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It’s pretty straightforward… albeit ingeniously so. Nutrichef provide a number of models in their vacuum sealer range and my instructions below are specifically for the Nutrichef PKVS18Sl Compact Vacuum Sealer. However, the functionality for all models is quite generic and the below is applicable to pretty much any model.  The device is small–6 inches long, 14 inches wide, and 3 inches in height–and shaped like a rectangular box. It is electronically operated with a cover (or lid) which houses the control panel containing a row of five buttons that determine the function used. The Nutrichef Vacuum Sealer package includes everything required to complete the process–vacuum sealer and air suction hose, wine stopper cork, vacuum bags, and an extra-long roll of vacuum bags which can be used to one’s own individual requirements.  When the user is ready to vacuum seal food, (and it should be noted that the food can be raw or an already-cooked dish) place the food in one of the vacuum bags provided. Maneuver the bag so that the open end is placed under the lid of the sealer–it should be positioned so that the space inside the bag is almost completely taken up by the food to be stored. Read the full article

How to Cook Marinated Steak Tips in a Frying Pan Introduction There are many different types of steak–sirloin, filet mignon, rump (or round) to name but a few–and most of them will be found across the world. There is one type however which seems to be unique to the US East Coast, especially New England: steak tips. There are disputes over what exactly constitutes steak tips, but what I will refer to as steak tips are pieces cut from the sirloin. Also known as flap meat, these cuts are often packaged in small chunks. Steak tips are renowned for their long and loose grain texture. That is why they are perfect for marinating as they absorb the flavors and will also create a sauce while cooking… although I’ll return to this as the marinade may not be sufficient. Steak tips are versatile, lending themselves to many different methods of cooking, but I want to offer some advice on how to cook marinated steak tips in a frying pan. Tips about tips! What You Need First, choose your weapon… or frying pan. Your personal preference comes into play here, as you may like your steaks seared in a grill pan to achieve that flavorsome smoky taste and get those darkened lines. Or your taste buds may opt for a skillet (or plain frying pan) where the flat surface will cook the steak evenly. Whichever you choose, the emphasis when cooking steaks is to do so quickly so that the meat retains its juiciness and the marinade does not become burnt. As for buying steak tips, many butchers will sel Read the full article

Best Pans for Steaks To a carnivore (and probably even some vegetarians) the sound of a steak being fried is one of the most salivating sensory experiences to be encountered in a kitchen. It’s the sizzle which does it for me – that hissing sound of oil or fat cooking which can almost generate heat by itself. The sound is augmented by the sight of a steak with juices dribbling from it as it is fried to one’s preferred method. Preparing many of our favorite dishes can be a slow process, possibly involving different stages, but steak is all about speed. If rare-cooked steak is your preference, cooking time won’t take much more than a few minutes, and even if a well-done steak is your choice, 10 minutes will suffice. Using the requirements and criteria based on our experiences and those of a team of reviewers, we have compiled a list of ten pans that provide the best choices for cooking steaks. We do not consider them to be the ten very best pans available, but we have taken budgetary restrictions into account in addition to selecting a range of cookware which offers something for everybody. Details on how to cook steaks can be found elsewhere, and this guide will furnish you with the means to do so. Read the full article

10 Best Ravioli Makers Pasta comes in many different shapes and sizes, but it is a unifying food in that most people will like at least one form. The thought that goes into pasta dishes never ceases to amaze me. How did somebody divine that thin strands of spaghetti work so well with quickly fried lardons of bacon augmented by mixing in parmesan cheese and an egg yolk allowing the latter to get cooked by the bacon? Genius! Spaghetti carbonara is just one perennial favorite Italian pasta dish. Some are simplicity itself – spaghetti with oil and garlic – whereas some can be quite complex. Making ravioli from scratch would fall into this category. Arriving at the correct consistency for the dough and form it, generating the sheets of pasta; the painstaking precision required to mold those individual pockets of pasta; filling them so they’re substantial without reaching the point of bursting and sealing them so they remain intact while cooking. That elongated process would be off-putting to many who like to prepare meals without having to set aside a lot of time to do so but if it’s enough of a deterrent to make you give ravioli a skip, you’re missing out on an Italian classic. So, be grateful for the range of ravioli makers available. So, you’re enough of a ravioli fan to want to make your own – and home-made is always the best – but you can’t decide which kitchen accessory to buy. Read the full article

