Doodads And Gadgets

Every kitchen should have an array of gadgets and appliances that will help to facilitate cooking and baking. However should a home chef have every thingamabob available. What should your kitchen have? What's considered a frill or a necessity.

Of course every home should have mid size appliances. Microwaves and toasters are a must. Where would we be without them. The first helps in reheating leftovers and cooking quick sides. As for the toaster, many go for a toaster oven because it does more than the average toaster. It can bake frozen pizza and cinnamon buns along with giving leftovers a nice , crispy surface. A toaster is  a  good choice if you strapped for kitchen space.it's smaller and compact and fits perfectly on a counter or table.  You should have one even if you don't eat toast on a regular basis.Toasted bread adds  something to egg or tuna salad sandwiches and BLTs. Should you add an air fryer to your arsenal?I'd say yes, simply because it's a best alternative to an oven. It cooks everything from fries to meat cuts evenly and some larger models allow you to bake in them. There's a timer which is always a plus. Another must have gadget or appliance (depending on how you look at it) is the crockpot or Instapot. These are great stand ins for your cooktop and oven. A crockpot allows you to make sauce or chili, without having to slave over a hot stove. Also the slow cooking adds more complexity and layers to simple recipes.

What about those other gadgets and doodads? You know the ones. There in those ads between games.  One company, Esfranki, has a whole range of fun gadgets and doodads for every aspect of your life.I've bought a couple of their products such as their reusable toaster bags which I can use to make no mess grilled cheese. and their silicon leak proof bags for leftovers.. I have yet to use them but will - eventually.Their strawberry huller looks interesting and it makes it easier to get rid of the stems. Yet a, paring knife can also do the job.Their stainless steel watermelon cutter also could be  useful, although a good all purpose knife can do the trick. I often think I should buy a cookie dough scooper.It would make it easier to drop dough on the cookie sheet .Using a regular spoon can get sticky and messy, making for unevenly sized cookies. However I found that my family's ice cream scoop, sixty years old and thick like a hammer works perfectly if it's sprayed with a cooking spray.As for my cookie press, it needs a bit of finesse to get perfect cookies. Will I use it again after all the angst it caused?Or will I just make scoop cookies?I'll try it again, maybe for a get together or possibly Easter.

A kitchen doesn't need so many gadgets and doodads.You can make do with what you already have. If it does the trick keep it. Yet it's no sin to expand. If you see an interesting doodad, buy it.

A Student's Kitchen

It's that time of year again when many college kids are packing up and heading off to school. For many , it means living off campus or living in a dorm where there's a shared kitchen.  That means cooking  even though it's quick. It also means assessing what will be needed to survive,

Luckily all kitchens are more or less equipped. Every one should have a working oven/range and fridge. What may be needed is a microwave(should have) and possibly a toaster oven (ought to have but not necessary). The first is valuable in heating up everything from hot pockets to leftovers. However a microwave is also invaluable for heating up ingredients such as melted butter or warmed milk along with cooking such dishes as stuffing and even spaghetti, The last can be boiled in one however it doesn't taste as good as pasta boiled on the stove. A toaster oven may take up room yet it is handy.It does more than toasting. It's great for making English muffin pizza giving the muffin's edges a nice crispness. It's perfect for making grilled cheese and tuna melts along with reheating leftovers such as pizza and egg rolls.Another reason to have a toaster oven is that it's easier to use at times rather than the conventional one, especially if you come home tired after a full day of work and school.

What other kitchen items should head off to college?A good, all  purpose knife is a must. Farberware has some excellent ones and these can be used for slicing dicing and even cutting into pies and cakes. A small paring knife is another invaluable must have. It  not only skins fruits and veggies it can be used for cutting up butter and margarine sticks for baking.Good pots and pans are also high on the list. Remember, that with the proper care, they can last well into that first apartment and even into the first house. You could buy some fun but useful ones such as the omelet pan  for one or the grilled cheese griddle for one . A stock pot is another must. Use it to make large quantities of soups that can later be frozen for future eating. It's also good for pasta too. Many students are big fans of the Insta-Pot. They've seen the successes their parents have had with them. These can do everything from steam rice to braise beef.If you feel that it's too expensive (some can run close to $200 ) then just get the three quart one . Another option is the crock pot which can be had for only $9.00 at Target. It does the trick too, especially when making tomato sauce or chili,.

It's time to pack up the gear for dorm or apartment life. It's also time to pack up or buy the kitchen gear that will make cooking easier. Choose smartly.

Thanksgiving Eve Feasting

Everyone is anticipating the big meal on Thursday, but what tomorrow night? Thanksgiving Eve is a big night in the kitchen but not for eating. Many home chefs forego dinner just to squeeze in extra baking or food prep time. Don't . It pays to eat the night before.

