When you love to cook, you know how important it is to have frying pans that your food doesn’t stick to. Nonstick frying pans make for easier clean-up, better tasting food, and easier cooking. I used to assume that nonstick meant Teflon coated, but the good news is that there are now many different kinds of pans that are considered to be nonstick. Let’s look at some of the best …
Recently, I was halfway through making a cake for my daughter’s birthday party when I realized that the marshmallow fluff for the center was going to require a candy thermometer. I’d never needed a candy thermometer before, but quick research told me that while yes, you can estimate sugar temperatures through various methods, a thermometer is best for precise applications. I rushed out and grabbed the first thermometer I could …
I was lucky to travel through Vietnam when I lived in Thailand. The landscape and architecture were breathtaking, the people were welcoming and friendly, and the food was incredible. Vietnamese food is less familiar to Western palettes, but it is a rich and varied cuisine we should all get more familiar with. In the tropical South, the cuisine is similar to that of Thailand, inspired by the abundant tropical fruits …
When I lived in Montreal, there was a street just a few blocks away that was a popular Greek restaurant strip. Unfortunately, the Greek food at most of these restaurants was pretty uninspiring. But then, a friend celebrated his birthday at an authentic Greek restaurant and my mind was blown. “Fast” Greek food, like in the mall foodcourt, is pretty uninspiring. But true Greek food is a revelation. And clearly …
When I was growing up, the community centre across the street from my house ran an annual chicken barbecue fundraiser. They’d set up shop with charcoal-filled pits dug out in the grass to smoke the chicken to barbecue heaven. Sometimes I dream of replicating that smokey, tender chicken on my own, but I’m not about to dig a pit in my back yard… But luckily, amazing, smokey barbecue doesn’t have …
It’s only due to a budding interest in smoking and true barbecue that has led me to discover a new kitchen gadget: meat injectors. They may look like something that belongs in the doctor’s office, but I promise they are an nifty little tool for your kitchen. In short, a meat injector, sometimes called a marinade or flavor injector, allows you to inject marinate right into your meat, marinating it …
My love of coffee has evolved over the years from very unsophisticated (instant coffee!) to the point where I’m now considering buying a hand coffee grinder to grind up my coffee beans before they go into my French press! I hadn’t even considered a hand coffee grinder, also known as a coffee mill or burr grinder, until I read the tip in one of my favorite cookbooks, by Curtis Stone. …
Paella is considered Spain’s national dish. It is essentially a rice casserole that includes vegetables, meat or fish, and herbs, particularly saffron. Families pass down their recipes over generations. Paella is cooked and often served in a specialized pan, itself called a paella or paellera. It is characterized by its shallow depth, sloped sides and loop handles. If, like me, you don’t have a Spanish grandmother to pass down her …