BOKASHI KASAI SLICING KNIFE REVIEW BOKASHI is a lesser known brand in the knife-carving industry. But it’s starting to gain attention from all across the world. And for all the right reasons. With each blade handcrafted in Japan and assembled in China, their knives are undoubtedly of high standard.  And their Kasai Steel Slicing Knife is no different. It comes from a series of multi-purpose knives that use high-carbon steel matched with durable pakkawood. It’s a product line that puts together excellent craftsmanship with the finest materials in stock.  This knife is crafted to have a fine point, for smooth slicing through meat. And it will maintain its edge longer than its counterparts.  But is it really as good as it seems? And where should you be using this knife? We answer all your questions and more in our BOKASHI Kasai Knife review.  BOKASHI Kasai Steel Slicing Knife Features  For a quick rundown, here are the main features of the BOKASHI Kasai summarized: Forged from high-carbon vanadium stainless steel. Wide bolster for ultimate balance. 8.6” long blade for julienning and slicing. Made using Japanese blacksmith techniques. Non-stick scorching pattern on the blade. Dense material holds an edge for longer. Does not require frequent honing. Pakkawood full tang black handle. Comes with its own knife case. Does not bend or flex much.  Design Features and Material Choice Size and Weight:  The BOKASHI Kasai is a long 8.6” Read the full article

10 Best Chef’s Knives (under $100) They’re a staple of any kitchen and something which experienced chefs can become quite animated about, emotional even. Yes, we’re talking about chef knives – probably the first item which a chef will furnish their kitchen with. There exists a dizzying array of sizes, sharpness, strength, and other utilities which can make it quite daunting for a newcomer when choosing the one which will best meet their requirements. Wusthof Classic Utility Knife: Best Overall Chef’s Knife Wusthof, based in the German city of Solingen (the City of Blades), is one of the most renowned names in the world of kitchen knives. Producers of the finest knives for over 200 years, the 6-inch Classic Utility Knife will be a welcome addition to any kitchen. Although some may find the length a bit on the short-size, the strength and durability are exemplary. With a wide blade and forged from a single piece of stainless steel, it has an ergonomic polyoxymethylene handle. What marks this model out is the ease with which it will perform any cutting, chopping, or paring task. Read the full article

Pasta comes in many different shapes and sizes, but it is a unifying food in that most people will like at least one form. The thought that goes into pasta dishes never ceases to amaze me. How did somebody divine that thin strands of spaghetti work so well with quickly fried lardons of bacon augmented by mixing in parmesan cheese and an egg yolk allowing the latter to get cooked by the bacon? Genius!

The "when" is not so easy. Again, we have to distinguish between two processes that are often called synonymous. Sharpening a knife means scraping (or sharpening) some blades to restore the cutting ability and is best done with a grindstone or sharpening machine. Honing is the process of maintaining and realigning the sharpened cutting edge with the help of a honing steel. Sharpening should not be required more than once or twice a year, provided the blade is sharpened more regularly.

