Cooking is like changing your spark plugs. At first it seems a job for the experts. Then someone hands you the proper tools, points you in the right direction under the hood, and you soon realize it’s easy to change your own plugs.
Having the proper tools is crucial to success in the kitchen. This is not to say that you can’t cook well if you don’t have expensive, shiny pots hanging over your stove. But you do need heavy-duty pots, sturdy pans, and good, sharp knives. Check the equipment you already have against the list in this chapter. Get acquainted with your food processor and microwave; they can be your third hand in the kitchen.
Though good, fresh ingredients alone don’t assure a good meal, they increase your chances of success about 100 percent. Locate reliable sources for everything—meat, fish, produce, and staples—then follow the suggestions below about smart shopping.
Becoming a smart shopper is easy if you follow one important rule: Buy food in the supermarket, but do your shopping at home. This means you make your shopping decisions at the kitchen table, where your primary tool is the shopping list.
To prepare the list, first plan what you are making for dinner in the upcoming days. Check the ingredients in the recipes against what you have in the cupboard and write down what you need. Be meticulous. Some recipes hinge on one simple ingredient. Next, check the staples in the house: milk, juice, eggs, butter or margarine, oil, peanut butter, and so on.
For fresh fruits and vegetables, wait until you get to the store to see what looks best and is plentiful, but make a few notes on what vegetables would be appropriate for the entrées you are planning.
Try to do your shopping during off-hours—early in the morning or late at night. Once in the store, buy only those items on your list. Let yourself drift through the aisles and you’ll wind up with a wagonful of food but nothing to eat. Beware: Supermarkets are carefully organized to separate you from your money. For example, the meat and dairy sections are deviously situated in the back, forcing you to wend your way through much of the store before you find what you’re looking for.
To combat this trickery, you must move quickly through the aisles, list in hand, checking off items as you place them in the wagon. Remember, life’s too short to spend time ruminating over chunk light versus solid white tuna. If you’re on line at the check out counter (thumbing through the National Enquirer) within 15 minutes or less, you know you’ve done some professional-quality shopping.
A final shopping tip: Make friends with your butcher, fishmonger, and produce manager so you won’t feel reluctant to ask them questions. These people are great sources of information on choosing ingredients as well as cooking with them.
As a kid, I used to wait impatiently for the mailman to bring me the various premiums I had sent away for in exchange for box tops or proof-of-purchase seals. These days I wait, equally impatiently, for my latest order of specialty food items or equipment. The fact is, you can do a lot of shopping through the mail, especially for ethnic condiments and sauces, spices, and special flours. I order blocks of chocolate, oils, jams, vinegars, dried fruits, and dried peppers. Use the following sources when you need a special ingredient and don’t have time to hunt it down. Either call or write for free catalogs.
American Spoon Foods
P.O. Box 566
Petosky, MI 49770
800-222-5886
FAX: 616-347-2512
American-made products, such as preserves, dried fruit, mustards, maple sugar.
821 Washington Street
Oakland, CA 94607
800-325-3483
FAX: 510-836-2250
An excellent source for spices, chocolate, sauces, international specialty foods.
Nodine’s Smokehouse
P.O. Box 1787
Torrington, CT 06790
800-222-2059
FAX: 203-496-9787
Smoked meats, poultry, cheese, bacon.
Penzey’s Spices
Brrokfield, WI
800-741-7787
FAX: 262-785-7678
High-quality international spices.
Williams-Sonoma
P.O. Box 7456
San Francisco, CA 94120-7456
800-541-2233
or 800-541-1262 (to request a catalog)
FAX: 415-421-5153
High-quality kitchenware and specialty foods.
Zabar’s
2245 Broadway
New York, NY 100242
212-496-1234
FAX: 212-580-4477
Competitively priced kitchen equipment and specialty food items.
You can buy just about anything in the health food store these days. And with something like Whole Foods’ success, more mainstream supermarkets are expanding their selections of health foods and organic products and produce. These foods are prepared with few additives, are minimally processed, and are, in some cases, organic (cultivated and processed without any chemicals or artificial ingredients).
