Posted on 05/14/2015 3:43:34 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
This week we're starting with: Implements, Strange and Wonderful!
I'm a sucker for 'gadgets' related to cooking and serving food - I have wonderful tools that I've never even used yet, and acquired quite a few 'Like on TV' failures that went immediately to the trash or to Goodwill. I now have every possible sort of sandwich toaster, for instance - including a couple of the old 'Toast Tite' ones; and yes, I bought that Hamilton Beach breakfast sandwich machine, and the ubiquitous red Quesadilla maker - both of which actually work very well, and get a lot of use!
I thought that for fun this week, I'd run through some of the things I've acquired, and ask you about your favorite tools.
1. A couple of years ago, my husband gave me one of the Jalapeno grilling racks, for Christmas. It's a tray with holes in it of different sizes that props-up your stuffed jalapenos for grilling or just baking in the oven.
Here's the Grillpro version, and their recipe:
http://www.grillpro.com/m/recipes.php?type=4&recipe=1
There are many recipes out there for different stuffings; the first time I used the rack, I used Cheddar cheese, but to save time I just carved a 'plug' to fit the jalapeno. That didn't work - the cheese melted down too much. So if you're using anything like Cheddar or Jack cheese, you need to grate it and really pack the stuffing in.
(My Grillpro came with a corer; but make sure you get all the seeds and ribs out, if you're serving jalapenos to 'heat-wimps'. These peppers are very inconsistent when it comes to the Scoville scale; I've bought some that were almost as mild as bell peppers; and others that nearly incapacitated me ;-)
If you don't have a rack, and/or just want to do these in the oven, the following recipe turns out very well; I've tried these on a foil-covered sheet, and on a wire rack; they actually came out best on the foil, but you have to grease it well:
http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-wrapped-stuffed-jalapeno-peppers-152465
2. I was in the local ethnic store recently, and saw a gadget that looked like an elaborately-carved pestle of some sort. I had no idea what it was supposed to do, but was delighted to learn that it is used like a kind of 'whisk' to froth beverages, especially Mexican hot chocolate. Here's Lisa Fain, the 'Homesick Texan' on the 'molinillo':
http://www.homesicktexan.com/2006/12/mexican-hot-chocolate-and-molinillo.html
I will probably never use this for its intended purpose - more than once, anyway; I whip up my 'Abuelita' hot chocolate with a wire whisk. But at less than $5 for a whimsical purchase, it sure looks pretty in the kitchen :-)
3. Occasionally on a weekend, we do a lot of casseroles or soups to freeze and make weeknight meals easier. I prefer to steam vegetables that are going into a casserole, and my problem has always been that I didn't have a steamer set-up that was quite large enough to steam the big bags of vegetables that we buy for these mega-casserole projects. I recently found this, and it's wonderful:
http://importfood.com/stacked_steamer.html
The holes in the racks are kind of large, so it wouldn't work for things like peas and corn; but for broccoli, cauliflower, carrots - larger things - it works very well, gives you two tiers to work with, and you can do a lot else with it.
4. My passion for cooking implements sometimes becomes entangled with my fetish for 'containers' of any type. Show me a bento box, a clever jewelry box, or one of those wonderfully crafted wooden tool chests, and I'm in Heaven. (I've sometimes bought things I have no use for, just because I liked the container they came in. Go figure.)
In that vein, I've been a fool for 'tiffins'. I've got the pretty Thai type:
http://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Tier-Tiffin-Carrier-Lunch/dp/B0084Z18KO
And I have a couple of these vintage American ones:
https://img0.etsystatic.com/052/1/6761086/il_570xN.664860286_snnh.jpg
These are great for carrying cold or room temperature things to a big party or picnic. (And if you don't do parties or picnics, they're great for storing craft supplies - as one of mine is doing.)
5. Last but certainly not least is something I had wanted for ages, but only bought when I saw it at the thrift store for a great price and looking pristine: the old Farberware Open Hearth Rotisserie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cd_jTivLRM
I've never used this, because I need some parts - not least of which is a modern grounded plug!
I bought it because I thought it would be a great conversation piece for a holiday party - and everyone who remembered it said that it roasted meat wonderfully. Someday, I'll get it going!
-JT
Same here. Muffin tin for popovers but use every other muffin cup so the popovers can rise.
