When we first “tied the knot” a dozen or so years ago, we purchased an inexpensive set of cookware at Target. Budgets were tight and cooking wasn’t such a passion. All the pieces were coated with teflon for a non-stick finish, even the sauce pans. Overall, the pans worked well and held up to frequent use. Concern over the safety of teflon began to emerge a few years ago. Pans heated to 500º C could emit toxic fumes. According to Cook’s Illustrated, it was fairly easy to get to that temperature quickly when cooking over high heat. We began to consider other alternatives.

As I become enamored of cooking and my husband ran out of gift ideas, finer cookware became a common and welcome present to be gleefully opened. Now, I have a nice set of All Clad stainless steel cookware and an ever growing variety of Le Creuset cast iron.

I still have a few teflon coated fry pans that are needed for crepes (or 49ers). We also cook eggs and egg whites daily, so a non-stick pan is needed for that, but does the non-stick have to be teflon? Some folks have suggested going back to the original non-stick, cast iron. I’ve tried cooking eggs in my Le Creuset skillets with the inner black, matte finish. It works okay, but not as well as teflon.

I was at a Le Creuest outlet in Gilroy, California in January and I believe I saw skillets with the shiny enamel finish on the inside. I didn’t buy one at the time and searched for them when I got home. Either I was mistaken or they don’t normally sell fully enameled skillets. My Le Creuset french oven and deep saucier clean up so well, I wondered if fully enameled skillets would fare as well. Since I could not find new Le Creuset with the shiny enamel interior, I decided to check eBay. I found a vintage Le Creuset pan on eBay that had the shiny enamel finish. I decided to buy it and give it a try.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works for eggs. It’s a small pan, about 9″ in diameter, so it’s not too heavy. With a spray of canola oil, I preheat the pan on low. Once it reaches a suitable temperature, I add the eggs. It works well enough for scrambled eggs, perhaps a higher heat might be more suitable. I’ll have to play with that. It does an amazing job on eggs over easy. The eggs do not stick at all. Once I flip the eggs over, I turn the heat off and let the residual heat finish cooking the other side for perfect eggs. Clean up is a breeze, just like teflon.

I’m not sure if other cast iron manufacturers make fully enameled skillets with the shiny interior. It would be a wonderful addition if they did.

Hi, my name is Sylvia and I have a kitchen gadget obsession. I know I’m not alone. Stores like Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table, Crate and Barrel, not to mention Amazon.com love us. Where some people buy shoes, we buy kitchen ware: appliances, cookware, bakeware, tools, etc.

Some gadgets get used frequently and I wonder how I got by before they graced my kitchen. Other things seemed like a good idea at the time, but gather dust and get moved around until the next garage sale or eBay auction.

I have a KitchenAid Professional 600 mixer, Stella. (My third KA Mixer, all worked beautifully, I just ‘had to’ upgrade. ) I love Stella and use her several times per week. She stays on the counter ready for action. She’s a big mixer with a large 6 quart bowl. However, sometimes you don’t need a bowl that big and it can actually be a hindrance.

KitchenAid came to the rescue by introducing a 3 Quart Bowl and Combi-whip in March of last year. (Yes, I did rush out and buy it last March.) This smaller bowl ingeniously attaches to 5 quart and 6 quart models that use the bowl lift mechanism. Currently, it is a Williams-Sonoma exclusive.
[ CORRECTION: It is now also available directly from KitchenAid. ]

Is the smaller bowl and whip a necessity? No, I got by quite well without them. However, having a second, smaller bowl is a nice convenience. The small bowl nests well, so it’s easy to store. That is half the battle in my small kitchen. The 3 quart bowl will nest in the 6 quart bowl, but I use the big bowl to store the attachments including the dough hook, the paddle, and the combi-whip. The wire whip is too big and gets stored in a cupboard. I have some of the KitchenAid bowl covers to keep the attachments and bowl clean. I nest the 3 quart bowl with some bowl shaped strainers.

So far, I mainly use the 3 quart bowl and whip for making pie crust and making buttercream frosting. It does an excellent job of cutting butter into flour. It also mixes buttercream well and is little easier to scrape down. So, while not a necessity, this bowl and whip are keepers.

Well, actually it just peels, cores and slices apples, pears, and potatoes. However, by using this nifty gadget making an apple pie becomes almost effortless.

Apple pie was one of the first things I learned to bake almost twenty years ago. My best friend’s mom was famous for her apple pies and she spent one afternoon showing me how to craft this classic pastry. We of course labored with a paring knife to quarter, peel and thinly slice enough apples for a pie. It was hard work, but well worth the effort. I was able to use my newfound skill to woo my sweetie. I made him an apple pie for his birthday the first year we were together over 17 years ago.