Your health food shopping list should include macaroni and cheese, vegetarian chili, brown rice in various flavors, freeze-dried soups, tofu burger mix, and whole-wheat pancake and muffin mixes.
Labels and ingredient lists on prepared foods can be deceiving. Food companies cannot lie on their labels, so if a product says it’s “nonfat” or “low-sodium,” it has to live up to that claim. Often, however, companies will boast in big letters about some singularly healthful feature of their product merely as a distraction. For instance, a potato chip bag claims “no cholesterol.” But a quick scan of the label reveals very high fat, calorie, and sodium counts, and reminds you of what is there. “Lite” can have a variety of meanings, so read the small print carefully. Also check “serving size.” For instance, a bottle of iced tea may not list a large amount of sugar, but when you multiply that by 3 (the number of servings in the bottle), it becomes excessive.
Everyone is much more health conscious these days, and as a result the information and ingredients list are much more comprehensive. The amounts of saturated fats and trans fats are clearly identified so you can keep the saturated fats to a minimum and avoid trans fats altogether. Also look for whole grains and organic whenever possible. Whole grains have much greater health benefits than white or processed flour. If organic products are available and the price is about the same, why not use them? Buying organic usually means you are getting something that is minimally processed, with a truer flavor, no antibiotics or hormones added, and with a better chance of being grown locally. The only downside is that in places where “organic” hasn’t caught on, the produce may have sat around a little longer. So make sure it’s really fresh.
1. Ingredient list
The product recipe lists ingredients in order of quantity, so look carefully to see where such items as fats and sweeteners fall on the list. For example, on a pretzel package the largest single ingredient is flour (probably white, if not specified), there is more salt than sweetener, and maybe a few artificial ingredients.
2. Special handling instructions and dating
Follow directions and use dates for safe storing of products.
All cooks should know the importance of seasoning—balancing sweet tastes with savory, bringing out the flavors of meats and fish with complementary herbs, and adding character to salads and vegetables. Your spice shelf does not need to be packed with exotic dried herbs and spices that are used only once a year. (In fact, herbs and spices lose their pungency in about six to nine months.) So stock up only a dozen or so essential herb and spices like the ones listed here.
Always use herbs and spices judiciously. Remember, you can add more seasonings, but you can’t take them away.
These three spices work well together, allowing their flavors to balance out. Use equal amounts of basil and oregano and half as much thyme.
These herbs have strong, distinct flavors that will overwhelm other herbs or spices. As a rule, use them alone and sparingly.
Add sparkle to your meal by sprinkling on one of these just before serving.
High-quality pans and utensils make a big difference when you’re cooking and will last a lifetime if cared for properly. The following equipment is all you’ll need to prepare the recipes in this book.
Your knives should be made from high-carbon stainless steel and should feel comfortable in your hand. Unlike free agents in baseball, usually the more money you pay for a knife, the better it is. You can count on the quality of German knives made by Wüsthof and Henckels as well as the French Sabatiers and the American Gerbers. The following knives will cover your basic needs:
Chef’s knife (8 or 10 inches)
For most cutting and chopping. A cook’s primary knife.
Boning knife (5 inches)
For boning chicken and fish, trimming fat, and cutting meat into chunks.
Paring knife (3 to 4 inches)
For peeling fruits and vegetables.
Serrated bread knife (9 inches)
For cutting breads and cakes or very ripe tomatoes.
Carving knife (8 or 10 inches)
For carving roasted meats and fowl.
For maintaining a sharp edge on your knives. Sharp knives are safer than dull knives and are essential for efficient “prep” work.
Kitchen shears
For a variety of kitchen uses, especially cutting up cooked chicken
Cutting board (11 x 17 inches)
A high-density plastic cutting board at least ¼ inch thick is best. Wooden boards look better, but don’t last as long and harbor bacteria more easily. Thin plastic boards, which warp easily, and glass boards, which are fine for slicing but useless for chopping, should be avoided. Always wash your cutting board after each use with ample soap and extremely hot water. Be especially diligent after cutting raw chicken and meats.
When choosing pots and pans, look for heavy-grade stainless steel, unless you’re buying a pasta pot, which doesn’t have to be made of such a heavy material, or a frying pan, which can be cast-iron.
