The Cool Kitchen

Tis the season to be roasting, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la. I'm a traditionalist and therefore me like'um Turkey at Christmas. Our family always names the bird Charlie, which oddly enough, was inspired by a Starfish Tuna commercial..."Sorry Charlie" was there phrase as the commercial would end. You might not have seen what happened to Charlie, but you can guess by what's in the can of tuna. We were, and still are, sympathetic to the plight of our bird, hence our Christmas Day eulogy, "Sorry Charlie, in the oven you go." Aside from good quality meat, produce, and products, one of the key elements to a successful holiday meal is your kitchen equipment. Sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference like taking the roast's temperature periodically, or basting. A good starting point is to make sure you have a proper roasting pan. Avoid aluminum, as I've mentioned before, it's reactive plus if you are making a pan dripping gravy, you don't want scrapes of aluminum in your sauce. As usual, I will tout steel. It's warp resistant, lasts a long, long time, and it's great for caramelization. Plus, it may look a mess when you're done with it, but it's really easy to clean and you can use scouring pads on it. I would also suggest getting one with a rack, even if you don't end up using it every time, it's a nice thing to have around when you need it. KitchenAid Gourmet Distinctions Stainless Steel 16-1/2-Inch Rectangular Roaster with Rack I believe in basting - it keeps the meat moist and flavorful, and the skin crispy. I also, when feeling adventurous about my weight and health, like to inject the Turkey with some butter. This adds such a wonderful richness and keeps the bird tender and moist. Here's a great gadget for both basting and injecting. Zim Ade-O-Matic 2 Purpose Baster Set with Injector and Brush Last thing I want to talk about for this post is temperature. Temperature can be the difference between a dry or moist bird. A lot of people will say 15 minutes a pound for the average sized bird but don't forget a lot of things affect this. One example would be your oven. Every oven has it's own personality and your actual temperature may not always be what it says. Aside from cutting open the Turkey, there's only really one sure fire way to know if the bird has reached the proper internal temperature and that is a meat thermometer. If you have trouble remembering your temperature, here's one with a guide right on it. Taylor Classic Style Meat Dial Thermometer And for the more techie type of cooks, a nice digital thermometer. CDN Digital Programmable Probe Thermometer One last note. You might see some thermometers or recipes saying cook poultry to an internal temperature of 180 degrees. My advice is don't. If you take your bird out somewhere between 165 to 170 degrees and let it rest for a few mins, you should have a lovely moist turkey.

Cuisinart DLC-8S Pro Custom 11-Cup Food Processor, White If ever there were revolutionary changes to how we cook and prepare our meals (aside from fire) it would be the invention of a stand mixer and food processor. These two pieces of equipment can save hours of preparation time, which frees you up to focus on your dishes or to use that time towards other things...like reading my blog :) The KitchenAid mixer is such a versatile machine, especially when you take into consideration all the different attachments you can get, such as the meat grinder, pasta maker, ice cream maker, sausage stuffer, and so on. Makes me all warm and tingly thinking about all that it can do. Primarily though, if you are anything like me, it will be your go to machine for breads and baking. Now there's nothing wrong with developing a Popeye like arm by toiling with a wooden spoon to mix all your batters or sweet toppings, but why not give your arm a rest and save yourself some muscle cramps? KitchenAid K45SS Classic 250-Watt 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer, WhiteKitchenAid FPPA Mixer Attachment Pack for Stand Mixers I'm sure either one morning or late at night you've seen the infomercials for the Magic Bullet, or the Ninja, or the Slap Chop. Please heed my advice, if you are looking to buy a food processor - do not ever purchase these items. I've test driven a couple of them....the Magic Bullet for example breaks down after a couple months and only had the power to end up as my coffee grinder. There's a reason they always want to give you two of them, because you'll need them both when the first one breaks. Plus, and this is the truth, the Magic Bullet comes with a warning that you should not ever run it longer than 20 seconds at a time otherwise you risk a motor fire. Yikes! No wonder it's has "Bullet" in it's name - it's dangerous as one. If you don't know what and why you might want to add a food processor to your kitchen equipment, let me give you a quick run down. A real food processor will do all those nifty things you might have seen on t.v., however, they will actually do them well. Most come with a standard blade plus a small assortment of different slicing attachments such as one for shredding, grating, slicing, etc. These attachments can save you a lot of time and hassle in the kitchen. Making pizza or lasagna and need a heaping mound of cheese? Boom...the food processor handles that in a fraction of time that a hand grater would. Plus, it's amazing for pie dough or biscuit dough, or basically any shortening or butter based dough. The reason being, you aren't handling the butter as much with your hands, and therefore aren't warming the butter up, which will make your dough turn out more flaky. You pie and biscuit peeps know what I'm talking about. My buttermilk biscuits went from really good, to becoming amazing when I started using my food processor. However....and this is a big however, DO NOT, when making biscuits with a food processor, only use it to blend the butter with the flour, after that use a mixing bowl or KitchenAid mixer when adding the buttermilk. Liquids are fine in the food processor, but I find for biscuits, it turns out best this way. When buying a food processor, you might have to doll out a few bucks but it's worth it when you add up all the time and effort you will save. They range from really expensive, to affordable. I wouldn't buy the tiny ones...aside from coffee grinding or mincing garlic, they're too small to really be of much use. The Robot Coupe (pronounced Robo Coo) is the Cadillac of food processors. This is the brand you'll find in many professional kitchens around the world. Why you might ask? Because it's probably the only food processor you will ever need to buy. This thing is the like your friend's old Honda or VW that has 800, 000 miles on it but still purrs like a kitten. The motor is reliable, the attachments are great, and it never fails to get the job done. However, you can purchase your friend's Honda for less than a high end model of a Robot Coupe. For example, this one below costs almost a $1,000...and that's a mid-range model. Robot Coupe R2N Food Processor, Model R-2N Personally, I've never purchased a Robot Coupe, not even for my restaurant. Not because I'm cheap or didn't want to, but because I never had it in my budget. But while getting my cooking chops I was fortunate enough to be able to use a Robot Coupe in various kitchens I worked in. While you may crave the cream of the crop but are a bit more budget minded like me, you can still purchase a decent and reliable food processor for under $50. I have a Black and Decker machine. It's reasonably priced and served me wonderfully. Doesn't have the helicopter like power of a Robot Coupe but after five years, has never failed me yet. And it comes with all the different blades. I've also heard really good things about the Cuisanart version (pictured at the top of this post). It's a little more expensive than the Black and Decker, but a buddy of mine swears by it. Perhaps a food processor "throwdown" is in order! Black & Decker FP1600B 8-Cup Food Processor, Black

