for garnish

Directions

Make the oatmeal: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the oatmeal and completely coat in the butter, toasting for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and keep warm on the stove.

Make the sausage: In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the soppressata and cook, 3 to 4 minutes more. Season with salt and keep warm.

Make the beans: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and blanch until tender but still crisp, 1 minute. Drain the beans and transfer to a small bowl. Toss with the remaining bean ingredients and season with salt, then set aside.

Poach the eggs: Bring a pot of water to 180º and stir in the vinegar and salt. Crack each egg into a separate small bowl. Using a slotted spoon, swirl the water as you drop each egg into the pot. Cook, stirring as needed to prevent the eggs from sticking, until the whites are cooked but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the poached eggs to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Assemble the bowls: Divide the oatmeal between 4 bowls. Top each with the sausage, beans and a poached egg. Garnish with grated horseradish and serve.

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Creole Seasoning

3/4 box salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup red pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup paprika

Mix all ingredients together.

Store in an airtight container.

Use liberally wherever a zing of flavor is desired.

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Clarified Butter

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Place the butter in a 2-quart saucepan and set over medium heat.

Once the butter has liquified, decrease the heat to lowest setting then adjust to maintain a low boil.

Cook for approximately 45 minutes or until the butter reaches 260 degrees Farenheit, is clear, and the foam on top is slightly browned.

Strain the clarified butter through 4 layers of cheesecloth set into a hand strainer into a heatproof vessel.

Cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to six months.

Can be frozen for up to a year.

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Beef Dry Rub

3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoky paprika
2 teaspoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ancho powder
1 teaspoon chipotle powder

Mix ingredients well and store in airtight container. Will keep for about six months. Makes about 1 cup.

Use
Rub liberally onto your cut of beef, place in a zip top bag and refrigerate for 12-18 hours before roasting.

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A Winter Hot Drink

4 mugs worth of Apple Cider,
1 mugs worth of Caramel Vodka,
1 tablespoon Cinnamon,
1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Heat the cider add cinnamon & brown sugar then remove from heat add vodka! DO NOT BOIL VODKA!

A mug is a coffee mug, you can add sugar or not, you can drink it cold or warm. This is the standard recipe, make it your own.

A mug is eight ounces which is one cup. So to figure out how much it makes research how many cups are in the cider and the vodka.

No, this is not the apple pie recipe and no, there is no name for it.

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Scrambled eggs are so easy, any one can make them, right?

Well yes, mostly.

But what if I told you there is a simple ingredient you can add to make them better?

That ingredient is sour cream. Add 1/2 tablespoon for each egg in your recipe.

Scrambled Eggs made with Sour Cream

Here’s a rundown.

1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
2 Large Eggs
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Chopped Chives (optional)

Directions
Mix the eggs and the sour cream in a small bowl. Add the salt and pepper, mix well.

Melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add the eggs and gently scramble. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the chives and serve.

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One of my favorite Chinese-style dishes, I came across this and decided it was time to make it.

And color me impressed, it was very true to the dish one would get at a Chinese takeout restaurant.

The method to cook the chicken seems to be the key to this, so follow the directions.

Moo Goo Gai Pan

Highly recommended!

Ingredients:
1 large boneless chicken breast cut into thin slices
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg white
Pinch of salt

Mix these ingredients together, add the sliced chicken coating with the cornstarch slurry, and let set for 10 minutes.

Bring a pot of water up to almost a boil. Add chicken pieces.
They will fall to bottom. Gently stir occasionally.
Will take 1 to 3 minutes to cook depending on size. The chicken will float to the top when it is done cooking.

1 can sliced water chestnuts – rinsed and drained
1 to 1 1/2 cups snow peas
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 small package of sliced mushrooms
Whites of 2 garden onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Sesame oil to stir fry

Sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing cooking wine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon corn starch
pinch white pepper

Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Directions
In a wok or skillet on medium high heat add oil, whites of a garden onion and minced garlic.

Cook and stir for 15 to 20 seconds.

Add carrots, mushrooms and water chestnuts.

Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add snow peas. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Add chicken into pan and stir to combine.

Stir sauce and pour over top.

Bring up to simmer and cook for 15 to 30 seconds while stirring.

Serve over white rice.

Garnish with remaining white onions.

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This is one of my favorite comfort foods. It’s rally quite easy to make. Not sure why people insist on using the boxed variety.

Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon hot water
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, reserve 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top
1 cup milk

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook macaroni until al dente. Drain thoroughly.

Stir in butter and egg.

Mix salt and mustard with hot water then add to milk.

Add cheese to the cooked macaroni in a bowl.

Butter a casserole dish well, and pur the macaroni into it.

Add the milk mixture, then top with the reserved cheese.

Place in over and bake for 45 minutes or until the mixture is set and the top is crusty.

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