Heavy-grade sauté pan (10–12 inches)
with lid and heatproof handle. Since this will be the pan you use the most, shell out a couple of bucks and get yourself a good brand, such as Cuisinart or All-Clad.
Nonstick sauté pan (8 inches)
with heatproof handle. Essential for cooking eggs and omelets. Use only wooden or plastic utensils with this pan to guard against scratching the surface. For cleaning, use a plastic scrubbing pad. Eggs can be wiped off with a paper towel. Don’t be tempted to use this pan for heavy frying or for browning meats. It’s really meant for lighter work.
2½-quart saucepan
with lid. For cooking vegetables and grains, and for reheating.
4½-quart saucepan
with lid. For making soups and tomato sauce. Make sure it has a nonreactive surface, either enamel or stainless steel, and a heavy bottom for sautéing vegetables.
6-quart Dutch oven or casserole
with lid. Great for chili, stews, soups, and casseroles. Can be used in the oven as well as on top of the stove. Le Creuset probably makes the best pot in this size.
8-quart stockpot
with lid. For boiling pasta and making stock.
Roasting pan (11½ x 16 x 5 inches)
with rack. For roasting chicken or baking whole fish. It should be made of heavy-grade aluminum, stainless steel, glass, or enamel.
Shallow roasting pan (10 x 15 x 2 inches)
For baking such dishes as chicken breasts, fish steaks, and small casseroles.
Microwave-safe casserole (9 x 9 inches)
This is the most versatile pan for cooking and reheating. As you experiment with the microwave, you will want to acquire more microwave-safe pans.
Assorted microwave-safe plastic containers
Make it easy to transfer food directly from the refrigerator or freezer into the microwave.
Note
All pots and pans should be cleaned with minimal soap and low-abrasion scrubbers, and should be dried thoroughly after each use.
You can’t have too many of these. A set of four nested stainless-steel mixing bowls will get you started; they are durable, store easily, and won’t react with acidic foods. You’re likely to want an extra medium-size bowl also.
2 heavy-grade stainless-steel or aluminum baking sheets (11 x 17 inches)
Lightweight pans warp easily in a hot oven.
2 loaf pans (5 x 9 inches)
You never make one loaf of bread at a time.
2 or 3 round cake pans (9 inches)
For making layer cakes.
Springform pan (9 inches)
Lets you remove your cake easily after baking.
2 heavy aluminum or glass pie pans (9 inches)
Muffin tin
For muffins, of course.
Stainless-steel utensils are best, as they are both durable and heatproof; plastic melts and loses its shape easily. The following list details the utensils you will use most.
• Bulb baster
• Can opener
• Carving fork
• Colander (8 inches with legs)
• Corkscrew/bottle opener
• Dry measuring cups (including ¼, ⅓, ½, and 1 cup)
• Grater
• Liquid measuring cup (2 cup)
• Pastry brush
• Pot holders (flame resistant)
• Rolling pin (wooden)
• Soup ladle
• Spatulas
1 plastic (for nonstick pans)
1 short stainless steel
1 small flexible rubber
1 large flexible rubber
• Spoons
1 long-handled slotted
1 set of measuring
3 wooden
• Tongs (8 inches)
• Vegetable peeler
• Vegetable steamer (collapsible)
• Wire racks (for cooling baked goods)
• Whisk (wire)
Flame-resistant pot holders should be large and thick enough to keep you from burning your hand. If they don’t go with the color scheme in the kitchen, too bad. Oven mitts are clumsier than potholders, and the space between the thumb and the rest of the hand often wears out, resulting in burns and dropped pots.
Great for puréeing soup and making shakes. Its principal function, of course, is to make margaritas, which are de rigueur on those long, hot summer weekends when the kids are away at camp.
Essential for beating egg whites and for whipping cream. Also useful for mixing cookie and cake batters.
These two technological wizards are great time-savers once you master the techniques (following four pages). Dads seem to take to these machines.
A food processor can be your best friend in the kitchen. Depending on the blade you use, it can chop, grate, shred, slice, grind, and purée and knead bread dough in a fraction of the time it takes to complete these tasks by hand. It can also break your heart. The blade moves so fast that processing even a few seconds longer than you should can ruin your ingredients.