Next to knives, pots and pans are usually a cook's most prized possession, and like knives, good pots and pans will last you a lifetime. Weight, thickness, and quality of metal are great indications of reliable cookware. With pots and pans the general idea is this: the thicker the metal - the more even the cooking will be, as well as,reduce the chance of burning food, and lastly there will be less (to zero) warping over time. And should an intruder break into your kitchen while you are cooking your favorite dish, you can clang them over the head and you'll be guaranteed a K.O. All-Clad Stainless 10-Inch Fry Pan Other factors to consider are handles and lids - Do you need handles that can be put in the oven and resist heat? Are they ergonomic and easily to grab? Finally, like any trades person, choose the equipment for the job. For example, I tend to shy away from non-stick pans and prefer stainless steel because (a) no matter how much you baby non-stick pots and pans, they will scratch (b) many brands still use chemicals in the non-stick coating that are linked to cancers (c) they often don't give a nice caramelization on meats or veg like steel based pans. However, I do use non-stick pans when frying eggs or making pancakes. I've had my non-stick egg pan for years now and nothing beats it for omelets or some over easy's. The 10" Green Earth Frying Pan by Ozeri, with Smooth Ceramic Non-Stick Coating (100% PTFE and PFOA Free) Another type of pan to consider investing in is cast iron. These are great for frying and deep frying. Just remember to follow the instructions on how to care for it. Some come "pre-seasoned" and are ready to use right away, and some you need to treat with some oil. a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006JSUB/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=myfavocook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00006JSUB">Lodge Logic L10SK3 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet And if stir fry and Asian inspired cooking is your flavor, you can always add a wok to your supplies. My personal experience with woks is this. Do not ever, under any circumstance buy a non-stick wok. I have tried several of them and the results are all the same - they will get destroyed and your food will stick. I think this has to do with the heat. Woks tend to heat up quickly because of their design. One thing to remember when buying a wok is, do you have an electric or gas stove? If electric, choose a wok with a flat bottom (yes that sounds oddly rude), but if you use gas, choose a round bottom (again rude). This is due to how well each design heats on electric or gas stoves. Joyce Chen Classic Series 4-Piece Carbon-Steel Wok Set Aside from the applying the above tips to pots, I would suggest getting one or two small ones, two larger pots, and lastly, a stock pot that you can make stocks and soup with, boil pasta, simmer chili, etc. Having these three types usually covers what you'll need to prepare just about any meal. Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set

