Nordic Ware - My Nordic Ware 12 Inch Skillet

 

[caption id="attachment_499" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Nordic Ware 12 inch skillet"][/caption]

Hi guys!, this is the first time I have ever reviewed  a product and please bear with my on it as it is the first time that I ever thought of reviewing anything that I have bought. The only reason I am doing it is because I am so happy with the results I have had with this simple nonstick skillet that I bought about two weeks back made by Nordic Ware, and the price couldn't have been better! Being that I have been in the cutlery biz for so long I have seen products from all over the world and in true form to the fact that I am an American, and that fact of the matter that it's getting harder and harder to find products made in the good old U.S. of A, I do my best to hunt down the things that I want and hope for the best that it is made in America.

I do this in order to support American jobs and an American economy that is just slipping away from us and going to foreign interests all over the world and that means American jobs and American dollars that are slipping away from us. We don't really make anything in the U.S.A anymore so I do my best to buy American as much as possible. Well recently, I was looking for and  bought a 12 inch skillet/saute from Nordic Ware. I thought I was going to have to spend another $100.00+ like I had to in the past, but it didn't go down that way this time.  To tell you the truth, I had never even heard of Nordic Ware before and have always bought my nonstick stuff from companies like All Clad, Anolon and Calphalon. I needed to get a new skillet as my 10yrs old Calphalon Essentials which is now the upgraded Calphalon CS is well over $100.00 bucks and even thought I knew I was going to have to slap down at least that much on a pro grade skillet, I really didn't want to have to in this economy right now if you know what I mean? I know what you are thinking: "All these people that are starting cooking blogs are loaded!" Trust you me, that just ain't the truth. I am on a budget just like everyone else and when I have to come up with a recipe to cook I have to be within my budget.

So, I was looking around for a new skillet as the surface of my old Calphalon was just about done for after 10yrs. You do your best, but no matter what.....nonstick will end up getting messed up over the long haul if you are not really, really careful. I did some looking around and I found this Nordic Ware 12 saute/skillet for under $100.00, well under $100.00 and free shipping here. I really up until this point had not heard of Nordic Ware and I am sure that this skillet is not the best cookware in the world for nonstick, but I gotta tell ya' this is the best non stick cookware I have ever bought and it was an excellent value! The company is located in Minnesota, and is 100% U.S.A made! God bless America! I bought it! I do a lot of shopping for my cooking tools online and I have seriously found a better price on just about everything I get and that includes the All Clad French Skillet that I recently bought as well.

For the money this thing is built! It is a hard grade six gauge aluminum like my Calphalon and the handle is cast alloy and is oven safe up to 400F. The handle comes with a nice silicone grip that can go in the oven or not. I have used my skillet in the oven already and I just slide the grip off just to be safe. The handle is riveted on the skillet and this skillet has been restaurant tested and certified by the NSF (National Sanitary Foundation.) to be professional grade. Professional grade for under $100.00? Yes you can! This is not some cheap nonstick cookware. The skillet is sloped for stirring and spreading and flipping of foods. This is high grade non stick cookware for a great price! I am willing to say that with it's premium grade Dupont Teflon nonstick coating that I can easily get 10yrs out of this skillet for less than half of what I spent on my last Calphalon! I have been using non stick cookware since it was invented and I can tell that this is a high quality product without the high price! I have been cooking and cooking with it for almost two weeks now and I have made things like Jaques Pepin pan bread with roasted Poblano's in it. I made a killer mushroom, bacon and spinach fritatta for my mother with it and I have been doing some quick stir fry veggies and noodles to take to work with me with it. What can I say, the skillet rocks! If you are looking for a new larger nonstick skillet and are on a tight budget and want quality and performance then I urge you to take a look at and get one of these cause it really is a great performer and a great price.

Let me know what you think.

Richard

 

 

Kitchen Knives - The 5 Basic Culinary Knife Grind Types

When I decided to start a video series about our most important tools in the kitchen, our knives it was because I spoke to some of the best chefs I know that I deal with on a daily basis at my day job as a cutlery store manager. I asked them about when they had gone to culinary school where did their education start? They all told me that when they went to culinary school they started their educations learning about their kitchen knives. The best kitchen knives are the one's you use on a daily basis and the one's that you are most comfortable with.  The different types of knives used on a daily basis in a professional kitchen and how they are to be used.  That is a good place to start and that is why I wrote about the basic kitchen knife types in a previous post.

I never went to culinary school and there are times when I really wish I did but alas! That is not in the cards. I know many great chefs and I take my hat off to all of them. They are all super talented and so highly creative it makes my head spin. They have a level of technical and creative education and skill that they express in the food creations that they make and  that it is really something to behold.

