Spice it up!!

I love herbs and spices. You can take almost any meal and get two completely different styles from just changing the spice combinations while keeping the methods and main ingredients the same. This is great because it makes it easier to maintain variety but allows you to keep the minimal amount of ingredients on hand. But, getting the spices right can be daunting. Make a mistake and dinner might be inedible.

My favorite book on the matter is A Busy Cook's Guide to Spices, which I picked up at Savory Spice Shop I also buy all my spices from them because they're local and I can get there when I run out of something. I've since turned others on to Savory and they do ship all their inventory quickly and for a reasonable price. A good online resource is 3men the breakdown of spices is great. Another online spice shop is Penzeys. And finally Spice Advice is another great spice primer that is run by Tone Brother Brands, the makers of French's Mustard and Spice Island spices.

I keep most of spices in the pantry, in brown glass bottles to preserve flavor and color. Light, heat and moisture will kill most flavor. When adding spices to a hot pan put the spice in a measuring spoon or cup and then add to your dish this lessens the chance of moisture from the pan getting trapped into your storage container. I to keep seeds or whole spices. When I need ground spices, I use a coffee grinder dedicated to spices to grind that way we don't get coffee flavored spices.

Gear-Stand Mixer

The Post did a great job of listing basic items for a kitchen. But, if you want to turbo charge your kitchen. Here is the most essential non-essential item I have. I use almost every day. Like Tivo you don't know you need it until you have one and try to do without. I have a Kitchen Aid because they seemed to be the brand everyone seemed to copy. But, I'm sure there are other makes just as good and possibly less expensive.


Stand Mixer:
I try to bake at least once a week this makes baking fun. I also have an attachment that grates. I've not bought grated cheese since and potato pancakes are back in the menu rotation.



Whether you go with the Kitchen Aid or another brand there are certain features you want to look for when buying a mixer.

1. Versatile: The mixer should come with a whipping, dough hook and flat mixer attachment.
2. Sturdy: The mixer should stay in place while mixing batter or dough while on high.
   
3. Reach: Beaters should be able to reach all areas of the mixing bowl. If it leaves the sides or bottom untouched it's not mixing.
4. Speed: You should have several at least six speed settings to accommodate everything you want to mix.
   

And once you get a stand mixer the first receipe you should try is whipped cream. Just put it atop some pound cake and some garnish with some thawed fruit. (Our favorite is blueberries.)

Whipped Cream

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
  

1. Chill the mixer bowl and whipping attachment.
   
2. Combine the cream, sugar, sour cream and vanilla in the mixers bowl.
   
3. Use mixer to whip to stiff (but not grainy) peaks.
4. Enjoy.

Gear for the wee littles

growingcooks.com

I just wish we could get past the pink and white and have more unisex colors.

Tomorrow, turning your three year old into a sous chef.

Gearing your Kitchen

The New York Post has a great article abut the minimum equipment needed for an effective kitchen. It's a great list but I would change a few.

Get two lids if for no other reason: less splatter = quicker cleanup. Two baking sheets and a couple of cooling racks will make baking much faster since you can prep one pan while one is in the oven plus once you bake bacon in the oven you'll never go back to the stove top. Trade the instant read thermometer with a remote thermometer, pick one up at Target for $10 more. It's more versatile and allows you to set alarms when your food hits proper temperatures. Add a wine bottle opener. I'd also splurge and get hard anodized pans. Save money, leave out the mandoline. Cook for a couple months; you'll be slicing like a pro with the chef's knife. A microwave is a must you can use it for more than making popcorn. To clean up make sure you have plenty of tea towels. Use three or four while cooking. Try different colored towels to prevent cross contamination one towel each for raw meats, raw vegetables, cooking and clean up. Green for raw, red for cooked and black for cleanup is my system.

That said Mark's list is complete and would serve any family cook.

A No-Frills Kitchen Still Cooks

By MARK BITTMAN

Published: May 9, 2007

Description	Price
7 quart saucepan	13.95
3 quart saucepan	9.00
1 quart saucepan	6.50
Pot cover (for above)	4.95
10 inch non-stick frying pan	12.95
14 inch deep sided skillet with handles	25.50
13x18 inch sheet pen	5.75
Loaf pan, nonstick	4.95
Roasting pan	6.50
1½ quart mixing bowl	0.95
3 quart mixing bowl	1.95
5 quart mixing bowl	2.25
Measuring cups	6.50
6 inch strainer	2.75
Peeler	2.95
Skimmer	1.95
14 inch aluminum colander	6.95
2 wooden spoons .95	1.90
Slotted spoon	1.45
13 inch solid spoon	1.25
Bread Knife	7.95
8 inch chef's knife	9.95
Paring knife	2.95
Heat-resistant spatula	4.50
9 inch tongs	3.50
12 inch whisk	3.25
6 ounce ladle	2.50
12x18-inch plastic cutting board	5.95
Instant read thermometer	4.95
Can opener	3.95
Japanese mandolin	25.00
Micro-plane grater	10.00
Salad spinner	15.00
Food processor	60.00
Coffee/spice grinder	10.00
Whetstone	6.00
Measuring spoons	1.00
Total:	297.35

Essential Equipment- Intro

A kitchen can be a daunting place for the uninitiated and even for the long time cook. Have you ever looked at the gadget wall in Willams-Sonoma with no clue what something was? Weird implements of torture from the Inquisition abound in just about every drawer and while some things are obvious some are not, the best why to cut mushrooms is to use an egg slicer.

I'm going to break down the gear in importance to me and my style of cooking. This will be a several post thread but at the end of the day you only need a few key pieces of gear to make great food.

There are some rules that apply to any item you bring into the kitchen.

1. Buy the highest quality item you can afford-This does not mean buy the most expensive items just the best quality. Unfortunately, good quality often costs a bit more in the beginning but you'll save by not having to replace an item as quickly.
2. More is not always better-While sets of pots and knives are often cheaper than the individual items. You might not use every item included. Compare prices of the individual pieces you want with a set. Often times you'll save some money.
3. Gadgets are great I love em. Just make sure you don't go over board. One of my cooking heroes Alton Brown banishes all "uni-taskers" from his kitchen; if it can't do two things you probably don't need the clutter it's going to create. Do you really need a snow cone maker do you have room for it?
4. If it's not comfortable you're not going to use it. That forged knife with the thick tang that holds a great edge is not going to do you any good if you don't like holding it. Get the stamped knife with the plastic handle that holds an okay edge if it's what feels comfortable. Cooking needs to be enjoyable if your going to do it regularly otherwise you'll end up going out to eat or treat cooking like a chore.
   

Next up, Pots and Pans