Cooking Archives - Page 14 of 15

Woman sues Kraft claiming Velveeta Shells & Cheese took too long to make

Posted on30/07/202230/11/2022Author

A South Florida woman is suing Kraft Heinz claiming the food manufacturer hoodwinked her and other consumers by saying its Velveeta Shells and Cheese product only takes 3 1/2 minutes to be ready to eat.

The proposed class-action lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Miami, concerns Kraft’s microwavable single serve cups of macaroni and cheese.

The packaging claims the dish is “ready in 3 ½ minutes.” But Amanda Ramirez, the lead plaintiff, called the statement “false and misleading” and argued that the total prep time was longer.

Package directions indicate there are four steps to prepare the product. They include removing the cup’s lid and opening the cheese sauce pouch, adding water to the cup and stirring it, microwaving the cup and finally stirring the contents of the cheese pouch.

The company that makes Sriracha warns of shortage

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Ramirez points out that the 3 ½ minutes advertised on the product only accounts for one of multiple steps. “Consumers seeing ‘ready in 3 ½ minutes’ will believe it represents the total amount of time it takes to prepare the product, meaning from the moment it is unopened to the moment it is ready for consumption,” the complaint reads.

The claim would be accurate if it indicated that it takes 3 ½ minutes to cook the cheesy pasta shells in the microwave, the lawsuit states.

The suit, filed this month by William Wright of the Wright Law Office in West Palm Beach and Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates in Great Neck, New York, sought more than $5 million in damages.

Ramirez is one of many consumers who “looks to bold statements of value when quickly selecting groceries” in order “to stretch their money as far as possible when buying groceries,” the complaint reads.

The Shells & Cheese cups sell for about $10.99 for eight 2.39-ounce cups, which is more than consumers would be willing to pay if they were accurately advertised, the lawsuit claims.

Kraft Heinz dismissed the suit as meritless.

“We are aware of this frivolous lawsuit and will strongly defend against the allegations in the complaint,” Kraft Heinz said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.

How to Use an Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker

Posted on29/07/202230/11/2022Author

Discover how to use an Instant Pot as a slow cooker, including the required liquid levels, the temperature conversions, and any extra equipment you need.

Yes, you can use your multicooker as a pressure cooker, but our Test Kitchen says it’s not as easy as just hitting the “Slow Cook” button. Just as “Crockpot” is an appliance brand that’s so ubiquitous it’s essentially become a synonym of “slow cooker,” “Instant Pot” is a brand that initially rose to fame due to their multicooker products that include a pressure cooker function. So if you’re wondering how to use an Instant Pot as a slow cooker—and are unsure if you can do so—the answer is a firm “yes!” Slow cooking is actually one of the cooking functions that the moniker “multi” refers to.

That being said, there are some things you need to know to properly master how to use an Instant Pot as a slow cooker. So we tapped our Test Kitchen to share their complete guide for how to convert or adapt slow cooker recipes so you can whip them up in your multicooker, the one piece of gear that will make it easier, and how much liquid is essential to ace any recipe.

How to Use an Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker

A slow cooker is a countertop appliance that simmers ingredients in a pot at a low temperature for an extended period of time. While they come in handy for everything from party dips and barbecue recipes to Thanksgiving menu additions and even desserts, slow cookers are particularly adept at tenderizing tougher cuts of meat. They’re also remarkably handy to help you meal prep while simultaneously accomplishing other tasks. Set and forget!

Don’t completely forget, of course! We recommend staying at home as you slow cook, if possible, to ensure that the appliance is working safely and properly. It’s also best to set a timer for the earliest possible completion time so you get a nudge in the nick of time.

Slow cooker recipes generally perform best when prepared in the appliance they’re designed for, since there are some basic differences between the tools.

Instant Pots are made of stainless steel. Slow cooker pots are often ceramic or porcelain, so they conduct heat differently.
Instant Pots heat from the bottom only. Slow cookers usually cook from the bottom and around the sides.

Still, most electric pressure cookers and nearly all multicookers do have a “Slow Cook” button as part of a whole suite of options on the pot. And yes, almost as well as using a separate slow cooker.

As you study up on how to use an Instant Pot as a slow cooker, however, one of the most common mistakes is thinking that the temperatures on both appliances allow for a direct conversion. That’s actually incorrect: Low on one is not equivalent to Low on the other.

