(Part 2) Top products from r/Cooking

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We found 349 product mentions on r/Cooking. We ranked the 5,796 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.

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Top comments that mention products on r/Cooking:

u/gaqua · 15 pointsr/Cooking
  1. A good, sharp chef's knife. Nothing fancy, I use a Dexter that I got for like $20 and have it resharpened. You can get a lot nicer, but you don't have to. The first kitchen I ever worked at (20 years ago) used knives almost exactly like this.

  2. A good meat thermometer. I use this one which works similarly to a ThermaPen but without the ridiculous ~$90 cost.

  3. A good cast iron skillet can be pretty versatile. Cast iron holds heat very well, which means that it's great for stuff like searing steaks.

  4. Some cheap, non-stick frying pans. I recommend getting cheap ones because once the coating starts coming off (and it always does at some point, it seems) you're going to throw them away and get new ones. You can spend $300+ like I did once and get high-end stuff like All-Clad or whatever, but even if you're super careful and use only wood and silicone utensils to cook on it, it'll still start peeling its coating, and then All-Clad will say you used metal silverware on it and your warranty is invalid, blah blah blah, and that's more hassle than you need. Just get cheap ones.

  5. Now THIS is where you can spend some legit money. A tri-ply, high quality frying pan without a non-stick coating. These are great for making pan sauces while you cook, etc. I made a chicken, garlic, and olive oil with a red wine vinegar based pan sauce with this pan (well, and some baking dishes) that was incredible. All-Clad is the industry standard but the Tramontina stuff is 1/2 the price or less and built to near the same level of quality.

  6. A nice, enameled Dutch Oven, whether it be from Le Creuset or Tramontina, these are the best for stews, soups, chili...etc. Hold heat forever, well built, and easy to clean.

  7. A good fish spatula, which I almost never use to cook fish. It's actually just the best shape for omelets, eggs, whatever. Flipping anything in a pan with a utensil like this is awesome.

  8. A thick ceramic baking dish for making things like lasagna or casseroles or even just roasting meats/veggies.

  9. Believe it or not, cookie sheets covered with heavy duty aluminum foil are how I do a lot of my oven roasting of small things, like diced veggies or potatoes. They work perfectly and being so large they're able to be spread out so they get roasted on all edges for a little extra flavor. Brussel sprouts & diced bacon in a cast iron skillet to start and then dump them onto this and blast them in the oven at 425 for 15-20 minutes and you'll have a great side dish.

  10. No matter how careful you are, you're going to get something caked on or get a dish so dirty you think it's uncleanable. For that, I recommend Barkeeper's Friend which is an awesome powdered cleaner. Add a little water, use a paper towel and this stuff to make a paste, leave it in the pan for a few minutes, then rinse. I have yet to see this fail. Awesome stuff. Saved some pans.


    There are lots of other things I use daily:

u/LokiSnake · 4 pointsr/Cooking

> Molecular Gastronomy

It helps to not call it that. It's misleading and doesn't describe what's being done. Most in the industry shy away from that phrase. Modernist cuisine is more accepted these days.

As for modernist chefs, others have mentioned Blumenthal. I'll list a few for you to look into:

  • Ferran Adria is the grandfather of the entire movement, and is extremely open with sharing his knowledge with the world. He's done some lectures for the Harvard food and science lecture series. You can find videos on youtube from past years. (From my recommended list for you, I think all but Daniel Humm have done the lecture series at some point.)
  • Grant Achatz is known for it as well. His creations are definitely a little more out there and conceptual, but utterly stunning to experience. One of the most fun meals I've ever had. If you're ever in Chicago, a meal at Alinea is worth going for if you've got the cash. Do make sure to swing by Aviary (also by Achatz) for drinks and bites, whether you go to Alinea or not. Drinks are each very unique and all good across the board. Don't miss out on the bites. (FWIW Chicago seems to be a city that's open to experimentation, so there's a few other places that do modernist food in town that aren't bad.)
  • Jose Andres worked under Adria for a bit, but has been doing his own thing in the US. He pays homage to his roots, and does some great tapas. He's got a few locations across the States, so might be worth seeking out. I've only been to The Bazaar in LA/BevHills. Let me know if you want to know more about the food there, since I personally believe there are some things that you must get there, along with some that are good but not as interesting.
  • Daniel Humm's Eleven Madison Park is also amazing, and worthy alternative to Alinea if NYC is easier. There's definitely differences, but worth seeking out. I haven't been, but I've heard very good things and it's on my list for the next trip to NYC.
  • Wylie Dufresne of wd~50 is also interesting (NYC but closing soon IIRC due to location issues; may reopen or do other stuff at some point). He uses modernist techniques in an almost invisible way, where something may seem, smell, or taste normal, but it's actually made using something else entirely.

    I'm obviously missing a ton of chefs. Due to the history of El Bulli/Adria, there's a lot of modernist cuisine in various places in Spain. The above is by no means comprehensive, but just what I'm remembering off the top of my head as an American.

    But on modernist cuisine, the real exceptional chefs are the ones that use them as tools in their trade, instead of doing modernist techniques just for the sake of them. I've had way too many meals where they'd have a component of a dish where they probably thought it'd be cool and hip, but ended up adding absolutely nothing to the dish (Foams are a big problem here).

    For modernist cuisine, it really helps to go out to eat and experience it for yourself. Trying to execute without having experienced it is like trying to play Beethoven without any experience hearing it played by others before. This will actually likely be a small price to pay, given the $$$$$ you'll be sinking into equipment. When dining, feel free to ask questions. Waiters at most of these fine dining-ish establishments will know their shit, and will go ask the cooks/chef if they don't know the answer off-hand.

    There's also a lot of reading to be done, and you'll end up with just techniques to apply. But with it, you'll be able to do amazing things. For books, The Bible here is Modernist Cuisine, the 50-lb, 6 volume, 2400 page behemoth (at $500, again cheap compared to equipment). You can sometimes find it in libraries if the price tag is an issue. Don't skip to the recipes. Read each one cover to cover (and possibly in order), because learning the science behind everything is more important than following recipes.

    You won't find much video, because modernist stuff just isn't food-porn friendly. You tend to not have food sizzling on a hot pan and such. A lot of modernist cuisine is done with extreme restraint and focus, and frequently the results are way more interesting in the mouth than visually.

    But really, modernist cuisine is a means to an end. They're using it as a tool to create an experience that likely isn't possible using traditional means. But, the important thing is the experience, and not how it was technically achieved.
u/MickFromAFarLand · 3 pointsr/Cooking

If you have two, why don't you do one as a perfect standing rib roast and play with the second one?

I'll get to the playful ideas for the second hunk of meat later.


Part One - an instructional on making prime rib:

Keep in mind, for some of my less essential estimations, I'm totally guessing. Just use your brain.

My procedure was born from the standing rib roast episode of Good Eats. I couldn't find the whole episode for you online, but [here's a clip from it] (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/dry-aged-standing-rib-roast-with-sage-jus-recipe/standing-rib-roast.html) in case you're interested.

Basically, the trick is to take your time with it. This method is foolproof if you're patient and if you give your meat a day to hang out in a salt and pepper rub-down, a couple hours to get to room temperature, and a chunk of time to roast in a very low oven.

Why a low oven if you can reach medium rare in less time with a hot oven? Because a low oven will help keep the whole mass of the meat at roughly the same temperature while it cooks. The thermal assault of a hot oven would decimate the roast's outer inches before beginning to cook the raw center. Look at [one] (http://www.heroacres.com/heroacres/PrimeRib.jpg) and [two] (http://literalminded.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/prime_rib.jpg).

As for special equipment, you'll need [something like this] (http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-1470-Digital-Cooking-Thermometer/dp/B00004XSC5/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1411674292&sr=1-1&keywords=digital+thermometer+probe). Don't rely on interrupting the cooking and sticking it every 20 minutes once it gets close. This isn't a horror movie. The less you stab it, the less blood, the better.

So here's how it'll go:

A day or two before your dinner (I prefer two), season the meat.

Rub the meat (giggity) with salt, pepper, and whatever else you want. I like garlic and mustard powder. Classic flavor combos exist for a reason. Wrap it in saran and toss it in the fridge to let that salty/savory crust develop. The seasoning needs to support the otherwise monotonous roast, so don't miss this opportunity as step 1 to getting an A+ crust on there.

When you wake up the day of your prime rib dinner, take it out of the fridge. Let the roast come to room temperature (about 2 hrs), rub it with a mix of non-extra-virgin olive oil and some good mustard. This'll help that crust we've been talking about.

Insert the meat thermometer at center-mass. Set the device to alert you at your desired temperature. Count on about degrees of carryover cooking once it's out of the oven. I set mine last time to 127 I think. Put it in your favorite ovenware, cover it with foil to aid even-heating, and put it in a cold oven. Set that oven to 200 degrees, or 250 if you're feeling pressed for time.

Once it beeps, let it sit on the counter. You'll notice there isn't much juice for gravy. That's cause being gentle kept the proteins intact and the juices inside. Fear not, gravy and Yorkshire Pudding lovers-- juices will flow soon. When you're an hour away from dinner, crank your oven to 500. Turn it on convection mode if you have it.

Once it's up to temp, stick the roast in and keep your eye on it. It helps if your window is clean, cause opening and closing will partially reset the searing process (you want to leave the inside at perfectly medium rare). Start checking after 5 minutes, then every 2. Once you get that golden-brown/brown, you're there. Pull it. Let it rest for another 15-20. Enjoy.

Part Two - playing with your meat:

Lots of cool ideas on this thread already. This will speak to some of that.

If you wanted to go the Korean bbq or Philly Cheesesteak route, a nice trick is to partially freeze the roast so that your knife can slice it thinly. It's a restaurant trick for carpaccio, but it's super-useful here. Then have fun on YouTube and Google, weigh the pro's and con's of all your options, and learn how to make the most kickass cheesesteak possible. Then tell me about it. Or don't. Not like I've told youanything about food.

The other obvious route is to make steaks. If you wanna make that a project, try dry-aging the roast in your fridge and cutting steaks out of that. I love dry-aging my own beef. If you have a beer fridge in the garage or basement like I do, it's a pretty damn easy task. Just put it on a non-reactive rack and let it sit in the open air.

I have no idea if it helps, but I generously sprinkle salt under the rack to make sure any excess moisture is being sucked out of the air instead of feeding mold.

It'll smell a little beefy and maybe a little funky, but that's fine. Trim the crusty edges and treat them like normal steaks. Be careful, cause their reduced water content (flavor dilution, as dry-aging aficionados know it) make them cook faster.

Have fun!

u/wine-o-saur · 3 pointsr/Cooking

I know you said no to utensils, but I think these are possible exceptions:

Microplane grater - Best grater ever. Amazing for garlic, ginger, hard spices, cheese, citrus zest, chocolate shavings, etc. etc. I have one, and would be happy to have another just because they're so useful.

Victorinox tomato/steak/utility knife - This knife is marketed in three different ways because they're just so damn handy. I'd just go for whichever is cheapest, they're all the same. Incredible knife for little jobs that always seems supernaturally sharp. Cuts cleanly through even the ripest tomatoes, sails through thick-skinned limes, dices ginger like no other, slices garlic paper-thin, neat and tidy (and un-squished) sushi rolls, bagels, etc. etc. I have 3 and would be happy to have another. I've given plenty of these as gifts and they're always appreciated.

Silicone spatula/spoonula - Pretty much every other cooking utensil has grown dusty and unused since I got my silicone spoonula. More heat-resistant than plastic or wooden alternatives, so nothing bad happens when you leave it resting on the pan. Insanely easy to clean. Amazing for getting every last bit of sauce/icing/batter/etc. Best thing ever for cooking omelets or scrambled eggs. I wash mine immediately after use every time because I know I'll be using it again soon. I would happily replace every wooden spoon and plastic spatula in my kitchen with one of these. Then I'd have 6, and I would be very happy.

SilPats. Best thing to put on your baking sheet, ever. Also provides a great work-surface for sticky doughs/batters, melted chocolate, caramel, etc. You don't really need multiples of these I suppose, but I certainly wouldn't complain.

u/ShinyTile · 3 pointsr/Cooking

Fair enough.

So as a premise, I'm going to give you the /r/cooking answer (which I'd argue is the 'right' answer,) but a lot (most?) people in the US use a non stick for just about everything. Then again, most people cook bad food, so...

Anyway:

>for things like eggs, bacon, burgers etc

So right there I'd stop you and say that a true non-stick (either a Teflon pan or anodized / ceramic) is really best just for things like eggs, melty cheese, etc. Some people (rightfully) claim that eggs can be cooked in a really well seasoned cast-iron; they sort of can, but you have to use so much grease I argue it's more shallow frying than anything else. Properly cooking eggs in a true non-stick pan, like a Teflon coated pan, requires zero butter / cooking spray, etc. You actually shouldn't use it.

For things like burgers, bacon, etc, most of us would argue for either stainless steel (my preference) or cast iron. Cast iron (CI from now on) has some advantages, mainly relating to heat retention for giving awesome sears (like on a steak.) Stainless Steel (SS) can also do that pretty darn well, but not quite as well as CI. SS has the advantage of being more 'reactive;' If you turn the heat up or down, the pan reacts much faster than CI. CI is a diesel truck, SS is a Chevy 2500.

Neither SS or CI 'stick' when 1) properly heated and 2) properly used. Most people just don't know how to properly cook with those types of pans. Start here, and watch this vid on how to properly heat a SS pan. If you do that (and it's actually super easy once you've done it a few times,) you're 80% of the way there. So then your pan is hot, and you put in some oil (I prefer canola.) From then, your meat (like chicken breast, bacon, burgers, steak) goes in the pan and you don't touch it! If you put it in, and then 30 seconds later get all grabby-pokey-lifty, you're going to get really grumpy that that idiot on the internet convinced you to use SS, because it's going to be very stuck to the pan. If you're patient, and simply wait, the meat will get a perfect sear, and release on it's own in about 3-4:00. From there, give it a flip and repeat.

Here's where the advantages of stainless really shine: So after you've seared both sides (let's say of your chicken) you pop the whole pan in the oven for about 13 minutes or so to finish cooking the meat to the desired temp. Then you pull the pan out of the oven, pull the meat out to rest, and then deglaze your pan, toss in some chopped shallot or onion and garlic and maybe mushrooms, let it reduce aminute or two, holy crap get ready to blow the minds of anyone you're cooking for. Drizzle the sauce over your now sliced chicken, BAM.

So that was a bit of a divergent answer, but I felt it was important. When evaluating cookwear, it's not so much just a matter of 'Can this pan cook things,' it's more a matter of 'How do you use your cookwear to get the results you want.


