Food Prep Tools Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-21-2023

This Cheat Sheet is your guide through the world of cooking with cast iron. Whether you’re an experienced cook or just starting out, you can find something valuable here, ranging from what to look for when adding cast iron to your kitchen, expert advice on using spices and herbs effectively, handy substitutes for those moments when a few ingredients might be missing from your pantry, and even some measurement conversions.

Article / Updated 12-05-2022

Not another kitchen gadget, right? Overall, I am a fan of an excellent knife and solid cutting board for most salad recipes. Tools can help with storage and preparation techniques, and they can enhance your use of ingredients. When you’re making a salad, you don’t need much — just a good knife, a solid cutting board, and a fun way to serve your salad. Those are the basics. But if you want to create some cool cuts or create salads that have roasted or spiralized vegetables, you may want to grab some more tools. If you love stocking up on kitchen gadgets, use this list as your excuse to cut loose! But you don’t need all the fancy tools to make a successful salad. Useful tools for great salads You can find each of the following items (listed roughly in order from most important to least important) at Williams-Sonoma or on Amazon: Chef’s knife: A 6- or 8-inch chef’s knife is ideal for many tasks when you’re making salads. Top-rated knife brands include Mercer, Opinel, Victorinox, Wüsthof, and Zwilling. Keep in mind: One good knife is better than a bunch of cheap knives. Cutting board: Many people keep a couple of different colored cutting boards on hand to identify what they use them for — for example, green for produce, red for meats, and white for breads.The advantage of plastic cutting boards is that they’re usually dishwasher safe. Wood cutting boards are my favorite, though, and I oil mine with mineral oil every couple of weeks to keep the boards in top shape. IKEA has inexpensive wood cutting boards; if you keep wood cutting boards oiled, they’ll hold up to heavy use. Plus, wood cutting boards break down in landfills, unlike plastic. Paring knife: A paring knife is handy for smaller knife skills or hand peeling. Tongs: A variety of sizes exist. In my kitchen, I keep three sets of tongs on hand for turning meats or tofu in a frying pan, grilling, and tossing salads. Salad spinner: Salad spinners really help prolong the life of your greens. Wash them as soon as you get them and spin them dry to have lettuce ready any day of the week. OXO makes a small salad spinner that’s a great starting point. Food processor: Whether I’m whipping up a dressing or slicing vegetables, I regularly use my food processor. I’ve had a Cuisinart food processor for almost 30 years, and it still works well. You can find less expensive brands and more expensive brands — just consider your budget and what works best for your kitchen space. Bread knife: A well-made serrated knife is great for slicing your favorite crusty French bread to serve with your salad. Vegetable peeler: A multifunctional peeler can help with finite cuts, such as a julienne. The Deiss PRO Dual Julienne and Vegetable Peeler is well rated and can be found on Amazon. Mandoline slicing tool: I have owned both a giant mandoline and a hand-held version, but I prefer a simple hand-held mandolin. The OXO Good Grips Simple Mandoline Slicer is easy to use and is dishwasher safe. Be mindful and use the guard when using a mandoline — even experienced chefs have cut the tips of fingers on a mandoline. Spiralizer: You can make zoodles (vegetable noodles) or curly fries in an instant with a spiralizer. The Spiralizer 7-Blade Vegetable Slicer has earned top marks but is bulky and large. Look for one that fits in your kitchen and works well for your preferred vegetables. Read the reviews before making a purchase. Blender: Blenders can be good when whipping up larger batches of dressings or blending soups. If you have a food processor, you may not need a blender. Sheet pans: While I was living in Europe, I fell in love with cast-iron and heavy black steel pans. I like how these are versatile and can be used on the stovetop, on a grill, or in the oven. Cast iron also heats evenly. Aluminum pans are lightweight and easy to use in the oven. USA Pan Bakeware is a good brand for lightweight baking sheets and can be found on Amazon. Digital thermometer: Many people still cut into meat to check for doneness, but I always encourage the use of a meat thermometer to check for doneness instead. A digital thermometer is inexpensive (ranging from $15 to $30) and quickly registers temperature, giving you an accurate measurement of the food’s internal temperature. Taking advantage of a multicooker Rice, grains, and legumes — important parts of many salad recipes — can be made to perfection in a multicooker, like an Instant Pot, for example. Making grains or legumes in bulk and freezing them will help future meals come together quickly. Multicookers are particularly useful when making bowl meals, which often have a grain, a legume, and raw and roasted vegetables with a dressing.

