When choosing kitchen cookware and small appliances, it’s important to try to choose items that can be used for multiple purposes if possible. Let’s face it, most of us have limited cabinet and counter top space in our kitchens, so it pays to buy tools that will be useful in different capacities and give us more bang for our money. And when it comes to gadgets and small appliances, it’s easy to succumb to the latest and greatest before really thinking through how often we’ll really use that ice cream maker or bread machine. But homemade goodies still taste best, so if you think your family would love homemade ice cream or bread, then go for it!  One of my favorite cookware items is our Rachael Ray Enamel Cast Iron Reversible Griddle which we use for everything from grilled sandwiches and burgers to eggs, pancakes, bacon, and more.

This cool stove top reversible griddle is not only sturdy and useful, but very attractive in either a blue or orange enamel finish. The pan is already pre-seasoned and ready to use and has comfortable loop handles making it easy to move around on the stove top. I’ve had my pan for quite some time and absolutely love it. Since then, both of my sisters have bought one for their house too. We all like the Rachael Ray cookware line since the pots and pans are very well-made and look great too!

Since i’ve used Romertopf for years, I often forget there are many people who aren’t aware that Clay Cookware even exists. This is a great type of cookware worth adding to any cook’s current kitchen collection. The clay pots produce incredibly moist and delicious dishes with minimal effort. The tricky part is to remember that the pots are meant for oven use only, not for the stove top and that the oven must not be pre-heated when placing the filled dish in the oven. The pros far out-weigh the cons and once you start using a clay baker you’re likely to become quite attached to the cookware like the rest of us. And your friends and family will end up wanting one or two pieces of their own too.It’s a great item to add to any cook’s gift list and it makes a very unique housewarming gift too.

As someone who had never used clay cookware before, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I used my Romertopf Clay Baker for the first time. First I should tell you that the clay bakeware is beautiful,, more than you can even tell from the photos. There is something quite timeless, elegant and special about the quality of the baker. The clay cookware nicely complements my shiny metal cookware that I love so much. Of course the clay is breakable so I always handle it with care.

Cooking in it is actually a breeze. You simply soak the baker in water prior use, put your food in, and then place it in a cold oven before setting the temperature according to your recipe. The meal always turns out very tasty and extremely moist and juicy. You just clean your Romertopf with some water and a mild scrubber like a nylon scrubbing pad and your done. I’ve since bought more pieces for myself and gifts for friends over the years.

I just love cookware, I can’t help myself. And I probably have more pots and pans than I need right now. Well maybe that’s not quite true because you never know what new cool pot might be just around the corner. So off course now I am in love with this Rachael Ray Green Enamel Cookware Set! Not just because it’s beautiful, but it’s fantastic cookware too.

I would love brighten my kitchen with these great pots. The set has all of the basics covered and then some, plus I really like that the pots have glass lids so I can keep an eye on my food while it’s cooking.  Even if I don’t buy the whole set right now, I think I will treat myself to one or two of the pieces, perhaps the big 12 inch skillet since I can actually use another big skillet.  But if you’re someone who is in the market for a new kitchen cookware set, I highly recommend you check out this popular quality cookware line for yourself.

It seems the colder it gets the more I think about food. Not the best way to start the New Year, being obsessed by foods when it’s probably time to start thinking about eating healthy. Before you know it Spring will be here and I’ll wish I had eaten less! But I guess the cold brings it out in me.  Right now I find myself particularly yearning for some warm, delicious soup, preferably homemade. Somehow it always makes me feel better, and not over-stuffed like some food does. Warm and soothing.

My favorite soup this month is a creamy tomato basil. I find it’s just right for my tastes with a touch of spice and sweetness. It’s even better when I make a fresh loaf of bread to dip into it.  When I serve it with a small balsamic salad on the side, I am all set for a warm and healthy (well, relatively healthy) lunch or light dinner. Perfect for these gray winter days.