If what you want is a properly good non-stick pan for eggs and cheesy stuff and omelettes, buy this. That'll last 2-3 years if you treat it well (ONLY wash with a washcloth, non-stick safe utensils, etc) For all your other stuff, I'd suggest a tri-ply stainless steel pan, like this or if it's in your budget, All Clad really sets the standard. This guy in 10 or 12" is pretty much the default CI pan for most people.


Feel free to ask questions. As for the pans you mentioned: I've seen really, really mixed reviews on them. I've never cooked with them, but I've handled them and they seem extremely light and thin (that means hotspots, inconsistent heating, and crazy fast reactivity (temps varyingw ildly up and down.) They seem to be jack of all trades masters of none, and I'd personally pass.

u/hailtheface · 7 pointsr/Cooking

Oh goodie, I get to banter on about my preferences first.

My thoughts on the three sets you linked to, don't get them. If you absolutely must get a set of knives, you picked a great brand, but in my opinion all sets have knives you likely won't need and weird sizes to boot. I like a larger Chef and bread knife than is offered in any of those sets.

If I were to start over from scratch on a budget these are the knives I would absolutely have to get, in order of importance.

  1. Victorinox 10-Inch Chef's Knife ($27)
  2. Victorinox 3 1/4-Inch pairing Knife ($6)
  3. Victorinox 10 1/4-Inch bread Knife ($27)
  4. Victorinox steel ($17)

    If you are a meat eater, I am not, you probably will want a fillet knife as well ($20).

    If I had only these knives I would be able to do 100% of the things I need to do. I use these knives nearly every day at home and in a professional setting. They have few drawbacks and many wonderful qualities. I have large hands and love the handles, so I would imagine that would be a non-issue. However getting your hands actually on a knife is a great thing to do before you buy one a.

    The only caution I have about Victorinox is that their santoku knife isn't all that wonderful. I use a wusthof santoku and it is ok for limited things, like intricate carving of vegetables where a pulling cut is useful, but a rarely used knife in general.

    I would recommend putting them on a magnetic, wall mounted knife holder. I searched for one that I thought looked cool, and the magnet works almost too well, but I love the thing. Alternatively, if you really have to take up counter space, you could go with one of the Kapoosh Universal Knife Blocks that will help you keep your knives sharp and allow your collection to grow and change over the years.

    For keeping those knives sharp I would recommend skipping the professional sharpener and getting one of these for $10. If you use your steel every time you use your knifes you should only need to sharpen them 2-4 times per year with heavy home use, more for thinner knives.

    I do not like straight wood for a number of reasons. First and foremost after a long period of usage the wood will get shitty. It will splinter, possibly separate from the tang, etc. if left in water or just after a period of washings. Once it gets in this shape all sorts of fun bacteria creep into those crevices. Plus they are more expensive. The only wood handled knives I have are some sort of composite wood with plastic and they are ok. Like the handle, if you can get your hands on some it would be a good idea.

    All of the aforementioned knives and accessories could be had for a total around $130-ish on Amazon. You could supplement them with a few things like a santoku, a shorter Chef's knife, or shears (Here's a santoku/shears combo that would be good).

    I think the above should cover all your bases, but feel free to ask if you have any further questions. Congrats on the engagement, you poor bastard.
u/4ad · 4 pointsr/Cooking

I have several knives.

My most used knife, and the one I like the most is a 8 inch Wüsthof classic. I really like the balance and the grip of this one.

I also have a Mac Chef's Knife, 7-1/4-Inch. This is stamped, not forged, but for just a few dollars more than the Victorinox you get a knife that actually sits and balances well in your hand and it's made of much better steel. I actually bought it in a brick and mortar store for about $20.

It's not as well balanced as the Wüsthof, but I like the fact that it doesn't have a full bolster. It's much easier to sharpen. If I would start anew I would get half-bolster designs for my expensive knives, but it's really no big deal at all.

I also have Tojiro DP Gyutou. The price varies, now it's a few dollars more expensive than the Victorinox, but I bought it cheaper. This is an excellent knife with better steel than the above knives. The grip is fantastic. The balance is good, but not quite as good as the Wüsthof, nothing really gets there for me, but it's good. Again the lack of a full bolster is a great feature of this knife.

Personally now I think that the Wüsthof Ikon lines are better than the classic series, because of the half-bolster design, but I didn't know this years back when I bought my classic.

Also, I keep saying that these knives feel so good in the hand compared to the Victorinox but this is a very subjective thing and people should try for themselves. I know some people love the Victorinox, if that's the case, go for it; personally, I can't stand it. PinchGrip4Lyfe.

I also have a J.A. HENCKELS INTERNATIONAL Forged Synergy 8-inch Chef's Knife. This is cheaper than the Victorinox. The balance is pretty good, but the grip is not as good as the knives posted above. It's still light-years better than the Victorinox grip though.

If I had to buy a cheap knife I would get Kai 6720C Wasabi Black Chef's Knife, 8-Inch. This is way cheaper than the Victorinox. That being said, I haven't tested it.

My goal here is not to convince anyone that the Victorinox is awful. I know some people really like the grip, but to make clear that at around the same price point there are many knives, and you should get which one feels best in your hand. Victorinox is not the only option for cheap knives, unlike what the reddit gospel says!

u/doggexbay · 1 pointr/Cooking

Basically gonna echo most of the answers already posted, but just to pile on:

  • 8" chef's knife. 10" is longer than may be comfortable and 12" is longer than necessary, but 7" may start to feel a little short if she's ever slicing large melon or squash. I'm a casual knife nerd and I have knives by Wusthof, Victorinox, Shun and Mac. My favorite.

  • This Dutch oven. Enameled and cast iron just like the Le Creuset that a few other comments have mentioned, but much, much cheaper. I own two and they're both great. I also have the non-enameled version for baking bread, but I don't recommend it for general use unless you're a Boy Scout. Here's an entertaingly-written blog post comparing the Lodge vs. Le Creuset in a short rib cookoff.

  • This cutting board and this cutting board conditioner. The importance of an easy and pleasant to use prep surface can't be overstated. I'm listing this third on purpose; this is one of the most important things your kitchen can have. A recipe that calls for a lot of chopping is no fun when you're fighting for counter space to do the chopping, or doing it on a shitty plastic board.

  • A cheap scale and a cheap thermometer. Seriously, these are as important as the cutting board.

  • Just gonna crib this one right off /u/Pobe420 and say cheapo 8–10" (I recommend 10–12" but that's my preference) nonstick skillet. One note I'd add is that pans with oven-safe handles are a bit more dual-purpose than pans with plastic or rubberized handles. You can't finish a pork chop in the oven in a skillet with a rubberized handle. But one could say you shouldn't be cooking a pork chop on a nonstick pan to begin with. The important thing is to keep this one cheap: you're going to be replacing it every couple of years, there's no getting around that. For my money $30 or less, and $30 is pretty expensive for these things.


  • Cookbooks

    Nothing inspires cooking like a good cookbook collection. The great news about cookbooks is that they're often bought as gifts or souvenirs and they make their way onto the used market cheap and in great condition. Here are my suggestions for a great starter shelf:

  1. The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt. I kind of hate that this is my number one recommendation, but I don't know your wife and I do know J. Kenji López-Alt. This one is brand new so you're unlikely to find it used and cheap, but as a catch-all recommendation it has to take first place. Moving on to the cheap stuff:

  2. Regional French Cooking by Paul Bocuse. This is possibly the friendliest authoritative book on French food out there, and a hell of a lot easier to just dive into than Julia Child (Julia is the expert, and her book is an encyclopedia). Bocuse is the undisputed king of nouvelle cuisine and people like Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain (so maybe a generation ahead of you and I) came from him. Paul Bocuse is French food as we know it, and yet this book—an approachable, coffee-table sized thing—still has a recipe for fucking mac and cheese. It's outstanding.

  3. Theory & Practice / The New James Beard by James Beard. These will completely cover your entire library of American cooking. Nothing else needed until you get region-specific. When you do, go for something like this.

  4. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. When she died, the NYT ran a second obituary that was just her recipe for bolognese.

  5. Christ, top five. Who gets 5th? I'm going with From Curries To Kebabs by Madhur Jaffrey. Don't get bamboozled into buying "Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Bible" which is the same book, repackaged and priced higher. You want the one with the hot pink dust jacket, it's unmistakeable. This is one of those end-all books that you could cook out of for the rest of your life. It covers almost every diet and almost every country that Beard and Bocuse don't.

  6. Honorable mentions: Here come the downvotes. Pok Pok by Andy Ricker. If you're American and you want to cook Thai, this is the one. Ten Speed Press can go home now. The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Rosen (so close to making the list). I shouldn't need to say much about this; it's the book of diasporic Jewish food, which means it covers a lot of time and almost every possible country. It's a no-brainer. Thai Food by David Thompson (a perfect oral history of Thai food for English speakers, only it doesn't include Pok Pok's precise measurements, which in practice I've found important). Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish. Not for someone who just wants to become a baker, this book is for someone who wants to make Ken Forkish's bread. And for a casual bread baker I can't imagine a better introduction. Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham. Andrea Nguyen is out there and Andrea Nguyen is awesome, but I really like Mai Pham's book. It's accessible, reliable and regional. You don't get the dissertation-level breakdown on the origins of chicken pho that you get from Andrea, but the recipe's there, among many others, and it's fucking outstanding. Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. This vegan cookbook is dope as hell and will really expand your imagination when it comes to vegetables. This could actually have been number five.
u/LilBadApple · 1 pointr/Cooking

Congrats on starting the process to learn to cook! What are some simple dishes you and your dad find tasty that you would like to learn to cook? I would start there. Get one of them nailed this week, another one next week, double up the following week. The first meals I learned to prepare were: grilled cheese sandwich with a fried egg, sheet pan roasted chicken thighs with potatoes and Greek seasoning, spaghetti with a sauce made from balsamic roasted roma tomatoes and red peppers, eggplant parmesan, chili con carne (this one is great because it lasts for days), blended soups with crusty bread and salad. If you'd like any of these simple recipes, message me and I'll DM them.

If you and your dad enjoy salads, learning the art of the simple salad is a great trick to add more veggies into your life. Learn to make a simple vinaigrette as the bottled stuff is trash. My fav is fresh lemon juice, fresh chopped garlic, a big pinch of of salt, good olive oil, a drop of maple syrup (you can sub a pinch of sugar) and a bit of mustard. Shake up in a mason jar with a lid (you can use an old pickle jar or anything else.) You can play with the ratios to your liking but usually it's 1/3 acid to 2/3 oil. Buy a box of salad greens and dress with your homemade dressing (which can keep in the fridge for a while in mason jar.) Add additional veggies and other toppings later like croutons and cheese, but honestly I just prefer dressed greens as a side to all my meals.

One trick is to get a sheet pan and some foil if you don't have one in your house. You can make a variety of healthy dishes and cleanup is a breeze. Here is a link for some quick and easy sheet pan recipes.

Another trick: get a large box of kosher salt and never look back. Use that to season while cooking and season finish dishes. Table salt is terrible. Last trick: taste as you go. Never wait until right before serving to taste your meal. This helps you season and also helps you learn seasoning skills as you go.

I would also say at the beginning, it's fine to use partially prepared foods as a starting off place. For example, in college I would buy pre-cooked pizza crust and add my own toppings (sauce, mozzarella, veggies). I would also buy pre-made pasta sauce and add to it by sauteeing first onions, then other veg like peppers and summer squash and then tossing it with pasta I cooked and parmesan on top (don't get the stuff in the green can, get a block of good parm and a microplane grater). A good one to try this with is jarred sundried tomato pesto (pro-tip! With all of your pasta, reserve some of your pasta water and splash it back in at the end spoonful by spoonful, makes a creamy and unified sauce.)

Here is a list from Bon Appetit for meals everyone should know how to cook. Most are quite simple.

Not sure if you'd also like to prepare lunch and breakfast, but for lunch, simple sandwiches are easy and healthy: get a loaf of bread, condiments you like, deli meat, sliced cheese, and various veg like lettuce/tomatoes. For breakfast, scrambled eggs on toast, oatmeal, and pancakes (use a mix at first) are a great place to start.

u/blueandroid · 4 pointsr/Cooking

I do a lot of sharpening, and have used many kinds of stones, jigs, and gadgets. Many of the jigs and gadgets are junk, or slow, or high-maintenance.
For basic kitchen knife maintenance, it's worth it to learn to sharpen freehand with inexpensive waterstones. If you want to spend more money for better tools, spend it on nice big diamond stones. Don't spend money on sharpening machines, jigs, or gadgets. My personal sharpening setup is three 3x8 EZE-Lap diamond stones (Coarse, fine, and super-fine), and a leather strop with chromium oxide buffing powder. With this I can turn pretty much any piece of steel into a long-lasting razor blade. EZE-lap makes some nice double-sided diamond stones too that look great for kitchen use. Knife steels have their place (touch-ups between real sharpenings), but are not a complete solution on their own, and can be bypassed entirely.