Since I'm going to assume everyone knows what a bowl is, I'll just skip onto why a bowl is important. Firstly, bowls are crucial to staying organize while cooking, and organization is crucial to preparing a great meal. A helpful tip is to prep or prepare all your ingredients before starting a dish. Chop your onions, dice your carrots, and mince your garlic ahead of time and keep them stored in a bowl. That way when it comes time to start cooking, you aren't scrambling around to get all the ingredients ready...thus avoiding burning, overcooking, or outright destroying your plans to cook a lovely meal. Secondly, a bowl may just seem like a bowl but there are reasons you find them in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Metal bowls are great for prepping veggies or meat, but their reactive metallic composition can affect doughs, batters, and acid based recipes. When baking or whisking up your secret family vinaigrette, try to use a ceramic or non-reactive bowl when possible to ensure the quality of your food is top notch. Plus if you need to use a hand mixer, choose a ceramic bowl over metal otherwise you will not only ruin your metal bowl, but affect the taste of your dish. Lastly, decent bowls are inexpensive and you can usually get a good deal if you buy them in a set. It's only a small investment to have your kitchen one step closer to being properly stocked and being an organized cook makes preparing meals that more easy. Stainless-Steel Mixing BowlsReduce Melaboo Mixing Bowl, 5-Piece Set

I hate, absolutely hate, seeing people cut on their counter top, a plate, or a tiny little dollar store board. The scratches, the food falling all over the place, the chaos, the mess, it's all enough to drive any sane cook over the edge. Do yourself a favor and get a real cutting board. It makes the cooking process that much easier. At a party a while back, I asked a couple of my friends (who are notorious for eating out around 5 days a week) "why they don't cook more?" They are in fact "foodies" so I found it strange they relied so heavily on restaurants and were spending a fortune each week. Their reply was simply, "It's a pain to cook." Now I've cooked with them before for dinner parties and they do know their way around a kitchen, but last New Year's, when we had a gathering and we cooked at their place, it became all too clear why it was a pain - they didn't have the right equipment. For one of the dishes I made a tartar sauce and even the simplest of tasks, like chopping capers, became a laborious chore because of a useless knife and a tiny little plastic cutting board that would be better utilized if it was melted down and turned into a paper weight. My choice of cutting boards is traditional. I prefer wood - one for meats (with grooves to catch juice and blood), and one for everything else. Wood boards contain natural oils and enzymes that are bacteria resistant, the look better, feel better, and they have weight which helps stabilize the board while cutting. And like a good knife, if treated properly can last you years upon years. Architec Gripperwood Hardwood Cutting Board, 16 by 20-InchJohn Boos RA03 24-by-18-by-2-1/4-Inch Reversible Maple Cutting Board

Aside from an excellent chef's knife, a good pairing knife or two is invaluable in the kitchen for projects that require a certain nimbleness, such as coring or peeling. It allows the cook to get in closer to the task and ensures all fingers remain attached to where they should be. I'd like to give you a good example of how a pairing knife can save you money. Take coring tomatoes. I have friends and family members who don't take the time to core out the stem from a tomato and I have to admit, it drives me nutty. When you simply slice off the top of a tomato instead of coring, you are losing about 10% of the tomato. That's weight you've already paid for. So if you use one tomato a day and carelessly lop off the top instead of coring, you are coming close to throwing away a tomato a week. In my neighborhood tomatoes are around $2+/lb for the winter and drops down to about $1.29/lb for the summer. Let's say there's about 3 tomatoes in a pound and you throw away what is equivalent to one tomato a week. At $1.60/lb that comes out to around 53 cents a week, or $2.12 a month. Yeah I know, it doesn't sound like a lot but if at the same time you are doing such wasteful things with other foods, then that two dollars turns into a lot more and grows expedentially. Plus think of it this way, that $2.12 is a free pound of tomatoes each month - who doesn't want a free pound of tomatoes? Wusthof Classic 3-1/2-Inch Paring Knife

One of the most important things a chef, cook, or even casual foodie can have at their disposal is a good knife. You would be hard pressed to think of any homemade meal that does not utilize a knife at least once. When considering which type of knife to buy, it is important to remember what tasks you will be using it for. There are specific knives for just about every kitchen job. The "go to" knife of most cooks is the chef knife. It's versatility is great and can be used for just about everything. I also suggest buying a "steel" and a sharpening stone to maintain it's edge and keep it sharp as the day you bought it. J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef's KnifeShun DM0610 Classic 3-Piece Whetstone Sharpening System

Having a well stocked fridge and pantry is fine and dandy, but how about the rest of your cupboards? The right tools for any recipe can often be the difference between disaster and creating a meal to remember. Which of us foodies, cooks, and culinarians can't claim they've never had to use a wine bottle to roll out some dough because the cheap pin we bought had found a final resting place in the garbage? I can't stress enough the importance of having at least some of the basic kitchen essentials, as well as, shelling out a few dollars to make sure they last more than a few months. I'm not talking about breaking the bank, but I am suggesting your equipment comes from somewhere other than the local dollar store. In the long run, it will save you money and I speak from experience when I say, you won't regret it. With proper care a good knife can last you a lifetime and it will also prove to be an invaluable asset in the kitchen.