I find it strange and please I hope none of you take this the wrong way if you went to culinary school, but I find it strange that the level of technical education and skill when it comes to using cutlery (knives), the tools that a chef uses on a daily basis professionally is excellent. Learning how to use each kind of knife precisely and efficiently is an excellent skill to have. I know so many professional chefs and cooks that have this skill set. On the other side of the coin it amazes me that the culinary educational environment has taught the proper use of culinary knives and the subsequent skill set necessary to using them to a high level of skill, but what seems to have been lacking is the necessary level of culinary knife education as to the different types of culinary knives. Yes!, they have learned the difference between a French knife and a Paring knife, but were not taught about the different knife grinds, blade angles, knife sharpening, steel types and the difference between a "slicing edge" and a "cutting edge." So many professional chefs and cooks I know don't really know anything about those tools except for maybe the manufacturer of their knives. As a professional knife sharpener for twenty five of my thirty years in the cutlery business I have seen improperly maintained knives and I have found professional chefs having "professional sharpeners" as they call themselves sharpen their knives. Unfortunately, many of the people out there that call themselves "professional sharpeners" don't really have a true professional knowledge of cutlery and what goes into making cutlery, the different grind types, the different angles at which certain kinds of knives can be sharpened at, the different Rockwell hardness of the steels in particular knives and the man ways in which to angle a knife edge to perform certain tasks.  So many people out there call themselves "professional sharpeners" and  really they  are not, and they are not  doing right by the many chefs and culinary professionals I know that have used them. I have literally seen knives destroyed by other sharpeners. This is why I am such a firm believer in culinary professionals sharpening their own tools and not allowing someone else to do it for them. I know this hurts my bottom line, but at least the chefs and culinary professionals that come to me will have their blades done right!

I am a firm believer that professional chefs and cooks as well as gourmet home chefs should have a firm education in every aspect of their kitchen cutlery and that includes sharpening.  So this post will begin with a video that will cover the different types of culinary knife grinds in use today. I hope you enjoy it!

 

Richard

 

Quiche Recipe? - A Crustless Quiche Recipe EZ Crustless Seafood Quiche

Yeah, Yeah I know that I said that I was going to start a series of videos all about kitchen knives and every aspect of the care, use and maintenance of them. Well, I was going to do that last night,(Sunday) but instead I made this quiche recipe video instead! I was hungry and wanted dinner and wasn't quite set up to start the knife videos. I will start the series of cutlery videos this week I promise.

I was setting up my camera and my lighting and then my stomach started rumbling. It was late in the day getting close to six at night and I thought to myself that I need to make something for dinner. I started looking around my fridge and I was at a loss for ideas when all of a sudden I found some seafood mix. I thought to myself to make just some pasta dish and I thought nah! I really was not in the mood for pasta and for me I love pasta, but sometimes for me it is just a cop out to the fact that I usually prefer to be a bit more creative than just pasta with oil and seafood mix.

I started hunting around the fridge some more and found eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, Italian five cheese blend and yadayadayada! I thought to myself that I would just make a nice seafood frittata and be done with it. Then again I thought, Nah! I went to my pantry and found some flour and panko breadcrumbs and I thought to myself, quiche recipe! It has been awhile since I made a quiche and thought OK!  I am going to make a crustless seafood quiche!

I know that most of the time you make a quiche with a nice flaky pastry type dough, but I didn't want four to eight ounces of butter  more in it as there was plenty of fat content from the cheeses I would be using. A crustless quiche recipe is an easy quiche to make and it is delicious. I thought to myself how much a quiche and a frittata have in common, they are practically brother and sister to each other.

Quiche is a unique dish in the culinary world as it is attributed to French cuisine but the word "quiche" actually comes from the German word "Kuchen" which means "cake." I am not going into a major history lesson here I just thought that was a nice factoid. I love to make quiches because they are easier to make than one might think and you can make a quiche out of anything you want and

they can be quite nutritious. My mom taught me how to make quiche when I was a boy and it is one of my favorite comfort foods. This recipe is for a crustless seafood quiche, I used seafood mix with clam, oyster, surimi, calamari, shrimp, and scallops to make it. The luxury of this recipe is that you can make it out of any kind of seafood that you want. The sky's the limit. You can use any seafood mix you can find or canned crab, bulk crab, lobster, surimi, fresh or canned salmon even shrimp by itself or mixed with other types of seafood. I  honestly can't think of anything that you can't make a crustless quiche with!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:22]

 

Eat well, enjoy what you eat, and long life!

Richard

Kitchen Knives - Basic Kitchen Knife Types

O.K., here we are at the first blog post that will start off my first series of videos that will be called Kitchen Knife Basics 101. We will not be starting with things like basic culinary kitchen knife cutting techniques, rather we will be starting out with a basic primer of your kitchen knife types followed by the videos that will cover subjects like basic kitchen knife types(what I will be covering in the blog post) and then we will move onto subjects like kitchen knife grind types, edge types, steel types, the differences between Western European versus Japanese Culinary knives and much more. One of the most important things that I will be sharing with you is PROPER knife care and servicing. It is a ideal goal to not let others maintain your most valuable tools for you as you will know how you want your knives to be sharpened. There will be many more videos in this series to cover many more topics than I can touch on here. So let's get on with the show and have a review of our basic kitchen knife types.

