Chef Foundation

Archive for the ‘Cooking Utensils Info’ Category

The best stainless steel cookware is more than just stainless steel; it also has aluminum for conductivity and some also have non-stick coatings for easy food handling. Such pieces of culinary perfection can be pricey, but they do provide some excellent opportunities.

Many stainless steel pans have some aluminum in them. This is to help conduct heat from the flame to the food. Some of the cheaper stainless steel pans have the aluminum at the bottom of the pan and no where else. While this is great for helping to heat the bottom of the pan and the bottom of the food, it does not help with the over all heating of the pan. Higher quality pans will have aluminum on the sides of the pan as well as on the bottom this makes for much better heating and cooking overall.

Pans that have the aluminum sandwiched between heavy gauge stainless steel makes for the best stainless steel cookware on the market. You will also pay a premium for this high quality cookware. This is because of the specialized manufacturing process that bonds the aluminum and stainless steel together for optimum heat conductivity in the pan.

Some of the best stainless steel cookware will even use magnetic stainless steel, which makes it ideal cookware for people who have the latest induction cooktops. Durability is important for those who spend a lot of money on a single pan, and even more on whole sets of the best stainless steel cookware. This durability extends to the handles, lids, and the pan itself.

Another important feature that appears in some of the best stainless steel cookware is a high quality non-stick surface. By having a good non-stick quality on the pan you will use less oil in your cooking process and this will also make clean up a breeze. Some of the newer non-stick surfaces will also allow you to cook with metal cooking utensils.

Whether you are making an omelet or cooking, frying some chicken fillets or sauteed some home fries what you need is a non stick frying pan to do the job. There is nothing that we need or use more in the kitchen when it’s time to cook breakfast or dinner. If you are looking for the best pans out there and on sale let me show you some great deals that you can take advantage of.

What do we want in a frying pan?

Of course the first thing you might me looking for in a pan is a non stick one. Such a feature will allow you to fry and cook meats and other foods with very little grease to none at all. A hard-anodized exterior and non stick interior will make the perfect pan by combining performance with durability.

Another great feature is an easy to clean pan that you don’t even have to wash in some cases. All you need to do is wipe it with a dry or damp sheet of paper towel.

Some even come with a loop or second handle opposite the main long handle for easy lift to move it from the stove to the kitchen counter or even on the dinner table.

It is nice to know that the two handles stay cool on the stove top for a comfortable cooking and handling with no fingers getting burned if you forgot all about it. You can rest your mind at ease with the Calphalon non stick frying pan and forget about the handle getting hot or not, because there is no chance that it will.

A great feature that I find particularly convenient in my cooking is that I can add a lid and have a clear view of my cooking and simmering sauces.

Here are some of the great features that you will love

Vessel Construction: Crafted from a flat disc of virtually pure, heavy-gauge aluminum for fast, even heating. Contoured, curved corners and flared rims accommodate utensil use.

Key Performance: Combines hard anodized durability and performance with fast clean-up and easy, low-fat cooking.

Exterior: Hard anodized exterior will not chip or crack.

Interior: 3 layers of proprietary non stick coating. Cooks with little to no oils or fats. Effortless food release. Non-reactive cooking surface. Safe for use with nylon, coated or wooden utensils.

Handles: Cast stainless steel. Long handles stay comfortably cool. Double riveted for durable performance. Lightweight, ergonomic design for comfort.

Lids: Tempered glass. Allows easy monitoring of the cooking process. Domed shape returns moisture to foods. Wide stainless steel band to reinforce glass.

Outdoor cooking differs dramatically from the indoor cooking scenario, primarily because of the lack of a defined cooking space. Those who enjoy or simply need to cook in the outdoors have developed practices and techniques that allow them to produce meals without significant trouble.

Cookouts may employ the use of various techniques of cooking, such as roasting, baking, grilling, frying, or boiling and the use of utensils or equipment depends entirely on the techniques employed.

