I recently joined a Facebook group for people who love to cook and it's always fascinating to post on that and see what folks say. I posted this last night:
I really like non-stick skillets and I use my skillet every day. The latest one is now not non-stick. That always happens. Anyone ever buy a non-stick skillet that STAYED that way?!? I would use cast iron but I don't think I could ever season it properly...
So far, more than a hundred people have replied to that! Lots of opinions. The most-given advice really surprised me. Lots of folks use cast iron skillets. They season them with oil, but never wash them with soap and water. Sounds un-hygienic but it's really not -- once you heat something to at least 200 degrees any germs are not going to survive.
I have two cast iron skillets that were used by my mother and possibly my grandmother, and Mom brought them when she moved here in 2005. The big drawback? They are super heavy.
This morning, though, I threw out my Calphalon non-stick skillet and said so be it -- I'm going to use cast iron. I can always get my son to lift it when I need to move it far. I can lift it off the stove with two hands. I made Michael an egg and it stuck a little bit, but thirty minutes later I cooked myself two eggs and they didn't stick. Yay!
Not having to buy a new non-stick skillet every year or two will be a joy. Sometimes old ways are the best.
I got to thinking, what other tips/tricks/ideas help make my cooking life easier?
Before I adopted my kids and moved into this house I didn't cook a lot, except when friends came over or I did holiday baking. Now, I cook every day. So I have learned little tricks and bought appliances to make life easier.
My son is reluctant to look in plastic containers and see what leftovers I've put away. So I started covering everything with foil and writing with a sharpie on the foil. So if he is looking for cookie dough or fried chicken or whatever, he can find it easily, by reading my labeling. It's helpful, since he is now 21 and though he lives at home he often comes in after I am in bed at night, and he forages.
Another trick I use all the time: I stopped washing skillets in the sink with soap and water. That ruins the seasoning on any skillet. What I do is put some water on the bottom of the skillet and heat it up on the stove, then wipe it out with paper towels. Then I pour in some olive oil and put the gas on low and let it re-season for 30 minutes or so.
If I put something really messy in the skillet like tomato sauce I will just wipe it out more carefully, use more towels.
When it comes to appliances, I use my electric tea kettle every day. It's brand, Krups. It was pricey in 2005 when I bought it. I remember feeling wicked to spend the money, something like $50 or more, but it's WORTH EVERY PENNY. I can make my tea in about 90 seconds.
Here's one way the kettle comes in really handy. When I cook pasta, I put a full kettle on and in just a few minutes it's boiling and I pour it on the pasta. Then the water boils on the stove much more quickly. There's a myth that you have to use gallons of water to cook pasta. Not so. Throw some olive oil in the water, stir it around, and watch it a bit, then throw in tea kettle water and some salt. Works much more quickly.
Now, I HATE pasta that's "al dente." I like it soft. I usually cook it 2-3 times longer than the package says. Still don't need to use gallons of water.
Since my 83 year old mother lives with me I have learned to cook for an old person with bad teeth. Nothing in this house is "al dente" any more. Meat cooks low and slow, in the oven on 200 for HOURS and HOURS. Beef or pork roast, ribs, even chicken -- low and slow. Crock pots are good too, but a pain to clean.
When I cook veggies for Mom I boil the hell out of them, then add in some seasonings and go to work with the immersion blender. Cauliflower is the best, done that way. Usually I just throw in about a cup of mayo, a spoonful of mustard, some Colby Jack cheese and onion and garlic powders, and it's delicious.
A note about olive oil: don't use anything else. Seriously. Nobody in my household has cholesterol issues, thank goodness, but we stopped using anything but olive oil years ago. It has the good cholesterol you need, and all our good cholesterol is always VERY good.
I keep sesame oil in the fridge and occasionally use it in pasta salad but 99% of all my cooking is done with olive oil.
Now, I don't use margarine. I use real butter, and have for years, since I realized margarine is like one molecule away from plastic. I grew up with a Dad who had awful cholesterol issues so we switched to margarine and skim milk when I was tiny. I never knew better until I grew up and tried real butter. YUM. My brother who loves milk (I hate it) discovered WHOLE milk, and it was a revelation to him.
Now my brother loves to cook as much or more than I do. He walked in a few years ago with a brick of Plugra, a French butter his friend the professional chef told him to buy. WONDERFUL stuff, Plugra! It can be heated much more than regular American butter, too. I find it at Publix and try to always have some on hand but I only use it for special occasions.
Speaking of Brother, years ago when he was married his wife decided to stop using all salt in cooking and not to even have salt in the house. They didn't have high blood pressure or edema issues so I didn't understand it but Brother put up with it... until they divorced [a very happy day, for me, for a lot of reasons]. They found out that un-salted food is generally AWFUL. Makes food inedible. DUH. I feel so sorry for those truly in medical need who have to restrict salt -- but then again there are lots of herbs and seasonings.
Even people who don't know how to use seasonings should at least use salt and pepper. Turn on the cooking channel or Food network and watch some cooking shows. Professional chefs ALWAYS use salt. It makes food edible, particularly meat.
I cook with lots of garlic and onion powders, and Lawreys seasoning salt. Are fresh garlic and chopped onions better? Sure. One doesn't always have that kind of time, though. I've also seen professional chefs use garlic and onion powders so they shouldn't be considered cheating or wrong, IMHO. Many times I will saute onions and then throw in onion powder, to deepen the flavor.
A final thing, probably the most valuable cooking advice I can give you is this: TASTE while you cook. Taste and adjust seasonings. SO important.
above, my brother in my kitchen recently
