Category — Cookware

Electric roaster ovens are certainly convenient for roasting your Thanksgiving turkey.  Not only do they cook quickly, and retain moisture, but they also free up space in your oven for whipping all your other Thanksgiving recipes.

But, did you know you can use electric roasters for more than just your Thanksgiving bird?  Roasting ovens can actually double as a large slow cooker when you’re cooking for a crowd, or as a big soup pot for making chili or chowder. Some electric roaster ovens come with a divided insert that will allow you to warm and serve 3 separate dishes buffet style.

The Nesco roaster oven above has an 18 quart capacity, which is enough room to cook a 22 pound Thanksgiving turkey.  It has a nonstick finish, and heating elements in the sides of the roaster, for even cooking.  I found the Nesco roaster at More Kitchen Appliances for $89.99.

Whether you call them crock pots or slow cookers, these “set it and forget it” kitchen gadgets are a must have for any cook.  I recently switched from an older style, round and tall, crock pot to an oval slow cooker.  The new one is much bigger around, but more shallow than my old one.  I have to say that I’m so happy with the switch, and here’s why:

The oval slow cooker allows for  much easier, and more sightly arrangement of meats and veggies.  Rather than piling everything up, layer after layer, I can now arrange the meal (in a single layer) in the large oval crock.  This helps out with serving, too.  Instead of digging through a deep crock, “fishing” for the contents, with my new oval crock pot, I can see everything in the crock, and scoop out exactly what I want, without messing everything up.

The Hamilton Beach crockpot above is the one I recently purchased.  It is the “Stay or Go” model, and it is designed for easy travel, for taking to a carry-in meal.  Notice the metal clamps on the side that secure the lid to the crock.  There’s also a built-in spoon holder in the lid.  The Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker is available at Cooking.Com for $39.95.

Oh, and crock pot recipes include so much more than just pot roast!  I make all sorts of things in mine, including crock pot lasagna, and crock pot chocolate cake…deliciously sinful!

With Halloween merely a memory, it’s likely that Thanksgiving is now on your mind.  We still have a few weeks, but it’s never too early to start thinking about your Thanksgiving meal.  Here are just a few tips to help you get started with planning Thanksgiving dinner.

How Many? The sooner you know how many guests you’ll be entertaining, the better.  Then you can plan the menu, and how much of everything you’ll need.  Give everyone a call, and start a list.

Menu? My family always does a large carry-in Thanksgiving dinner so that no one has to prepare everything.  If you don’t want to make it all yourself, assign someone to bring a pie, and others to bring all the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes.

Equipment? Even if you do have a carry-in dinner, as the host or hostess, you’ll still have plenty to do, including roasting a turkey.  Do you have a roasting pan, large serving dishes, and plenty of silverware?  If not, now is the time to start shopping for the things you need.

The turkey roaster above is made by Sante .  It has a non-stick surface, and includes a moisture infusion tube for placing inside the bird, which reduces cooking time.  The roasting pan is available at Cabela’s.

A well-designed set of pots and pans will last most cooks nearly a lifetime.  When selecting cookware, think of it as an investment in the quality of food you will serve your family and friends for many years.  Here are a few tips for choosing new cookware.

Conductivity:  This term simply refers to how well the cookware conducts heat to create an evenly heated cooking surface.  Copper-bottom pots and pans provides excellent conductivity, but can be rather expensive.  Another option for optimum conductivity is stainless steel pots and pans.  Some stainless cookware sets have an inner aluminum core on the bottom for conducting heat.

Handles:  I cannot say enough here.  When selecting cookware, pay close attention to the quality of handle.  Avoid plastic.  Look for sturdy, metal handles that are riveted or welded to the pan.

Avoid Trends:  As I mentioned above, cookware is something you’ll have for awhile.  So, that lime green cookware set that looks so shiny and cool right now might not give you the same thrill in 6 or 7 years.  Choose carefully!

The 12-piece Farberware cookware set above includes 2 sauce pans, 2 skillets, a stockpot, lids, and utensils.  I like the riveted stainless steel handles on this set.  The Farberware Millennium Soft Touch cookware set is available at Zappos for $160.