Fast forward a few years when I was introduced to the peeler/slicer that made the drudgery of the paring knife a thing of the past. My friend, Jennifer, showed me this amazing tool and I quickly went to Target to pick one up. The first version I purchased used a C-clamp to affix itself to a table. This worked well if you had a table with a shallow enough depth for the clamp to work. I didn’t, so I usually had to come up with creative ways to make it work.

Later I saw the suction base version, but did not want to replace the one I had. I also had my doubts that the suction base would hold. I read a review on Cook’s Illustrated that claimed it worked well, so last year I purchased a new one and donated my old one to charity. The suction base does indeed hold well and now I can use it on my stainless steel work table.

If you make apple desserts often, this is worth the reasonable price. They range in price from $22 - $28. Williams-Sonoma has a nice version. As an added bonus, it’s fun to use. You simply attach the apple to the three prongs and then rotate the handle. It cores the apple while peeling it. As it rotates through the corer, the apple is sliced in one long piece, kind of like a slinky. Both ends will still have some peel on them. I cut these off and eat them.

When purchasing apples to use in the peeler, look for ones that are uniformly round. If there is a lot of peel left, you can adjust the peeler to cut deeper. You will lose a little flesh, but you will have a nicely peeled apple. If there is any skin left on the apple, dig out that trusty paring knife and whittle away what is left.

I celebrated a birthday recently and must have been a very good girl last year because I was gifted two Le Creuset cast iron pans.

My generous husband gave me a deep covered sauté pan in a beautiful blue. Poor dear searched high and low for this pan. I admired it in a Williams Sonoma catalog, but he forgot where I saw it. It’s not available in many places yet.

Oh my, is that pan heavy. It’s “almost” too big for meals for the two of us. Luckily we’re big leftover fans. I’ve made a few “one pot” meals in it. I haven’t quite mastered the “one pot” method, but am working on it. Less clean up is always a plus. The pan works well and clean up is a breeze. It has an enameled interior like the dutch ovens. My only problem is finding someplace to store it. I think a rearrangement of the kitchen is needed.

My wonderful in-laws gave me a 2 3/4 qt oval dutch oven in Dune which is a beautiful cream color. They gave me my first Le Creuset dutch oven several years ago that started this trend in fine cookware. I had always admired Hope’s dutch oven and they surprised me with my first Le Creuset. Now I have this lovely piece to add to my weighty collection. It is the perfect size for two. I can’t wait to use it. They told me they want to keep me cooking. I will gladly oblige, gifts or not.

Now I just need to keep my sisters from coveting my pans. M has a dutch oven and loves it. A hinted that I never did get her a wedding gift. She’s about to celebrate her 20th anniversary. Maybe it’s time to give her that long awaited gift. I can afford a little nicer gift than I could have when I was 19.

Like many home cooks, I collect an over abundance of recipes, either in the form of cookbooks, magazine articles, Web sites, and food blogs. One problem I have with cookbooks is that they’re hard to keep clean and keep open to the correct page.

The first time I make a recipe, I use the cookbook. If the recipe is a big success and I know I’m going to make it again, I prefer to have an electronic version so I can add any tweaks, weight measurements, or notes. Having an electronic version also allows me to print it again if someone wants the recipe or if I lose it. Not that I’m disorganized at all.

I’ve tried different methods of printing recipes, including index cards. The method I like best is to print the recipes on regular letter-sized paper and store them in sheet protectors in a 3-ring binder. When I’m using the recipe, I can remove the one I need and stand it in a handy little item, called a “Page Up”

The Page Up has a footprint of about 2″ x 2 1/2″. It has a Muppet-like smile into which you insert a piece of paper. Originally, they were meant for offices, to hold documents that needed typing. They even have a line for cooks, called Cuisine. The Page Up base is clear and filled with dried corn, lentils, green beans, rice or mustard seeds.

Look for the Page Up at an office supply store, or you can find them online at Amazon.com.

I have two at home. One I nabbed from my husband’s desk. He’s a dear and gave it up willingly. He’s willing to help with anything that keeps him well fed.

Searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie seems to be a culinary “Holy Grail”. I’m not sure if such a thing even exists, since it is really a matter of preference. I’ve tried many recipes over the years, starting with the quintessential “Toll House Recipe”.

A few years ago, I came across my favorite recipe in a 1980’s version of Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. That recipe has proven to be a reliable standard that people always love. I’m not sure why it’s so good. It may be the half butter - half shortening that gives the cookies a moist, yet buttery taste and texture. It may be the salt and baking soda that offset the sweetness with a little savory. It may be the extra vanilla that rounds out the flavor. I’m not really sure, but I often get asked for the recipe and people clamor for the cookies when I make them.

I have found that freezing the dough in individual portions helps create a better consistency when baking. When baked soon after mixing, they are great tasting, but sometimes spread too much. When I make the dough ahead of time, I can freeze individual cookie balls and then bake from frozen. It takes longer to bake, but that is the only downside. One of the benefits is that you can bake as many as you want, leaving some in the freezer for when a cookie craving hits.

