Tools and Equipment
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Seasoning Cast Iron
Seasoned Cast Iron can be considered the “grandfather” to today’s “non-stick” cookware. Cast Iron Cookware must be seasoned properly and it will last a life-time.
New Pans
- Heat the oven to 250o - 300o
- Coat the pan with lard or bacon grease. Don’t use a liquid vegetable oil because it will leave a sticky surface and the pan will not be properly seasoned.
- Put the pan in the oven. In 15 minutes, remove the pan & pour out any excess grease. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 2 hours.
Repeating this process several times is recommended as it will help create a stronger “seasoning” bond.
When you put the pan into service, use it initially for foods high in fat, such as bacon or foods cooked with fat, because the grease from these foods will help strengthen the seasoning.
Pans needing Re-Seasoning
If the pan was not seasoned properly or a portion of the seasoning wore off and food sticks to the surface or there is rust, then it should be properly cleaned and re-seasoned.
- Remove any food residue by cleaning the pan thoroughly with hot water and a scouring pad. I understand that heating the pan first to a temperature that is still safe to touch helps open the pores of the metal and makes it easier to clean.
- Dry the pan immediately with dish towel or paper towel.
- Season the pan as outlined above.
Caring for Cast Iron Cookware
Seasoning a cast iron pan is a natural way of creating non-stick cookware. And, like you cook and clean the modern non-stick cookware with special care to avoid scratching the surface, your cast iron cookware wants some special attention too.
- Clean the cookware while it is still hot by rinsing with hot water and scraping when necessary. Do not use a scouring pad or soap (detergent) as they will break down the pan’s seasoning.
- Never store food in the cast iron pan as the acid in the food will breakdown the seasoning and the food will take on a metallic flavour.
- Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off, especially in humid weather, because if covered, moisture can build up and cause rust. Should rust appear, the pan should be re-seasoned.
Written by Ian McKenzie on June 12th, 2007 with no comments.
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Food Network Canada has added a new section to the video centre of their website. They’ve posted 40 videos covering a broad range of cooking techniques. (Hoping to have 100 videos by summer’s end.)
Each video follows this format: a definition of the technique being shown, the tools needed and a demonstration of the technique. The clips range from 30 seconds to about 3 minutes in length.
Click the Technique 101 tab on the Video Section at Food Network Canada You could make it a summer project to develop one new cooking technique every day.
Written by Ian McKenzie on June 4th, 2007 with no comments.
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Watch your Food Network Canada hosts prepare recipes, learn tips and techniques or catch show episodes with new online videos.
Video - Food Network Canada
Written by Ian McKenzie on April 2nd, 2007 with no comments.
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Use your rice cooker to prepare more than just plain rice.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- jalapeños, seeded and diced fine
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, cored, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 small yellow summer squash, diced
- 1 red pepper, cored, seeded and diced
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (short grain)
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 ounces canned plum tomatoes, juiced strained and chopped
Directions:
- Sauté onion and jalapeños in olive oil until softened, about 10 minutes on COOK mode of Rice Cooker.
- Stir in garlic, herbs, yellow squash, red pepper and tomatoes and cook with lid on for 10 minutes. Add rice, broth and saffron milk and stir to combine.
- Place lid on unit and cook until cycle is complete. Stir in peas, salt and pepper and leave on KEEP-WARM mode until peas are warmed through.
Written by Ian McKenzie on January 29th, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Mediterranean and Tools and Equipment and One Pot Meals and Side Dish.
This beauty should have been on the floor at last week’s CES. This glide toaster won first prize in the Ceramics for Breakfast contest at designboom. I could see pulling this out for guests at the breakfast table.
George Watson, the designer, says:
“There has been little development of the toaster since the start of the century, whilst other appliances have developed and improved incorporating new technologies and thinking, toaster have remained relatively untouched. When the toaster was first invented eating toast was a social activity that took place on the breakfast table, these days toasters have been relegated to cheap plastic objects hidden away in the kitchen landscape. This toaster is designed to engage the user, re-invigorating the social context of toasting by questioning everything about what we toast with today. I was also keen to make playful object to be proud of having on your breakfast table. Slip moulded bone china allowed me create this intricate and sculptural form, but also provided the material longevity that I required. This is a toaster that brings life and joy to a stagnant domestic appliance, and iconic object for the home.”
toasta (toast automatica) - designboom.
Written by Ian McKenzie on January 17th, 2007 with no comments.
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This looks like a fun variation on your standard cookie cutters.
Our 3-D cookie cutters make it EASY to stand out! Celebrate every occasion with your own fun creations. 12 plastic cookie cutters make 6 playful designs, including a teddy bear, unicorn, airplane, sailboat, dolphin and dinosaur. Simply fit the baked pieces together, decorate and enjoy! Perfect for party favours, holidays or just for fun. Finished cookies are approximately 5″ tall. Recipe and storage box included.
Fresh Finds Cooking Cooking & Baking 3-D Cookie Cutter Set.
Written by Ian McKenzie on January 6th, 2007 with no comments.
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The Denver Post has some suggestions getting your kitchen organized.
You’ve spent far too much time in the kitchen over the past few weeks, roasting turkeys, mixing vinaigrettes, sauteeing vegetables, baking pies. You and your kitchen have been through the ringer, and it’s hard to imagine ever setting foot back in there again. Besides, the whole room smells kind of funny. Our prescription? A few days’ break from cooking, and some TLC for your kitchen workshop. Spend a little energy now to get the kitchen back in tip-top shape, and soon enough you’ll be back at the stovetop, happily whipping up your famous cacciatore.
- Sharpen your knives
- Refresh your spices
- Replace your sponges
- Clean your oven
- Toss the live stuff
- Baking soda in the fridge
- Get wired
- Can the jars
- Cull your cookbooks
- Organize the loose recipes
- Get rid of glasses
- Clean out the utensil drawer
- Wash the walls
- Get on your knees
- Fight fire
Read it all: DenverPost.com - A cook’s clean sweep
Written by Ian McKenzie on January 3rd, 2007 with no comments.
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Not only is Benjamin Christie a world-class chef, but he does a pretty good job of illustrating his recipe blog with photographs. In this post he gives an overview of the equipment and steps he uses to create perfect food shots. You’ll find a number of helpful tips to improve your food photography.
Food Photography and creating edible Food Photos with food styling
[tags]food, photography, food styling, how to, tips and tricks[/tags]
Written by Ian McKenzie on August 22nd, 2006 with 1 comment.
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I don’t do a very good job of keeping my knives sharp. A big part of that is my limited sharpening skills. Here’s an illustrated set of step-by-step instructions for sharpening a knife. I work a couple of blocks from our local Chinatown. I’m going to step out at lunch hour, buy a sharpening stone and give this a go tonight.
Knife Sharpening Tricks
Written by tubaism on June 26th, 2006 with no comments.
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