First off, we're sorry this episode is late. It turns out that an episode every two weeks is just more than we can handle. So, after this, we're going to shoot for one episode per month.
But we hope you find this episode useful! We talk about some basics of kitchen equipment and technique, and give tips on how and when to get your kid involved in the kitchen.
Equipment
It doesn't take every gadget in the store to make a lot of delicious food. We talk about some basics in the episode, and here are the links we promised.
You'll want a good, 12" stainless steel skillet. It can be worth investing in a good one, but the Emeril Pro-Clad is a deal at only around $35.
Non-stick skillets are disposable. Don't spend a lot of money on non-stick! Especially since you can get a nice one from T-fal for around $26.
A good Dutch Oven will let you make all kinds of yummy stuff. The fancy Le Crueset is pretty expensive, but the cheap Lodge does just about as well for only $70.
Don't waste money on a "knife set". All you need are 3 kinds: An 8" Chef's knife, a serrated knife, and a paring knife. And one of the best Chef's knives is cheap! Check out the Victorinox Fibrox.
Save time, save cleanup, and get better results (especially when baking) by measuring ingredients with a kitchen scale. Recovery Dad loves his OXO with pull-out display.
The awesome little vegetable peelers we mention in the episode are cheap and fun. And you get three in a set so your assistant(s) can help out.
You can eliminate the guesswork as to when meat, poultry, fish, candy, and a lot of things are done by using a good, instant-read thermometer. While our favorite, the Thermapen, looks pretty expensive, just imagine how few steaks you would have to not ruin to have it pay for itself. Highly recommended.
We mention Sous Vide (say "sue veed"). The equipment is getting much cheaper now. Here's a review that covers some promising newcomers to the market.
Technique
That cool new way to cook pasta that we raved about? Read all about it at the wonderful Serious Eats blog. Recovery Dad has no plans to cook dry pasta any other way. Save time? Save water? Save energy? And get better pasta? You'll love it.
We also mention the Maillard Reaction, which we'll leave as a fun research project for you.
If you catch the cooking bug, and we hope you do, check out America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated. Their recipes are always reliable and terrific. You can also find recipes on line at sites like Epicurious. Don't forget that we have recovery-oriented recipes linked right from our own Resources page.
Finally, here's that online cooking school we talked about. It's wonderful. And if you compare it in price to most cooking schools - that you have to travel to - you'll be amazed.
Get high-quality, fresh ingredients. Find a recipe to try. Follow it the first couple of times until you understand how it works, then just taste as you go and trust your own inspiration. Cooking and baking are a wonderful mix of science and art - and you get to eat the results! Plus, once you're at the right stage of recovery, helping in the kitchen can be a bridge to a healthy relationship with food as well as good bonding time.
Enjoy!