I also love the convenience of using a scoop or disher to make perfect little dough balls. I am a gadget geek, but this is one of my favorites. In fact, I currently have four in varying sizes. Parchment paper is also a must in my kitchen. I used to buy the rolls until I found I could buy half sheets that fit my Vollrath cookie sheets perfectly. I bought both the parchment sheets and cookie sheets at Surfas Online, a restaurant supply store in Los Angeles.

The recipe in the current Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook differs slightly, so I’ll post the “retro” version here. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups (12.5 oz) of all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (1 stick) softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
• 1 cup (7 oz) of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (3.5 oz) of granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Cream together butter and shortening with an electric mixer until well combined. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Stir in flour mixture until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking racks.

Freeze Now, Bake Later

You can also make the cookie dough ahead of time and freeze in individual portions. I like to use a cookie scoop to make nice round cookies. It also speeds things up quite a bit if you bake often.

Scoop out dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.
Put cookies in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

When they are frozen, you can put the frozen cookie dough balls in a zip lock bag and keep in the freezer until you are ready to bake. You can bake as many as you want and save the rest for later.

You will need to adjust the baking time when baking frozen cookie dough. I find that 14 minutes works well in my oven, but check ahead of time. Keep the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If you bake two sheets of cookies at once, swap out the cookie sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through. They will bake more evenly that way.

Our refrigerator is about 13 years old. It’s a not-so-lovely beige Maytag which still works fairly well. My two complaints are 1) that it’s kind of ugly and outdated and 2) that the freezer seems to have a temperature fluctuation causing freezer burn to happen rapidly. We end up throwing out a lot of food due to large amount of ice crystals that form inside the containers.

It really is time for a new refrigerator, but with a kitchen remodel in the not too distant future we have waited. Both of my sisters swear by FoodSaver vacuum sealers. I have found that things that come pre-sealed this way do survive our freezer rather well. A few months ago, I researched vacuum sealers and people rave about the FoodSaver brand, so I decided to give it a try.

Costco had a nice version that included some canisters for about $135. Bed Bath & Beyond had one with a flip up design for $160. This one was chrome and black instead of white. I have very limited counter space and I knew that if it was put away I would rarely use it. I opted for the BB&B version and used a 20% Off Coupon which brought it to $128. I didn’t get the extra canisters, but I had a more usable appliance.

The bags and rolls for the FoodSaver are kind of expensive, but you can reuse them if you don’t store meat in them. Since we’re vegetarians, that’s not a problem. Costco does have a 6 roll box for $40. I bought that and still have a lot left. My best guess is that it will last me for about 6 months.

I love using it because now I can vacuum seal left overs or food I buy in bulk, including flour. We love buying the 1 pound block of Tilamook cheddar cheese at Costco. Sometimes it molds before we can eat it all. It’s a lot of cheese for two people. Now I portion the cheese into manageable pieces and vacuum seal the extra. When I made the Shepherd’s Pie this weekend, I already had most of the ingredients in the freezer sealed away for future use. This included a wonderful vegetarian gravy I made that would have gone to waste.

I’m not sure if it’s saving me all the money I’ve spent on it and the supplies, but if we count not eating out as often, we’ve saved tenfold. Besides, my husband really hates wasting food. When he found out this would help with waste, he was happy to indulge my gadget fetish.

I’ve only used the bags and rolls so far. I may get some of the canisters to see how they work in the future. This is one gadget that has lived up to the hype.

If you seriously get into baking, you’ll likely find yourself lusting after a stand mixer. It’s the kind of appliance that seems expensive at first and then you wonder how you ever lived without it. It is so much more efficient at mixing thick cookie doughs and you can knead bread easily with a dough hook, plus you don’t have to stand around holding a hand mixer while trying to add ingredients.

Mixer #1
My first stand mixer was a KitchenAid 4 1/2 Quart tilt head in white. I bought it at Best Buy because I could pay it off over a few months. I loved my KitchenAid and used it for everything, but mostly mixing cookie dough. I often made cookies or double batches of cookies for student meetings at work. The kids loved having homemade baked goods and I loved doing it. However, the double batches of cookies were taxing my little 4 1/2 quart mixer. Luckily I had just been paid for a Web design job and I had a little money to spare. This first mixer went to live with my sister, where it is still loved and well used.

Mixer #2
My second mixer is a KitchenAid Pro 6 in Imperial Gray. I’ve had Gunther (yes, I named him) for 5 years. He’s a lot bigger and more manly than my previous mixer. He was the biggest and best you could buy at the time. This model differed from my 4 1/2 quart in that you lift the bowl instead of attaching the bowl at the base and tilting the head. It took a little getting used to at first. Some people complain that it is harder to add ingredients. I don’t find that to be the case. With a tilt-head you have to shut the machine off to tilt the head. You can do the same and drop the bowl if you need more room to add ingredients. Mostly, I can add while the machine is running.

