I've had a couple of readers bemoan the absence of recipes, and my annual Christmas gift recommendations, from this blog. So today: foodblogging.
In this post, the Christmas gift recommendations; in the next, my long-awaited recipes from Iron Chef Blogger. Then, some tax policy stuff. It's a veritable smorgasbord!
First, the perennials: things that I recommend every year because, frankly, every chef should own them.
1. Kitchenaid Stand Mixer If you've never used one, it's easy to say "But it's just a mixer? Why would I drop several hundred dollars on a mixer?" Because if you want to do any sort of moderately serious cooking, there's simply no substitute for its speed and versatility. It's invaluable just for bread--if you've been wanting to try bread making, but leery of the coolie labor involved, the (included) dough hook makes it practically effortless. There are also a host of attachments for everything from grinding meat to making pasta; I own, and love, the ice-cream maker, which is better at making ice-cream than all but the hideously expensive machines with their own compressors.
Personally, I own the five-quart professional, but I look longingly at the six-quart model, though some people who do a lot of things in small batches complain that it's too big. I'm not a big fan of the artisanal models; some cooks like them because they use the tilt-head construction that's used on ordinary low-end mixers, which is what they're used to. But the tilt-head feature requires a less powerful motor (otherwise, it's too heavy to lift), which kind of misses the point of owning a Kitchenaid. It's still better than a lower-end mixer, but I'd save up my money for a more powerful model. After a week of using the bowl-lift, you won't remember you ever cared. This is probably the lowest-end model I'd consider buying. Costco often has very good deals on these.
I also have, and love, Kitchenaid's hand mixer. Don't bother with the dough hooks, though; the mixer may be powerful enough to knead dough, but your hands aren't.
2. Microplane grater This model is like the one I have. This is one of those little gadgets that make you wonder how you lived without it--no more scraped knuckles on your box grater. Suddenly, you'll find yourself adding zest to a lot more things; I'm very fond of steaming broccoli in the microwave, then adding a little butter along with the zest and juice of one lemon. I don't recommend the wider ones for lemon zest, but the coarser models are great for things like cheese. Don't be fooled by advertisements for microplane rotary or box graters; the whole point of using a microplane is that for many things, it is easier to scrape the grater against the food than vice versa.
3. Calphalon One Infused Anodized I'm a huge fan of these pans. The problem with traditional nonstick is twofold: first of all, you never get the brown fond that makes sauteed foods so delicious; and second of all, once it is scratched--and it will scratch--the food starts sticking to it, and you have to throw it away, because you can't clean it properly. Infused anodized pans have the teflon incorporated directly into the aluminum. They are not as non-stick as teflon pans--I keep exactly one non-stick pan, for cooking scrambled eggs--but they are more non-stick than regular pans, and you can use your metal utensils and clean them with brillo. They also heat beautifully, and look pretty darn attractive. They're pricey though, so if you don't want to spring for the full set (or the smaller one), the most important item is a good frying pan, followed by a saucier or sauteuse, and then one sauce pan. These can often be found "slightly irregular"--ie, marred--at outlets; unlike with nonstick, it doesn't matter if it's dented.
4. Good knives I'm a big fan of my Kyocera ceramic knives, and ceramic slicer for lighter work; they're very affordable, and maintain their edge longer than any steel. But they do shatter if you're thumbfingered, and they aren't heavy enough for many jobs, so I also have a fair number of Henckels knives.
5. Silicone rolling pins: In a gift of the magi moment, my mother and I gave each other these (mine blue, hers red) for Christmas two years ago, and we're both thrilled. You can make almost anything using a lot less flour, because the silicone resists sticking. I also highly recommend silicone ice cube trays and baking mats, but stay away from the bakeware: it's so floppy, you risk disaster every time you take something in or out of the oven.