Because the blades move so quickly on a food processor, it takes only a matter of seconds to chop, slice, or otherwise process an ingredient to the desired consistency. To give you greater control over this process, food processors are equipped with a pulse lever, which you press and release in order to start and stop the processor. Hold the pulse lever down for 1- to 2-second intervals and check the size of the pieces between each pulse. The processor is also equipped with an on/off switch that can be used when you are preparing foods that need to be processed for more than a few seconds at a time, for example, when you are puréeing soups or making peanut butter.
The metal blade is used to chop raw and cooked fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, and nuts. This blade is also used for puréeing and mixing batters that contain less than 3½ cups flour. To chop, insert the blade, then place the food that you are processing in the work bowl, lock the cover, and pulse until it reaches the desired consistency. Fill your work bowl no more than halfway to assure uniform results.
To slice or shred an ingredient (for example, carrots, zucchini, or cheese), use the slicing or shredding discs, respectively. Attach the disc and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for slicing and shredding. Use gentle pressure on the pusher for cheeses and delicate foods (for example, strawberries); use medium pressure for harder foods (for example, raw potatoes, carrots, and pepperoni).
It always takes a few minutes to disassemble and clean the machine once you’ve used it, though most parts of a food processor are dishwasher-safe. For larger jobs, such as shredding a pound of cheese, chopping a pound of meat, or grating a few pounds of carrots, you’ll definitely want to use the processor. But for smaller jobs, you may find that it’s not worth the effort to set up and clean the processor, and that it’s more efficient to do the work by hand.
The microwave can act as a third hand in the kitchen. While the main courses cook on the stove and in the oven, the vegetables can be delegated exclusively to the microwave’s domain. If the timer is set correctly, there is no chance of overcooking them.
If you have a microwave, you should definitely use it for cooking vegetables, as well as for reheating and defrosting. To use your microwave effectively, start with the manual that comes with your oven. If you want to be more adventurous with a microwave, get a specialized cookbook like Barbara Kafka’s Microwave Cooking. Dad’s Own uses the microwave for time-saving steps in a recipe or in preparing a meal.
The advantage of reheating food in the microwave is that it is often faster than reheating on the stove or in the oven, and there is less chance of the food drying out.
To reheat refrigerated foods
1. Place cold food in a microwavable container and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
2. Heat on high setting for 2–5 minutes, depending on the quantity (1 cup of food needs 2 minutes, 4 cups need 5 minutes).
3. Stir well. Continue cooking on high, stirring at 1-minute intervals, until the food is thoroughly reheated.
Note
Food in a sauce reheats with better results than dry food. If you wish to reheat a plain cooked chicken breast, for example, first cover it with a bit of sauce or gravy, or even some broth.
1. Transfer the microwavable container directly from the freezer to the microwave. Loosen the lid so the steam can escape.
2. Heat on high setting for 5–7 minutes.
3. Change the power to medium and continue heating for 5–8 minutes or until the food softens and can be broken up, if necessary.
4. The food may now be reheated as for refrigerated food.
Note
Some foods, such as vegetables and soup can be defrosted and reheated in one step on high setting. Eight ounces of frozen soup, for instance, can be defrosted and reheated on high for 4–6 minutes. Stir the soup three or four times during the process.
1. Place the frozen food in the microwave.
2. Microwave on the defrost setting for 6–10 minutes. Let the food sit for 7–10 minutes before continuing with cooking. For example, defrost two 8-ounce frozen steaks for 6–8 minutes, turning two or three times. They should then sit for 10 minutes before you continue with the cooking.
Stirring is very important in microwave cooking. Since microwaves do not evenly heat all areas of the food in a container, stirring during the course of cooking or reheating helps ensure an all-over doneness.
After the prescribed cooking time in the microwave, there will usually be a short standing time. This allows the heat to be fully absorbed into the food. Most often the food should remain covered and can “stand” in the oven or on a heatproof counter.
• Never heat a baby’s milk bottle in the microwave, as it will heat unevenly. Some of the milk might be very hot without your being able to detect it and could burn the baby’s mouth.
