our kitchen tools

Today’s entry was inspired by the blog kitchn, not to be confused with Food Network’s The Kitchen. Recently their blog posted an opening for a part-time writer, so I thought I’d apply. Not that I have much of a chance of getting the job. The listing was gone from their web site the next day. But they asked me for 250 words on “Tell us something you’re excited about in food right now .” I thought, “Why let that go to waste?” So here it is.

Your tools affect how you cook. I love my Calphalon frying pans. But I also enjoy using the cast iron frying pans that my wife inherited from her grandmother. The two cook differently and have different characteristics.

I also have an electric pressure cooker. The pressure cooker is nice from a “start it and forget it” perspective. But it also requires careful attention to ensuring that you have sufficient liquid to bring the cooker up to pressure. In the same “start it and forget it” category is my slow cooker. I have an older model (the original Crock Pot brand!) that cooks at a lower temperature than today’s models. Depending on what you are cooking, the slow cooker is often more forgiving with respect to liquids. It is also flexible when it comes to time. If you’re running late an extra forty-five minutes usually won’t hurt the dish.

More recently, I bought a NuWave oven. The NuWave is great for grilling types of activities. It also reduces the cooking times for many foods. I especially like it for cooking fish, especially firm fish such as halibut. I have successfully used it with chicken recipes that call for grilling.

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