Sunday breakfasts were always a big deal in our house. It was family time, and Dad was the one who loved making our big Sunday breakfast. Eggs and homefries with bacon, buttermilk pancakes with sausage.  Waking up to the smell of breakfast cooking and coffee brewing was wonderful. And it still is. Now the Dad in our house still makes the pancakes, he’s a pro. He gets out our big non-stick double griddle and whips up enough pancakes to last us the week.

Before we had a double burner griddle making pancakes took forever. But now we easily cook 8 pancakes or so at a time and now we all get to sit down and enjoy the warm, fresh pancakes in record time.  It’s nice actually sitting down together for breakfast instead of eating in shifts. We’ve certainly found that having a quality stainless steel fry pan makes many of our stovetop cooking go so much smoother.  

Clay is probably one of the lesser known cookware materials used in today’s kitchens. Not nearly as mainstream as aluminum, cast iron, stainless steel, or copper, clay cookware is actually another excellent choice in kitchenware and something worth considering for your kitchen cookware collection, especially if you enjoy roasting or baking your meals. The covered clay bakers are noted for creating healthier, juicy, tasty roasts as the entrees cook in their own natural juices versus the need for any added fats.

 You’ll find more details in attached clay cooking article article that can give you some insights to it’s use, history, and versatility. Now that you’l be having the oven on more, wouldn’t it be fun to cook your next roast in a clay baker?

We thought it would be fun to do a product review now and again based on our own personal experience or those of our customers.  Since it’s such a great “all-around” skillet, we decided to start with this fabulous stainless steel chef’s pan by Gourmet Standard.

They have a great reputation and offer a great variety of quality frying pans, skillets and more. When Cook’s Illustrated did reviews on saute pans, their pan was reviewed comparable to All Clad, for a lot less money. So if you are in the market for some good cookware at a fair price, you have to check out the latest offerings from Gourmet Standard.

Gourmet Standard makes fabulous cookware. Quality, long-lasting, and beautiful looking.  One of my favorite lines is their Copper Tri-Ply. Now of course with the copper exterior you’ll want to hand-wash the pots if you want them to look great for for a lifetime. But just look at this copper stock pot for example - what’s not to love?

Imagine all of the wonderful soups and dishes you can create in this beauty!

I was just over on the Martha Stewart site, one of my favorite places to visit on the web. And of course I was salivating over her current feature on summer appetizers. Marinated mozzarrella, ginger shrimp with tomato relish,  chicken satay with peanut chutney sauce and the list goes on. You can check out the list and photos on her site - I’m not sure which one I’d like to try first but they all look wonderful and oh so tempting.

I love visiting sites like hers and others because sometimes I just plain run out of ideas on something different to make for dinner or a get together, especially in the heat of summer - and I can find such wonderful (and relatively easy) new goodies to make and try. It’s a great way of introducing family and kids to new foods and tastes too. 

If you’re a fish-lover like many of us here are, there’s nothing like  cooking up some fresh fish for dinner in the summer - especially if it’s your own catch of the day.  Have you ever baked up a tasty fresh water Rainbow Trout you’ve caught in your favorite river? Or grilled a delicious Flounder or Striped Bass you reeled in from the ocean? (We love this great fish spatula from Gourmet Standard - it makes flipping the fish over  so much easier!)

We usually serve ours up with a fresh salad and a pasta dish on the side. Oh, and wine, we mustn’t forget the wine.

We were away and we missed last week’s episode of Top Chef.  After finding the time to unpack, catch up on business and get back into a bit of routine it was time to catch up on the latest news from Bravo’s Top Chef. 

Was anyone surprised that Spike was eliminated? Not around here, but we are still a bit puzzled to see that Lisa remains but Dale doesn’t.  If you read Tom’s latest blog you’ll see some interesting comments from him on the perspective on Dale’s elimination from a viewer’s point of view since it’s one of the times he wasn’t participating as a judge. It’s worth a read.  So now let’s see what next week brings - I’m glad we’ll be here to check it out.

What, it’s from a jar, a can? Well the truth is at our house it usually is made from canned tomatoes and tomato puree with some spices tossed in. And when we cook our favorite vegan meatballs in the sauce the taste is really good and we spend the rest of the week dipping Italian bread in it until it’s gone.