[caption id="attachment_378" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="French Knife"][/caption]

The first knife I will talk about it your standard French Knife  or Chef's Knife. The original style of the culinary French knife hails from Germany. It is narrow at the point and wide at the handle. The modern French kitchen knife is designed to perform many different chores rather than just being a knife designed to do one chore and one chore only. It is generally used for mincing, slicing, dicing, chopping veggies, slicing meat and at times disjointing large cuts of meat. Your standard French knife is your all purpose knife in the kitchen and you can find them in lengths from six inches to fourteen inches. It is the gentle curve of the blade from the point to the end of the blade near the handle that allows for the smooth rocking motion that you see in many cutting chores. In some instances the weight of some French knives can be used for light duty bone chopping like on chickens with you find the joint. This is a common practice, but personally I would not do more than this with my French knife. French knife styles are produced in Europe and more recently many Japanese manufacturers have started to build French knives. I use a Mac French For all intents and purposes the French knife is the heavy duty all purpose heavy duty food preparation knife in the kitchen. The blade style type of the French knife can come in a saber grind or a full flat grind or modified Japanese grind types.(More on knife grind types in a future video and blog post)

[caption id="attachment_379" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Paring Knife"][/caption]

The second knife to talk about is the Paring knife. The history of the production kitchen knife set can be attributed to one of the oldest cutlery companies in the world, J.A. Henckels Co. Founded in 1731 they have been producing kitchen cutlery since then and as stated with the French knife, the Paring knife is originally a German design. The Paring knife is your smaill knife with a plain edge(although some makers produce paring knives today with serrated edges for use on things like citrus fruits.)That is used ideally for peeling, coring, and sectioning and other small types of intricate cutting chores. It is excellent for de-veiining schrimp, removing seeds from peppers, and making small garnishes. It an all purpose little bother to the French knife. Your standard Paring knife comes in sizes from two inches to four inches

[caption id="attachment_380" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Slicer Or Slicing Knife"][/caption]

Your standard Slicer or Slicing knife is the close cousin to your Carving knife. It is traditionally a plain or flat edged knife, but today comes in both plain and serrated versions. It is primarily used for carving meats and poultry and many people like me use a Western European slicer to cut my sashimi. In some cases a Slicer is used to also clean a tenderloin. Most people use one to slice sandwiches, fruits, and veggies. It is a Slicing knifes long, thin blade that allows it to produce nice thin and uniform slices. The Slicer makes nice clean cuts in meat and other soft foods like fish. Slicers need to be longer than six inches in most cases because the object of the slice is to make that slice in one clean stroke and not to have to rock the blade back and forth as this will creat a jagged cut in the food you are cutting. The smallest Slicer that is practical is eight inches, but for the utmost in versatility I would recommend a ten or twelve inch Slicer.

[caption id="attachment_381" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Boning Knife"][/caption]

The standard kitchen Boning knife is a blade that is narrow with an extremely sharp point for fine intricate work about bone. It is typically used in food preparation for taking the bones out of meat, chicken and fish. They are typically five to six and a half inches in forged models, but today come in many sizes from three inches to nine and a half inches with straight blades or upswept angled blades depending on the manufacturer. Boning knives are not meant to be as "thick" as other culinary knives and this is because it is designed for precision chores. Boning knives can come in both rigid and flexible model types and come in both Western European and Japanese models. Rigid boning knives are excellent for working with beef or pork and flex Boning knives are good for working with poultry and fish. The arc in the upswept boning knife style is done this way to enhance the ability to  make a single passing cut when removing fish flesh from  skin and bone. Western European boning knives are called "boning knives" and the Japanese counterpart is referred to as "Honesuki" or "Gukojo." (More about Japanese Kitchen Knives in future blog posts......Stay tuned!)

 

[caption id="attachment_394" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tourneau Knife"][/caption]

The culinary Tourneau Knife is a curved paring knife that is made for precise trimming or peeling of whatever fruits or veggies you have on hand that need to be peeled or trimmed. It is the classic paring knife for making Tourneau is classic French cuisine. It is one of the more difficult kitchen knives to sharpen for most people, but it can be done. This knife is commonly also called a "birds beek."

[caption id="attachment_384" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Butcher Knife"][/caption]

As you would expect this is a knife for a butcher. The one pictured is a Forschner Scimitar or Cimeter with a large upswept blade for heavy cutting and even chopping chores when working on large game from a hunt or large sides of meat in a butchen shop. It can be used for slicing and even slicing and jullienne. I use it when I make conk salad and the large swoop of the blade let's me rock and cut very quickly.

[caption id="attachment_398" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fillet Knife"][/caption]

The kitchen fillet knife comes in many lengths and blade thicknesses these days. The average home fillet knife can range from four to nine inches or more in length and in general terms are in average 4,6,7.5 and 9 inch lengths. Each manufacturer is different between the Western Europeans and the Japanese. The difference in the blade length is in direct relation with the size of the fish that you want to fillet. The smaller the blade, the smaller the fish and the larger the blade, the larger the fish. In today's market most home fillet knives and most fillet knives for the outdoors sports fisherman are made of stainless steel but at the same time there are many makers that produce them in good old fashioned 1095 carbon steel. In the European market you can get both types make in places like Finland, Norway and Sweden and they are excellent. The funny thing about the stainless steel fillet knives is that most manufacturers do not list what kind of stainless the knife is made from. Believe me when I tell you that not all stainless steel is the same!If you go with a name that has a reputation then you will be just fine whether you are shopping for a home fillet knife or outdoors sporting type. Also be aware that not all fillet knives have the same amount of flex in them and you will want to test the waters so to speak to find the one that you are most comfortable with.

