Mise En Place #0002: Yukon Golds, Candy Corn Discourse, and Tea (Lots of It)

We’re back this week with another round of Mise en Place, a new and casual weekly update giving you a behind-the-line look at all the things that made Serious Eats, well, Serious Eats this week. We're just trying to get to know you better, and also navigate our difficult-to-navigate website. Let’s get into the chaos, shall we?

Some Piping Hot Tea For Ya

Amanda has dubbed this moment in time “squarely tea season,” which is fitting since we just dropped our recipes for chai and teh tarik. With the days getting shorter and the impending gloom of winter nearing, what better way to bring some joy into our lives and also fight the sniffles? (This would be a great place to add that it was just this week we learned that one of Tess's personal icks is the word “sniffles.” Turns out she feels “unwell” or “snotty” does the trick. We've not yet come to an official conclusion on whether or not we will be banning “sniffles” on Serious Eats, but we will keep you updated). We'd be remiss if we didn't re-up Daniel’s new-ish pumpkin spice latte, purchase a sunrise lamp (or a few), and consume a hefty daily dose of vitamin D…we’re doing what we can over here! 

Teas

Teh Tarik (Sweet and Frothy Malaysian Milk Tea)

This beloved Malaysian tea consists of boiled black tea, evaporated creamer and condensed milk that is "pulled" until frothy and sweet.

rating:

cook time: 10 mins

serves: 2

view recipe

Where Did All the Yukon Golds Go?

When we got a reader email this week—we love these, by the way!!—with the subject line: “Where are the Yukon Gold potatoes?” We were intrigued! One Carlo Vogel reached out to us (and several other food publications) this week with a genuine concern: While several food websites call specifically for Yukon Gold potatoes in their recipes, Mr. Vogel "[has] not found Yukon Gold potatoes in dozens of different stores for several years.” In fact, he went on to clarify, “there are lots of people who are literal enough and afraid to screw up a recipe that they will drive to multiple stores looking specifically for YG in vain.” And to that we say…we’re on the case, sir. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, Leah pointed us to this excerpt from Vegetables Illustrated, a Cook’s Illustrated book she worked on in her previous role : 

The Yukon Gold potato, though yellow fleshed, is a cross between a yellow and a white potato and is usually labeled as such. A “yellow” or “gold” potato is not a Yukon Gold potato, but all three potatoes have similar starch contents and flavors and can be used interchangeably in recipes.

The mystery remains, but don’t let that stop you from leading a potato-inspired life!!

The Candy Corn Discourse Is Out of Control…

Who doesn’t have any opinion on candy corn? Is it a good opinion? Do you know how your coworkers feel about it? I’m afraid that I do…

If you didn’t already know, our very own Tess Koman is probably candy corn’s biggest fan (yes, candy corn). Every year she conducts a staff poll that goes something like: “What’s everyone’s opinion on candy corn? If you hate it, you suck.”

Every year she begins to insert her candy corn discourse into our Slack conversations [Ed. note: Yasmine, we've been working together for two years!!], slowly as fall approaches, then a lot more frequently around Halloween—or until she’s finished the last of her candy corn for the year, whichever comes first. Does anyone else have such strong feelings about these cone-shaped sweet bombs (and tooth destroyers)? Honestly, we’re afraid to ask.

Anyway, if you, a normal human, also can’t stand candy corn, might I suggest these spooky marshmallow sandwich cookies instead? ‘Tis the season!

Let’s Get Steamy

It may be squarely tea season, but it’s also squarely steam season around these parts. No, it’s not what you think! The commerce team has been hard at work testing bamboo steamers with everything from broccoli to salmon filets and, of course, frozen soup dumplings. Because no, we can never have enough dumplings, and yes, we will only be making them with the best possible steamer we can find! Contributor Irvin Lin tackled this testing and more in his newly published review: “To this day, when I smell the particular scent of a bamboo steamer in use, I get sent back to being 12 again,” he writes, “anxiously awaiting my first taste of my mom’s homemade steamed pork buns.” Irvin, do you think your mom will have us over sometime soon? We'll have to settle for making our frozen dumplings in the top-rated bamboo steamer in the meantime.