Article / Updated 03-09-2017

You need some basic equipment to start cooking — essential items for working in the kitchen. Here’s a short list of all-I-can-spend-now cooking equipment, including pots, pans, and other tools that no home cook should be without. 10-inch nonstick frying pan: The all-around pan for sautéing and more. 3-quart saucepan: For cooking things such as vegetables and soups. 10-quart stockpot with lid: For making stocks or large quantities of soup, pasta, and vegetables. Heavy-duty roasting pan: Roasting pans have high sides to keep in all those juices that you can use to make gravy. 10-inch chef’s knife: You can perform more than 80 percent of all cutting and slicing chores with this knife. 9- to 12-inch serrated bread knife: Invaluable for cutting slices of fresh bread without squishing the loaf. Paring knife: For peeling, coring, and carving garnishes from vegetables and fruits. Liquid and dry measuring cups and measuring spoons: So you don’t botch up recipes by using too much or too little of something. Mesh strainer: This tool is essential for certain sauces, pastas, salads, and soups. Meat thermometer: Why guess? Vegetable peeler, heatproof rubber spatula, and a few wooden spoons of varying sizes: These basics have many uses.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Your choice of pots can affect the nutrient value of food by adding nutrients to the foods, lowering the natural loss of nutrients during cooking, and actively increasing the loss of nutrients during cooking. In addition, some pots make the food’s natural flavors and aromas more intense, which, in turn, can make the food more — or less — appetizing. Read on to find out how your pot can change your food. And vice versa. Aluminum: Aluminum is lightweight and conducts heat well. That's good. But the metal makes some aroma chemicals smellier (particularly those in the cruciferous vegetables — cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and so on) and flakes off, turning white foods (such as cauliflower or potatoes) yellow or brownish. Despite what you may have heard, cooking with aluminum pots does not increase your risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Copper: Naked copper is a potentially poisonous metal. That’s why copper pots are lined with tin or stainless steel. Whenever you cook with copper, periodically check the lining of the pot. If it’s damaged have the pot relined or throw it out. Ceramics: Terra cotta roasting and baking pans allow excess steam to escape while holding in just enough moisture to make bread s moist and chicken tender. Decorated ceramic vessels are another matter. The glaze makes the pot much less porous, so that meat or poultry cooked in a covered painted ceramic pan steams instead of roasts. More importantly, some pigments used to paint or glaze the pots contain lead. If the pots are fired in an oven that isn’t hot enough or if they aren’t fired for a long enough period of time, lead will leach from ceramics when in contact with acidic foods, such as fruit juices or foods marinated in wine or vinegar. Enamelware: Enameled pots are made of metal covered with porcelain. Enamelware heats more slowly and less evenly than plain metal. A good-quality enameled surface resists discoloration and does not react with food. If the surface chips and you can see the metal underneath, discard the pot lest metals flake into your food. Glass: Glass is a neutral material that does not react with food. Iron: Iron conducts heat well and stays hot longer than other pots, and it releases iron ions into food, which may improve the nutritional value of dinner. However, more iron is not necessarily better. It encourages oxidation (bad for your body) and can contribute to excess iron storage in some people. Nonstick: Nonstick surfaces are made of plastic (polytetrafluoroethylene to be exact) plus hardeners. As long as the surface is unscratched and intact, the nonstick surface does not react with food. Nonstick pots are a dieter’s delight. They enable you to cook without added fat, but they scratch easily. Scratched nonstick pots and pans are not a health hazard. If you swallow tiny pieces of the nonstick coating, they pass through your body undigested. However, when nonstick surfaces get very hot, and your cooking area is not properly ventilated, you may experience polymer fume fever — flu-like symptoms with no known long-term effect. To prevent this, keep the stove flame moderate and the windows open. Stainless steel: Stainless steel is an alloy, a substance composed of two or more metals. Its virtues are hardness and durability; its drawback is poor heat conduction. In addition, the alloy includes nickel, a metal to which many people are sensitive.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Cast iron pots and pans can last for generations, unlike other types of cookware. But you do need to take care of your cast-iron cookware because it isn’t indestructible. Follow certain cast-iron-care rules, and your heirs will be fighting over who gets your glorious pans. Reseason after each use. Each time you clean your cast iron, you remove a little seasoning. If you clean your cast iron enough times without reseasoning, the pans lose the patina that makes them nonstick, and the metal becomes vulnerable to rust. Never put cold water in a hot pan. All metals are susceptible to thermal shock, a large and rapid change in temperature. If you put a cold pan on a hot burner, a hot pan under cold running water, or subject your cookware to any other combination of extreme and sudden temperature differences, you run the risk of warping or even breaking it. Don’t use soap. For a society that has practically made antibacterial the new religion of clean, the idea of not using any soap at all sounds practically heretical. But you don’t need soap to clean cast iron, and using it can break down the seasoning. Don’t even think about using the dishwasher. If soap is bad for cast iron, running it through the dishwasher is practically the kiss of death. Use it often. Unlike other cookware, cast iron actually gets better the more that you use it. Every time you cook with it, you’re enhancing the pan’s cooking properties. You can see this improvement as its color darkens.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