 

[caption id="attachment_385" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Honing Steel"][/caption]

This is a standard tool in the professional and home kitchen that is used for "honing" the blade of your knives. I said "hone" and not "sharpen" because the fact of the matter is that you cannot "sharpen" your culinary knives with a steel, it is only used for straightening the edge of your knife so that you can continue to work. Eventually, you will have to do a complete sharpening on your knives after the honing process in not effective anymore. Anyone who tells you that you can "sharpen" your knife on a steel is mistaken. Yes you can shave hair after honing your knife on a steel, but that is not a true razor edge, it is the micro serrations created by the steel that are clipping your hair. There are many types of "honing steels" on the market today. Some are made of carbide, diamond, ceramic, or case hardened steel. Some "honing steels" are flat surfaced and some are corrugated and some are coated with industrial diamonds that are either poly surfaced or mono surfaced.(More on honing steels and how to sharpen with a honing steel
in upcoming blog posts and videos.........stay tuned!)

 

So there you have it a basic review of the most basic kitchen knives in your home. I hope you enjoyed it. The video series will follow shortly so stay tuned!

 

 

Bay Leaf - The Bay Laurel

[caption id="attachment_336" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="bay leaf"][/caption]

Ever make a tomato sauce for pasta? How many of us put one or two Bay leaves in the sauce while it's simmering? I do. The venerable Bay leaf is the leaf of two kinds of trees, the sweet bay tree and the laurel tree in Latin both are called the Laurus Nobilis. The Bay leaf can grow up to three inches long and it is green and glossy in look and texture.

Bay leaves are native of both the United States and Turkey but are also grown in the regions of Italy, France, Colombia,
Russia, and even India. Bay leaves are one of the necessary condiments that should be in everyone's cupboards because it is great in soups and sauces and it's fantastic in meat and veggie dishes. Bay leaves add a delicious and distinctive flavor to your dishes. Classic French cuisine make good use of Bay in dishes such as bouillon and bouillabaisse! And Bay is a major part of many a bouquet garni! If you have ever eaten Indian cuisine then you may have had Garam Masala or Biryani and Bay is a big part of that dish. Usually, the Bay leaf is discarded before a dish is served because you don't want to eat Bay leaves because they can be harsh on the digestive tract. The scent is very pungent and if you take a bit of a leaf it has a bitter taste.

The Bay leaf has been around for a long time and if you were a Greek or Roman warrior your head would be adorned with a wreath made of laurel leaves(Bay leaves) if you were a victor in war. If you have gone to college and earned a baccalaureate degree then you have earned a "laurel berry" degree because the term refers to the honoring of scholars
using a garland and Bay leaves. Always store your Bay leaves in a cool dark place that will not exceed 70-75 degrees F.

Medicinally speaking the Bay leaf was thought to have magical properties and in ancient times was used to keep moths at away and still today you can scatter Bay leaves in your cupboards and it will keep certain insects away because of the insecticidal properties of the lauric acid in the Bay leaf itself. The Bay leaf has lauric acid as one it's constituents and this acid has insecticidal properties. Bay leaves have supposedly been used for treating high blood pressure, as a digestive and diuretic and as a carminitive and astringent. The Oleum lauri oil in Bay leaves has been used in the manufacture of liniments for years. The Bay leaf has also supposedly been used as a natural headache relief treatment. A constituent in Bay called Parthenolides has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of migraines. Other uses for Bay have been as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-fungal and antibacterial.

The Bay leaf has also been called by other names and they are as follows: Apollo’s Bay Leaf, Bay, Bay Laurel, Grecian Laurel, Indian Bay, Laurel, Nobel Laurel, Poet’s Laurel, Roman Laurel, Royal Laurel, Sweet Bay, Sweet Laurel, Wreath Laurel.  Bay leaves are available year round and are an excellent source of flavor for your recipes!

 

 

Photo Courtesy Of: Ndrwfgg's

Basil - The Basil Leaf

[caption id="attachment_315" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Basil"][/caption]

Basil is one of my favorite herbs to use in the kitchen and I like both the domestic Italian basil and I truly love thai basil. Basil is a leafy, bright green plant and in Latin is called Ocimum Basilicum. Believe it or not, the basil leaf is in the mint family of plants. The lions share of basil is grown in the United States and Egypt! When I learned that it was grown in Egypt I was amazed!

We all know that basil is a major herb used in Italian cooking ( I love Italian food!) and in Thai cooking. (I love thai food!) Basil is an excellent companion to tomatoes and when I make tomato salad I use lots of basil! I can't think of anything that basil does not compliment, it is fantastic with eggs, meats, veggies, cheese and even tofu when I make tofu cheese! (More on that later!)  And please let us not forget.......Basil Pesto! (In the words of Homer Simpson: Ummm! Basil Pesto!)  The aroma of basil is herbal and sweet.

The Ocimum Basilicum(Basil) is native to India and Persia originally and it was a highly cherished and highly detested in the old world. The Latin name of Ocimum Basilicum stands for "be fragrant." The herb was loathed by the Greeks, and loved by the Romans! To the Romans it was a fertility symbol. In the modern world in India today the Hindu people keep basil plants in their homes as they feel that it will bring happiness into their homes! As with most herbs make sure that you store basil in a cool, dark place with a temperature not to exceed 70-75 degrees!

Now, as far as the health benefits of the basil leaf there has been modern research that has found that essential oils in basil have antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties. Some research has also shown that basil has the possiblity of decreasing platelet counts in mice. Basils more traditional uses has been for stress reduction, asthma relief and diabetes control in India. In India basil has also been used for the relief of acne. In Ayurvedic medicine in India basil has supposedly been used in the treatment of gastric disorders and inflammatory conditions and well as a treatment for the common headache, fever, and even nausea and hypertension. Culturally, basil has been put in the hands of the dead in Europe to help their journey be a safe one. Also in India basil has been placed in the mouth's of the dying to make sure that the dying make the journey to God. Basil is quite an interesting herb huh?