One of the long-surviving equipment for cooking in the outdoors is the Dutchoven. Associated with the old Wild West, the Dutch oven is a thick walled cooking pot with a tight fitting lid. Mounted on three short legs, the Dutchovens used for camping may also have a wire bail handle, and a slightly concave, rimmed lid so that coals from the campfire can be placed on the top of the oven as well as below it.

The long enduring Dutch oven goes as far back as the 18th century, when Abraham Darcy, an Englishman, came back from Holland impressed with the cast iron kitchen ware of the Dutch. He soon began casting his own pots, and the Dutchoven became popular along with other cast iron cookware in the American colonies. The shape of the oven allowed the cook to place hot coals on top of the lid, light a fire underneath, as well as pack the oven into hot coals. As a result, a wide variety of food could be cooked in the oven, even cakes, biscuits, breads, and pies.

Because of this versatility, the Dutch oven became part of every chuckwagon cook’s equipment and every campfire meal, allowing the preparation of an entire meal of beans, chili, biscuits, and a pie, all on the same campfire. As America expanded and Americans moved to the West, the Dutchoven went along and stayed. The Dutch oven was essential to the cowboy’s survival and grew to be part of hiking and camping gear, particularly the Boy Scout camps.

Today, Dutch ovens are characterized as either “kitchen” or “camp” style ovens. A kitchen style Dutch oven can be converted for use in the camp. If you are using a propane burner, you will only need to place the oven on the burner. You could also adapt it to the campfire by hanging it from a tripod over a charcoal fire or the campfire itself. A camp Dutch oven is usually made of cast iron and has three short legs that raise it above the heat source. The lid is shaped so that coals can be placed over it. Often, the lid of the camp Dutch oven is shaped so that it can double up as a griddle at the campfire.

So next time you go camping, take the Dutch oven along. Which other oven will allow you to cook an entire meal, including a pie at the campsite? Sturdy and reliable, the Dutch oven has proved over time that it is matchless at the campsite or the cookout!

Paleontologists – scientists who study fossils – now think that a diet rich in meat protein led to the divergence of human species from our ape ancestors. Whether we actually hunted our prehistoric prey as some maintain or scavenged the rich marrow of bones left by other predators as others claim, the results were the same: Meat made humans what we are today.

Meat of all kinds remains a mainstay of human diets. For example, Americans consume around 185 pounds of meat per person annually, of which about 60 pounds is beef. Australians eat some 240 pounds of meat per person per year, consuming more poultry and much less lamb and mutton than they did 40 years ago. Despite their popularity, beef, poultry, pork and other animal protein sources are also the source of many unhappy food accidents in the kitchen when handled improperly.

Raw meat and poultry often carries a variety of bacteria such as Escherichia coli, more popularly known as E.coli, along with salmonella and staphylococcus aureus. All of these can make people seriously ill, and in some cases even kill them, especially small children and the elderly. That’s why food safety is an essential part of good cooking. Always defrost frozen chicken, beef, pork, lamb, mutton or other meats in the refrigerator, not on a counter or in a sink. Keeping raw meat and poultry refrigerated stops the growth of bacteria, which multiply rapidly at temperatures above 40 degrees F. Separate raw meat and poultry in the refrigerator from any food that will be eaten uncooked like fruits and vegetables. Keep raw meat and poultry in a sealed container or tightly wrapped in plastic on a low refrigerator shelf to keep bacteria-tainted juices from dripping on other foods. Before and after handling raw poultry or raw meat, wash hands well with warm water and soap. Lather for at least 20 seconds (singing the “Happy Birthday” song to oneself is a good timer).

Limit bacterial cross-contamination by keeping a separate set of platters, cutting boards, knives and other utensils only for raw meat. Wash and sanitize this equipment immediately after using them to prepare raw meat. Replace cutting boards when they develop cuts that could harbor bacteria. Also wash and sanitize the countertop on which they were placed, just in case any blood or juices from the meat or poultry splashed where other foods might be prepared. Again, use hot water and soap to clean the area thoroughly. An alternative disinfectant is a mixture of one tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach diluted in one gallon of water. Cleaning cloths soaked in diluted chlorine bleach also are available in many areas.

