Spend a dollar. Save a dinner.
Not a bad slogan.
May 1st my app launched. A month later, I’m celebrating with a sale. Today only, Kitchen Disasters and Fixes is priced at $0.99. Both the iTunes version and the Android version are 2/3 off the regular price of $2.99. (Note: Android prices are set on the day, not in advance, so if the price hasn’t been updated yet, please don’t write me angry emails. My tech people are in California and are likely sound asleep as I write this. It will change! The iTunes price is currently set at $0.99. Phew!)
My newsletter subscribers got the heads up on the sale yesterday and, as requested, are kindly sending me the details of their culinary struggles for a chance to win a line of PaperChef culinary parchment products. (See membership does have its privileges.) If their issue isn’t covered in my app, I’m going to add it to the next version.
As a thank you to the first person to respond to my newsletter plea, I’m addressing Kathyrn B’s struggle with making a roux for a white sauce. This is straight from the app. In the live version, the underlined words would take you to other entries where you would get more information. Here, they’re just underlined to illustrate how the entries interlink. Once the app is downloaded you don’t need Internet access to use the app because, unlike the creators of certain cooking apps, I know not all kitchens have wifi!
Roux – Techniques and Variations
A roux is used to thicken sauces and gravies. It’s made from equal parts butter and flour cooked over medium heat. A roux varies in colour depending on how long you cook it. Regardless of which colour of roux you are aiming for the technique is the same.
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
- Add an equal amount of flour and stir to form a paste.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until flour is cooked and the desired colour is reached.
- Don’t overcook as the roux will lose its thickening abilities.
White roux — for Béchamel: Cook until the flour no longer smells raw, but the roux hasn’t turned colour. This takes only about 2 to 3 minutes.
Blond roux — for Velouté: Cook until the roux begins to turn golden and begins to smell nutty, like browned butter. This will take about 4 to 6 minutes.
Brown roux — for Espagnole: Cook until the roux is brown and begins to smell like toast. This can take as little as 7 minutes or as long as 15 depending on how dark you want the roux.
Not a newsletter subscriber? You can still share your culinary struggles for a chance to win something. I’m giving away a free iTunes version of the app. I’ll announce it tomorrow. Just leave a comment and tell me what stumps you in the kitchen. One lucky winner will get a copy of my app, and if the app doesn’t already address your issue, I’ll find a fix for the next version. How’s that for a deal?
Ha! Where were you last weekend when it was 90% humidity and my strawberry buttercream frosting kept separating?!?
I was busy planting a garden. But if it makes you feel any better, I made buttercream in 90% humidity (in a heatwave!) two years ago for my sister’s wedding cake. Nearly killed me. I ended up chilling the icing because the kitchen was so hot it kept melting. However, I believe putting the bowl of separated buttercream in an ice bath will allow you to whip it back into shape.
My app doesn’t actually have a solution for buttercream but I will definitely add that to the upgrade! Thanks for sharing your woes.
Hard to keep the price at a dollar, when your app is priceless. My specialty is finding out I’m missing an ingredient when I’m half way through a meal. Does your app talk emergency substitutes?
Love,
Robin
Substitutes could be an entire app on their own. There are just so many possibilities I decided I wouldn’t address it since it was too big a subject.
Of course — you know what I’m going to say — putting the ingredients out before you start will solve this issue. But that kind of advice is just plain old annoying. I do this kind of thing myself, even though I know better. I use The Food Substitutions Bible when that happens. Invaluable. Wish there was an app for that. (David Joachim, are you reading this?)