To make aebleskiver (or Danish pancake balls), you need a specialty cast-iron pan (called either a Danish cake pan, aebleskiver pan, or munk pan). Danish pancake balls make a wonderful start to any morning. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 2 to 3 minutes Yield: 4 dozen balls 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cardamom 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup sour cream 2/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil for greasing wells Set the aebleskiver pan on the stove burner on medium-low heat. In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, cardamom, and salt together. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a medium-sized bowl and the whites in a small bowl. Set the whites aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on the stove. You can also microwave it in a small bowl. Add the butter, sour cream, and milk to the yolks. Mix to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Stir until well blended. Beat the egg whites. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Test the pan by dropping a few drops of water on it. If drops dance in small beads, then the temperature is correct. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of melted butter or vegetable oil into the wells and allow to heat. Pour the batter into the wells, filling slightly over 1/2 full. Re-oil the wells with each batch. Cook until the sides are set and golden. Use wooden skewers or a fork to turn the aebleskiver frequently to brown evenly. Don’t pierce. Insert a wooden pick in the center of an aebleskiver to test for doneness. It’s done when the pick comes out clean. Remove from the pan and sprinkle immediately with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with jam. Per serving: Calories 63 (From fat 39); Fat 4g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 24mg; Sodium 47mg; Carbohydrate 5g (Dietary fiber 0g); Protein 1g.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Fried chicken is delicious and easy to make in a cast-iron skillet. Cast-irons skillets are especially good for frying chicken (you can even find some cast-iron skillets called “chicken fryers”). Get your cast-iron skillet out and ready to fry some chicken: Wash the chicken pieces. Pat them dry after you rinse them. Dip the chicken pieces in milk and then dredge them in a mix of flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. To get the chicken really well-coated, let the chicken stand for 20 minutes and dredge in flour again. Heat oil or shortening in a deep cast-iron skillet or a Dutch oven on medium-high heat to 375 degrees F. Use an instant read thermometer to test the temperature now and throughout cooking. Add four to five pieces of chicken to the skillet, browning both sides. Be careful not to add so much chicken at one time that the oil temperature drops significantly. Turn and move the chicken as necessary to ensure even browning. If you have more chicken, move the chicken in the skillet to a platter and add the next four to five pieces of chicken. Cook them until they’re brown, too. Return all the chicken to the skillet, reduce the heat to low or medium-low, and cover. At this point, stacking the chicken in the skillet may be necessary. Cook slowly and gently for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Check the chicken several times and turn or move the pieces as necessary to keep all the chicken browned evenly. Remove the cover and return the heat to medium-high to re-crisp the chicken, about 5 minutes after the skillet is hot again. While re-crisping, watch the chicken carefully and turn the pieces so that all sides are crisp, taking care not to burn the bottom pieces of chicken. Move the chicken to a serving platter. Tongs work best to pick up fried chicken pieces. If you’re not going to eat it right away, you can place the platter on a rack in the oven to keep warm.