• Don’t use a microwave when the food you are making is meant to have a crispy exterior.
• Microwave dishes and bowls can be deceptively hot. Always use pot holders and be careful of steam as you lift up the plastic wrap or cover.
• Chicken defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately after defrosting—whether you continue cooking it in the microwave or cook it conventionally.
In addition to the labor involved in shopping, cooking, and getting the kids to eat their food, there is another area of kitchen management that requires Dad’s attention—food safety. Food must be bought, handled, and stored properly in order to prevent contamination. To avoid problems, follow these basic food-safety tips:
• Wash your hands before and during cooking.
• Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator, or in the microwave when appropriate.
• Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Bacteria thrive between 40°F and 140°F.
• Never leave cooked food sitting at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Keep raw meat and poultry well wrapped in the refrigerator. Meat and poultry drippings can transfer bacteria to other foods.
• Always rinse your meat and poultry well in cold water before cutting and cooking, as this helps reduce bacteria, though it by no means eliminates them.
• Wash cutting boards and knives with soap and hot water immediately after cutting any raw poultry or meat.
• Always cook poultry to 170°F and pork to 160°F to kill bacteria.
• Cook meat, poultry, and fish within 24 hours of defrosting and never refreeze it once it has been defrosted. Freezing slows the growth of bacteria, but it doesn’t kill them. Ice crystals formed during freezing break down cell walls, making defrosted food very susceptible to contamination.
Freezing is the best way to manage leftovers and to avoid wasting food. If properly wrapped, labeled, and frozen, many foods will last 6–9 months, some even longer. Freezing also enables you to have an arsenal of ingredients or prepared foods at your fingertips.
Wrap tightly
Air affects food. Choose a container that you can fill almost to the top, leaving ½ inch of open space to accommodate expansion during freezing. With meat and poultry, wrap each piece individually, first in plastic, then in aluminum foil, pressing out as much air as possible. This way all you need to do is remove the foil to defrost the meat or poultry in the microwave.
Freeze quickly
The fresher something is, the better it will survive its stay in the freezer. Set your freezer at or below 0°F, then use a standard weather thermometer to check its temperature. Frozen casseroles, stews, and vegetables can be moved directly from the freezer to the microwave, stovetop, or oven. Keep the flame low when reheating to avoid scorching and changing consistency.
Label correctly
There’s no point in freezing food if you don’t label it. Frozen foods wrapped in aluminum foil become indistinguishable lumps of something cold. Write the name of the food and the date on freezer tape or masking tape.
The print edition of this book includes a chart called How Long Will It Last?.
Please download a PDF of this chart here: workman.com/ebookdownloads
You’ve probably heard descriptions of your grandmother cooking without measuring, instead throwing in a fistful of this and a pinch of that, and the whole family sitting down for a delicious meal. But grandmothers usually have years of experience and a limited repertoire. No beginning cook should ever be cavalier about measuring.
Proper measuring is most crucial when you are baking. There, the balance of flour, leaveners, shortening, and liquids must be precise. Recipes are designed to have the proper balance of flavors, so follow the prescribed amounts of seasonings exactly. Improvising with the spices can make the final product overbearing or inedible.
As you begin to absorb the fundamentals of cooking, you’ll feel freer about measuring some ingredients. You’ll throw in those extra mushrooms, omit the cilantro, or splash a little more wine into the stew. But give it time. You’re never too cool to measure.
This book, like most cookbooks, is filled with recipes. In general, Dad’s Own tries to explain all unfamiliar terms as we go. But learning how to decipher a recipe takes practice. Here are some decoding tips.
1. Read the whole recipe first.
This way you’ll know in advance what ingredients you’ll need, how much preparation and cooking time is required, and what the cooking methods will be (baking, sautéing, broiling, etc.). While reading, walk through the steps in your head, estimating how long each one will take. Note words like “beaten,” “chopped,” and “sliced” in the ingredient list and allow enough time for this “prep” work. Your ability to predict how long a recipe will take will get better and better.
2. Make a shopping list.
Go over the list of ingredients and see what you have in stock in the pantry and refrigerator. Make a shopping list of the ingredients you need.
