Archive for November, 2009
When I consider how valuable a kitchen tool is to me, the first question I’ll ask is how difficult would the job be without it. If the meal simply cannot be accomplished without a specific tool, then it is invaluable. Some cooks will tell you that the tool becomes invaluable when their creations aren’t exquisite.
To be honest, without the stainless steel cookware set, we’re eating pizza for thanksgiving. On top of the variety of vegetables, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes and cranberry sauce, we always have mushroom gravy.
We take the mushroom sauce recipe, which is whisked in a large frying pan, and add the drippings from the turkey. I’m sure there are other reasons the stainless steel cookware can’t be replaced this holiday, and I’d write them down, but I’ll be watching football.
Fresh cranberry sauce is a favorite holiday tradition in many homes and anyone can have success even if they’ve never made it before. Most recipes simply call for sugar, water and cranberries.
Select a medium saucepan and dissolve 1/2 cup sugar into 1/2 cup water over medium heat. Stir in 2 cups cranberries for 7 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Always avoid overcooking to prevent the sauce from becoming bitter.
Magazines and recipe blogs are filling up with many exotic creations based on traditional cranberry sauce. Since the base sauce blends well with other fruits, almost any combination works well. If you want to taste the orange zest, or the apple and cinnamon, as well as the cranberry, be sure to use stainless steel cookware to protect the flavor.
I’ve seen some fascinating kitchens in my lifetime. The professional kitchens have the advantage of space for moving about, and for open storage. I remember an old Victorian home, originally a fort, likely converted into a bed and breakfast by now, where the kitchen was halfway beneath the ground. The window ran the full length of the wall looking toward the backyard. Upon the sill stood a variety of kitchen storage containers in varying styles, some made of glass, others ceramic, but all in use.
No matter how large or small our kitchens are, having dry goods within reach serves two important purposes for cooks. When we need a dash of flour, not only is the kitchen storage container right there, but we don’t have to put it away when we’re done. Making the most efficient use of our space also saves us time as well.
We’re catching onto some amazing trends that help our homes and our world by using renewable resources. Going green blogs are on fire with ideas that are often very easy to implement. Most of what we do in our home to help the environment actually saves us money.
Perfectly natural, bamboo is a new miraculous material for western civilization but among the oldest in the world. Structurally harder than Maple, Bamboo is a member of the grass family and doesn’t need the care that most wood boards require. Bamboo boards are lightweight and can double as serving trays. The hard surface means fewer nicks and slices that harbor bacteria. Bamboo boards are kitchen tools that are an attractive and useful complement to any kitchen.
The statement made by our kitchen decor should be unmistakable. We want people entering our favorite room to know we mean business. From the pictures on the wall to the note board by our phone we want to make a distinct impression with what people see.
When the country rooster is set loose, the statement is anything but subtle. Not only does rooster kitchen decor like to be noticed, it can hardly be missed.
Being identified by what we wear isn’t only a matter of recognition, but an exercise in practicality. In the cooking profession, hats as well as hair nets, are often standard issue along with cooking aprons. If we see the chef we have an expectation of how they should be dressed especially if we own the restaurant.
In our homes and in our kitchens we can relax the dress code without fear of reprisal from the boss. However, we can also expect the practical conclusion of having our street clothes unprotected from the elements that surround us. So we keep the cooking aprons handy even if no one is around to notice our diligence. We should be as honored as any famous chef to don a uniform so universally recognized.
Wherever we look in this beautiful country of ours a color laden impression is left in our minds. From the mountains to the prairies captures the height and breadth of all we can feast our eyes upon. Bringing that beauty into our kitchen is a goal like no other.
If we’re shopping for our friends in Arizona our selection of country kitchen accessories might be different from our family in Connecticut. Although we’ve visited homes where people’s kitchens resemble a geographical or ethnic style completely foreign to their region, more often than not they’ve borrowed from the beauty beyond their kitchen window, and captured it indoors.
The skills of the cook in a kitchen are not unlike those in any other profession. Even though most cooks aren’t paid for their services, the work is rewarding because the social experience of bonding around the breakfast, lunch or dinner table for any family begins in the kitchen. The cooks job yields satisfaction whether through monetary gain, or the thanks of those we love to serve.
Not unlike the attachment formed between a craftsman and their tools, cooks form an attachment to their cookware. They select the tools they’ll use carefully and take care of them, expecting to keep them indefinitely. When the dish turns out wrong, blame isn’t passed to the equipment used to create the meal. Likewise when the dish is a success it isn’t the cookware that receives the praise.
I’m not fond of rummaging through a drawer looking for a can opener or a pair of tongs. Personally I’d rather see everything hanging neatly about me than stored away in drawers. That isn’t always possible, but whenever we find those kitchen accessories that help keep things well organized, we’re grateful.
Certainly our carving set needs to be safely stored in an adult accessible location. Those coffee mug holders are great for the back of the counter. Even a decorative utensil holder can add charm and functionality by improving the organization in our favorite room.
They may as well be on the counter clean and ready when I wake up because without the glass cutting board and a sharp knife we can hardly get through breakfast. Somebody wants fresh fruit chopped in their cereal, or we need to chop the onions and garlic for an omelet.
Before lunch arrives we’re cutting up apple wedges, carrots or celery. We almost make it through lunch unless we’ve baked homemade bread which may require a different knife, but still requires the cutting board.
Finally coming to the end of the day we’re chopping and slicing for dinner, which means the cutting board and knife can call it a day. Mr. Grill can put his feet up, while his poor wife keeps on working.