For knives, anything that's not super low-end is good. It should feel great when held correctly. Most home cooks who've spent $200 on a fancy chef's knife would be just as well off with something like a $55 Henckel's Classic. Knives like that are good steel, easy to sharpen and easy to use. Most good knives require thoughtful maintenance. If someone needs a cook's knife but will not take good care of it, get them a Victorinox Fibrox. They're cheap, good-enough knives with handles that can survive the dishwasher. I also like knives from Wüsthof, Global, Shun, Mac, and many others. Modern knives are mostly excellent. As long as you avoid ultra-cheap options and exotic gimmicks, it's easy to go right.

u/IonaLee · 7 pointsr/Cooking

If I were to build my kitchen from scratch, it would be pretty much what I have today w/out having to go through all the old, cheap stuff that I wound up buying getting rid of because it was low quality and wore out or broke or didn't work as well as it should have. So as follows:

All Clad Stainless:

  • 12" skillet
  • 1.5 qt pot
  • 3 qt pot
  • 8 qt stock pot (I have the 12 qt but most people won't use something that big

    Cast iron:

  • 12" skillet
  • 8" skillet
  • other cast iron pieces for grilling that most people won't use

    Enameled dutch oven (Staub):

  • 3 qt round cocotte
  • 7 qt round cocotte

    Various Appliances:

  • Kitchenaid mixer (hand mixer first, then stand mixer)
  • Cuisinart stick blender
  • Coffee maker (I have a Cuisinart, but I'm not stuck on the brand)
  • A toaster oven (again, I have Cuisinart, but check reviews)
  • An electric kettle (no brand specific)
  • Vitamix (optional - I love mine and use it daily)

    Knives:

  • Shun 10" chef knife
  • Shun 4" utility knife
  • No name super-thin flexible fish filleting knife that debones poultry like it was butter
  • Honing steel
  • Magnetic strip for storing knives

    Other misc stuff:

  • Fish turners in all sizes
  • Good set of bamboo (not wooden) spoons/spatulas
  • Set of silicone scraper/spatulas
  • Oxo tongs in various sizes (at least short, med, long)
  • A mandoline slicer
  • Epicurian cutting boards
  • Microplane grater/zester
  • A variety of mesh strainers (I use them more than colanders)
  • Thermopop instant read thermometer
  • A good quality probe thermometer (the kind you leave in the oven)

    Bakeware:

  • A basic set of Corningware
  • A couple of half sheet pans


    Fun things to have if you think you'll use them:

  • Pasta maker or attachment for your Kitchenaid
  • Ice cream maker
  • Bread machine

    These are the things that I have right now that I'd get from the start if I were starting over from scratch. I have other stuff, but it's been gathered over time and I'm sure I've left out a few things, since I'm kind of working off the top of my head. Oh yeah, like a good set of storage stuff (Rubbermaid or similar) and a garlic press ... and ... and ... :)
u/Mister_Loaf · 3 pointsr/Cooking

As nice as cast iron is, if you ever want to make any kind of pan sauce after you've cooked your protein that might involve wine or vinegar or lemon juice, you'd be out of luck. I'd go with a good, heavy traditional-finish skillet with some sort of clad construction for optimal even heating across the surface. As far as that sticking issue goes, you don't have to use as much oil as long as your skillet is already heated before you put any food in it. In some cases (not all), meat in a traditional finish skillet will stick at first but release from the surface right around the time it's supposed to be flipped or turned, which is perfectly normal anyway.

One of the other perks of a traditional finish skillet is fond -- a.k.a., the stuck-on brown bits left in the pan after you've cooked your food. All those brown (not blackened, that's too far) bits = flavorful awesomeness, and are key in making a good pan sauce to go with whatever you're making. Deglaze the pan with a bit of broth or wine or whatever and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon, throw some butter and herbs in there, baby, you got a sauce goin'. (Plus, this makes cleaning the pan later a lot easier, since you're using what would otherwise be "mess" to your advantage.")

Problem is, good-quality stainless steel skillets are expensive, and the drop-off in price represents a really steep drop-off in quality, which would of course give you worse results in cooking and make you less likely to want to use one anyway. One thing to watch out for is skillets with disk bottoms, where the only place the manufacturers put the highly conductive aluminum core which appears in most stainless steel cookware in a disk on the bottom of the skillet. These are the cheapest options, but the problem is the sides of the pan don't heat up as evenly or as well as the bottom, which results in uneven cooking if you're using the entire surface of the pan. Better to go with a "clad" pan -- one in which the entire skillet is made out of a layer of aluminum sandwiched between stainless steel. Better conduction, more even heating, better performance, better food. Yes, clad skillets are more expensive (~$110 versus ~$50 for a disk bottom), but 1) Cooking.com, etc. run sales on these things all the time, and 2) as long as you take good care care of them (Bar Keeper's Friend works wonders for me), there's no reason why they shouldn't last a lifetime -- definitely worth the investment.

u/[deleted] · 4 pointsr/Cooking
  1. Cardomom can come in purple too, apparently. That would probably be black cardomom, the green pods on the right are green cardomom. That whole picture shows the ingredients for chai.

  2. Green chilis will give you similar heat to chili powder, but I'd just recommend picking up some dried red chilis and making your own powder. You can get large bags for cheap at an indian grocer. You can make your own chili flakes from this too. Cloves and cinnamon together can substitute allspice.

  3. Yes, some indian spices are very close to morrocan / thai spices, and there are plenty of spices used in other kinds of savory dishes (italian and oregano, mexican and cumin) or sweet dishes (cinnamon, cardamom) and so on. You've got a much better stock than most people do when they start cooking.

  4. There are plenty of online resources for subbing spices. Just read up when you have to.

  5. Just start with what you have, and if you are missing something, grab it. I have over 100 spices at home and probably use 30 of them frequently. Just figure out what you like and run out of by learning new dishes. You might want to either grow an herb garden, or stock up on leaf spices (thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, basil, savory, majorum and so on). These are generally better fresh but dried can still impart flavor. I also enjoy different table salts (black lava salt, pink salt) for different flavors.

  6. You really learn this by making dishes. The more you cook, the better you will be able to remember how spices go together. Also, there's "Culinary Artistry" or "The Flavor Bible" for most spices you will encounter. This book lists all different foods and spice and what is traditionally mixed with what.


  7. Just have fun with spice! It really is a learning process, but once you get the hang of it, it really makes all the difference in cooking. You can make wonderful dishes very easily if you master the use of spice. Good luck!

    Edit : 8. Wear gloves, and just try not to be careless. You will probably injure yourself cooking in one way or another, but you can take precautions to minimize the injury. I have about 8 cuts on my hands from my chefs knife, but they all happened because I was either drinking or was half awake. I've burned myself from pans, but again, it's because I was being careless.
u/redditho24602 · 1 pointr/Cooking

If you'd use a tortilla press, then you'll probably get a lot of use out of a citrus squeezer. I feel like the lever kind gets you the most juice, and the orange ones do lemon and limes just as well.

Microplane -- great for citrus zests, spices, ginger and garlic. I like to have one with slightly bigger holes for cheese as well --- the microplane makes really fine, fluffy cheese that basically disappears when it melts, and sometimes that's not what you want.

Seconding a cast iron skillet --- great for so many things, searing steak, frying chicken, bacon, stews.

Tongs --- tongs, a spatula and a wooden spoon and you can basically cook anything

Fine mesh strainer --- can use for pasta or whatnot, but it's also great for things like gravy or pan sauces where you want plup to get through but no chunks of stuff

probe thermometer --- super handy for meats.

Nice to have: Coffee grinder. Awesome for spices --- you can buy whole spices, which keep their flavor much longer and are way cheaper. The difference between, say, cumin from a jar and cumin seeds you toast and grind fresh --- it's ridiculous. Mortar and pestle, same deal --- there's some kinds of sauces, like mole or Thai curries, that you get much better flavor when you use a mortar and pestle. You can usually get them pretty cheap at Asian or Latin American groceries.

u/rainycity · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Chili - the first time I made this, I just used ground turkey, which is why that's in the recipe... I've also made it with pork and bison/beef and it's good. Whichever you prefer. Sometimes I use pureed tomatoes instead of diced. You can use both, if you like. If the chili is too liquidy, put a few tablespoons of cornstarch into a glass with a little water, mix until it's blended, and then add to the chili, and cook - this will help thicken in up a bit.

8 strips (half a package) of bacon

1 red onion

1 small bulb of garlic

3 to 4 tablespoons tomato paste

2 lbs extra lean ground turkey

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 can baked beans

1 can mixed beans

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cinnamon

salt and pepper, to taste

.

Chop bacon into small bits and cook in a large pot. Add chopped onion, saute until clear, and add minced garlic. Add ground meat, and cook until it's done (sometimes I add some of the spices now). Add tomato paste, tomatoes, and both cans of beans to the pot, as well as the spices and maple syrup. Simmer for at least half an hour, but an hour is ideal. I tend to cook this a day ahead, and then reheat and simmer for another 20 minutes or so - I find it's better the next day.

Jamie Oliver's Guinness Pie is amazingly delicious.

Also, a digital thermometer - like this - is your best friend when cooking meat.

If you're a fan of breakfast food, check this out. It's so good.


Edit: Cornbread goes wonderfully with chili. I leave out the green chile peppers, and replace with chopped green onions. Sometimes I put about a tsp of chili powder in, and sometimes a little cayenne to give it some kick.

u/therealjerseytom · 1 pointr/Cooking

> Knife sharpening. I've tried searching this sub for knife sharpening suggestions and while the most common suggestion is to pay someone to do it once or twice a year, I've read horror stories and I'd like to learn myself either with a sharpening stone or a system made to guarantee the angle. Any suggestions here?

Lot of options here. You can find places that will do knife sharpening. There's one near me that's just a small storefront but they do work for local restaurants and regular Joe walk-ins for a flat rate of $6 a blade.

However, it's really pretty easy to get into doing your own sharpening. Can find decent starter stones on Amazon, for example, as well as good online tutorials that'll give you the process. From there it's just hands-on time.

Doesn't matter if you're not perfect the first time you do it - can always go back and put a better edge on a knife later when you get better at it. Probably most important thing is to know how to hold and maintain an angle - conveniently you can come up with good rules of thumb using trig. For a typical western angle of 22.5 degrees per side, you need to hold the spine up off the stone 3/8" per inch of blade height. For a more typical Japanese angle of 15 degrees it's 1/4" per inch of blade height. Just have to take a look at what that is with a ruler, then you can put your thumb up against it and find where you need to "lock in" and hold it.

I enjoy doing it myself, picked it up pretty quickly over the summer, and I'd say my knives tend to have a better-than-new edge on them. 1-2 times per year seems sufficient, maybe 3 - really depends on type of steel and use.

u/imonfiyar · 4 pointsr/Cooking

waterstones for sharpening and a honing rod for western knives (guessing that's what you have).

Something cheap but good for value like a King 1k/6k to get you going first.

Once you get better, you can always upgrade to nicer stones like Shapton, Naniwa, Suehiro, etc.

I use Japanese knives so I don't have a honing rod and can't recommend you one.

​

Gist of it

Soak stone 10 mins

Start 1k grit side, run each side 5 - 10 times (look up what a burr is)

Start 6k grit side, run each side 5 - 10 times (polishing)

optional - you can also strop it to make it sharper using newspaper, cardboard, leather

hone the knife (5-10 passes) end of every week after use

​

There are really good playlists like Korin or JKI but they can get pretty serious, detailed and sometimes overwhelming.

I like to watch Burrfection where it's more casual content.

u/Boblives1 · 6 pointsr/Cooking

You might want to buy Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything. Its a book about cooking techniques that I think is precisely the book you are looking for.

Also honorable mention for The Food Lab and The New Best Recipe books as well, those are more recipe based, but they have great info on techniques and ingredients. Both get into the science behind cooking and explain why they picked a specific recipe which helped me learn how to cook without recipes and be able to know when certain things are done(I now judge if something I am baking is done more by smell than time now) and how to save emulsions when to add salt and acids etc. The author of the food lab is also pretty active on the Serious Eats subreddit and will answer questions about his recipes.

Salt Fat Acid and Heat is also pretty good as well, I have not read this one personally though as the first part is waaaaaayyy too much personal narrative from the author for me and I turned off the audiobook after listening to her life story for 10 minutes, so get the print book so you can skip right to the cooking parts.

u/noworryhatebombstill · 8 pointsr/Cooking

Hmm, a lot of times trouble with cutting things is mostly an equipment issue-- aka, a blunt knife. Is your supermarket an Asian one? They often have really good, sharp knives for not very much money. If not, it may be worth getting something like this. There's a bit of a learning curve, but with a sharp knife you'd improve rapidly!

I'm an amount-eyeballer too, so that makes it easier to give you some of my recipes, haha. This one is a nice alternative to a tomato sauce that doesn't require a lot of chopping and comes together very fast:

  • Put your salted water on to boil for the pasta.
  • Slice 1 medium onion: Halve the onion lengthwise. Cut off the tops of each half and peel back the skins to the root. Holding onto the root, slice thinly crosswise, so that the slices are ~1/8" thick. Basically, follow up to step 4 of this image, making thinner slices and not cutting off the root ends because they make a nice handle.
  • Smash 4 garlic cloves: Bash each clove with the side of your knife. The papery skins will fall right off.
  • Take a 12-inch skillet and pour in ~3 tbsp of olive oil, just to thinly coat the bottom of the skillet. Put over medium heat. (Meanwhile, start cooking your pasta as soon as your water is boiling). Once the oil is hot, throw in the onion, the smashed garlic cloves, a filet or two of anchovy (the kind that comes in a tin packed in olive oil), ~2 tbsp of drained/patted-dry/lightly smashed capers, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Salt and saute until fragrant and the onions are softening and the anchovies have started to dissolve.
  • Add about half a glass of white wine to the pan and then add ~3 large handfuls of roughly-chopped kale or other hearty green. It should take about 5 minutes for the kale to wilt down, during which time your pasta should be finished-- again, undercook it by 1 minute. BEFORE YOU DRAIN YOUR PASTA, save about a cup of the starchy water.
  • Add your pasta to the skillet with ~1/3 of the pasta water, a handful of fresh-grated Parmigiana cheese, and a pat of butter. Turn up the heat. Toss until the pasta's done, adjusting the consistency of the sauce with additional water if you need to. Take off the heat, adjust seasoning (salt and pepper), and add the juice of one lemon, stirring to coat.
  • Serve with additional cheese and cracked black pepper.

    Good luck with your pasta voyage!
u/IndestructibleMushu · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Yotam Ottolenghi came out with a followup on his Plenty cookbook a few months ago, its called Plenty More. Used to see vegetables as only a side dish but he really changed my mind and enabled me to see that they can really be the star of the table. There are many interesting combinations. And as a man who is an omnivore himself, he often makes his dishes hearty enough that many of us wont even miss the meat.

Another book which you should look into is Thug Kitchen. If you haven't seen their blog, you should really check it out.

You should also look into Deborah Madison's books. This one is practically the Bible among vegetarians due to how comprehensive it is. Ironically, she also is an omnivore.

Theres also the Moosewood Cookbook which is great for weeknight meals as many of the recipes are simple and quick.

If you like Indian, I would really recommend 660 Curries which has some of the best Indian food I've ever tasted. I often compare food I get in Indian restaurants to what I've cooked from this book. Yes, its not completely vegetarian but the vast majority of Indian cuisine is vegetarian so it should still be a valuable resource for you.

Speaking of Indian food, Madhur Jaffrey (who is known for her Indian cookbooks) has a great cookbook dedicated to vegetarian cooking.

u/gregmo7 · 5 pointsr/Cooking

If you love to read, then I completely back up those who recommended J Kenji Lopez-Alt's "The Food Lab". He also spends some time on /r/seriouseats, which I think is really great. Food Lab is great because it explains not only HOW to make a recipe, but the WHY a recipe works the way that it does, and allows you to expand your cooking skills. His is not the only book that does this, but I've read Salt Fat Acid Heat and The Science of Cooking and a good portion of the tome that is Modernist Cuisine, but Kenji's style of writing is exceptionally approachable.