Note: Some basil types like Thai basil holds up pretty well in the freezer!

 

Photo by: Paul Goyette

Herbs And Spices: General Information

[caption id="attachment_302" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Herbs And Spices"][/caption]

What's an herb? What's a spice? Is there a difference at all? Yes there is! For the most part and in many cases the terms herbs and spices have been used conversely and reciprocally on both television and in cookbooks alike. Many people I know use the terms herbs and spices interchangeably as well, but there are distinctive differences between them. It is just a matter of what part of the plant is being used that will determine whether you are using an herb or spice.

In general terms herbs are the leafy part of the plant that is being used and it does not matter whether that leafy part is dried or fresh.
As an example think of parsley, basil, a bay leaves, cilantro, rosemary and even thyme. On the other hand spices are acquired from any other part of the plant and in most cases are dried. Such spices as peppercorns from berries, ginger from ginger root, seeds like nutmeg and buds like cloves are all spices. There are plants that grow abundantly enough to produce both herb and spice. As an example take Cilantro, this plant gives us the cilantro that we use in Mexican cooking and it also gives us coriander seeds. Think about venerable Dill. Dill weed gives us the herb that we use in say chicken soup or in making grav laks and it also produces dill seeds as well.

When adding herbs or spices to a dish you of course want the food you are preparing to be enhanced and not covered up. So it is good to know how much of a certain herb or spice to add and when to add it in order to make that flavor enhancement. How much or how little of an herb or spice you use will of course influence the outcome of any recipe you prepare.

Rule 1. Herbs and spices that are in the form of powder will release the oils in them more quickly than a spice in it's whole form which
releases it's oils  more slowly. So add the powdered spice or herb near the end of the dishes cooking time so that you don't "burn" off their flavor, and with the whole spice you can add it at or just after the beginning of a meal as the oils and flavors are released more slowly.

Rule 2. If you are making dressings or sauces or other condiments that don't meed to be cooked you can add your herbs and spices many hours before serving time so that the flavors have time to blend and marry.

Rule 3. Rule 3 is there are no rules. There are no real hard, fast or definitive rules about how much of an herb or spice to add to a recipe or dish, but here is a good starting point to follow when you don't have a recipe to follow. Go slow and start out by adding a quarter teaspoon of whatever it is per pound of meat and for each pint of sauce or soup or even for a serving for four. Make all necessary adjustments that you need to. When it comes to the more pungent spices like garlic granules or powder or crushed cayenne pepper or even pepper flakes it might be a good idea to start out at one eighth of a teaspoon because the oils of these spices get released in the heat of cooking and can get really, really HOT! So go really slow with these guys!

 

 

Photo Courtesy Of Dustin P. Smith

 

 

Basic Guidelines For Storing Herbs And Spices

[caption id="attachment_288" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Storing Herbs And Spice"][/caption]

We see so many celebrity chefs and cooks on TV and cable that are always using fresh herbs and spices to prepare the recipes that they are teaching us. This is fine if you have access to fresh herbs and spices on a daily basis like if you grow some of your own. If you live in a situation where it is not possible to grow some of your own herbs and spices, have you seen how much it costs to buy 3/4 of an ounce of fresh any kind of herb in the supermarket lately? For many of us we use dried herbs and spices in our daily lives and believe me you CAN produce delicious recipes and meals using dried herbs and spices. Ever been in an Indian spice market? Lot's of dried herbs and spices right? Of course!

Fresh herbs and spices only have so much "shelf life" to them before they go bad. Going bad means means that they are not fresh anymore, but dried and still able to be used for a certain amount of time. After that amount of time the fresh herbs and spices that have dried will only have a certain amount of time that they will be viable for cooking and then the precious oils in them will have dried out and the flavor and enhancement will not be there anymore.

Many folks including myself buy dried herbs and spice to use in our daily lives as it simplifies the process of daily cooking. Many people buy dried herbs and spices and keep them forever in the cupboards. This is not the optimum way to use these enhancements as stated before, the precious oils in them will have dried out and the herbs and spices will not impart the flavors that we are looking for anymore.

It is for this reason I thought I would share with you some basic guidelines for proper herb and spice storage in the home kitchen. Now, the first thing to do is to check your herbs and spices for freshness and for this we will use our eye's and nose's to do this. Are your green, leafy type herbs faded and not as dark as when you bought them? They will fade with time as they age and the potency of the oils dissipates. Now, check out some of your red spices like red pepper flakes, chili powders, paprika's, red curries. Are they brown in color? They will turn brown over time once again as they dry out and the oils lose potency in these types of spices. Now, some people say to store this type of spice in the refrigerator and I don't agree as the refrigerator has moisture in it and if the moisture invades the red spices there is a chance that they can mold.

They next thing you will want to try is to put a small amount of your test herb or spice in the palm of your hand and rub the herb or spice with your thumb or over the sink rub your hands together and see how the herb or spice smells. Do the aroma smell full bodied and rich like when you first bought it. Is the aroma coming to your nose immeadietly? If it is good, and if it's not then chances are that the oils and potency is gone. If you are testing whole spices then you will need to crush them to test for the aroma. After crushing the spice if the pieces are big enough you can scrape them with your knife or a microplane or grater of somekind to test for fragrance potency. If you have any doubts, then throw them out. Many spices and herbs are not very expensive and you question the viability of them, then it would just be best to replace them ASAP!

