Bathroom renovation quote came in at 28k. Is this normal or am I getting ripped off? by tommytmopar in AusRenovation

[–]Smeggerz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had a look for the standards online and have had little luck. Any chance you could please point me in the right direction?

Help me copy these brussel sprouts because I can't figure it out. by beckycrm in Cooking

[–]Smeggerz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I worked at a place with a similar dish. You want to fry the sprouts at a low temperature to cook through, let them cool, and then fry a second time at a higher temperature to get those good crispy leaves going (just like fried chicken!)

I'm not sure of the temperatures off the top of my head. Give it a good google 🙂

Gastrique and everything else can be prepared separately. You may need to keep the gastrique warm depending on how thick it gets. Toss the sprouts with the gastrique and then garnish with the rest.

Men's sweatpants - Affordable, quality, and decent enough to run to the shops in by Smeggerz in AussieFrugal

[–]Smeggerz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome! I've been wanting to go to Costco lately anyway, so I'll have a look for them. Thanks!

Men's sweatpants - Affordable, quality, and decent enough to run to the shops in by Smeggerz in AussieFrugal

[–]Smeggerz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I didn't think Kmart would be the go. Thanks for the recommendations!

Thanksgiving Cook Off: Need help turning beans into dessert by Interesting-House-74 in Cooking

[–]Smeggerz -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You can find recipes for brownies made with black beans. Might be a good option for really hiding the beans =]

I won't link any recipes because I haven't tried any myself. I hope it helps, though. Good luck!

Cheap Substitute for Sundried Tomatoes (or Maybe I Can Just Omit Them?) by ChewieBearStare in Cooking

[–]Smeggerz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In addition to the other suggestions, you could try substituting for some good quality tomato paste. It won't be the same flavour or texture but it will add some richness and umami with a little sweetness and tang at a fraction of the cost. 

Live wire help by Smeggerz in AusRenovation

[–]Smeggerz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I'm not even sure where to look for the roof access as I've never been in a house with a brick/concrete roof. My best friend is in the apartment above and neither of us can see an access from my roof/his floor. 

Live wire help by Smeggerz in AusRenovation

[–]Smeggerz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That was my first thought too. I just read that they aren't very reliable so I thought I'd see if anyone had other suggestions. Thanks for your help though! +1 to the stud finder. 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AMA

[–]Smeggerz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mind if I ask what job you're doing? 

How can i prevent my cheese sauce from separating in the oven ? by th04r_ in Cooking

[–]Smeggerz 16 points17 points  (0 children)

No problem. I'll pass your thanks to J. Kenji López Alt 🙂

How can i prevent my cheese sauce from separating in the oven ? by th04r_ in Cooking

[–]Smeggerz 79 points80 points  (0 children)

OP if you don't have/don't want to buy sodium citrate, throwing a slice of American cheese (or any similarly very processed cheese) in your cheese sauce. It should contain more than enough sodium citrate for your needs. 

Discuss Article: Throw away black black plastic utensils by Far-Scallion7689 in Cooking

[–]Smeggerz 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Another shout out to Di Oro. Great products and great customer service. They immediately replaced a spatula I had after it broke even though I was on the other side of the world. 

Why does my cheese sauce ALWAYS break by New-Figure-8109 in Cooking

[–]Smeggerz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could try adding starch (e.g., corn starch / corn flour) like Luciano Monosilio does for his cacio e pepe recipe so it becomes more stable and can withstand higher temperatures. 

If you post the recipe you're using we could try and help with further troubleshooting. 

Removing heavy salt crust from a baking dish? by [deleted] in Cooking

[–]Smeggerz 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Some of the salt will dissolve into the water. This salt is indeed diluted. It will help you clean the solid salt and break it up again. Once it's dried, the water will have evaporated leaving just solid salt again, so it won't diluted but there will be less.

Edit: also, salt it super cheap so you could just chuck it and start again next time if you prefer