But my actual suggestion to someone who wants to go from never cooking to cooking healthy meals at home is to watch the recipes on Food Wishes, because he shows you what each step of the recipe is supposed to look like, and his food blog is not filled with flowery stories, but helpful tips.

Another great online resource that I used when I started cooking about 5 years ago was The Kitchn. They offer up basic technique videos on how to cook proteins and vegetables that are really simple to follow for beginners.

My advice to you is this: don't feel like you need to dive immediately into recipes. First learn how to season and cook a chicken breast or steak consistently, and roast the different kinds of vegetables. Then just start jumping into recipes that you want to try. And don't be afraid to ask questions here :)

u/caffeian · 3 pointsr/Cooking

Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for the Food is a great primer on the science of cooking. I read it in culinary school, and it was a great distillation of the main concepts (which cuts are of meat are good for braising, searing, roasting, etc. and how to properly perform each technique). If you end up enjoying Alton Brown's style, I would also recommend Fish on a First Name Basis for fish cookery. Lastly, Cook's Illustrated is a wonderful resource on food and cooking. The yearly online membership is only approx $25, and you get access to all previously published recipes and equipment reviews.

In terms of equipment, the knife I personally use is the Victorinox 10-inch chef knife. Japanese steel is great and all, but for the same price you could get this knife, a good electric knife sharpener, and a honing steel and still have some left over. The best knife is a sharp knife after all. I would also highly recommend a T-fal non-stick pan for a solid multi-purpose first pan.

Finally, for an herb garden, I generally try to aim for either expensive or infrequently used herbs for indoor gardening. The reasoning behind growing expensive herbs is pretty straightforward. I primarily grow infrequently used herbs to avoid wasting what I wouldn't use up when cooking (as you mentioned is oft a problem). In my region, basil, sage, thyme, tarragon, and oregano would all be good candidates to grow. Parsley, cilantro, and bay leaf tend to be cheaper at the market in my area, so I usually just purchase those.

u/lettuceses · 3 pointsr/Cooking


The steel in the victorinox is definitely softer. Here's my current suggestions for people thinking about buying cheaper knives.

(Copy and pasted from something I've posted before, but with some updates)


TL;DR: In the category of budget knives. For longer lasting edges, Tojiro DP Santoku or Gyuto for $43 and $52 (now $62) respectively, or the Augymer for $30. For easier maintenance, Kai 6720C or Henckels Forged Synergy for $32 and $35, respectively.



As a caveat, budget knives of all sorts are not going to have the fit and finish of higher priced knives. For Knives that are easy to obtain lump you into two categories that have pros and cons, German hardness and Japanese hardness. Which is mainly a trade off between sharpness/edge holding vs durability/ease of maintenance. Although you can sharpen really soft metals to be stupid sharp and a really acute angle, it will not last long at all. But when the edge gets rolled over from a cutting session, it can be easily honed back into place. Harder knives can still be honed back into place, but techniques and tools are slightly different--I would never touch my harder knives with a grooved steel.

German hardness is usually around 56-58 hrc. Hard enough to hold an edge for a bit, but soft enough to not chip and easily steel/hone back into place.

The Victorinox Fibrox at about 55 hrc used to be suggested all the time when it was $20 and even when it was about $35. But now that it is $40-45, that's just too much for what is a very cheap knife.

A couple knives still in this range, which are better quality than the fibrox anyway are:

Kai 6720C Wasabi Black Chef's Knife, 8-Inch at 57-58 hrc for $32

https://www.amazon.com/Kai-6720C-Wasabi-Black-8-Inch/dp/B000YL4NY4


So this one is actually made with Japanese steel by the same company that makes Shun. But, because it's hardened to only 57-58 hrc, I'm lumping it in with the german steel category.

and The Henckels International Forged Synergy 8-inch Chef's Knife at about 57-58 hrc for $32

http://www.amazon.com/HENCKELS-INTERNATIONAL-Forged-Synergy-8-inch/dp/B000FMVS4A

Henckels International (not regular Henckels) used to be really bad because they made their knives to 53-55 hrc, which is way too soft to hold an edge to get through a cooking session without nearly constant honing. I've heard their international classics are still being made w/ the crappy steel.


So your choice between these two are having that big bolster (which I'm not a fan of) and general aesthetic.

Japanese hardness is usually at least 59 hrc, with a good chunk in the 60-62 range. This means potentially better, longer lasting cutting performance between honing/sharpening. The tradeoff is that it becomes more difficult to get to this stage without specialty tools or sending it to a professional sharpener. At this point I personally don't even consider knives under 59 hrc, unless it's something that really takes a beating.

For the cheapest price point, while still having quality. I would really only recommend the Tojiro DP at 60-61 hrc. It used to be about double the prices, but the grinds also used to be more even. Either way, it's still a great buy.

The chef/gyuto is $52 (now $62 hopefully it'll come back down soon)

http://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Gyutou-8-2-21cm/dp/B000UAPQGS/

And the Santoku is $43

http://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Santoku-6-7-17cm/dp/B000UAPQEA/

So the main difference here is whatever knife shape you prefer (and the price). I've gotten some cheaper harder steel knives, but I've had to do way too much touching up to be recommended.

There's also the Augymer 8" "Damascus" for $30 allegedly hardened to 62 hrc:

https://www.amazon.com/Augymer-Japanese-Professional-Stainless-Sharp-Damascus/dp/B01H6KWUWC/

I'd be really afraid of fit and finish problems, and generally lower tolerances throughout the process of making this knife. You can even see the uneven grind on the Amazon page. I'd also assume that the hardness is a tad lower than specified (maybe 60 hrc), but it should still be a pretty good knife if you want to pinch your pennies. This could be a great knife with some TLC, especially if you send it to someone who knows what they're doing.

u/LongUsername · 1 pointr/Cooking

I get most of my recipes online, but I've been cooking for 30+ years. Usually I end up looking at 4-5 for something before I find one that looks good, especially if I'm on AllRecipes or other non-curated sites.

Most good cookbooks talk about technique as well as ingredients. (or all technique as with Pepin's "Complete Techniques" There are lots of crap cookbooks out there, but in general cookbooks by well known chefs have stood the test of time. I also lean toward PBS chefs instead of "Food network" as they're more about educating than entertaining. Cookbooks from before WWII are great too, as they were designed for people who cooked meals every day instead of being made of "convenience" food (the 50's and 60's were horrible for cooking)

My favorites:

  • James Beard
  • Mark Bittman (How to Cook Everything is a great technique reference)
  • America's Test Kitchen
  • Jacques Pepin (great technique stuff, and good tasty food)
  • Julia Child
  • Nick Stellino
  • Martin Yan
  • Lorna Sass (for pressure cooking)

    For Web sites I tend to use the following more than others:

  • Serious Eats
  • Hip Pressure Cooking

    For V-Blog "Food entertainment" that's still educational I like Chef John's Food Wishes.
u/gulbronson · 3 pointsr/Cooking

So most of my cookbooks are either text dense reference manuals or obnoxiously difficult like The French Laundry Cookbook, but here's a few that are relatively simple with excellent photography:

La Cocina - Cookbook from an organization in San Francisco that teaches low income people to successfully grow food businesses. Photos are incredible.

-

The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook - Excellent photos with a lot of obscure produce.

-

Ad Hoc at Home - Thomas Keller's family style recipes with wonderful photography.

-

Flour Water Salt Yeast - Focused on baking bread and making pizza, but a lot of step by step photos and some awesome pictures of the final product.

u/Redhotkcpepper · 3 pointsr/Cooking

NYT no knead bread - best if you have a Dutch oven (you can get one amazon for like 30 bucks)

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls - best cinnamon rolls ever, I usually half the recipe. For frosting, hers is a bit too extravagant. I just use powered sugar, melted butter and water/milk til you get the consistency you like

Sourdough Starter Recipe - it cuts out buying yeast and the need to prove it. This will also serve as a catalyst for other types of bread in the future.

FWSY - the Holy Grail of bread cooking books

And as someone already pointed out r/breadit

Also, not sure what country you're in, but try catching the Great British Baking Show on Netflix (streams in US). I've been watching it recently and it's definitely inspired me to bake all sorts of goodies.

Good luck!

u/IReallyLikeSushi · 1 pointr/Cooking

I have a couple of small, yet invaluable, kitchen tools that I couldn't do without. You can put together a great cornucopia of kitchen tools for her.

  1. Tongs
    This is great for turning, mixing, flipping, serving, etc.

  2. Microplane
    This goes well beyond cheese. This is great for grating ginger, garlic, etc.

  3. citrus press
    Such a great time saver.

  4. silicone spatulas
    The silicon tip allows you to use it for high temperatures and the flexibility is key when you're scraping a mixture out of a bowl. Speaking of bowls...

  5. bowls

    You sound like a winner. Let us know how it goes.
u/nebock · 2 pointsr/Cooking

I just got a stainless set for Christmas this past year. I was really excited but also terrified, then I did some research. The key to stainless steel cooking is heat the pan first before adding ANYTHING. I believe the adage is hot pan, cold fat.

So, say you want to cook something over medium-high heat.

  • Turn the burner on to that, set the pan on it and forget about it for a few minutes so the pan comes up to heat empty.
  • Then, add your fat, so butter, olive oil whatever (I don't do this with bacon because the bacon is essentially the fat, just heat and slap in your bacon), let the fat come up to temperature. You want to wait until you see a nice shimmer on the surface for things like olive oil. * Then add your food.

    I can even scramble eggs in my skillets and they slide out like nothing. You'll notice after a little practice that these babies are, when used properly, less prone to stick than something with a non-stick coating, unless of course you burn the shit out of it. :)

    Also, for cleaning, let the pan cool before you wash it. My favorite things to use are either no scratch Scotch Brite pads or Scotch Brite Dobies but in most cases I don't really need to scrub. That being said, you're going to encounter situations where you burn things or the fat oxidizes on your pans and for this, hands down, get some Bar Keepers Friend. It's the best thing ever.
u/Lenininy · 1 pointr/Cooking

Ok I think if you want to take your cooking game to the next level start with this. Learn how to use cast iron and cherish it. It might seem hard at first but it's actually really easy. Will last you years if properly taken care of.

If you want to just cook to survive, and have a pan that is easy to clean and not worry about too much, get this. And to be honest this is pricy for a non-stick pan. I would go to your nearest Walmart and get a non-stick pan for 20 bucks or something.

u/Katholikos · 1 pointr/Cooking

I've used this for two years now, and I've never had anything but perfect rice every single time.

I'm sure I could get better rice if I dropped $300 on one, but the price is good and the quality is perfectly fine to me.

u/ALoudMouthBaby · 4 pointsr/Cooking

My go to place for Indian recipes has become Manjula's Kitchen. That lady is like the Indian grandmother I never had. Here's a few noteworth recipes:

Paneer, this homemade cheese is really, realy easy to make and used for a lot of stuff.

Palak Paneer: Very quick and easy diesh that is very good.

Achari Paneer, I know, more paneer, but it is good stuff.

The spices in most of Manjulla's recipes are pretty basic, too. With the exception of asafetida you can find everything else easily at a local big box store.

If you would prefer a cook book, 660 Curries is also a great way to get started.

u/Topicalcream · 1 pointr/Cooking

There are two different approaches that I would recommend, which is better for you would be down to your personality. The option are:

A. a good block of knives
B. two very good knives

If you're a little unsure option A will be pretty good and will last 4-5 years. Example: http://www.amazon.com/Mundial-Series-7-Piece-Knife-Block/dp/B00004RBSV/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1409773431&sr=1-4&keywords=mundial+knife+block

If you like good stuff and care for your tools then option B might be the go. With care these should last 20 years and - as noted by /u/icecow many come with free professional sharpening for the life of the knife. Add a smaller very good utility knife and a sharpening steel and you should be right. An example of the higher end: http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-8-Inch-Cooks-Knife/dp/B00009ZK08/ref=sr_1_1_m?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1409773723&sr=1-1&keywords=wusthof+chef+knives


I'll also note that I've bought both of the examples I've used here. Check about the sharpening service before you buy on option B. I know that Wusthof have the free sharpening in Australia, but I don't know about elsewhere. The Mundials are surprisingly good for the price.

u/ChefM53 · 1 pointr/Cooking

this one has pretty good reviews. and you would have enough leftover to buy a sharpener.

https://www.amazon.com/Profession-German1-4116-Stainless-Ergonomic-Restaurant/dp/B07TKM8R97/ref=sr_1_70_sspa?

or

https://www.amazon.com/IMMEK-Kitchen-Stainless-Dealing-Vegetables/dp/B07DX57KXZ/ref=sr_1_73?

Or, Here is a Henckels knife that is only $47.

https://www.amazon.com/J-HENCKELS-INTERNATIONAL-31161-201-Classic/dp/B00004RFMT/ref=sxin_3_sp_qu_bss_is?

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Sharpeners

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Sharpener-Electric-Serrated-Stainless/dp/B07BJ6VQ85/ref=sr_1_84?

I have one of these and Love it! but it's a bit pricey on a budget. so maybe next time. get the cheap on now and get something like this later. Mine has lasted me 10 years so far and is still going.

https://www.amazon.com/ChefsChoice-ProntoPro-Sharpener-Sharpening-Euro-American/dp/B007IVBET0/ref=sr_1_24?

also, to help keep the edge sharp on your knife... Don't put it in the dishwasher! hand wash only dry and put away. also if you cut anything acidic, tomatoes, orange, lemon etc. rinse the blade well and wash as soon as you get a chance. the acid will dull your knife pretty quickly.

u/Aetole · 3 pointsr/Cooking

The Taste of Conquest by Michael Krondl looks appealing, but i haven't yet read it.

Stirring the Pot: A History of African Cuisine is adjacent to the regions you are interested in and could have some good information.

A Taste of Thyme is more of an academic writing style, but it has different chapters that examine a facet of Middle Eastern food life that would have good information for you.

660 Curries isn't a history book, but Iyer goes into great detail discussing spices, and if I'm not mistaken, history and background of particular curries. It's my go-to reference for Indian cooking as well.

u/Francisz · 0 pointsr/Cooking

I usually tell people to check out How to Cook Without a Book. It has some recipes, but it's more about giving readers a better understanding of techniques, how to put something together from what you already have on hand, and what things you should just keep around at all times because of their usefulness. As opposed to a lot of books I've seen that give a list of things to buy which will then need to be prepped with tools you might not have.

edit: If you got money to spend and really dig the art and science of cooking there is also Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. At just under $550 USD it's the most expensive and most beautiful cookbook I've ever seen.

u/SingAlongBlog · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Wusthof 8"
This is the one that I have - Take a look around at some local stores and you're almost certain to find it cheaper than this listing

Another wusthof
This one os from their Ikon line. I don't own this one but I've used it and it's really nice as well. The bolster on the Ikon is a little different and the grip is a little more ergonomic supposedly. I didn't really notice too much of a difference.