Now that’s not necessarily what sauce is all about, so I think I’m overdue to start practicing making some real sauces sometime soon – and not necessarily tomato sauce since there are hundreds of different kinds of sauces I could try and create. While I still might not be cut out for a career in fine dining, it will be fun to try. And honestly any excuse having something new to dip bread into sounds like a perfect excuse to me.

Did you catch the latest episode of Top Chef?  It was interesting how they were teamed  -  my favorites were all on one team. And it was inspiring how Richard offered his win to Stephanie who then responded they should share it. Now Dale was on the other team and he is super talented, but he just loses his temper too much. And I don’t see him behaving the way Richard and Stephanie did. I do think he’ll be part of the final four, but I will be shocked if the Top Chef isn’t Richard.

Stephanie is amazing too, she has been a pretty consistent and inventive chef - did you see the way she whipped up the mayo in the team quick-fire challenge.  But will the judges think she’s as creative as Dale?  What is it that Tom and the others are ultimately looking for in a Top Chef. Is it only the number of quick fire and elimination challenges a chef wins that are ultimately counted up for the winner or is there more to it?  I’ve gone to the site for last year’s winner Hung and I see his stats…. if I read the current stats correctly it’s Richard then Antonio in the lead followed by Stephanie and Dale.

Will the strongest chefs still hold on to their leads? There will be some intense challenges coming up and I can’t wait to see them!

I just don’t get around to using our good china as often as I should. Then I remind myself that life is short and I really should use it more often for the fun of it.  And I know one thing that stops me is all of the hand-washing. Though with good company that process can be a lot of fun, chatting and being silly in the kitchen!

With that in mind, here are some basic tips for washing your China to add to the dishes longevity and lessen the chance of breakage.

1. Fill a dishwashing pan with mild detergent and warm water and set up your dish rack drainer or drain board. (Consider buying one of the great dishwashing pans they make now with handles and a drain that can make the job easier).
2. Add several small items at a time (cups, saucers, small plates), making sure they are first emptied of any leftover food or beverage. Large dishes should be washed individually. When washing the smaller items, be careful not to add different kinds of dishes in the pan at the same time since breakage often occurs when you mix dishes of different shapes and sizes.
3. Wash and rinse each one at a time, setting it up on the dish rack to drain. When all in the first batch are rinsed, begin hand-drying the first item rinsed with a soft dry towel.
4. Avoid using hot water, too much soap, or harsh detergents- these will damage the color on your dishes and cause crackles in the finish.

With the proper care, you’ll be able to enjoy your beautiful dishes for many years!

This note was prompted by a question from one of our customers who was wondering why some quality cookware is 18/10 and some of it is not.

For instance, the Gourmet Standard Professional Series Tri-Ply is  made with the interior a polished 18/8 stainless steel, the core is aluminum (increases heating efficiency) and the outer is 18/0 stainless steel. Now the reason it’s not 18/10 is that 18/10 has nickel in it and then it wouldn’t be induction compatible.

This is top quality cookware. As a matter of fact, Cooks Illustrated (it’s like the Consumer’s Guide for cookware) rated the sauté pan from this series second only to the All Clad which sells for double the cost. 

Similarly, the Copper Bottom series 18/10 Stainless with aluminum core and copper capsule bottom is also excellent quality , but not induction compatible and something to keep in mind if you’re working on an induction cooktop.

I love watching Top Chef.  The dynamics and personalites of the different chefs competing,  I bow to their ability to create diverse dishes under such enormous pressure. But I guess that’s why they’re on the show and not me.  Of course lately I keep catching the same episodes with the contestants that I know have already exited .  I’m just anxious to find out who’s going to win this year. 

I have a couple of favorites myself - one of them is Stephanie - her dishes always seem to turn out really well (at least I think they have as I might have missed an episode) - and even more, she’s very calm under pressure. It will be interesting to see the final episodes — I hope I haven’t missed them!