KitchenAid Ravioli Maker Review Introduction Everybody has their own favorite pasta: maybe you favor long, thin strands of spaghetti or the even slimmer linguine or cylindrical rigatoni or swirly fusilli? There are myriad options and that’s before you turn to filled pasta such as ravioli. Ravioli a dish that has to be eaten fresh. Plus, there’s something liberating about having all the options when it comes to its fillings. The only downside is the preparation that goes into making ravioli and the fact that a certain amount of skill as a cook is a prerequisite. If only there was a nice simple way to make those tasty little pockets that immediately transport you to Sicily or Venice or any such Italian setting where the sun shines and a heady aroma of freshly cooked cibo buono fills the air.  The good news is that there is with the KitchenAid 5KRAV Ravioli Maker. What You Need to Make Ravioli Ravioli can be traced back to the 14th century and has figured prominently in Italian kitchens (and the kitchens of those influenced by Italian cuisine) ever since. Making ravioli by hand was a laborious process which required precision, manual dexterity and an appreciation of timing. The sheets of pasta dough had to be cut and shaped to the required size to receive the filling and then neatly closed. We’re making the assumption here that you already have the pasta ready. Read the full article

How to Sharpen Henckels Kitchen Knives Introduction In modern kitchens, we’re surrounded by labor-saving devices and technology to the extent that occasionally reverting to performing tasks without recourse to a digital “this” or an electronic “that” has an appeal. It brings us in touch with our forebears, and successfully completing the task may activate a glow of primordial satisfaction. We’ve done it all by ourselves, and not a plug or socket was used. Well done, us! Of course, some kitchen functions lend themselves to the time-honored method: technology simply can’t improve on what’s always been at our disposal. Exhibit A: knife-sharpening. One of the enduring images of Stone Age man is the hunter/gatherer returning to the cave with the fruits of his (or, at a stretch, her!) efforts and sharpening his flint knife on a piece of a carefully selected block of stone before preparing the food.  Lots of cooks will still swear by using a roughly hewn piece of the whetstone, which will restore the edge to a knife dulled by usage. All of which is understandable, but there is a happy medium between primitivism and modernism. First, let’s select a knife that is to be found in kitchens the world over and then investigate how best to maintain it. The Read the full article

  Greenlife Frying Pans One thing all cooks like is choice. Choice enables cooks to whittle down kitchenware to their precise requirements to the inch, to the millimeter, to the ounce, etc. But sometimes, you can have too much choice. We all know the feeling when you’re trying to decide between X and Y and then you see Z which is almost the same as X and Y and then you see A which is only  subtly different. A simple task of choosing, say, a frying pan becomes a torturous exercise.  What you need is a certain amount of choice, but distinct differences which will render your selection process considerably easier. What you need is Greenlife. Who Are Greenlife? Before we start talking about frying pans from a practical perspective, let’s just step back and briefly talk about identity. We’ll keep this simple. The Cookware Company began in Belgium in 2007 and introduced Green Pan, the first PTFE-free non-stick cookware (or Teflon-free non-stick cookware). Green Pan uses Thermolon, a ceramic non-stick coating. In 2011, the Cookware Company started up other ceramic non-stick brands, Greenlife and Greenchef. That’s enough company background. Basically, they’re good guys–they produce healthy ceramic non-stick cookware which eschews using chemicals such as PFAS and PFOA which are found in many non-stick frying pans and other cookware. Why Read the full article

How to Use a Ravioli Stamp Introduction Pasta is one of the most popular foodstuffs around and it’s easy to see why. It can be simple to prepare and cook or it can stretch your culinary skills through more complex forms. You can tailor the accompanying sauce to your taste and match it to a particular type of pasta.  But there is one pasta dish which will allow a cook to indulge themselves – ravioli. Ravioli can be traced back to the 14th century and remains a favorite for many. Making it by hand from scratch is a laborious process: getting the right mix of flour and egg for the dough, kneading and rolling the dough until you arrive at the optimum thickness, creating and then filling the little pockets of pasta with one’s preferred mix before sealing them neatly. It’s a bit of a performance, although the tactile interaction with the ingredients is satisfying. Of course, there are kitchen equipment and utensils on hand to make the process easier. Pasta machines, cutters, molds will all individually or collectively help. But there remains a preference among many experienced cooks, especially those with enough time for the traditional ravioli stamp. We’re here to tell you what’s good about it, what to look out for and, above all, how to use a ravioli stamp. What Is a Ravioli Stamp? There is something pleasingly medieval about the classic wooden-handled ravioli stamp. Release your imagination and you envisage it as the prototype for a piece of ancient torture equipment. Read the full article