It's usually a strange American tradition of ordering pizza the night before the big day. This can be helpful, especially when you want a hot meal or are dealing with starved kids. To some it's the way to go. It's usually fresh from the oven and always satisfying. A better solution that doesn't take much time is English muffin pizzas. These are a snap to make and home chefs can utilize their toaster ovens
 while the main one is used for baking pies. The kids can even make them, it's just slicing the muffins  drizzling olive oil, and tomato sauce on top. End with shredded mozzarella. The kids can also add their own toppings from pepperoni slices to chopped olives. The same thing can be done with pita bread too.A real crowd pleaser that's also easy to make in the toaster oven is French bread pizza. You can use French bread or the long hoagie rolls for this. Again , load it up with filling toppings so the family isn''t into nibbling at the pies or the premade hors d'ouevres.

If you prefer something light, then think of soup. It's easy to open up a can of Progresso or Campbell's. Want something a bit more home made tasting , then try Alessi Soups. It's an easy cook, with just adding four cups of water to the powdered mix. The result is a thick , fragrant potage that tastes like your nonna's soup. There's only one problem with soup . It' not filling. Make a small salad with it along with serving crusty hot rolls. Another easy  idea is any egg dish. They're filling and a good source of protein. Make some scrambled ones and serve on toast for a satisfying yet simple dinner . Microwave a few strips of bacon to make it a bit more substantial. A fritatta , stuffed with leftovers is a great way of cleaning the fridge to make room for Thursday's leftovers. Add any combo of veggies, cheeses and meats to create a flavorful and hearty meal to three to four eggs. The same applies to omelets. Again. serve both  with toasted French or Italian bread and even a relaxing glass of wine or hard cider.

Don't starve yourself when you creating the big feast for Thursday. Have a filling meal the night before and you'll feel better the next day. You'll need all your strength to tackle one of the biggest cooking days of the year.

Hunkering Down Cuisine

Now that the entire eastern coast of the US is being blitzed with the worst blizzard ever (thank you, global warming) it's time to hunker down  and eat. Being indoors during a white out means sitting out the storm and chowing down . A lot.It also means cooking  and baking a lot too. Basically a blizzard is a  a free pass to make your favorite foods and eat as much as you want of them.

Pasta is always at the top of the list for snowy days foods to cook. One of my favorites is a family recipe - one pot pasta.

As you can see I've made it with farfalle -butterfly or bowtie pasta. It's any easy enough dish to cook, using only one pot instead of the usual two. It's mixing chicken, beef or vegetable broth - in my case - vegetable thanks to having a vegan family.with plain tomato sauce.This creates a soup that will then cook up the pasta. The last should be a chunky kind. I usually use a kitty one, (it has pasta in the shape of paw prints and cat faces) but went for the bowties for a change.It cooks up in twenty minutes  and then is served in soup bowls. I also sauteed vegan Italian sausages with a blend of forest mushrooms to round it out.This was a nice side, good on its' own with sliced Italian bread . Many others probably made scratch lasagna or spaghetti.These are loaded with good carbs, the ones we need to tackle snow shoveling or digging out our cars from ten feet of snow.If the usual pasta dishes sound boring. then fry ravioli.It's a simple process of taking already made ravioli, dipping them first in buttermilk and then dredging them in bread or panko crumbs. Fry until crisp and golden in olive oil and serve with cooked pizza sauce.

Grilled cheese is both an American and snowy day classic.I'm sure a few thousand kids got to  chow down on it , accompanied by Campbell's tomato soup sometime today.Grilled cheese is an easy cook in the oven or toaster oven. What makes it so much fun is that the recipe can be tweaked and tinkered with to make a better sandwich. My way is turning it into a croque monsieur, I love this recipe .It's buttering two slices of bread, then adding sliced Gruyere and ham. The whole thing is then fried in butter.Yes, it's everything wrong but the taste is so right. There is also the somewhat healthier diner style grilled cheese that has cheddar on toast , baked in a toaster oven for ten minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Add sliced tomatoes and bacon for a Happy Waitress. Hunkering down cuisine also means using the crockpot to make yummy chilis and stews. These are also staples for cold blustery weather eating. Some home chefs add hot sauce to turn up the heat a notch for the first while gourmands add a generous slug of good red wine to the last to amp it up.Either ways, these are good dinners to eat from a bowl as you're watching yet another round of  weather updates.Any snowy day meal ends with a hot chocolate followed by about five more cups of it to get through a night of Netflix binging.

The weather outside is frightful, the food inside delightful. Settle in with a hearty plate of pasta, grilled cheese or chili and watch that snow pile up. It's the perfect night for hunkering down with favorite foods.