Finally, test the doneness of meat and poultry with a meat thermometer. If no thermometer is available, cut into the meat somewhere in the middle and look carefully at the color of the meat. If it’s too red and bloody, the meat isn’t done. With poultry, wiggle one of the legs and check the juices; if there’s any tinge of red or pink, the bird should cook some more. In either case, while the meat or poultry is cooking, double-check to make sure that everything used to prepare the bird has been disinfected. An extra swipe with a hot, soapy cloth or diluted bleach could save a family from a nasty case of bacterial infection.

1. You have your gas normally propane on a gas grill which is usually feed from a propane tank into a through the hoses into a regulator then out of the burners into the bottom of the grill. Propane was first identified in 1910 by Doctor Walter O Snelling. Propane is a three carbon alkane that is normally in a gas form, but can also be transformed into a liquid to safely transport it. Your normal 4.73 gallon tank is what you get at the store to hook up to your grill. Propane also has a odor-ant added as it is a odorless gas.

2. Air is an obvious one it is all around us and is what helps full a flame well as more of a clarification the oxygen in air is what helps fuel a fire. Without air we could not grill, that is why we try to smother flames if a fire breaks out. The air helps in the chemical reaction that helps start the flame and fuel it. You may remember the old experiments in middle school where you would put a match in a bottle then cover it up and watch as the flame went out. This is same thing no air no flame.

3. Now we have the gas and we have the air next we need a way to ignite the gas and have the air feed the flame. Normally you have a igniter switch located on your grill that helps with this process. This igniter switch uses crystals to create a high voltage and spark that will ignite the air propane mixture causing a chemical reaction that will stat a flame. Most burners you will notice have several holes and at least two burners to help cook food more evenly.

Once you have established a flame you are ready to shut the lid and let the grill preheat. I normally like to let the grill heat up for about 10 minutes then start my cooking. A great way to keep the meat from sticking to the grill grates is to spray it with a non stick spray like Pam. You can actually learn to grill in a manner that will allow you to not have to use a spray at all. Now that you have the basics down for how you grill operates you can go out and start it up and enjoy that nice steak and some grilled corn.

Events are a common feature of modern life. There are different kinds and categories of events that take place across the world for different reasons. For a successful event organization there is a great deal of attention paid to its décor and arrangements.

One of the major components of an event is its furniture. The events that are held are usually for a day or even a few hours. This is why organizers may find it more agreeable that they approach furniture rental services than actually buying the same.

Apart from furniture there are several other arrangements too that need careful speculation. The commodities are all easily available on hire that makes it very convenient.

Different Types of Furniture Rental

If you consider furniture hire, for an event it is then essential that you evaluate the type of furniture that is required for the same.

Here are some of the categories of furniture that are usually required.

Chairs

Sofas

Tables and desks

Furnishings and decorations

These are of the categories of items that are required for an event by an organizer. There are other items too like electrical and technical items that are also available on hire from their respective dealers.

Marquee Hire

There are certain events like sports events and events that are held for children that have an element of fun and frolic about it. At times, these events are held inside huge tent like structures that have open sides.

There are huge sized tents that are available for such events and they are called Marquee. There are marquees that are available on hire for an event.

These are even ideal for wedding ceremony celebrations and are used commonly as well. Marquees are commonly seen in a circus or a fair event as well.

These are strong and durable tents that will not let you down in your plans in any way.

Event Hire Items

There are several other items that are required for an event and are also easily available on hire. One such area is that of food. Almost all events require food and drinks to be served to the guests and those who attend it.

Whether you are an event organizer or a catering company owner you will eventually need utensils, cooking equipments, serving ware, tableware that will comprise of both cutlery and crockery.

These are some of the items that are required for the complete food arrangements and preparation. All of these items are available with rental companies that provide them for event organizers or caterers that may require them professionally.

There are also decorative items like flower arrangement vases and centerpieces made of crystal and glass among other things. These too can be used on a rental basis for the enhancement of the décor.