After I saw Gwyneth Paltrow and Chef Mario Batali talking about their favorite kitchen gadgets on Oprah a few weeks ago, I thought maybe I should check into getting a  Gaggenau food steamer like the one Gwyneth talked about.  (You know, because if you see it on Oprah…well you gotta have it.) Turn’s out that Gwyneth’s Gaggenau steamer is a bit –ok a lot–out of budget for me, but there are alternatives.

I like this layered food steamer by Deni, which would allow you to cook a main entree and side dishes at one time.  It has a 90-minute timer, a water level indicator, and an option for keeping the food warm when it finishes cooking.  The Deni 7550 steamer is available at Cookware.Com for $49.99.

Did you know that cooking with steam rather than boiling or frying retains as much as 50% more vitamins in the food you eat?  Here’s an interesting article which includes the benefits of steaming.

Dutch ovens are a good way to bring out lots of flavor in your favorite stew recipes, or savory dishes like pot roast or chicken cacciatore. I’ve even used mine for desserts like baked apples. I have a cast iron Dutch oven, but they are available in other materials like stoneware and Calphalon.  If you’ve never tried cooking with a Dutch oven, you should!  It’s practically impossible to mess up, as they hold-in lots of moisture during the slow cooking process.

The Dutch oven above is made from enamel-covered cast iron, and it is part of the Mario Batali cookware collection.  It is oven-safe up to 500 degrees F, and it has a self-basting lid. Enameled cast iron is known for providing even and slow distribution of heat.  I found the Mario Batali Dutch oven at Sur la table, and it is available in 4 and 6 quart sizes.

I think the best thing about Dutch ovens is that you can take them straight from the oven to the table.   Here’s a long list of Dutch oven recipes you might enjoy.

If there’s one thing I couldn’t live without in my kitchen, it’s my electric skillet.  From pancakes to Hawaiian pork, I’ve used mine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I think it’s important to mention that electric skillets have come a long way in the last decade.  In the past, they were hard to clean, and non-immersible (meaning you couldn’t put them in a sink dish water).  These days, electric skillets have much better heat distribution, temperature control, and many of them are even dishwasher safe.

The Rival electric skillet shown above has a 12X16 inch cooking surface, and a built-in digital timer.  It includes a glass lid, a feature which proves handy for keeping an eye on dinner without repeatedly lifting the lid.  The non-stick pan portion of this electric skillet, available at Unbeatable Sale.Com, removes for washing in the sink or placing in the dishwasher.

Here’s an big list of one skillet recipes for putting your electric skillet to work.

I’ve been making a lot of new recipes lately; cakes, tarts, casseroles and flans and I want to share my satisfaction with my ceramic 9×13 pan.  It’s not only got an interesting design - I think mine is hand painted - but the real beauty of it is I can make everything in it.  There’s something really nice about the look and feel of it.  It makes a lovely serving dish as well.  I can put something I’ve made straight out on the table and it feels more like home cooking than when it’s in a basic metal pan.

If you’re in the market, here’s a ceramic pan (pictured above) I found online that looks really sweet.  It’s on sale for twenty bucks which is about average for any pan that size.  You can find all kinds of other options online so look around.  I think this pan would also make a nice present for a wedding gift.  Anyway, next time you want to buy a baking pan, consider ceramic.

The benefits of an iron skillet:

• The heat spreads evenly
• You get added iron in your diet
• They last a life time
• It might be the only way to get through to your husband!

My mom’s cast iron skillet has been passed down to her from her great grandmother. When it comes to me, that’ll make over a century of good eats been cooked up in that old timer. Now if you think you don’t like iron ask yourself, what exactly is it that you can’t handle that five generations of women could?

There are some simple things you need to know about cooking with iron, but once you’ve got it down, the benefits far outweigh the Teflon - literally!

No trip to my parents place in Indiana would be complete with out a plate full of bacon. I don’t mean a couple strips. I’m talking about a pile high platter! Even though we’re all quite healthy in our everyday lives, this treat comes fresh from the region and it’s too good to pass up.

The way to do it is, first choose thick cut bacon. Cook it slowly in a heavy skillet. Pour off the grease from time to time as you go. Turn the heat up at the end to crisp it and set it on paper towels to absorb the excess grease.

You won’t be winning any low cholesterol awards with this one but you will enjoy it!