I was flipping through the TV channels and caught a Molto Mario show where he was preparing an scrumptious eggplant dish. Now I can’t get the craving for baked eggplant off of my mind. It looked so simple, so delicious - pick an eggplant that is not too fat (less seeds, less bitterness), cut it up into fat slices and dip both sides in olive oil, make some small holes in each and stuff in pieces of garlic cloves, (then I missed a moment of the show here), and bake in the oven on a jelly-roll pan.

So can you guess what I’ll be buying on my next trip to the grocery? And maybe I’ll check out Mario’s cookbooks and see if there’s one to add to my cookbook collection. I already have so many, but I don’t think you can ever have too many. (Until you run out of storage space!)

I don’t know about you, but I can never seem to find enough storage in my kitchen.  So I started toying with the idea of getting a nice hanging pot rack. We had the center isle, but the problem was we had this big clunky light fixture hanging over it.

Well, we recently got around to buying a nice modern light fixture and the stainless pot rack and wow, what a difference. I now have a great place to hang my favorite pans and utensils, plus it looks so sharp!

You’ve spent good money on your cookware and if you take care of them the right way, good pots and pans will last you a long time. Heck, some of the better cookware, like the sturdy cast iron pots, get passed from generation to generation.

For your stainless steel and aluminum pots, be sure to use only mild detergent and nylon scrubbers - never steel wool or chlorine cleaners. Traditional cast iron should be cleaned with simply hot water and a stiff brush, then rub a thin coat of vegetable oil on the interior and store in a cool, dry place. Always use wooden, plastic or coated utensils with your non-stick cookware and remember non-stick is not dishwasher safe.

Take a few minutes to read the booklets and brochures that come with your cookware and you’ll discover some great tips for making the most of your purchase.

Sometimes it’s fun to think about making a multi-course meal, really doing a bit of a dinner party. Because for most of us the truth is life is usually so busy it’s a great accomplishment just getting a good, healthy meal on the table.

But it is nice to do more sometimes, something a little special when you have the time. Here’s a sample 7 course meal idea for the times when you might feel a bit more ambitious or have a special night to plan.

While it’s still only March, it feels like BBQ season is just around the corner.  I’ve always found it so much easier to come up with lots of winter menus, so many hot meals to make. And I know part of it’s a comfort-food thing during the cold months. Cooking up homemade soups or big dinners….baking bread, muffins, desserts.

But summer brings a whole different style of cooking, especially as the weather gets really hot. Lighter meals with salads on the side, fresh lemonade…the smell of BBQ chicken or steak.  So it’s almost time to say goodbye for now to the heavier meals. I think I’m ready, how about you?

There’s a lot of different cookware out there and it can be hard to know what to choose. And if you’re just starting out it’s tempting to buy a big cookware set (assuming you can afford it!)  Perhaps you’re getting married, then the bridal shower wish list can really help you out.  But you don’t have to buy an 11 piece cookware set or 13 piece set if you don’t have the money or perhaps the space.

Here’s some information about the basic items that are perfect starters for any kitchen. It’s worth repeating that it’s smart to buy the best quality you can afford, and there are enough choices to suit any budget. There’s nothing worse than getting a cheap set only to find it burns everything you cook and doesn’t last the year - that’s good money wasted.

What is it about stainless steel that’s so appealing?  Well, from a practical standpoint it’s durable and versatile.  But it’s more than that - it’s beautiful.  I admit I am always attracted to shiny things and stainless steel fits the bill nicely.  Plus it’s useful. It doesn’t get much better than that.

One of my favorite cookware lines is Gourmet Standard. They offer an outstanding line of award-winning cookware and accessories that any stainless steel fan would be thrilled to own.

If you’re like me, you can’t stand overcooked, mushy vegetables.  That’s why it’s great cooking vegetables, especially asparagus, in this fabulous vegetable steamer.  It makes it so easy to cook veggies just right.  The tips on steamed asparagus are perfectly tender and juicy. Delicious.

I  also love the look of the sleek stainless steel, very sharp.  So it’s useful and attractive - my kind of kitchen tool.