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Marsala is a type of wine originating in Marsala, Sicily. In Chicken Marsala, this wine is a key ingredient in the sauce, hence the chicken dish’s name. Marsala wine comes in two types: sweet and dry. You can use either one, but the sweet version offers a bit more depth and a rounder finish to the flavor. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt Pepper 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup sweet or dry Marsala wine 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced Fresh parsley for garnish (optional) Pound the chicken pieces between two pieces of wax paper with a mallet until 1/4-inch thick. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove to a platter and keep warm in a low-temperature oven. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the salt, pepper, lemon juice, wine, and chicken broth to the skillet and blend. Cook the wine mixture for a few minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet and cook until tender. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley, if desired. Per serving: Calories 267 (From fat 136); Fat 15g (Saturated 8g); Cholesterol 104mg; Sodium 483mg; Carbohydrate 3g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 29g.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Cooking in a microwave oven is unlike any kind of conventional cooking. You must follow a different set of microwave-specific cooking rules. Although you can’t microwave every kind of food, your microwave oven can be a useful cooking tool. Microwaving has some ground rules: Don’t use traditional metal cookware in your microwave. Microwaves can’t pass through metal, so you can’t cook with traditional metal cookware. Don’t try recipes that require a lot of water, such as pasta, in a microwave. They don’t cook well in a microwave and will probably cook in less time on your stovetop. Arrange foods so that they cook evenly. Face the thickest parts, like broccoli stalks, outward toward the oven walls. Arrange foods of the same size and shape, such as potatoes, in a circle or square with space between them and no item in the center. Cover dishes. A cover eliminates splattering, and it also cuts down on cooking time. Frequently stir, turn, and rotate foods. This ensures an even distribution of heat. Cut foods into small pieces, if possible. Small pieces cook more quickly than large ones. Before cooking, use a fork to pierce foods that have skins, such as potatoes, hot dogs, and sausages. Piercing allows steam to escape that could otherwise lead to sudden popping and splattering. Be sure to use the defrost power setting (30 to 40 percent of full power) when thawing food. Doing so will ensure that the foods defrosts in a slow and even manner. Turn and rotate the food every so often also helps as you defrost.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

When the pressure-release valve starts to make a hissing noise, you’ve exceeded the pressure in your pressure cooker. Basically, the pressure cooker is telling you to lower the burner heat to maintain a high — but not too high — pressure. If you cook on a gas stove, a simple turn of the burner knob causes the heat to drop almost instantaneously. If you have an electric range, turning the dial doesn’t elicit an instant response from the element. To overcome this problem, you can cook on two elements: Set one stove element to high heat and one to a lower setting. Set the lower-heat element to whatever setting keeps water boiling at a simmer. Use the element set on high heat to bring the pressure cooker up to pressure. You know its reached pressure when the release valve starts hissing. After the pressure cooker reaches pressure, transfer it to the preheated element that’s set on the lower setting. Don’t forget to turn off the high heat element after the transfer!