New additions
1. Kitchenaid food processor: I used to have a Cuisinart, but reports are that quality has fallen off considerably, so last Christmas I invested in this high-end Kitchenaid. Honestly, it's just a joy. It lives on my counter (next to my mixer), and I use it all the time. It has three nested bowls, so you can prepare a full dish without stopping to wash. It also has an extra-wide mouth, so you no longer have to chop things small in order to fit them in that narrow tube. I now use it to aerate my dry ingredients instead of sifting (just pulse everything for fifteen seconds or so); grate cheese and chocolate instead of hand-grating; juice oranges for brunch; slice vegetables for hors d'oeuvres; emulsify my salad dressing; mix perfect pesto . . . honestly, it's rare indeed that I cook without giving this machine a heavy workout. Its motor is both powerful and quiet (well, until you stick something hard in there) and I've never had it fail, even with tough projects like grating chocolate. I note the pro model is now well down in price, near enough to the cost of this one that you might consider upgrading--but it's hard to see why. I haven't yet found a project it couldn't tackle.
2. My shockingly expensive Shun chef's knife is not for anyone who isn't planning to do a lot of chopping; it's a waste of money unless you cook a fair amount. But if you do . . . sigh. The weight and handling are simply perfect, and of course, it's lovely.
3. Oxo kitchen tongs. I like the ones with the nylon head, which I can use with my rare forays into non-stick cookery. If you are a cook, or know one who doesn't have these, they're a great little gift. I use them for everything from frying to pasta, and the locking feature is terrifically helpful.
4. Silicone oven mitts let you plunge your hand right into boiling water. They're also dishwasher safe. All of which adds up to best. oven mitts. ever.
5. I like cappuccino, but not paying a zillion dollars to my local coffee shop, nor fussing with steamers. My frothing wand and a little discreet microwaving have produced a very acceptable substitute at very low cost. It's even better when paired with fresh ground coffee, for which I like my cheap Krups grinder; the expensive burr models don't actually seem to produce noticeably better coffee.
Hey, it's time for my annual kitchen-gear comment: get a carbon-steel wok and season it properly. Because stir-fry is easy, healthy (if you don't go nuts breading), generates leftovers, and doesn't even have to be Asian if you don't want it to me.
MM,
This is truly your comparative advantage.
Take a peek at what IPTV is becoming, you may see fit to broaden your outlets...
also, do you have a sharpening steel for your 'Shun' knife?
What do you use for making coffee? I've read that for a French press, consistency of grind is important, thus necessitating a burr grinder.
I don't know from experience, though, because I just get my coffee ground at the store. The coffee I had over the weekend at my girlfriend's brother's place, however, has me thinking maybe I'll try grinding it fresh.
I'm a knife geek, so perhaps the following should be taken with a grain of salt.
Don't throw away money on a Shun; there are myriad better knives at that price point, and as much as I adore Alton Brown, his endorsement merely increases that price further.
If you can, try to find a Tojiro; the best price/quality ratio of pretty much any Japanese knife (which really are better; the only thing worse than throwing your money away on a Shun is throwing it away on Wusthof or Henckels). I bought mine here ( http://japanesechefsknife.com/ ) but they no longer seem to carry them, although they do have a staggering selection of other very good stuff. This guy (http://www.tichbourneknives.com/index1.htm) makes excellent custom knives which integrate various features that were suggested by pros with a very hard steel, and they're still cheaper than a comparable Shun.
Otherwise, I would suggest even a Global over a Shun, simply because they are 99% as good at 50% the price. Never buy big sets; you need basically 2 knives. First, a large cooks knife; large is whatever suits you (I have a 300mm Gyuto style from Tojiro). Second, some kind of paring or utility knife. Anything else is gravy.
And get a smooth steel or ceramic hone. Please.
if you've been wanting to try bread making, but leery of the coolie labor involved, the (included) dough hook makes it practically effortless.
The best bread recipe I've ever tried involves no kneading at all.
RE: Coffee grind. Yep, especially with a French press, consistent grind is vital. The problem with a blade grinder is that it's going to produce a varied mix of coffee particles: some big pieces of bean mixed in with parts that have been pummeled into powder. In a press pot the powder parts are going to get really over extracted, leading to a bitter cup. A quality burr grinder that keeps the particles to a more consistent, coarse size will prevent this.
I've come to prefer a large Chinese-style cleaver for all manner of knife-work, from finely mincing garlic to dismembering a turkey just taken off the grill. When I'm working in a kitchen without such a cleaver, I really miss it.
Burr grinders also don't heat the beans like a blade grinder does. Much better tasting coffee. Otherwise a great list, as always.