HOW TO MAKE BANANA PANCAKES WITH BISQUICK Bisquick is a brand of pre-made pancake mix that makes your breakfast a whole lot easier. Simply add your desired wet materials to the mix, and bake like you normally bake a cake.  But with ease of baking comes an overwhelming number of recipes. It becomes challenging to find the perfect recipe for your favorite cakes. I myself faced the same dilemma. It’s not that easy to find a recipe you like, let alone one that works. That is why I’ve prepared a small guide to teach you how to make banana pancakes with Bisquick. Take a look. Make Bisquick Mix at Home: Don’t have a mix? Don’t worry. You can make your own Bisquick mix equivalent with a simple recipe. All you need is: All-purpose flour 1 mug. Butter or vegetable shortening 1 tablespoon. 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder. ¼ teaspoon salt. Method: Sift the dry materials into a clean bowl and mix them until combined. Add the butter or vegetable shortening and stir once again. You can also just dump all the materials into a food processor. Set your food processor to “Pulse” and blend until it has the same texture as cornmeal.  Pour the contents into an airtight container and refrigerate. You can refrigerate your homemade pancake mix for up to 3 months. Note: Use vegetable shortening.  Simple Bisquick Hotcake Recipe:   Now that you’ve got your materials ready, it’s time to make some delicious pancakes. Read the full article

Being the only crepe-master in my house comes with its cons. For one thing, my wrists aren’t thanking me when I’m constantly struggling to flip my crepes. But did you know that there’s an easier way to make crepes? There’s something called a crepe pan, and it can take many forms. But I’ll discuss two forms today: a traditional skillet-style pan, and the more modern electric crepe pan. They’re both brilliant devices to work with, but do you know how to use them? If you want to extract maximum taste from your here’s how to use a crepe pan. How to Cook with a Traditional Crepe Pan: Traditional skillet-style crepe pans differ from actual skillets in the sense that they’re easier to flip. The sides are shorter and more curved, and they take a decent amount of weight off your wrists. Here’s how you can use them: Make the Batter Rest for Half an Hour: Letting the batter rest for about half an hour is crucial for an even crepe texture. The flour will have enough time to completely absorb all the liquid contents. The longer you let the batter rest, the more flavorful and uniform the crepe will be. You can keep the batter refrigerated for a maximum of 2 days. But you’ll have to bring it down to a suitable temperature before you can use it again. Set the Heat to Medium: You want the temperature to be ideal for the crepe batter to solidify. Keep the heat from medium-low to medium and let the pan heat up during the time. Read the full article

  If you own any gas-fueled implement, here’s a scenario that will be immediately recognizable. Let’s assume that the implement in question is a butane kitchen torch which you use to make crème brûlée. The creation of this delicious dessert relies upon speed when you reach the stage of caramelizing sugar for the topping. Kitchen torch at the ready, you check the fuel gauge (if it has one) or shake the torch and realize that the remaining gas is low. You mumble dejectedly about forgetting to get a new canister when you last went shopping and you don’t have enough time to go out and rectify that. You consider your options and remember that old kitchen torch which you discarded because it was ineffective but did not banish from the house. Clearly, there’s no point in using it (ineffective) but when you retrieve it, you notice that it still has some butane gas in its inbuilt canister. If only you knew how to transfer butane from one torch to another. You’ve come to the right place. Is it safe to do so? This isn’t actually a disclaimer, but it is a reminder that this process can go wrong, so caution must be exercised. Gas is highly flammable, and transferring it from one source to another is a process that should be undertaken (a) in a location which is free from a naked flame and (b) only if the person or persons involved know of the indicators of leaked gas. Read the full article