Another one to check out is Zwilling. I don't know too much about them apart from word of mouth, which has only been positive.

Whichever you go with make sure that if he doesn't have one already to get him a good steel to go with it

u/purplenat · 2 pointsr/Cooking

You can get really great knives for a very good price. In fact, the knives that America's Test Kitchen recommends are all under $30.
Chef's Knife
(the all around workhorse)
Forschner/Fibrox Chef's Knife {$30}
Paring knife
(I use mine sometimes, for trimming)
Forschner/Fibrox paring knife {$10}
Serrated knife
(I use mine for bread and watermelon)
Forschner/Fibrox bread knife {$25}

As for spices, I use very few, and buy them as I need them for recipes. The ones I go through fastest (other than salt and pepper) are cumin (for Mexican and Indian cuisine) and nutmeg (uhh, I bake a lot).

Whenever I need to buy a new basic or fancy gadget, I always check out America's test kitchen. Sign up for the free two week thing, and look up ALL the tools.

Finally, my favorite guide to all the things you need comes from smitten kitchen. Seriously, check it out. Super awesome.

u/trioxin4dinner · 1 pointr/Cooking

Roasted lemony chicken thighs with a lemon and white wine sauce, potatoes roasted under the chicken, and steamed broccoli. That was fantastic but the Light And Fluffy Pancakes from The New Best Recipe were pretty awesome too.

u/Manse_ · 1 pointr/Cooking

King's generic 1000/3000 dual stone is a great buy for the price. I had one that lasted for years before it was too dished/clogged to put an edge on anything. Then I needed a flattening stone to bring it back to fighting condition.

Though, if you have the spare cash, Kramer's waterstone set is amazing. You can get a very good edge with the King stones, but that Kramer set has a very different feel.

Also, you'll want a nagura (if you don't get the Kramer set that comes with one). A lot of the king stones offered on Amazon come with one. It's used to clean/condition the stone, flatten out smaller imperfections (over the heavy cleaning stone above), and make a slurry to really polish on your high grit stones.

Also Also, one shout out to Upon Leather on Amazon. I picked up a strop from them that is very good quality leather, with more polishing compound than I will ever need, and a no-shit handwritten thank you note in the box. Just need to mount it to a piece of scrap wood and you're good to go.

u/HardwareLust · 3 pointsr/Cooking

I came here just to recommend the RH Forschner-Victorinox knives. Get a chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. That will cover the vast majority of your knife needs.

Cook's Illustrated rated them very highly. I can attest from my own personal experience, they are inexpensive, comfortable, and easy to keep sharp. It's amazing you can buy a knife this good for so little money.

Get a Victorinox steel ($9), and also pick up an Accu-sharp knife sharpener, also highly recommended by Cook's Illustrated, and me as well: http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1229911994&sr=8-4

EDIT: You may also want to add a (quality) pair of kitchen shears. Very handy thing in the kitchen.

If you start out with these 6 pieces, you will be well on your way to a very well equipped kitchen.

u/mthmchris · 68 pointsr/Cooking

So a few off the top of my head:

  1. The Professional Chef. Geared towards professional chefs but a great resource.

  2. On Food and Cooking. A classic. Not really a 'cookbook' per se but rather a book that discusses history and food science.

  3. The now out-of-print Williams and Sonoma Mastering Series. Specifically, their book on sauces - the others are solid but not quite as good. Those books were how I personally learned to cook. (still can find used)

  4. The Flavor Bible. Obligatory. Eventually you grow out of it a bit, but it's still a great resource to have around.

  5. Flour Water Salt Yeast. I just got this book recently this last Christmas, and I've been enjoying it quite a bit.
u/Petit_Hibou · 1 pointr/Cooking

It looks like you have plenty of awesome ideas here. I am going to make a recommendation of a really excellent book for deciding what flavors pair well together and how to balance a flavor pallette: Culinary Artistry. It's a terrific resource for people who are trying to move away from recipe-based cooking and into creating their own dishes. It's reasonably accessible-- some of the sample menus are a bit 'out there' but the fundamentals are strong. You might enjoy it!

u/JackLegJosh · 1 pointr/Cooking

I have not personally used this knife, but I've heard really good things about it. Also heard that it's razor-sharp. I'd like to get one sometime but I have Calphalon Santoku that I picked up at Marshall's that I'm pretty happy with for the time being.

u/LeggieBoi · 9 pointsr/Cooking

I'd definitely pick up a microplane to go with your box grater when you get the chance, this is a super nice one that's kind of the gold standard.

Fantastic for hard cheese, really the only tool for zesting citrus, and also great for getting a quick garlic or ginger paste.

u/MGNero3 · 1 pointr/Cooking

I would highly recommend Cooking for Geeks. It explores the science behind what you're doing while providing you with a solid stable of recipes. It also approaches cooking more like a laboratory and less like an art. If you get a chance I also highly recommend you watch Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course. A quick google search should reveal the best places to watch it.

u/MCClapYoHandz · 8 pointsr/Cooking

Full knife sets are a scam. You don’t need two different size chef knives and a santoku, you don’t need a serrated paring knife, or any of that crap. You’ll never use them and they’ll just sit there in your knife block, and you will have spent 50% of your money on knives you never touch. Here’s all you need, in your price range:

A henckels 8 inch chef knife - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004RFMT/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1510433354&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=henckels+chef+knife+8&dpPl=1&dpID=31OX1pDMIvL&ref=plSrch. you’ll use this for 90% of the things you cut. Veggies, meat, whatever.

A tojiro bread slicer. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001TPA816/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1510433463&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bread+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=312P9gZ10AL&ref=plSrch. this thing will eat through crusty breads, tough squashes, pineapples, etc, and you can also use it to cut paper thin tomato slices with those sharp teeth. It’s good quality and cheap, I just bought one myself and love it. I accidentally cut my dish brush and a cloth when washing and drying it the first time. That’s how sharp it is.

A victorinox paring knife. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0019WXPQY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510433648&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=victorinox+paring&psc=1 - for when you need to do fine cutting work

If you have a good reason, you might add a boning knife or something like that, but these 3 knives are all I use 99.9% of the time. The only other thing to add is a sharpener and honing steel to keep them sharp.

If you’re not a professional chef, you can get away with a cheap (decent) knife sharpener like this one - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004VWKQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1510433817&sr=8-10&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=knife+sharpener&dpPl=1&dpID=41bRTplVVXL&ref=plSrch]

You don’t need to spend a bunch of time and money on stones to sharpen your knives properly unless you’re super interested in that sort of thing. Use this sharpener once every few weeks or so and it’ll keep your knives sharp enough to get everything done.

If I were starting a new kitchen from scratch, those are exactly what I’d buy to get started. Treat them well and sharpen them occasionally (except the bread slicer, it’s hard to sharpen but cheap enough to replace every few years when it starts to dull), and they’ll last you a long time.

u/HunnyB06 · 1 pointr/Cooking

I don't have a subscription either but it's also in my favorite cookbook:

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Recipe-Cooks-Illustrated-Magazine/dp/0936184744/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421716625&sr=8-1&keywords=best+recipe

Pan Seared, Oven Roasted, Thick Cut Pork Chops

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
4 bone in rib chops 1/1/12 inch thick
1/2/ teaspoon pepper
1 tbsp oil

dissolve the brown sugar and salt in 6 cups cold water in a gallon size zipper lock plastic bag. Add the pork chops and seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate until fully seasoned about 1 hour. Remove the chops from the brine, rinse, and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season the chops with the pepper.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position, place a shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 450 degrees. When the oven reaches 450 degrees, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed 12 inch skillet over high heat until shimmering. Lay the chops in the skillet and cook until well browned and a nice crust has formed on the surface, about 3 minutes. Turn the chops over with tongs and cook until well browned and a nice crust has formed on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Using the tongs, transfer the chops to the preheated pan in the oven. Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a chop registers 125 to 127 degrees 8 to 10 minutes turning the chops over once halfway through the cooking time. Transfer the chops to a platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Check the internal temperature; it should register 145 degrees. Serve immediately.

Sweet and Sour Pan Sauce and Bacon

5 ounces bacon
2 shallots
1 garlic clove
4 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry Marsala
4 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper

Pour off the fat in the skillet used to brown the chops. Place the skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon until crisp about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate; pour off all but 1 tbsp of the bacon fat. Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots and sugar, and cook until the shallots are softened, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to medium high, stir in the tomatoes and vinegar, and scrape the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Add the Marsala and simmer until reduced by half about 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

u/kcjenk42 · 2 pointsr/Cooking

This book is fabulous! In it they tell you a couple of methods they tried while making a recipe and why they decided a method worked best. This is the goto book I would purchase for anyone beginning to cook or looking to improve their cooking. Feel free to msg me if you want further details about the book. https://www.amazon.com/New-Best-Recipe-Cooks-Illustrated/dp/0936184744

I highly recommend any cookbook from America's Test Kitchen. They also have a segment on NPR & PBS.

u/ILikeLeptons · 1 pointr/Cooking

cooking for geeks is an excellent book to help you understand how to experiment with food. it has good recipes, but i really appreciated it for how much it encourages you to experiment with recipes and how to think of novel additions/changes to them.

u/fatcomputerman · 19 pointsr/Cooking

jeez, it's a good knife for the money but let's not pretend it's what it's not. it's a good entry level knife and that's what it's designed for. at the $100 dollar range you're going up against good consumer knives (not saying the global is better because global handles suck).

it doesn't hold an edge as long, it's weighted poorly and the blade is stamped.

this will be better in *almost every way, also someone suggested the tojiro which is good too.

u/ToadLord · 25 pointsr/Cooking

I am the owner of the /r/ATKGear subreddit which posts past winners for kitchen gear and ingredient taste tests from the show America's Test Kitchen. Here is a list of all gear winners.
But if I had to pick one item it would definitely be the Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch Chef's Knife. I have been happy with mine for two years now and it is always the one knife I reach for when there is some slicing to do.
I have nothing to do with amazon.com nor any retailer there - feel free to shop around for one elsewhere :)

u/lensupthere · 3 pointsr/Cooking

Get the 10" model. It's $2.05 more.

8" will be a bit short for prepping things if you use the "tip-fulcrum method" (google that for info/videos). The angle of the blade on a longer knife is just more manageable. 8" also is a bit short for those other things you use chef knives for because you 'don't have anything else more suitable' for cutting cakes, or bread, large roasts and steaks.

I'm a big Victorinox fan (which also makes Forschner). Forschners with the rosewood handles are my knives (Since 1985) - the balance feels better. The Fibrox is good too, just feels a little light in my hand. Forschner Rosewood equivalents will run about $5 more than the Fibrox.

The steak knives look good. I'd get them. *Handwashing recommended - don't put them in the dishwasher even though they are dishwasher safe. The handles can separate over time (heat/moisture).

u/jerstud56 · 3 pointsr/Cooking

> Victorinox

Here's some good options for Victorinox pairing knives

Here's a Victorinox Classic 8" Chef's Knife as well

I'd suggest look around in a store/hold a few to get what feels right in your hand. What feels best in someone else's hand is going to feel much different in yours depending on the size of your hands.

u/eatcheeseordie · 1 pointr/Cooking

Marcella Hazan has a great recipe. It's probably my favorite thing to eat ever. Her recipes can be a bit fussy, but the instructions are thorough and straightforward. I'd recommend cooking anything in her book the prescribed way first, and then making any changes the next time around (though I usually find I don't want to change a thing). I usually do her bolognese on the stove through all the reduction steps, then put it in my crock pot on "low" or "warm" for the rest of the day.

Added bonus: that book contains my other favorite pasta sauce; it's called something like "tomato sauce with butter and onion." It's a quicker sauce to make and it's quite addictive. (Edit: and it doesn't taste super oniony. You cook it with the onions and then take them out before serving.)

u/muuushu · 2 pointsr/Cooking

If you'd like a steak knife set as well, I'd suggest getting a couple of workhorse chefs knives, maybe a paring knife and a peeler, and a set of steak knives. Wusthoff, Shun, Global, etc are awesome but as you said, they're pricey. A great everyday use knife is the Victorinox chefs. You'll see other people recommend this knife to you as this thread gets older. I think it's ~40 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0061SWV8Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1426016330&sr=8-1&keywords=victorinox+8-inch+chef%27s+knife&pi=AC_SX200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=21K%2Bg5wqYhL&ref=plSrch

u/hubbyofhoarder · 3 pointsr/Cooking

Stainless steel tri-ply pans, well reviewed by Cook's Illustrated and many bloggers:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina-10-Piece-18-10-Stainless-Steel-TriPly-Clad-Cookware-Set/11072505 $229

Victorinox Chef's knife. Cheap, and again very well reviewed by Cook's Illustrated and many bloggers:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000638D3220 $27

Victorinox serrated knife:
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47547-4-Inch-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B00093090Y/ref=pd_sim_k_7 $25

Victorinox paring knife:
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47508-4-Inch-Paring-Knife/dp/B0001V3UYG/ref=pd_sim_k_2 $8

Cheap and well reviewed knife sharpener:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/

To round that out: a cheap non-stick pan (they wear out, don't sink money into this), some silicone spatulas, Pyrex bakeware, and maybe a cast iron or mineral steel skillet.

You can see a theme with my recommendations. You can have very high quality kitchen stuff, without breaking the bank.

Best of luck :)

u/PurpleGonzo · 4 pointsr/Cooking

Once you master a set of basic skills, as well as understanding how things "should" be, everything becomes way more fun and easy. How to dice an onion or anything. How to keep a clean work area. What "brown" actually looks like. How thick is "thickened", and what the hell is a roux.

Also, being a total Geek, The New Best Recipes cookbook has been a major help. It tells you both why you're doing it, as well as how to cook basic items, and then take that skill to other recipes.

u/anshumanbhatia · 3 pointsr/Cooking

I've had the older one of this for 5 years now, the Aroma Rice Cooker.

https://www.amazon.com/Aroma-Housewares-ARC-914SBD-Cool-Touch-Stainless/dp/B007WQ9YNO/ref=sr_1_3?crid=EG8WTG7Q8X3Y&keywords=aroma+rice+cooker&qid=1558412329&s=gateway&sprefix=aroma+rice%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-3

​

Think its pretty gold standard for simple rice cooker. I'm happily giving mine to a friend.