Cut down on the amount of mayo based tartar sauce to save calories or try plain yogurt instead of the mayo. Just stir together a spoon of yogurt with a bit of dill pickle (0 calories), a wee bit of dehydrated onion, a drop of lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Watch out for those foods that are labeled low or non-fat. Too many times they have additives you don’t want anywhere near your body.
In 30-40 minutes of waiting for the sous vide to heat up and still have to brown the meat afterward, I could have already cooked the steak and pork chops in a skillet, eaten and started the dishes. I like uneven cooking with the edges with a bit of crust and the inner soft. Simply do not see the point.
I think a balsamic vinegar would be good too if you are going for a more tangy than sweet taste.
Apparently, the method retains a lot more of the nutritional value in food, which is why I think my husband became interested in it.
This article goes into some of the culinary benefits:
http://modernistcuisine.com/2013/01/why-cook-sous-vide/
I’m not completely sold, but what drbuzzard said about the pork chops cooked this way does interest me...
My niece has asked for mine, I told her I would leave it to her in my will. Ha! The only way they will get mine from me is my cold dead hands.
I make savory (I guess really Yorkshire puddings) with meat drippings and herbs.
I don't understand why more people don't make popovers. Simple and delicious. You can let them cool and stuff them with any kind of sandwich filling. They are great for road trips and you don't end up with crumbs in the car.
Hey, I have one of those in the boxes in the basement too! And one that was adjustable as well.
I can’t wait to get the remodeling done and get to unpack my stuff! I don’t care about the clothes, toiletries, etc - but I miss all my cooking STUFF!
I love to “window shop” for gadgets. That’s how I wound up with some that are never used-impulse buy.
The gadgets I do use pretty often:
Egg slicer
Veg-o-matic
Blender
Coffee Grinder
Crock pots
Thanks for the tips. As far as preservatives, I’m just about he most unhealthy eater on the planet. That will be past tense in the next few years if I don’t turn that around asap.
I’m the person that goes to CVS to get cholesterol and BP meds and then gets soda and ring dings and tv dinners on the way out. That pharmacy is the pit of hypocrisy, or capitalism, :), depends on your point of view.
No one in the store is putting a gun to my head to buy the junk.
Since I got the tuna steak I didn’t get any canned tuna. I will keep that in mind though, thanks.
Great——betcha your salads are restaurant-quality.
Awhile ago I got mine in a Japanese retail store-—at the time they were about $6-7.....direct from Japan.
We should point out to others, that this is a right= or left-handed gizmo. If you’re a lefty, be sure to get the lefty one :-)
I found mine in the thrift store, and lucked-out that it was right-handed.
I had no idea. I wonder if I have the wrong one, LOL!
They are pricey, so I’m glad you found a good deal. I LOVE thrift stores. I get all my cast iron there - and I find the good stuff, that was made long ago. Sad that people think it is not worth keeping (but lucky for me!)
Well, yours may be different, since you say it is ‘adjustable’. But I think that probably just refers to adjusting the slice width.
With only about 10 per cent of the population left-handed, I’d bet yours is a ‘righty’, like mine :-)
(I love the thrift shop, as well. I’ve found so many great vintage things that I recall from my Grandmother’s house; and lots of modern stuff that’s a lot cheaper than in the “proper” stores. Hint: if you’re interested in one of those ‘Like on TV’ things, or whatever the ‘trendy’ thing is for Christmas: don’t buy it. Eventually it will wind up in the Thrift Store for a quarter of the price. A lot of times, they’re given as gifts to people who don’t know what to do with them or just don’t care - even though they could be useful items. But if you see a TON of them in the thrift store, turn away! That means that they’re useless.)
-JT, victim of “Eggies”, and Lord only knows how much other stuff - but at least I only paid pennies for it :-)
Yes, it is the width that is adjustable on the one. I haven’t noticed anything difficult to use about it so it likely is a righty.
I’m going to have to find the good thrift stores around here. That’s one thing I haven’t gotten to yet. It’s a pain going to ‘the city’ being far out in the country now. It’s probably saving me money though, since I can’t shop as easily as I used to!
BTW what are eggies?