3. Get your equipment ready.
Dad’s Own recipes include a list of the equipment you’ll need to prepare each dish. Get the bowls, pots, pans, gadgets, and machinery ready and assembled before you start work so that you won’t be interrupted while you’re cooking.
4. Preheat the oven and prepare the pans.
There’s nothing more annoying than charging through a recipe only to be stalled by a cold oven. And when you’re baking, remember to butter and flour the pans before making the batter. It’s easy to forget at the last minute when the batter is ready to be poured into the pans.
5. Do all the prep work.
Cooking anything is a snap once your ingredients are ready. Look at the ingredient list and the recipe instructions to see how things need to be measured and sliced or chopped. Assemble the prepared ingredients in bowls and arrange them neatly on the counter before you actually start to cook.
6. Once you start, don’t stop.
Cooking demands attention. Prop some books in front of the kids and let the answering machine take care of the phone. Dad’s in the kitchen! Keep the recipe near your work area so you can refer to it easily, but not so close to the action that it will get splattered with food.
More happens in your sauté (or frying) pan than in any other place in the kitchen. It’s where many sauces are made, where meat, chicken, and vegetables are sautéed, fish can be poached, and pancakes and French toast are grilled to golden perfection. I like to use a heavy cast-iron skillet (shown here). Or invest in a 10– or 12– inch, high-grade stainless-steel pan with a long handle and cover. (Cuisinart and All-Clad are both good brands.)
Always heat the pan (about 45 seconds) before you start to cook. The hot pan will keep the food from sticking and will help seal in the juices of meats by searing the outside quickly. You know the pan has reached the right heat to start cooking when the butter stops sizzling or the oil moves easily over the surface. Flick a drop of water in the pan; if it sizzles, the pan is ready for action.
To poach fish or chicken, add about ½ inch of water or stock to the sauté pan and bring it to a simmer over high heat. As soon as the liquid is bubbling, add the food to be poached. When the liquid returns to a boil, reduce the heat immediately and cover the pan. The liquid should be barely simmering. If you don’t have a tight-fitting cover for your pan, lay a piece of lightly greased foil on top of the food.
To sauté is to cook something quickly—often in a matter of minutes—over relatively high heat in a minimal amount of oil or butter. Pat dry whatever you are sautéing before adding it to the pan, as excess liquid lowers the temperature and impedes browning. Pieces of food to be sautéed should be relatively thin or small. Otherwise, the outside will burn before the inside is fully cooked.
Pasta sauces, simple sauces made with stock, complex sauces made with cream—all originate in your sauté pan. Because of its large cooking surface, a sauté pan is the best place to reduce a sauce. Reducing is the process of cooking a sauce so that some of the liquid evaporates, allowing the sauce to thicken and the flavors to intensify. Most cream sauces require reducing. Use medium-high heat and stir the sauce regularly so it reduces evenly. A cream sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Simpler sauces (called “short sauces”), are made by deglazing the pan with wine or stock after the food has been cooked (see box).
The cardinal rule is clean as you go. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:
• Wash and put away your pots, pans, bowls, food processor, measuring cups, and other cooking equipment as soon as you are done using them. Getting them out of the way will keep the sink and counters free, and you won’t have to spend two hours cleaning up after everyone has finished eating. The only exception to this rule is pans and food stuck to them; fill them with warm water and a little bit of dishwashing liquid and let them soak overnight.
• Re-use bowls and pans rather than taking out every piece of cooking equipment in the house. A quick rinse and a wipe will ready a cup or bowl for another use. The exception to this is bowls, boards, or utensils that have come into contact with raw eggs, poultry, or meat. These should be washed carefully before re-using them.
• Keep the counters cleaned and wiped, so ingredients won’t contaminate each other and the dessert won’t taste of onion. Keep a garbage can or bag close by so you can sweep scraps directly off the counter and into it. Put away ingredients and equipment as soon as you have finished using them; clear surfaces give you room to maneuver.
• Wash your hands often. Besides being sanitary, it keeps food from being smudged on your clothes, the refrigerator door, and every pot handle you touch.