​

The instant pot is also a good should, but I tend to want something both from the pot and rice...

​

I'm only now upgrading to a Zor because I got a great deal

u/themoosecaboose · 4 pointsr/Cooking

I'm definitely no pro, but I make a few loaves every month (and use a ton of the dough I make for pizzas). I swear by This book. Everything I've made from it has been great, and it has good sections on basic techniques.

Otherwise, follow this no-knead recipe.It really doesn't get any easier than that, and the bread that comes out is fantastic.

u/geeklimit · 4 pointsr/Cooking

I have a nice Chicago Cutlery Landmark Santoku knife (geez, name is longer than the knife) and a Kitchenaid Santoku (red).

If you would have asked me a year ago which one was better, I'd say the Chicago knife cuts better but both do okay. However...

Then I got the AccuSharp 001 Sharpener. This thing works so well it makes me fucking terrified of my knives, they're so sharp. Now I very, very much prefer the Chicago knife, just because the extra weight the knife has makes it feel much more under control, and the balance feels like it helps makes cuts more deliberate.

The only comparison I have is a golf driver - sometimes the superlight ones make you hit worse off the tee, because you can muscle them around easily and your swing can go all crazy. With a heavier club, it keeps you on path and is more difficult to go off-plan.

Consider that sharpener basically a throwaway. You'll probably be able to use it for a year with normal household use, flipping the stones halfway through. Toss it and buy a new one instead of trying a sharpener that will last forever.

I decided to teach myself cooking over the last year, and I can say that one good knife will be better than a block of knives. I do 99% of all my work with with 2 knives, a Santoku and a Partoku. I occasionally need a paring knife to carve pumpkins, peppers, etc..and I use a bread knife for my homemade bread, of course, but the bulk is done with the larger one.

If I didn't already have a block of generic-brand IKEA knives from before I started enjoying cooking, I'd have 4 knives, Santoku, Partoku, bread and paring. Get the sharpener I linked and a matching set of knives because they look nice and it'll help you from cutting yourself by getting used to the same balance across them.

My amateur $0.02, interested in any corrections or further insights from the pros.

u/Spicywolff · 5 pointsr/Cooking

The victorinox fibrox or the ja henckels international are both 50$ or less. Both of good steel and will hold an edge.

J.A. HENCKELS INTERNATIONAL 31161-201 CLASSIC Chef's Knife, 8 Inch, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004RFMT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PgFIDb5198GNF

Not all steel will hold a edge OP. If it’s not properly hardened and heat treated like many cheap knives you will sharpen endlessly and not get results.

50$ will get you good knife with good steel but it won’t be a super steel. This is the price point where a home chief can get performance to last. Higher end is nice but not needed.

u/violetana · 0 pointsr/Cooking

I really like this product. Works well, is cheap, easy and works on any knife (including serrated).

http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

My knives are pretty awesome but definitely not high end (Victorinox)-- I've had good results with the combo.

u/raijba · 2 pointsr/Cooking

I highly recommend the book 660 Curries for beginners.
Where I grew up, there was only one Indian restaurant and a very very small number of people from that part of the world. I loved the food, but had never visited a home that cooked it, so the methods and conventions of Indian cooking were completely invisible to me.

"660 Curries" took me from that state of absolutely zero knowledge to knowing a good thing or two about curry. Since it has 660 recipes, it can seem quite daunting at first, but if you start from the beginning, you'll be eased into it. If you end up getting the book, PM me and I'll point you toward a few of my favorite recipes and elaborate further on how I started out.

u/horatiobloomfeld · 11 pointsr/Cooking

perfect, I was at the very place about a year ago.

I was watching America's Test Kitchen and they tested the Victorinox 10 Inch Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CF8YO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

I bought the 10" because I already had many 8" chef's knives.

They come in other sizes that are right for you.

I bought it (it was on sale for $35!!!!), I will never buy another brand knife.

You will not be sorry! It's the best knife I've ever owned and a MASSIVE savings over the super duper expensive ones. (read the reviews)

u/zapatodefuego · 6 pointsr/Cooking

Victorinox 8" chef's knife.

For a bit more you can also get a Tojiro DP gyuto which will offer a bit better performance and the edge will stay sharp longer. In my opinion it's a better knife but has a little bit less bang for the buck when compared to the Victorinox.

At least that's the case in the US. Those prices from amazon.ca seem a bit crazy with the Tojiro being cheaper.

Another thing to consider is that the Victorinox is much easier to care for because you can use a steel to keep the edge sharp. The Tojiro on the other hand might chip if you use a steel on it and in the long run will need whetstones to maintain. A cheap combo stone can be had for about 30 USD.

Also you might want to check out r/chefknives if you want more information.

u/Particular_Maybe · 1 pointr/Cooking

The Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan is an excellent book on Italian cooking.

​

What's Eating Dan has some great videos on food science and why if you cook in certain ways the food is more delicious

u/willaeon · 1 pointr/Cooking

Cook's Illustrated: New Best Recipe

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0936184744/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The people who wrote this book not only give very detailed instructions, but they also tell you what they have tried and what didn't work. That way, you not only have better knowledge of the recipe, but it helps you learn how to better improvise.

Also, the recipes are amazing. A+++++++, would buy again and again.

u/accidental_reader · 7 pointsr/Cooking

Amazon has a stone for 30 bucks. It's perfect. It comes with a stand and a case, is great for sharpening both western and Japanese steel, looks beautiful and doesn't break the bank. The brand is called a king stone or something like that. It stands up really well to professional use. My sous even dropped his and one side cracked in half but it still works beautifully.

http://www.amazon.com/King-Sided-Sharpening-Stone-Base/dp/B001DT1X9O

u/furious25 · -1 pointsr/Cooking

A skillet will have angled sides
A Saute pan will have vertical edges

Cast iron, Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, and Aluminum are some material choices. Each of those will come with different or no finish options. Like Non-stick, Hard anodized, or enamel.

So cast iron will be think and heavy. Great at non stick and even heat distribution. Avoid acids.

Stainless and Cast Iron are great because you can do a lot of damage to them and still be able to bring it back to new.

From what you say I would get a Cast iron skillet and a Stainless saute pan.

Cast Iron $16

I hear great things about All Clad for stainless. But its hard to say if its a good match for you without a price range. The Cast Iron skillet is a good start though.

Also for me at least non stick is only good for eggs or other low heat applications.

u/LadyMO · 14 pointsr/Cooking

For Indian, I love Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries. (Ugly mobile link: http://www.amazon.com/660-Curries-Raghavan-Iyer/dp/0761137874/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449666007&sr=8-1&keywords=660+curries+raghavan+iyer ).

It has an almost ludicrous number of recipes from across India, including much more than just curries. He has how-to guides for naan, paneer, ghee, a ton of spice mixes; all the hard to source ingredients that are simple to make. It also has nice explanations of techniques that are not common in European cuisine, an awesome glossary of food, tools, and tech, and a substitutions guide to replace ingredients you might have a tough time finding. I've used it to cook for several Indian friends, who have all been complimentary of the authenticity (and deliciousness) of the recipes.

u/boss413 · 17 pointsr/Cooking

Give sous vide a try--it's the gateway drug of modernist techniques, because you really only need a probe thermometer, freezer bags, a pot of water, and maybe an oven to do it. It'll let you know just how worth it the whole world of modernist techniques are. And then you'll feel compelled to actually get an immersion circulator and a vacuum sealer to do it easier as you become increasingly addicted to it.

Things that are helpful for modernist techniques but aren't particularly esoteric and won't break the bank: A steel plate, propane blow torch from the hardware store, whipping siphon, pressure cooker. The next step is chemistry, which means thickeners (carageenan and agar agar were my first purchases) and gels (sodium alginate and calcium chloride), and recently I picked up some meat glue (transglutaminase). After that it's buying expensive lab equipment to feed your habit, which I haven't stepped into yet [because I don't have a house for it]. I want a pacojet.

As for resources, my first book was Cooking for Geeks, then the Modernist Cuisine book set from Nathan Myhrvold (and have it signed by him "For Science!") which is the bible, but free options include their website, Seattle Food Geek, molecular recipes, this YouTube playlist from Harvard and the usual science-based cooking resources like Good Eats, America's Test Kitchen, and Chef Steps.

u/midnightagenda · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Not even just a meat thermometer, but an internal probe. You pop the probe in, attach it to the timer bit, set the temp alarm and when the meat hits your desired temp you pull it out. I stuck some half frozen bone in thighs in the oven tonight at 400 and when the alarm went off I checked each one to make sure they had all reached temp and then pulled them out. Perfectly cooked and juicy.
This is the one I have https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004XSC5

This is the best thing for Thanksgiving turkeys as well.

u/STS986 · 3 pointsr/Cooking

Stones jki or king 1000/6000 double. Like this. https://www.amazon.com/KING-KW65-Combination-Whetstone-Plastic/dp/B001DT1X9O/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=king+1000%2F6000+whetstone&qid=1574593937&sprefix=king+1000&sr=8-3


Can’t really get a good knife for 50$. They really start at 80min. But he can improve his existing stock immensely and learn how to care for better knives before purchasing

u/ChuQWallA · 3 pointsr/Cooking

I would get a good, sharp chef's knife. The Victorianox can be had for cheap ($29.95) and is quite good.

I would also recommend a high temp silicone spatula, tongs, and an instant read thermometer. All of these items are small, very useful, cheap, and easy to maintain.

u/KennyLovesYou · 2 pointsr/Cooking

By far, my favorite and most loved book is Cooking for Geeks, while I'm not a geek, it's still a great reference for everything imaginable, and explains why food cooks the way it cooks, or why food reacts the way it does. Helps avoid mistakes and become independent if you don't have any book for a recipe on hand.

u/tibbles1 · 1 pointr/Cooking

If you're just beginning then you can get away with a 1000/6000 combo stone from King. They're like $30 on Amazon. If you're buying a new knife, then it's unlikely that you'll have any major chips to fix with a sub-1000 stone. The 1000 grit is fine to set the edge on a knife that you take care of.

At some point you'll want to add a low grit (and probably upgrade from that King stone), but for now I think you're better off getting a budget stone and learning how to use it. If you've never sharpened before you're probably gonna gouge the shit out of it at first...

u/hops_on_hops · 1 pointr/Cooking

I use this knife 99% of the time. Sounds like the Ceramic knifes are your problem. Get a decent steel knife, hone it regularly, and it'll treat you well. No need to spend more than $50.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Inch-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife/dp/B0000CF8YO?th=1

Honestly, the knives at Ikea are pretty good too. That's an easy route.

u/juggerthunk · 2 pointsr/Cooking

I'd say the essentials include a non-stick frying pan, a smaller pot (2-3 qts), a larger pot (5qts+), a cutting board, a chef's knife, measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, a whisk, heat resistant silicone spatula, stirring spoons, serving spoon, ladle, aluminum baking sheet, tongs and can opener. With all of the above, I can cook ~ 90% of what I usually cook.

I, personally, don't care much for cast iron skillets. They require too much care and too much oil to keep up to snuff. I prefer a nice three-ply fry pan (This is what I own). A couple splurges on my part were a 2 qt saucier (was on sale for $50) which is great for making sauces of any sort because the whisk can fit in the rounded bottom of the pan. I also like the All-Clad 4Qt. Essential pan, with the tall sides and wide top. It's easy to make something a bit larger with this pan.

Finally, I bake all of my pizza on a cheap round pizza pan. It's not the fanciest, but it gets the job down well.

u/Arkolix · 2 pointsr/Cooking

+1 to Wusthof! I'm in love with my Wusthof Classic. That and a steel, paring knife, and cheap bread knife are all I use.

When I asked about knives a month ago many people did suggest Victorinox - they look like very nice knives at a good price point.

I've never felt the need for more than one chef's knife, as someone else suggested.

u/travio · 4 pointsr/Cooking

A Microplane Zester is a great tool for just this purpose. It is pretty easy to clean and can be used for cheeses and zests. I use mine all the time.

u/fractaloutlook · 1 pointr/Cooking

If you want just one:

The New Best Recipe:

https://www.amazon.com/New-Best-Recipe-Cooks-Illustrated/dp/0936184744

Will teach all manner of things.

Skip the Flavor Bible until (maybe) later. Ruhlman's 20 is good for beginners (and everyone).

Unless you're looking to learn BAKING... I'd say just cook little bits of things as you'd like and taste 'em. "What do two thin slices of baked red pepper taste like?" "What's a pork chop taste like plain at 165 degrees?" Start with very few ingredients and get to know them and what they DO. Eat raw garlic, seared garlic, and roasted garlic. Same with onion. Same with ginger.

For books go with the sciency ones. People who explain the why and the how.

u/DuggyMcPhuckerson · 11 pointsr/Cooking

Might I suggest an alternative method? In my experience, the study of the techniques to cooking are at least half the battle in laying a foundation for a good culinary education. Rather than take the direct simple-to-complex recipe route, perhaps there is value in utilizing a hybrid method of learning where the recipes are centered around the use of particular skills in the kitchen. Some useful materials that come to mind are "Complete Techniques" by Jacques Pepin or "The Way to Cook" by Julia Child. Once these types of technical skills are engrained in your cooking process, you will find the true joy of cooking which is much less about following instructions and more to do with finding your "culinary groove".

u/Tikke · 7 pointsr/Cooking

Does your Dad enjoy creating recipes? If so, I would look at buying him this book: Culinary Artistry

It's a great resource, think of it like a mix/match reference book that's intuitive and allows you to learn and use classic flavour pairings while opening up your creativity. It let's you start experimenting without making major composition errors.

u/MartyHeidegger · 2 pointsr/Cooking

I know I'm a bit late to this, but for a great all around knife at a even better price there is no better than JA Henckels 8 inch chef's knife, in my opinion. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004RFMT/ref=sr_ph_1?qid=1449898321&sr=sr-1&pi=AC_SX118_SY170_QL70&keywords=8inch+chef%27s+knife#

u/BlueChilli · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Culinary Artistry This is one of my favorite books. It has some recipes, but the best part of the book is the flavor profiles. Ingredients, flavors, and tastes and are complimentary. So, if you look up asparagus, it will list other items and spices that pair well with it.

