Archive for October, 2009
The experts keep saying look for 18/10 overlay with a thick base to ensure even heat distribution. We’re finding that older stainless steel cookware tended to generate hot spots which can cause concerns for the cook who’s not watching the pot.
In addition to even heat distribution is knowing that the cookware will respond quickly to changes in temperature settings on the stove top or in the oven. I’m still looking for recipes that cook anything over 450 let alone 500 and almost all of the dutch ovens I’ve seen are rated this high.
I’m watching a rafter of wild turkeys making their rounds through the woods while standing next to my grill. They can’t hide now that most of the leaves have fallen and I’m still curious how they’d taste barbequed. Being a lover of naturally raised or fresh game, I’m confident it might be the best turkey ever to come off my grill.
The grill and barbeque tools are clean and ready for the challenge but unless I get my hunting license in a hurry the first wild turkey I cook won’t be from this group. A friend has told me that I can purchase one in the butcher shop but knowing where it came from is part of the allure.
I’ve been experimenting with several dieting theories over the last several years and reading a number of books and articles by various nutritionists. Our switch to organic eggs happened many years ago and we don’t intend to switch back as this has become a staple breakfast food. After rubbing some olive oil or rice bran oil into the fry pan I add some garlic and cayenne pepper. Several friends have tried to convince me to eat my organic eggs raw but I prefer over easy where they’ve stiffened up a bit.
The real challenge comes with that one piece of toast. I’ve eliminated wheat or any other flour base that contains gluten but finding a bread that has complex carbs isn’t easy. In the end I’ve settled on spelt flour which is naturally gluten free and chalked the calories up to something to lose in exercise.
When elegance matters to the host or hostess we generally do what we can to adorn our tables with ornate candle holders, folded cloth napkins and a full place setting. The dinnerware set usually includes the cups and saucers for coffee and tea as well as the desert plates, salad plates and soup bowls.
Having complete sets is essential and we set a place for everyone regardless of age or eating habits. The flatware should all match including any steak or butter knives we’ll use. We all enjoy a formal dining experience even though it requires more planning and preparation.
I owe a lot of thanks to friends who have provided fresh game for my family over the years. There really is no substitute for the taste and quality of fresh, unprocessed, naturally lean meat. I’ve been told that out west they’ve even taken to raising deer on large ranges both to protect them from diseases like they would cattle and to keep them off the highways.
When it’s time to transform the venison into a stew I select stainless steel stock pots in order to protect the integrity of the taste. Regardless of the stew base I know whatever goes into the pot will taste like what went into the pot.
If I manage to overlook a handle that doesn’t conduct heat, or a thick base that distributes heat evenly, my cookware might not strike me as convenient. Unless I’m contemplating upgrading my kitchen tools it isn’t likely that an extensive comparison would be made to the newer products available. Without a true comparison side by side it isn’t likely that one set of cookware would emerge superior unless there was a marked difference in the outcome of the meal.
One stainless steel cookware set differs from another by any number of design specifications. Having a set to cook with is a convenience I wouldn’t want to do without. They don’t suffer from abnormal abuse in my kitchen so I expect they’ll last for a long time. Perhaps that is the greatest convenience.
An affordable way to protect our table tops can also be an attractive way of decorating our kitchen or dining room. Trying to match colors and themes can be a challenge but finding a set of vinyl placemats is always an easier alternative to painting the room.
If it proves impossible for one set to work in both rooms there is comfort in the affordability of vinyl placemats. Where buying a second set to accommodate the dining room or patio table may take time and energy, just remember how long it took to select the paint, not to mention the mess involved.
We attach sentimental value to the things passed down to us from previous generations regardless of whether or not they are worth enough to parade onto the stage of ‘The Antiques Road Show.’ What we consider an heirloom may differ from the opinions of others. One way to measure an objects value is if we would even consider parting with it.
The miniature tea set that belonged to our great aunt Agnes might not be in mint condition but if the value is in the memories, then the character blemishes inherit that value as well. Perhaps it is the story of how our mother, as a young girl, removed it from the curio to play with one day and having had an accident tried to slip it back unnoticed.
My parents’ Wisconsin dairy farm has somehow managed to stay afloat even in these harsh economic times. I think it has to do with my father’s natural business sense and the fact that he streamlined costs and offered severance packages to a few employees at the first sign of trouble. While I always enjoy going back to the farm, walking through the fields and visiting the expansive dairy barns, I’m always caught off guard by the interior of the farmhouse.
The kitchen, living room and spare bedroom are all crammed to the gills with bovine memorabilia. The place is a veritable museum – a shrine to everything cow. My mother has accumulated collectible cookie jars by the dozens along with figurines, knickknacks, bric-a-brac, wall paintings, oven mitts, doilies, coasters, piggy banks and every other piece of dairy farm ephemera imaginable.
When we think of housewarming or wedding gifts we can’t forget the likelihood that for the first time in their lives these people are going to either start learning how to cook or how to cook for each other. This is one of the reasons I’m partial to long courtships because dates in restaurants just don’t reveal enough about our tastes.
The new cook needs all the help they can get which includes recipes, cookware and all the cooking utensils necessary to follow the recipes. Our advice to them should be to keep it simple at first and always pay attention to the seasoning. Any serious relationship or new home should also have plenty of spice in the kitchen.