Gunther is pretty loud while running. He has a 450 watt motor, so that may be part of the reason. I’ve also heard that since the KitchenAid mixers are machined by hand they differ slightly from machine to machine. He may be loud but he’s worked very well for 5 years.

Mixer #3
Wait, I thought this was a “Tale of Two Mixers”? Well, it is because I only have two right now. My third KitchenAid mixer is a Pro 600 in Steel Blue. Why do I need another mixer? Well, it all has to do with my new passion for bread making and the new dough hook. KitchenAid, rascals that they are, came out with a new spiral dough hook which works really well for kneading dough. Initially, I thought I could just buy the new hook, but it does not work on the older models. Technically it would fit but the mechanism for kneading is more of an up/down motion on the new mixers and this new attachment would likely ruin my old mixer.

I tried to talk myself out of buying a new mixer and almost succeeded until I read all the rave reviews of refurbished mixers on the KA Forums. The price was great and it made the decision easier. I sold some old stuff on eBay and ordered my new mixer.

She arrived almost two weeks ago and I’m very pleased. She’s much quieter than Gunther even though she has a larger motor (525 Watts). The new dough hook works as promised and my breads have been coming out fluffy and light. The only flaws are that she has some nicks in the paint on her arms. These have been touched up and are only visible when the bowl is off. By the way, her name is Stella. Stella’s warranty is only 6 months instead of one year and doesn’t cover cosmetic issues.

So now what to do with two mixers? I could keep them both, but I don’t really have the room and it seems extravagant. I’ll likely sell Gunther, but I’d like him to go to a home with someone who will get the same joy and use out of him that I did. For now, he sits and waits.

On the Cooks Illustrated Forums, I came across a lively thread about the No-Knead Bread phenomenon that has been sweeping the country. In November of 2006, the New York Times ran an article and video about an ingenious method to make hearth bread at home easily. You don’t need any special equipment or bread making skills. I was intrigued.

The only thing that might be considered special equipment is a covered vessel to bake the bread in. They used a cast iron dutch oven which I have. However they suggested a 6 -7 quart one and mine is only a 3 1/2 quart. Luckily as I read down the thread, this size actually works out better. The one problem is that the bread bakes in a hot oven, 450 - 500 degrees. The Le Creuset dutch oven that I have has a phenolic knob that is only oven safe to 350 degrees. Some people have covered the knob in foil or removed it before baking. I’ve experienced the catastrophe of baking plastic, so I wanted to avoid that mistake again.

There are a few options. You can remove the knob, cover it in foil and hope, or replace the knob with something that is oven safe. Luckily, or perhaps because of the new bread baking phenomenon, Le Creuset now makes a stainless steel knob that is safe at any oven temperature. It’s pretty too. I have one on order from Cutlery & More. In the interim, we went to the hardware store and bought a ceramic drawer knob. I’ve baked two loaves and this worked really well. It’s not as pretty as the Le Creuset, but it was only $1.69.

From what I understand, you can also bake the bread in Pyrex, stainless steel, basically any sturdy pot or lidded casserole that can withstand the heat.

I’ve been on this bread making kick lately. Blame Cooks Illustrated who had a two page spread last issue on bread making tips. They recommended stand mixers over hand kneading or bread machines. I have a bread machine. It works well, but is hard to store so is put away right now. I also have a KitchenAid 6 quart mixer, well I actually have two now, but that’s another story. It gets used often and sits on the counter. I wanted to try making bread this way to see if I still needed the bread machine.

For my first few loaves, I used a bowl covered with plastic wrap for the first rise. That worked out well, but I’m a gadget junkie. We were at a restaurant supply store (a candy store for foodies) to pick up a few flour scoops and I was drawn to the Cambro section. Cambro makes tons of stuff for restaurants including plastic containers. I use the square ones to store flour. They work nicely. Cooks Illustrated recommended using a straight sided container with a lid for the first rise. Their illustration looks just like the Cambro 4 quart, so of course I had to have one. They’re not expensive, about $10 - $12. I tried to talk myself out of it, thinking that I don’t have room. (I don’t.) Gadget geek that I am, I bought it anyway. I am really glad that I did.

The dough is rising much faster and more consistently and it’s much easier to tell when it’s doubled. The lidded container creates a nice warm moist environment for the yeast to do its work. The trick of using a rubber band to mark the dough is excellent too. Some gadgets are worth the price and finding the storage space. If you bake bread a lot, try it out. You can find them at Smart & Final stores in the Western US or restaurant supply stores. King Arthur Flour has a similar one online if you can’t find one locally.