Some general storage guidelines for your herbs and spices are as follows:

1. Make sure that you store your herbs and spices in a cool, dry place and keep them always away from direct light, heat and humidity as these conditions will deplete the oils and potency. It is a good recommendation to put them in a place that will not go above 70 degrees F.

2. If at all possible store your herbs and spices in air tight glass jars and make sure that the lids are on nice and tight after each use of the herb or spice.

3. When using dried herbs and spices you should never, ever shake them over a boiling pot because the moisture from the steam will add moisture to the herb or spice and reduce the potency of the oils of the herbs that remain in the jar. It is better to place the amount of herb or spice that you need in the palm of your hand and then add it to the dish as needed.
4. In general for ground spices I keep them for no longer than 1 to 2 years. With whole spices I try not to keep them longer than 2 years. For herbs I do not to go over a year. I occasionally use seasoning blends and I will keep them for up to 1 year. Extracts are a bit different because they contain alcohol and so I will store and use extracts for up to 3 years plus.

This is what I do: If and when I do buy dried herbs or spices I will either take a small piece of masking tape and put it on the jar I use for storage and put the purchase date on it so I know where I am at any one point in time. If you don't have tape then you can take a marker and write the purchase date on the lid of the jar. This way you will always know where you are with your herbs and spices using these simple guidelines.

Arrowroot

[caption id="attachment_263" align="alignleft" width="234" caption="Arrowroot"][/caption]

Well, arrowroot is one of those things used in culinary endeavors that I have found many, many home cooks are not aware of. Arrowroot is a white powdery substance that looks and feels like cornstarch but actually comes from a plant called the Marantha Arundinacea. The plant hails from the West Indies and is also referred to as Marantha Starch, Obedience Plant, and Bermuda Arrowroot. It is a perennial plant and grows in Brazil and Thailand.

One of the most common uses for arrowroot is as a thickener for sauces and stews and makes an excellent glaze in Chinese food recipes. It is widely used in deserts like pudding and jellos and lends no flavor to the foods it is mixed with. In contrast, many other thickeners a cook or chef can use do impart a certain taste or flavor to the foods they are used on. It is used widely in homemade ice cream because it prevents the formation of ice crystals in the ice cream.

In the West Indies a people known as the Arawak used the arrowroot to pull toxins from the wounds of warriors that they got from the poison arrows of their enemies. Many people believe that this is how arrowroot got it's name. As with many herbs and spices in your cupboard, arrowroot should be stored in a cool dry place and the temperature should not get about 70-75 degrees.

The secret of arrowroot is that it thickens at a lower temperature than other thickeners that are either flour or cornstarch based and it does not have the same caloric count as the other thickeners either. (Give me beurre manie anyday!) Remember, when using arrowroot that you have to mix it in cool liquid before you add it to hot liquids. As a general rule 2tsp of arrowroot will substitute for 1 Tbsp of cornstarch and 1 tsp of arrowroot will substitute for 1 Tbsp of flour.

Arrowroot is supposedly good for  relief of gastrointestinal disorders like upset stomach and diahhrea. It has also been reported to have deodorizing and antibacterial properties. It supposedly can be used after a bath to aid against rashes, acne, and to absorb moisture and it leaves your skin really smooth. At least that is what my girlfriend tells me. Matter of fact she tells me that many people use arrowroot in place of talc, cornstarch, tapioca starch, potato starch or even rice starch/flour for the skin.

Special Note: If you have gluten allergies and you like to eat and bake bread but can't because of the gluten then you will be happy to know that you can use arrowroot in place of wheat flour in your baking.

 

Anise

[caption id="attachment_252" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Anise or Star Anise"][/caption]

Anise or anise seed in Latin is called Pimpinella Anisum and is a member of the parsley family. Anise is a close relative or descendant of dill, caraway, cumin, and fennel. It must be in the nature as a seed. Anise grows wildly in the countries of Turkey and Spain. It is used in so many culinary ways that it can be mind boggling as with so many other herbs and spices out there. It is used in main dishes as well as deserts and a myriad of baked goods.

Anise is used extensively in India and parts of the middle east as both an aromatic and fragrant ingredient to a dish and it is used as a digestive as well. The Anise seed is famous for it's licorice like flavor and for this reason is used all over the world in candy production. Have you ever had anisette from France? If you have then you have drunk a liquor made from or with anise!

Since ancient times anise has been used a medicament and to flavor medicament's to make them more palatable. In the new world the colonists of what is now called The United States Of America grew anise as a medicinal plant to be used in a myriad of ailments and this is also true for other parts of the world as well.

One of the widest uses of anise has been in the production of alcohol from all over the world. Anise has been used in the production of Arak in the middle east and Aguardiente in Colombia. It has been used in the production of Absinthe and Anisette in France as well as the production of Ouzo in Greece and Mastika in Bulgaria and Jagermeister from Germany. So many countries, so much booze! Whew! I need a vacation and a drink now!

Medically speaking anise contains a constituent called anethole which is considered to be a phytoestrogen. Anethole is supposedly to able to relieve menstrual cramps and in some European countries it is used as a carminative. Anise is also reported to be an excellent expectorant and used to loosen phlegm in colds, lung issues and pneumonia.  The anethole in anise is reported to be used in maintaining oral health as it has antimicrobial properties, so it makes an excellent mouthwash and fights bad breath.