Here are the conversions you need as you learn how to use an Instant Pot as a slow cooker:

Slow Cookers	Instant Pots	Approximate Temperature
warm	Slow Cook Low	170° to 190° F
Low	Slow Cook Normal	195° to 205° F
high	Slow Cook High+ (sometimes listed as More)	200° to 210° F

If you are adjusting a slow cooker recipe to prepare in an Instant Pot using the slow cook function, and the slow cooker recipe calls for cooking on Low, set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook Normal and cook for the same amount of time suggested in the original recipe. If the slow cooker recipe calls for cooking on High, use the High+ or More setting on the Instant Pot and add 15 minutes to every hour listed in the slow cooker recipe directions. (For example, if the slow cooker recipe calls for cooking on High for 2 hours, use the Instant Pot High+ or More Slow Cook setting and let the ingredients simmer for 2 ½ hours.)

After you dial in the settings to get your slow cooking recipe in the Instant Pot, 10 seconds after the last button is pressed, the appliance will automatically start heating. When the time is up, the Instant Pot will beep and shift to “Keep Warm” for 10 hours.

The One Extra Piece of Equipment You Need to Use Your Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker

If you own an Instant Pot, you’re familiar with a few rules for using it:

A certain amount of liquid is essential for food to pressure cook.
The lid locks into place and creates a tight seal that allows pressure cooking to occur.
It’s impossible to peek at the results midway through.
The vent knob position is vital to guarantee the Instant Pot recipe is pressure cooking (or releasing steam) properly.

No need to worry about the

Humans Were Cooking As Early As 780,000 Years Ago, New Groundbreaking Discovery Proves. It Was Probably Fish.

Posted on19/07/202230/11/2022Author

Cooking was a fundamental step in human evolution. “Around 1 to 2 million years ago, early humans developed taller bodies and bigger brains. The thinking is that calorie-rich diets, and cooking in particular, drove this change,” said David Braun, professor of anthropology at Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. But scientists have been element about when humans developed that skill. A new study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution has a potential answer: Homo erectus—an ancestor of modern humans—were cooking food 780,000 years ago.

Previous research had set that date as 170,000 years ago; there is evidence that early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals used fire to cook vegetables and meat. The study’s findings may shift the commonly understood timeline of human development. Read on to discover what the scientists found and why it could significantly affect science.

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Evidence of Oven-Cooked Fish

In the study, researchers looked at an archaeological site in Israel, Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, which is about 780,000 years old. Communities of Homo erectus lived in the region, enjoying a diet of game, fruits and vegetables, and freshwater fish. But experts didn’t know if they ate their food raw or cooked.

Analyzing the remains of fish teeth found near fireplaces at the site, the research team found that the community had indeed cooked those meals at between 530 and 900 degrees Fahrenheit. This suggests they were cooked in some kind of earthen oven.

“A Significant Evolutionary Advance”

“We do not know exactly how the fish was cooked, but given the lack of evidence of exposure to high temperatures, it is clear that they were not cooked directly on fire and were not thrown into a fire as waste or as material for burning, ” said study co-author Jens Najorka, a researcher at the Natural History Museum in London, in a statement.

“Gaining the skill required to cook food marks a significant evolutionary advance, as it provided an additional means for making optimal use of available food resources,” said Naama Goren-Inbar, director of the excavation site. “It is even possible that cooking was not limited to fish, but also included various types of animals and plants.”

Homo Erectus’ Hidden Talent

“Until now, no one could prove that Homo erectus cooked food,” study co-author Irit Zohar from Tel Aviv University, Israel, told DW. This is the first evidence that erectus had the cognitive ability to control fire and cook food.” The new study shows that the ancestors of modern humans were cooking food much earlier than previously thought. “Setting this date back by more than 600,000 years has implications for reconstructing the evolutionary history of ancient humans,” said Najorka.

Fish An Early Dietary Staple?

Zohar says the importance of fish as a stable food source for early humans has been overlooked. Fish are rich in protein and other nutrients and are more accessible than game animals. “Some people think that early humans only ate fish when nothing else was available. Our study suggests this isn’t true—we found that the fish were cooked at all times of the year, suggesting they were an important component of the diet,” said Zohar.

No Rods Necessary

The researchers believe that early humans didn’t use anything that sophisticated to catch fish, which they did with apparent success. “There’s no evidence of fishing technology back then. The authors found 5,000 teeth at the site — that’s a serious amount of fish cooking in a small community,” said Braun. According to the authors, shallow waters made fish relatively easy to catch. “We think they used their hands, like people still do with river fish today,” said Zohar.