“Eggies” are a ‘hard-boiled egg system’:
http://www.amazon.com/Eggies-Hard-Boiled-Egg-System/dp/B005BY5I2K
My advice: Just use a pan :-)
(Actually, I have an electric hard-boiled egg cooker that works really well; I don’t think it’s available anymore, but there are others out there. The problem is ‘peeling’, which I’m going to tackle in an upcoming ‘Weekly Cooking’ thread.)
I’d be happy to share! This WW recipe turns out better than any other I make, even those made with white bread flour. I think the key is patience - give it all the time it needs to rise. By the time they go into the oven, they should be jiggly and well over the tops of 9x5 loaf pans - but not overproofed. It is easy to overproof them too, because they do keep rising given time.
I took this from the website listed, but created a sweeter version that is unique - that is the one I always make for people when I want to give away bread that is special. The additions for that are below the recipe.
100% Whole Wheat Bread
http://www.preparedpantry.com/wholewheatbreadrecipe.htm
The key to really great 100% whole wheat bread is to extract the best flavors from the whole wheat and temper the harsh tones that sometimes accompany whole wheat flour. Good whole wheat bread has an almost nutty taste without a bitter aftertaste. A long fermentation gives the yeast a chance to produce its own flavors and convert the starch to sugar. By refrigerating the dough overnight, you can make excellent 100% whole wheat bread.
This is one of our favorite bread recipes. Yeasts perform differently at low temperatures. In this recipe, the dough is mixed the day before and refrigerated. The acids and enzymes produced by the yeast at lower temperatures temper the harshness of the whole wheat and develop wonderfully complex bread flavors. It’s no more work than other recipes; you just mix the dough the day before.
Bakers note: This bread should be very light and fluffy, not dense. The secret of making it so is to make sure that the dough rises fully both in the first rise and in the pans. The dough will fill two 5 x 9-inch loaf pans and should be very soft and puffy before baking. If you let it over-rise, you may see a blister or two in the dough. Poke the blisters with the point of a knife and hurry the bread into the hot oven.
Ingredients
5 to 6 cups fine-ground whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons wheat gluten (optional)
1 teaspoon dough conditioner
1 seven gram packet of instant yeast (or two teaspoons)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons melted and slightly cooled butter
Directions
1. Place about three cups of the flour in the bowl of your stand-type mixer. Add the yeast. Carefully measure 2 cups room temperature (80 degrees) water. The water should feel cool to the touch. Mix the water with the flour with a dough hook for 30 seconds or until the yeast is dissolved and the ingredients begin to combine.
2. Add the salt, sugar, and butter and continue mixing. Add most of the remaining flour, the wheat gluten, and dough conditioner and continue mixing at a medium speed for at least four minutes adding more flour as needed to reach a soft dough consistency. (It is important that the dough be mixed for at least four minutes to develop the gluten.) The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but will be soft, not firm, to the touch.
3. Once the dough is mixed, place it in a large greased bowl, turning once to coat both sides, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or for up to three days.
4. On the day that you would like to bake your bread, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature—about three hours. The dough should rise to nearly double in size.
5. Once the dough has risen, form the loaves. Coat your hands with flour and gently form a loaf by pulling the dough around itself to create a slightly stretched skin. You may need to coat your hands several times if the dough is sticky. If necessary, pinch the seams together on the bottom of the loaf. Lay the loaf gently in a well-greased loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the second loaf. Let double again in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough has doubled (the loaf should be very puffy), place the two loaves on a shelf in the top half of the oven, well-spaced so that air can circulate between the loaves. Bake for thirty minutes or until done. The interior of the loaves should register at least 185 degrees when an insta-read thermometer is inserted through the bottom crust. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on wire racks. Let it cool completely before cutting.
SWEET WHOLE WHEAT BREAD RECIPE
Add 1/3 c honey, and 1 T molasses, and ½-1 cup more flour.
We originally bought a simple deep-fry pot for making the deep dried vegetables we get at the Fair; it’s one of those great things you can make exactly the same at home (we use mushroom, zucchini, cauliflower and onion rings):
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/rx1kx5r2/deep-fried-vegetables-in-tempura-batter.html
Make a dipping sauce to go with them.
We also use the fryer to make timbales, to stuff with fillings for parties. You can usually find these rosette-timbale irons at the thrift store:
Thrift stores are an addiction :-)
-JT
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