Now I don't really know about this one but anise/anethole  has supposedly been used to increase libido in both men and women. (I think when I am done with this post I am going to the grocery to go buy a couple of pounds of anise and I will get back to you on this one!)

Thanks for stopping by,

Richard

 

 

 

Photo by: Arria Belli

Allspice

[caption id="attachment_241" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Whole Allspice Berries"][/caption]

AAllspice is the berry of an evergreen tree in the family of trees known as evergreens trees. In Latin allspice is called Pimento Officianalis or Pimento Diocia. It is a dark round somewhat hard berry when it is dried and has the wonderful aroma of all spices! This spice is indicative of the regions of Jamaica, Guatemala and The Honduras. You may have used allspice in your kitchen before or had it in something that you have eaten like pumpkin pie, but it is a major constituent in the making of jerk seasonings and some curries. It is a spice that in it's whole form is also used in the process of pickling foods. Allspice is just about all present these days as it can be found in just about anything from the teas that you drink to the main dishes and deserts that you eat.

It is a pungent spice and you can have twenty people lined up in your kitchen and have them smell some and just about each person will tell you that they smell something different. I think someone put allspice on the planet to confuse our olfactory senses is what I think! For most of us the taste of allspice is very reminiscent of cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves. Before I really got into cooking I thought cloves was something that was used to make Djarum cigarettes. Go figure!

Allspice goes a long way back in our history in western civilization. It was during the voyages of discovery that Christopher Columbus discovered allspice in the Caribbean. At that time he was on a search for pepper and he found allspice instead. In the Caribbean islands they call allspice "pimienta." Pimienta stands for pepper. So he took the spice home with him to Spain. In America we call pimienta, pimento. In herb lore allspice was said to give relief from digestive issues such and bloating and gas. That's a good thing in my book! If you have allspice in your home it is best to store it in a cool dark place that does not get above 70-75 degrees. Allspice is very versatile as stated it is used in main dishes and deserts and is one of those spices that is excellent in both savory and sweet dishes. It is this versatility that makes allspice so popular today. Allspice has been called by many names such as: clove pepper, new spice, myrtle pepper, and Jamaican pepper. I am sure it is called by these different names as a matter of region or country.

In herbal remedy circles allspice is used for it's supposed healing properties. It contains an oil called Eugenol and it is said to have antiseptic qualities. It has supposedly been used in relieving pain and there have been some studies that the oil in allspice can be used to combat certain types of viruses, fungi, and bacteria. In other areas of alternative medicine the oil of allspice, the Eugenol has been suggested for use in fighting toothaches. Allspice has also been suggested in some traditions as a good remedy for muscle aches and pain by mixing allspice with water to form a paste and placing that paste on the affected area. One should be very careful if using the oil (Eugenol) of allspice as it can irritate your skin. It is suggested that you do not take this oil internally unless otherwise prescribed by a health care professional and of course remember that some people can also be allergic to allspice.

All About Herbs And Spices

I felt that if I am doing a foodie blog that I would give careful consideration to having some information that you might not find on other food or cooking related sites. I used to have an herb closet with I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At that time I was and still am into a more natural way of assisting myself in ridding myself of ailments that might come along in my life rather than using allopathic medicaments.

It is because of this that I thought it would be nice to compile an index of herbs and spices and supply information about them as we use them in our daily lives for cooking and many other purposes. At one point or another most of the herbs and spices that we would use in our daily cooking has been used in one medicinal fashion or another in one part of the world or another.

Many times most of us will just go out and buy the herbs and spices that we need to cook with at any one time and as we cook our meals we add a pinch of this and a pinch of that until our meal is done. For me I wanted to learn more about what I was using in my cooking and learn about any healthful benefits that the herbs and spices I am using will impart to me when I am cooking a healthy or even not so healthy meal. I mean we can use herbs and spices for our health even if we are making a recipe that is loaded with butter and other tasty things can't we? Of course we can!

To this end I will be compiling an index of herbs and spices in this category that will have information about the herbs and spices that one might or might not know about. I promise it will be an interesting read and something that you can come back to time and time again for reference.

Best Regards,

Richard Blaine

Eat Well, Enjoy What You Eat, And Long Life!

EZ Basic Knife Skills And Information

I thought long and hard this weekend as to what type of subject matter I would start out with here at EZ Cooking and after talking to some of the chefs and cooks that I deal with on a daily basis at work I decided to begin this blog with a major review of kitchen knife skills and information.  The military teaches soldiers that their knife is their best friend and this also stands true for the chef or cook. Your knives are your best friends and our number one tools in the kitchen. The chefs and cooks that I spoke with told me that at culinary school they started out with learning about the knife and then they moved on to other things. Since I have been in the cutlery industry for 30+ years I felt this would be a good place to start. I truly did not know how to begin with this series of videos because I could have started with basic cutting techniques or background information on knives either way is interchangeable and either way could be called "basic" or "advanced" knife skills or "basic" or "advanced" kitchen knife skills etc. Since I will be doing background information on knives before doing any food  cutting techniques I will call this series of blog posts and videos Basic Knife Skills And Information. covering such topics as your basic kitchen knife types and there functions. I will share with you the difference between Western European and Japanese kitchen knives.  From there I will share about the different kitchen knife grind types and the different kinds of steels used in making kitchen knives. We will then venture into the fray of kitchen knife anatomy, both Western European and Japanese to give a good foundation in these differences as these days some chefs/cooks like to use one or the other type of knife and they have reasons why. I will share along the way culinary/kitchen knife terminology. One of the best most important things that I will share with you is the inherent advantages and disadvantages between Western European knives and Asian kitchen knives.