Eventually, you are going to get to a point where you no longer rely on recipes. You rely on experience. This is the kind of book for that level of cooking.

u/Linksta35 · 2 pointsr/Cooking

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936184744/

The New Best Recipe is one I don't see recommended as often, but explains the process they went through to get the recipe they ended up with. Everything I've made from it has been delicious, and it explains things very clearly.

u/nomnommish · 8 pointsr/Cooking

Jacques Pepin is awesome at teaching techniques, and especially good at giving detailed instructions that are easy to follow (even if not so easy to execute without practise).

Besides his numerous youtube videos, his Complete Techniques book and DVD (i have both) are really good. Like how to cut vegetables, cook eggs in various ways, debone a chicken etc. I find the DVD easier to follow.

Book: http://www.amazon.com/Jacques-P%C3%A9pin-New-Complete-Techniques/dp/1579129110

DVD: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000LXHJZA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1457271533&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=jacques+pepin+dvd&dpPl=1&dpID=51RpoAjNx9L&ref=plSrch

His video on making an American omelet and a French omelette. This video is the best there is, and i have seen dozens of other videos about making an omelet.

https://youtu.be/s10etP1p2bU

Edit: His scrambled eggs recipe since you said that is your next goal.

https://youtu.be/u8QIDHla6iA

(From 11:40, but if you go back a few minutes, he also tells you how to make mushrooms to accompany the scrambled eggs)

u/towehaal · 5 pointsr/Cooking

Try some of the recipes on the left sidebar here: http://www.breadtopia.com/ As already suggested, the ATK (cooks illustrated) one is great.
I also got a lot of great recipes to try from the book that I checked out from the library: http://www.amazon.com/Flour-Water-Salt-Yeast-Fundamentals/dp/160774273X

and I just use regular gold medal or king arthur unbleached flour.

u/StolenCamaro · 3 pointsr/Cooking

I have a Suisin 10.5" High-Carbon Steel Gyotou and a 5.9" Petty from the same line. I use a very basic 2-sided King Stone, and it sharpens soooooooo easily. High carbon steel, to be fair, sharpens way easier than stainless. It also holds an edge pretty damn well for how easy it is to get them so sharp!

u/drmarcj · 2 pointsr/Cooking

The New Best Recipe from Cook's Illustrated is positively fantastic. It's my bible for how to cook everything. The biggest thing to me is each recipe has an in-depth explanation for how they came up with the recipe, how they tested it, what works, and why.

u/drbhrb · 1 pointr/Cooking

Usually I just clean it normally with a sponge like any other dish. If something gets burned on I'll soak it or boil some water in it. Maybe once every year or so I soak it in Barkeepers Friend paste(http://www.amazon.com/Bar-Keepers-Friend%C2%AE-Cleanser-Polish/dp/B000V72992) and then scrub with a sponge and it gets any stuff that was burned on the bottom or tough stains off. That brings the shine back and makes it look brand new. All in all very easy to keep clean. No seasoning to fuss with or teflon coatings to be careful with.

u/derkumi · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Check out Alton Brown's website:
http://altonbrown.com/

particularly his guide on knives. cant stress how much a good knife will change how you cook. seek out Tojiro knives on amazon, good and reasonably priced. I would recommend a santoku or something like this

u/uberphaser · 2 pointsr/Cooking
  1. Learn how to "mise en place", that is the concept of "things in place". This is arguably the first thing necessary to be a good home cook. When you look at a recipe, figure out all the things that you need before hand and put them into little cups, or bowls or what have you. Yes, it makes cleanup a little more hectic, but it's worth it. should look like this

  2. Learn how to use a knife. This is relatively simple to do, but most people who have not been trained will use it wrong, and will end up being both ineffecient and possibly hurting themselves a lot. Take a knife skills class, or do some youtube searching on "basic knife skills". Also, get a decent knife. If you don't have one, get a Victorinox Fibrox 8" Chef Knife It costs under $40 and is a hell of a bargain. Learn how to hone, and learn the difference between honing and sharpening. Honing you do with a steel. Sharpening should usually be done by a professional in a knife shop.

  3. Read "I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking" by Alton Brown. It's a great place to start, and is both a fun and very educational read.

    Beyond that, you might look into recreational cooking classes at night in your area! They can be inexpensive and are often very good!
u/MechaTrogdor · 2 pointsr/Cooking

As others have mentioned, my first move would be to check her knife and make sure it's decent and sharp. A good knife with a kept edge should cut vegetables more effortlessly than any press chop.

Maybe look at some quality, thin ground Japanese style knives such as this

Edit: I also would recommend Global knives, either the 8" chefs or the 7" santoku. They are sharp and light and some people find them very ergonomically pleasing. You (she) can try before you buy in stores like Bed Bath and Beyond or William Sonoma.

u/SarcasticOptimist · 3 pointsr/Cooking

I recommend spending ~$10 and getting this book. Jacques Pepin has superlative technique, and this book has great explanations and illustrations. It has great recipes (some simple, some that shows-off higher skills) and suggestions on what to buy.

u/Imalostmerchant · 1 pointr/Cooking

My girlfriend has the global, I have the victorinox, well this victorinox https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0061SWV8Y/ref=pd_aw_sbs_79_of_11?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=A4BG18WH50RHMJ8BWKTA

When I was shopping a couple years ago I was told this one has the same blade as the victorinox you listed just a different handle.

Anyway, I like both for the most part with a slight preference for mine. And since it's 60ish bucks cheaper it's definitely a better value to me.

u/nukasu · 1 pointr/Cooking

the chef's knife is going to be your go-to blade, so get something decent. i'd recommend the Tojiro DP Gyutou. it's more expensive than the victorinox fibrox but has a vg10 steel core. edge retention is much higher and it requires less honing; this is a great value for the money.

for a paring knife, the victorinox fibrox will do.

i'd also suggest a slicer. a tojiro dp is a great choice for this as well.

i consider these three the core blades in a kitchen. (personally i also use a santoku quite a lot, which rounds out my own "core four", but it's not necessary.. and you'll hear lots of pretentious people tell you that, over and over again)

for the serrated knife just get something cheap at walmart; same with shears.

u/Genlsis · 1 pointr/Cooking

Sorry, yes. I should have been more clear. Thank you.

Here is the Amazon link for those interested. It seems it's currently 45% off:

Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza https://www.amazon.com/dp/160774273X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4AtYzbWA2Q3G2

u/redux42 · 1 pointr/Cooking

Tangentially related, I would get his books as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-Food-Version/dp/158479559X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291527138&sr=1-4 (This one is about cooking)

http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-More-Food/dp/1584793414/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291527138&sr=1-6 (this one is about baking)

Read through those and you'll feel much more confident.

If you are cooking meat, I'd suggest getting a probe thermometer: http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-1470-Digital-Cooking-Thermometer/dp/B00004XSC5/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1291527262&sr=8-2

You'd be amazed how good any kind of meat tastes just with some salt and fresh pepper cooked to the exact right temperature tastes...

u/ialbertson90 · 1 pointr/Cooking

A while ago my wife had bought me a book called Kitchen Sense by Mitchell Davis. This book was packed with incredibly useful information. I wound up losing this book in a move and have been very upset.
The other book I use a lot is called Culinary Artistry. This book doesn't have many recipes but a great wealth of information about putting flavors together.

u/Full_Capacity · 1 pointr/Cooking

I started out with The New Best Recipe. Cooks Illustrated is a pretty good magazine in general.

u/bajohnaboo · 6 pointsr/Cooking

660 curries by Raghavan Iyer is great. It has a whole chapter dedicated to spice blends, as well as pastes and other building blocks you can pre make to make cooking take less time. A very useful book, I cook out of it about 5-6 times a month.

u/newnemo · 4 pointsr/Cooking

It sounds as if you are a novice? If you are and you are looking for books as your guide I suggest anything Jaques Pepin produces like this.

Jacques Pépin New Complete Techniques

https://www.amazon.com/Jacques-Pépin-New-Complete-Techniques/dp/1579129110/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520771297&sr=1-3&keywords=jaque+pepin+cookbooks

Jacques Pépin is a masterful teacher. There are also youtube videos and TV shows that would add to anything you get from his books. I highly encourage you to seek them out.

Beyond that, if you are looking for more a narrative form and you are more than a novice, consider:

Simple French Food by Richard Olney

Thats just a start, I'm sure there are many others that deserve consideration. In my experience Jacques Pépin; however, is one of the most approachable of the masters and I have a long-standing admiration of him, so my opinion is likely biased.

edit: a letter


u/ChefSwiss · 33 pointsr/Cooking

I have tried to use the application a few times. From my experience, it seems limited. I think as more information is added you will begin to see more depth.

If you are interested in flavor pairings I suggest you check out the book Culinary Artistry. It has a huge sample of flavor pairings. It is a great book that is easy to navigate.

https://www.amazon.com/Culinary-Artistry-Andrew-Dornenburg/dp/0471287857/ref=nodl_

u/railaway · 5 pointsr/Cooking

I loved Cooking For Geeks by O'Reilly. It gives examples of recipes as it explains the chemistry and physics of what's happening to the food. Very interesting and entertaining, and it upped my cooking game by a lot.

u/Phaz · 3 pointsr/Cooking

The mac and cheese recipe from Modernist Cusiine is supposed to be phenomenal.

>As for the mac & cheese: it was both the best and the easiest I've ever made. No gloppy sauce, remarkably intense cheese flavor (you get the "flavor release" concept when you eat it), and the pasta absorbs it thoroughly.

Basically, the difficulty in mac and cheese is that you want the cheese to be both creamy/melty and delicious. The problem is, there isn't much overlap there. Cheeses that melt really well aren't delicious (Velveeta) and cheeses that are delicious don't remain creamy when melted (Cheddar, Gouda, etc).

The typical solution to this is to take good cheese, and then use some roux to add to the melted cheese to make it creamy. This works (as is evident in her recipe). However, it's not perfect. You need a fair amount of roux which dilutes the flavor of the cheese.

Nathan Myhyrvold and his team avoid using the roux by creating an emulsification of the cheese by melting it with beer, iota carrageenan and sodium citrate. That pretty much turns whatever cheese blend you are using into something that melts like Velveeta. They use similar techniques to make home made cheeze whiz out of real cheese.

The end product people are describing as steps beyond any other mac and cheese they've ever had in terms of the cheese flavor. There is also a 'flavor release' that everyone mentions that makes sense when you try it.

I'd give you first hand impressions but Amazon hasn't shipped my book yet :(

u/bobsmithhome · 3 pointsr/Cooking

Here's a great knife sharpener: AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener.

I tripped upon it in some article about the highest rated items sold at Amazon. I bought it and it is awesome. Here's a link.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VWKQ

u/TheBaconThief · 5 pointsr/Cooking

First off, everyone should read this before spending a good bit on a knife:

Honestly, at that price you should consider the aesthetics you liket, because diminishing return to quality sets in pretty quick at around $70 then again around $120-$130.

This is a really solid value Knife, though I'm kinda meh on the handle:

If you pair it regularly with this guy: if will outperform a way more expensive knife with poor upkeep.

u/who-really-cares · 3 pointsr/Cooking

I would say the go-to beginner stone that is recommended is the King 1k/6k.

Not the best stone in the world, but it's cheap and does a decent job. If you end up enjoying sharpening you will upgrade before too long, but as a utility this guy does fine.

Sure you can send them off to shun, but then you are without your knives for a few days. And realistically, after a month of use without sharpening, any knife is going to be less than spectacular.

u/mopepsupreme · 1 pointr/Cooking

Culinary Artistry and a notebook.

Culinary Artistry has lists of ingredients, what pairs well with them, and the best ways to cook them. The most basic, most helpful guide to cooking independently of cook books.

u/Mephiska · 3 pointsr/Cooking

Learn how to cut up a chicken. This saves you tons of money, I bought a whole chicken for $4 last weekend, enough for 3 meals for my wife and I.

here is a really good short how-to.

Get a good digital thermometer, preferably one of the ones with a probe that can go in the oven. A lot of recipes tell you to cook until "done" or the internal temperature reads something. A good thermometer will help keep you from over or undercooking things, especially meats. This is a decent one.

u/commonone16 · 1 pointr/Cooking

There are more than enough resources out there to teach you how to cook. The better question might be - what do you want to learn how to cook?

If you're a big Italian food fan like I am, I did the following:

Step 1. Purchase copy of Marcella Hazan's ["Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking"] (http://www.amazon.ca/Essentials-Classic-Italian-Cooking-Marcella/dp/039458404X)
Step 2. Figure out the fundamental recipes - for me it was plain tomato sauce, bolognese sauce, minestrone soup, hand made pasta, roast chicken, ossobuco, and a few others
Step 3. Practice practice practice - I have probably made my own pasta 20 times in the past year and I am still not close to mastery (but I'm getting there!)

I'd also suggest that you work on basic knife skills, including sharpening your own knife. These are essential no matter what route you decide to take.


u/Zerikin · 12 pointsr/Cooking

The term curry describes a vast array of dishes, it would be comparable to say casserole. A curry is basically any dish in a spiced sauce. There are many commonly used spices but you don't have to use a certain one for it to be a curry.

My personnel favorite cook book for this is 660 Curries.

There are many kinds of chicken curry. Some well known ones would be Chicken Vindaloo (spices and vinegar), and the British curry Chicken Tikka Masala.

u/newtothelyte · 2 pointsr/Cooking

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001DT1X9O?vs=1

This is the whet stone you want. The 1000 grit is rough enough to significantly shape your knife while the 6000 grit is easily fine enough to give you that perfect edge.

Maintain the edge with a ceramic honer. I bought this one cheap on amazon and it works fantastically

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000B8FW0O/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1449894385&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=ceramic+honing+rod&dpPl=1&dpID=210frq6ZrKL&ref=plSrch

u/Simpsator · 4 pointsr/Cooking

If you're looking for a knife just as good as the Victorinox for the same price range, look at the Mercer Genesis same steel as Wusthof and Victorinox, much better fit and finish than the rubber handle of the Fibrox.
However, if you really want to step up a level in quality to a more mid-range knife, look at the Tojiro DP Gyuto

u/patsfan3983 · 1 pointr/Cooking

The New Best Recipe is by far the most useful book I use in the kitchen. It's big, over 1000 pages, but the recipes are simple, everyday food, meaning you will pull this book out everyday.
It's done by the people who put out Cook's Illustrated magazine and everything I have made from the book has been flawless.

u/NinjaSupplyCompany · 3 pointsr/Cooking

LOL, no really, i had to go look them up. Your chefs knife is the most important thing in your kitchen and you get what you pay for.

