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Outfitting a Kitchen

You know you want to cook, you think that you would like to cook, you can save money by cooking at home....but you don't have a set of knives,  and you're lusting for that set of Calaphon, because you know that will make all the difference. 
Check out Mark Bittman's "The Minimalimist" article in the NY Times. He gives excellent advice on how to outfit your kitchen for around $200. Seriously. His description of battled scarred pots and pans, pretty much sums up the state of my kitchen, and I'm proud of those scars!
I disagree with him on two points: I'd take a stick or immersion blender over a regular counter top blender, and I use my boning knife all the time.  But that's me, and my kitchen. You decide what's good for your kitchen, but use your own needs as the guide, don't let the pretty, staged kitchens on the Food Network be your guide. And as the Italians are fond of saying, "Pian'piano", meaning go slowly and bit by bit you will have the 'batterie de cuisine' that suits your style, exactly.

Boiling Water 101

To salt, or not to salt, is only part of the question. How about when to salt boiling water?
Pasta cooking water needs to be salty, most Italian chefs will tell you that it should be as salty as the sea.  But, when do you add the salt, and does it matter?
Here's the science:  Put your pot of water on to boil, without adding salt. Cover it.  When it is nearly boiling, but not quite there, add the salt. This will cause the water to come to the boiling more rapidly. Adding salt at the beginning, while the water is cold, saps energy and actually makes the water take longer to boil. Adding salt at the near boil, creates energy, and the water boils quickly.
However, in all cases, it is always true: "A watch pot never boils."

Braising Liquid

I was thinking about Sarah and her slow cooker question, when I came across this blog post. Lucy makes a case for using water in a braise or a stew. Not always, but to treat water with respect, and to choose the braising liquid accordingly. 
I know that I'll reach for chicken stock, or wine, to use as a cooking liquid. But, now  I'll stop and think, do I want to showcase a flavor, say parsnip, or do I want to convert it into a parsnip-chicken  flavor.
And an added benefit to all this? Spending some time on Lucy's blog. Her photos and writing are so beautiful, and it's a lovely way to see France and life, through her gentle eyes.

Cast Iron Lamb Chops

See what you can do with your cast iron pans? These lamb chops were seared on the stove top and then finished cooking in the oven.
For the finished dish, they were placed over a bed of pureed parsnips, studded with roasted garlic. Mmmm…….

Sarah's Slow Cooker Question

Sarah’s Crockpot Woes

Sarah is checking in with a question about using her crock pot.  Really nice to hear from you!
“Hi Judith, thanks for opening a hotline! I can't get anything to taste good when I use the slow cooker. My most recent attempt: 2# pork shoulder, cut into cubes, season and brown, add to cooker with fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle chiles in adobo, garlic, onion, etc. In the cooker for five hours on high. The result? Really tender meat that tasted like nothing. Maybe I should have done only four hours?”

Sounds like a great combination of flavors, I love the idea of fire-roasted tomatoes and chopotle chilis!  There’s a couple of possibilities to consider for flavor enhancement.  Browning the meat is good, but it’s also good to brown the onions.  And while you are at it, brown some celery and carrots too.
Browned celery + carrots + onions is called ‘mire poix’ in French or ‘soffrito’ in Italian, and they are the basis for many savory dishes.  Once you’ve browned the meat and the veggies, deglaze the cooking pan with some wine to get all the tasty brown bits out of the pan.  If you are going to add garlic to the browning mix, add it at the very end. Garlic burns very quickly, and then it tastes nasty.  What additional liquid did you use? A little chicken or meat broth would be good, but don’t let it be too salty.
The other issue is temperature.  Five hours at high heat basically evaporated all the juices out of the meat. Use a low temperature and go an extra hour or so if you think it needs it. 

One other thing: make sure your pork has some fat on it. Fat = flavor. There is a reason why fat-free pork tastes like cardboard!

Let me know how the next batch turns out, ok? 
Oh, and when you serve it, garnish it with some lime zest. Lime and chilis are a perfect compliment!

Cast Iron Pots

I have my grandmother’s cast iron pans; they are beautiful, ebony black, workhorses. Treated well, nothing sticks to them and they just get better and better with use and age. Unlike me.

How to season a new cast iron pan.
Wash the new pan well with hot water and soap. There is probably a film on the pan that the manufacturer uses to retard rust.  Dry the pan, no, really dry the pan. Put it on the stove on medium heat until there isn’t a hint of moisture.
When the pan cools, rub it with lard or bacon grease or anything but polyunsaturated oil. Place in a 300-degree oven and leave it there for 2-3 hours. If there is any sticky gunk on the pan, rub it out with some salt. 
Now, cook with it. Or more to the point: fry with it. Fry anything and everything, the more you use it, the more it will become a trusted friend. A good place to start is to fry lots of bacon. Oh, gee, an excuse to make bacon!
I like to use my pans for oven roasting. None of the good juices and brown parts stick to the pan.  Just be careful! For sure, you will take the pan out of the oven, put it on the stove and then grab the handle. Everybody does it. More than once. Be warned, that handle is damn hot when it comes out of the oven.

How to clean a cast iron pan.
NEVER PUT IT IN A DISHWASHER
NEVER, EVER LET IT SOAK
You worked hard to season it, don’t wash that finish away! I like to give it an immediate wash in the sink, just running water and a quick swipe with a plastic scrubby sponge, no soap.
This way the pot is still warm and it dries quickly. You also have the added benefit of one less pot to clean up after diner.
If you can’t clean the pot right away, when you do get to it….same sponge, same running water and no soap. Give it some heat to completely dry it out.

How to reseason an abused pan
Try to scrape off as much of the crusty or rusty gunk with a plastic scrubby sponge. Try to use as little soap and water as you can. Be as gentle as you can be, and then reason it as you would a new pan. It will take some time to come back to its former glory, but with a little patience all will be well.

Ashley's New Crock Pot

Ashley just got a new crock pot, and she wants to know what she can do with it.

Basically you have a slow cooker on your hands. Its great if you set up the thing in the  morning, when you come home, the house smells great and dinner is ready. So, you are looking at soups, stews, braises. Things like that.
Here's a link to tons of recipes: Easy Crock Pot Recipes.

I use it more in the cold weather months; you know, for chili or even for a basic spaghetti bolognese sauce (meat sauce).   
Let me know if you are looking to make something specific.

Hotline Help

For years, at the strangest times, I get phone calls asking for help in the kitchen. Things like, "I'm standing in the grocery store, what do I make for dinner?"  or "Help! It's New Years Eve and the sauce I'm making just broke." or "How do you make...."
So, I thought it might be fun to share our questions. 
Have a question? Go ahead and ask! I'm not a genius, but I can try!

Ask by adding a comment, or e-mail me.

Ciao!