As we go deeper into the realm of knife skills I will share the different knife sharpening techniques that one can use to keep their knives just humming along! I will discuss the different types of knife sharpeners on the market and the how's and why's of using and not using certain of these sharpening devices on your coveted knives will benefit you. I will be doing a series of videos and posts on how to sharpen a knife. I have many techniques and I am sure one will fit you. I will show you the different ways to "hone" your knives on what is commonly called a sharpening steel whether that "steel" be a diamond steel, a carbide steel, a corrugated steel, a smooth steel or  a ceramic rod and explain the differences of each and how to use them in unison. Learning how to sharpen and maintain your most valuable tools is in my opinion one of the most valuable lessons to learn. I personally do not trust my tools to someone else to be sharpening because I know how I like it done and I feel that anyone who cooks should feel the same way.  My knives have my energy on them and mine alone! It is pride of ownership for me to be able to take care of my tools. I want the same for you! Heck! I will even share with you how to sharpen your kitchen knife/knives on the back of a plate in a pinch if you needed to, and my favorite 10-5-3-1 sharpening method using various sharpening stones.  I will even show you a couple of ways to sharpen your serrated knives! From here we will then move on to other primers before we get to cooking together. I look forward to sharing with you and  I look forward to having you here. As always your feedback is welcome here at EZ cooking and I look forward to that as well!

Thanks for stopping by,

Richard Blaine

Eat Well, Enjoy What You Eat, And Long Life!

 

 

Welcome To EZ Cooking

 

Welcome to EZ Cooking. I'm your host, Richard Blaine. EZ Cooking is all about cooking EZ and cooking quality, delicious meals for you and your family that may sound complicated, but are in fact EZ'r to make than you may think. Food is the fuel that keeps us running, so why should the food we prepare and eat just be some mundane chore that gives us the fuel we need to live but not the pleasure or the eating ritual? Fuel can be ever changing and exciting. These changes don't have to be major world class gourmet changes that cost a fortune to accomplish, they can be subtle, delicious and quite inexpensive to accomplish! I know that we live in a busy workaday world and it seems like the pressure never stops. Our lives are hectic and stressful and in many cases for many of us the only real relaxation time we get is when we get to sit down and eat our meals.  We should not have to stress out when making our meals and just throw something together that we may not fully enjoy. Then of course many times after we eat our lives go back to being hectic again with planning our next day and the nightly chores that we go through before having to go to bed just to get up in the morning again and start another stressful day. The last thing we want to stress over is making our meals. It is this hectic lifestyle that can and often does put us in a rut doing and making the same things over and over again without really even thinking about it. We just go on autopilot. Do this!, do that! Mail this!, Mail that! Pay this!, Pay that! Eat this!, Eat that!

This autopilot syndrome also includes buying and eating the same foods and the same meals day in and day out year in and year out. This is because our shopping list ends up on autopilot along with many of the other things we do by rote.  This naturally gets boring and takes the fun out of two of life's greatest pleasures we indulge in as mortal beings, cooking and eating! Cooking should not be a drudgery, it is a pleasure and a form of fun and stress relief if you let it be! How many people do you know that have told you that for them cooking or baking is a form of meditation? Meditation is good for you! Of course in my opinion the eating is the best of the two pleasures. In reality there is nothing wrong with making the same things week in and week out as long as you can make these meals in new and different ways! The changes can be quite subtle and these subtle changes will change the quality, taste and presentation of your meals. Plan on doing this. Cooking doesn't have to be hard! With some basic tools and information cooking can be EZ! The best part of this, is the fact that you won't have to spend huge sums of money doing this. It is one of my goals here at EZ Cooking to cook EZ meals with you and to share with you how to make do with what you have on hand to make your cooking EZ!

I will also share with you high quality low cost recipes that will help you save money and I will also share some of my all time classic favorites from some of my favorite chefs! One of the things I like to do is take a fine dining recipe and modify it for the day to day wallet and refrigerator. There are many classic recipes that have room for a wide birth of originality and modification, after all isn't that what cooking is all about is taking something and making it your own? This is the fusion of you and the food. This is another area where the pleasure and enjoyment of cooking comes from. Everything I know about cooking I have learned through trial and error and self education. I know there are many of you out there just like me. Let's cook together and have some fun! Yes, we will make meals and we will talk about "a pinch of this or that, a little of this or that, a smidge here and there, a scoche here, a scoche there, or this and that and a simmer here and a simmer there and viola! Done! That's cool for a lot of things as many recipes are open to individual interpretation. I also like to explore the "how's" and "whys" of cooking. There are tons of places where you can go learn "how to" cook a dish, but I like to look at technique and that is something I find lacking out there. So I will share with you the techniques that I have learned along the way that have enhanced my cooking competence and pleasure and it will do the same for you! I love to cook just as you do and EZ Cooking is here to share with you, to talk with you and to learn with you, not to talk at you! Let's become better cooks together!

Best Wishes,

Richard Blaine
Eat well!, Enjoy what you eat! And Long life!