Good expensive Gadget:
Kuhn-Rikon pressure cooker. Not for everything, but all sorts of things taste better when pressure cooked. (For instance, pasta sauces taste like they've been cooked for hours when pressure cooked for 10 minutes.) Stews and curries as well. The meat is fall off the bone tender in 10 minutes. A simple recipe is to take chopped meat and add a jar of store bought Thai red curry sauce.
These are not your mother's noisy pressure cookers. They are, I believe, called 3rd generation cookers. Mine is the 7 liter and cost around $180.
Inexpensive gadget that makes wonderful espresso:
AeroPress Coffee & Espresso Maker
http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm
I can't believe you went through that entire list of expensive equipment and then said you make coffee with a propeller grinder. Unless you're brewing Sanka and filtering it through an old gym sock, any coffee will be made hugely better with the right equipment (e.g., a burr grinder). Rather than spending your hard-earned trust fund cash on a second Kitchen Aid mixer, buy yourself a Rancilio Rocky grinder, and maybe a Rancilio Sylvia espresso maker as well.
so you're saying that room with the sink and stove thing in it... is a place you can, what, cook things in? Hmmm, thought it was a myth...
heh, I think this is like that question of pizza and bagels. Sure, there is a value to hanging out with a few friends and cooking some amazing food as a way to spend an evening... but in my book then it's all about the creativity of doing what you can with what you have...
on the other hand, if you spend the entire day out doing something blindingly strenuous like helping someone cut wood, or move...
and you will scarf a pie from domino's and it'll taste astoundingly good...
just the same, it sounds like the Fabulous M throws a helluva good party...
from Bloggingheads: Team Liberal vs Team Libertarian.
I keep exactly one non-stick pan, for cooking scrambled eggs
No unitaskers in the kitcher.
/Alton Brown
"But the tilt-head feature requires a less powerful motor (otherwise, it's too heavy to lift), which kind of misses the point of owning a Kitchenaid."
You can pull the electric motor and replace it with a gas-powered one from a gas-powered weed-whacker, or better yet, a small lawn mower. Then you supplement it with a nitrous system. You don't just want to mix the ingredients, you want to show them who's boss.
"Silicone oven mitts "
Sounds almost like cockney rhyming slang.
Njorl: LOL on both counts
K5 = best device ever.
I got my mom one for Christmas one year, and she returned the favor for my birthday recently. I love it, particularly the fact that it takes all the work out of making fresh loaves of bread.
What a nice post!
The Oxo Tongs link was broken. Now I'll never know what they look like.
I can't believe that you are still using non-stick pans. No serious cook I know still uses them; most prefer the all clad copper core, along with an iron skillet. Both are much better at distributing heat. (Try searing, say, sea bass or scallops with a non-stick pan. Not gonna happen.) In addition, the health dangers of non-stick pans are well established. Do you want to eat plastic? Basically you do when you cook with any kind of non stick cookware, including calphalon.
"Do you want to eat plastic? Basically you do when you cook with any kind of non stick cookware, including calphalon."
Any time you cook at about 300 F or more you are polymerizing vegetable oil - making plastic.
The pans don't cook like non-stick; they cook like anodized aluminum, which plenty of serious cooks I know use. As I said in the post, I have one non-stick pan for making eggs (and parmesan cheese bowls, so not a unitasker!), but for everything else, I use anodized aluminum or stainless steel. Personally, I have enough pots and pans to stock a small restaurant, but I don't think most of my readers want to get that committed; AA is, IMHO, a better all-rounder than stainless, and it's a lot easier to clean. I have absolutely no trouble getting a beautiful sear in my Calphalon One. Stainless steel is certainly prettier, but I'm not cooking on a television show.
Le Cruset is another good option. I still think calphalon-cooked food just doesn't taste as good as that cooked on all clad copper core or iron. But I live in California and we are a bit more obsessive about these things than on the east coast.
Njorl is giving bum advice on replacing the motor with a gas-powered one from a weed-whacker; the CO emitted will kill you. Just have your kitchen re-wired for 3-phase power and replace the Kitchenaid with a Bridgeport vertical mill.
Megs, have you established a good relationship with your butcher yet? Unlike NY, many in the DC area are transients and/or new to the meat scene.
What's wrong with unitaskers? Isn't that being a bit too strict?
Do you know any electric grinder to make paste of few cloves of garlic and half an inch of ginger? I use mortar and pestle but doing so disturbs my neighbors downstairs.
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