For $50 you can get a good 8" chefs knife. Like this one Learn how to use it, care for it and keep it sharp. You can add a paring knife and bread knife at some point to cover all your bases.

u/KitchenHack · 1 pointr/Cooking

The [Modernist Cuisine](https://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3N7LB10S5PIHV&keywords=modernist+cuisine&qid=1568141180&s=gateway&sprefix=modernist%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-3) books have won awards for their amazing photography. There is also an At-Home version for less $$$. Both have fabulous photography that I think would fascinate a kid. I think there are also books that contain just the photography for less $$$, but not sure about that.

u/Pseud0pod · 1 pointr/Cooking

I had to buy knives when my roommate moved out a while ago, and was very happy with these choices:

Kyocera Ceramic Paring Knife

Victorinox 10" Chef's Knife

Henckels Steak Knifes

The chef and paring knife are all you really need for food preperation, and the serrated knifes are good for when you serve meat that needs to be cut, like steak.

u/LouisianaTexan · 1 pointr/Cooking

I love the JA Henckels classic chef knife. It's a workhorse, keeps a nice edge, looks good, and affordable. Pair it with a honing steel, and you should be able to cut anything you need for years to come.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004RFMT/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480777137&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=ja+henckels+chef+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=21A8SR38R2L&ref=plSrch

u/Tangychicken · 13 pointsr/Cooking

A popular one recommended by reddit is the Victorinox Chef's knife..

It's very highly rated by America's Test Kitchen. I own one myself, it's light, well balanced and keeps a very nice edge for a $30 knife.

u/claycle · 11 pointsr/Cooking

I recently donated away about 100 cookbooks I had collected over the years (I organize virtually everything digitally now) but I kept these 5:

Child et al, Mastering the Art of French Cooking (well-used, next to the stove)

Hazan, Essentials of Italian Cooking (carried to Italy and used there twice)

Lewis, The Taste of Country Cooking (such a good read)

Rombauer. An older than I am edition (with how-to-skin-a-squirrel recipes) of the Joy of Cooking (falling apart, kept for sentimental reasons)

Fox, On Vegetables: Modern Recipes for the Home Kitchen (for the porn)

u/samthunder · 4 pointsr/Cooking

Don't know if you're a chef or home cook but I honestly feel that everyone should start with a Victorinox and decide from there if you really need to shell out the money for a $200 Shun. They're cheap, durable, and come sharp. If you're clever and know how to use a honing steel they're more than up to the job for 90% of people.

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-40521-10-Inch-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B0000CF8YO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333828921&sr=8-1

If you're a chef and decide you want to move onto a more serious piece later, you've only spent 30 bucks and have a loaner or backup knife. Just my two cents.

u/cliveholloway · 1 pointr/Cooking

I quite like the slightly crunchy texture of the not soaked version, but I'll have to give your version a try. My recipe is the one in 660 Curries. Great book btw.

u/EnsErmac · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Get yourself a King 1000/6000 stone. and a King 300 stone these are pretty much considered some of the best bang for your buck out there and will give you everything you need in whetstones.

u/Costco1L · 1 pointr/Cooking

Tojiro DP Gyuto is now $55 at http://www.chefknivestogo.com/todpchkn18.html
Really fantastic knife. This one is kind of short but if your SO is petite it could work. If you can stretch your budget to $65, this longer one at amazon would be better: https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Gyutou-8-2-21cm/dp/B000UAPQGS

u/sithghost4455 · 5 pointsr/Cooking

If you’re just cooking for yourself, you don’t need a whole set of knives, just one really good one. Here’s an amazon link to a great, all purpose chef’s knife that’s under $50.

u/Guazzabuglio · 3 pointsr/Cooking

If you have a limitless budget, Modernist Cuisine is great. It's a 5 book collection and the photography is beautiful. The first book is about history and fundamentals. The whole series is incredibly thorough, bordering on obsessive.

u/Nephrastar · 2 pointsr/Cooking

For bread/yeasty stuff specifically, Flour Yeast Salt Water. It gives some informative advice for making things like bread and pizza dough, and has recipes to go with it.

Husband and I made Pizza dough straight from this book and the resulting pizza was delicious.

u/hasitcometothis · 2 pointsr/Cooking

My most used and well loved cookbook is Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. My Italian grandmother recommended it to me when I first started cooking as a teenager and it seems to be a staple for a lot of home cooks I know.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/039458404X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ESCPAbCSJBRWR

u/StupidMonkeyface · 1 pointr/Cooking

Using the /r/pizza subreddit got my pizza making to stellar levels. I only get pizza out when I am lazy. Here is what I learned.

Dough: Get this book http://www.amazon.com/Flour-Water-Salt-Yeast-Fundamentals/dp/160774273X and follow the technique sections to the letter. Get rid of the sugar and rise for longer, like 12 hours longer, the dough is much better without it.

Sauce: Get a can of CENTO san marzano whole peeled tomatos, put in strainer and rise all the "tomato water" off. Put in blender for 20 seconds dump in large frying pan, add salt and pepper, heat for 10 mins. That's it.

Cheese: Always grate your own, period. I prefer whole milk, low mosture.

Pan: If you don't have a stone or steel I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Oneida-Commercial-Inch-Pizza-Pan/dp/B000P9TQEM/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&qid=1459369211&sr=8-32&keywords=pizza+pan

Temperature: I use 500 degrees for 13 minutes and it works like a champ.

That's it. Go be a pizza God!

u/sethamin · 4 pointsr/Cooking

Cooking for Geeks

It's not a cookbook; it instead teaches you general techniques and principles, how to think about and approach cooking, and the science behind it all (in an approachable way - not to the level of Harold McGee). There are some recipes, but they're just there to illustrate some topic or technique that was just discussed. This is, by far, the best cooking book I have ever read. I read it cover to cover, which is incredibly rare for me.

u/mp3three · 2 pointsr/Cooking

It's not a required tool, but I love having my microplane around.

u/JoshuaSonOfNun · 1 pointr/Cooking

Having a nice sharp knife makes all the difference.

https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Gyutou-8-2-21cm/dp/B000UAPQGS

I thought I was just terrible at cutting foods but a good knife almost made me chop em like a pro.

u/mfrato · 5 pointsr/Cooking

If you want to learn bread (trust me, you do), Flour Water Salt Yeast is amazing. Very in depth of why each specific reaction occurs, what will happen if you do x instead of y, etc. Also, the ebook is only like $3.

Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza https://www.amazon.com/dp/160774273X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_H8zKzbEDERZ01

u/dusting_for_vomit · 4 pointsr/Cooking

The New Basics:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Basics-Cookbook-Julee-Rosso/dp/0894803417

Cooking for Geeks:
http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Geeks-Science-Great-Hacks/dp/0596805888

These two books really try to explain what is going on with each recipe, and why things are done a certain way. I learn every time I cook with them. Both of these also have sections on how to set up a kitchen (where to find items, where to spend your $$) in a smart way. Really useful if you're new to cooking, or just looking to upgrade your gear.

u/pipocaQuemada · 16 pointsr/Cooking

He might also like Cooking for Geeks, The Science of Good Cooking and On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen.

I've only read the first, but I've heard good things about all three.

u/Rashkh · 1 pointr/Cooking

You can order a new Lodge skillet from Amazon US and have it shipped to Switzerland for $48 total. I'm not sure how common cast iron cookware is over there but you can typically find them in thrift shops somewhat easily. They're a solid chunk of metal so wear and tear isn't really an issue although you might have to clean and re-season them.

u/all_in_time · 4 pointsr/Cooking

I really like this book. It goes through a lot of variations on how to cook different dishes, and it explains why one might be better than another (this method is faster, this one is cheaper, this one is easier, etc). It also breaks down a lot of the basics of food prep, picking the best meat/produce, etc. It includes recipes, but it goes through the scientific process that they use to come up with the recipes, allowing you to adjust them to suit your needs.

u/kabochia · 22 pointsr/Cooking

I had a lot of luck with this book. https://www.amazon.com/660-Curries-Raghavan-Iyer/dp/0761137874

Between that and hours of watching grannies on YouTube, I can now make indian food without recipes that tastes pretty legit.

u/Lucretian · 2 pointsr/Cooking

bread flavor is mostly a function of time and temperature, at least for yeasted breads. as yeasts ferment in dough and consume sugars, they produce a variety of flavor compounds.

this is a good book if you want to explore the topic.

edit: here is an infographic from a yeast manufacturer. note "fermentation" has the strongest effect on flavor.

u/Sully1102 · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Pick some up some Bar Keepers Friend (https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Keepers-Friend%C2%AE-Cleanser-Polish/dp/B000V72992) and some copper or steel wool.

Get in there good, then season. You'll need to dry it immediately after use.

u/PrinceHumperTinkTink · 7 pointsr/Cooking

When spending only $15-30 for a rice cooker, they're all pretty much the same. I would recommend going for one with the locking lid. The ones with the glass lid that just rests on top tend to spurt rice water on the surface next to it during cooking and the rice doesn't stay fresh/edible for as long.

u/moishew · 34 pointsr/Cooking

Can't believe no one mentioned this yet: get him a good knife if he doesn't have one. This one seems to be popular.

u/jhchawk · 2 pointsr/Cooking

If you're going to just buy a cheap knife and sharpen it, this $8 handheld sharpener will get it razor sharp every time. It just takes off a ton of material with every sharpening.

I would never use it on my nice knives, but it's effective. I use it to sharpen fish filleting knives.

u/Hersandhers · 1 pointr/Cooking

hey fellow cook de passionelle!! my recommendation is the 10 inch victorinox fibrox chefs knife . I got the review from Americas test kitchen and it's features were the tipping point such as dish washer safe and stainless steel and virtually unbreakable. it's on the higher en d of your budget but it's worth it and keep your eyes out for a sale. amazon has it for 38 usd https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000CF8YO/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466613578&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=victorinox+fibrox+chef+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=31s8L88ww6L&ref=plSrch#featureBulletsAndDetailBullets_secondary_view_div_1466613617564

u/MAKKACHlN · 2 pointsr/Cooking

660 Curries by Raghaven Iyer is my favorite. Madhur Jaffrey also has some good books too.

u/herman_gill · 5 pointsr/Cooking

The expensive brands in that same price range:

All-Clad, Le Crueset, Henckel, and Mauviel.

This five piece set is worth it's weight in... well, copper. Cuz copper is super expensive.

At a much more reasonable price range you've got Cuisinart, Calphalon, Lodge, Victorinox and a few others.

-------

Here's a list of things they could get (an entire kitchen revamp) for under $1000:

A $300 knife set with 4 steak knives (note: the 7 piece classic set is available from Costco online for only $80 if you have a membershit, same blades, no fancy handles. The steak knives can be got for $10-15 each, so the entire set is like $130 if you don't want rosewood)

Anova sous vide cooker for $110. Toys are fun.

Lodge enameled dutch oven for $60

Mauviel carbon steel pan for $40 (needs to be seasoned), or a pre-seasoned Lodge for $20

Lodge cast iron for $10-20 (depending on 8 inch or 10 inch).

Scrapers (super important!) and maybe silicon handles for $10

and the most important thing they'd want, is the Calphalon tri-ply set for $225 (which I think is also cheaper over at Amazon).

An Instapot (combined pressure cooker + slowcooker + ricecooker, this thing is like a slowcooker on crack). You can also opt for just a regular $30 slowcooker, too.

If they don't care about fancy looking handles, the Fibrox handles actually have a great grip, and Victorinox knives are sharp as shit.

Other things:

OXO good grips tools/spatulas/measures/everything for about $100 depending on what they want.

The Costco membership would probably be worth it just so you can buy the Victorinox knives (and I think also the Calphalon pans?)

---------

Total price: ~$1000 if going with the rosewood handles (I personally didn't bother), and instapot (I would highly recommend the instapot, though!)

If going with regular handles and instapot, $850 <--- my choice

If going with regular handles, instapot, but no sous vide, $750 <--- probably most economical choice

If going with regular handles and regular slowcooker, and no sous vide ~$650

Just regular Victorinox Fibrox knives, and Calphalon Tri-Ply set and one cast iron skillet: ~$400

u/DurraSell · 1 pointr/Cooking

If you want to go really cheap, then this works decently in your microwave. After using it for a few months, I found the Aroma on sale and now I use the microwave device for cooking ramen, which it is much better at than rice. The Aroma comes with a couple of plastic utensils, and I make sure to only use them when dishing out the rice.

u/jimbobb860 · 3 pointsr/Cooking

Amazon!

Your order needs to be over 25$ for free shipping. May I suggest my proven Amazon free-shipping order booster?

omnomnom

u/donsasan · 5 pointsr/Cooking

Slap on another £18 and get this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wüsthof-CLASSIC-Cook´s-knife-4582/dp/B00009ZK08

This is one of the best mass-fabricated knives and will probably last you a lifetime.

u/merkin71 · 1 pointr/Cooking

If you want a cookbook that will teach you classic French cooking techniques and also provide recipes, I'd recommend Jacques Pepin's New Complete Techniques. The Julia Child book was good for its time and definitely popularized French cooking, but it's more of a historical touchstone at this point than a functional guide for 21st century cooks. It assumes that you already have a lot of cooking knowledge.

u/ConAcide · 1 pointr/Cooking

http://www.amazon.com/HENCKELS-INTERNATIONAL-Classic-8-inch-Chefs/dp/B00004RFMT

I would recommend a higher end Henckels where it features the Gemini Twins and not just the one guy, but Henckels are good knives either way.

u/mattjeast · 8 pointsr/Cooking

I've heard that the best way to do it is to just take them to a professional. If you're not willing to do that, America's Test Kitchen raves about this knife sharpener. I bought one over Christmas and used it on all of mine. It seems like it has made a difference, and $8 isn't too much to spend if you're worried about the longevity of the product. It even sharpens serrated blades (I never understood how I was supposed to sharpen or hone that blade).

u/Befriendswbob · 1 pointr/Cooking

This is a great book that covers all of this info and much more!

u/sagavera1 · 1 pointr/Cooking

Cook's Illustrated: The New Best Recipe

Gives an in-depth explanation of how they came to each recipe before it's given. I learned so much from this book.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Best-Recipe-Cooks-Illustrated/dp/0936184744

u/lessthanjake · 4 pointsr/Cooking

Hey dude, here's the one I use: Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD 8-Cup (Cooked) Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer with Stainless Steel Exterior, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007WQ9YNO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_l8RDyb62MNS2K

I cook either 1 or 2 cups of dry rice at a time and it always comes out perfectly. You might even be able to go under 1 C.

u/avanai · 18 pointsr/Cooking

The pre-grated stuff you get in the cold aisle at the supermarket doesn't count, and neither does the "Parmesean" that costs way less. Go to where they have the fancy cheeses and get a solid wedge or block of Parmigiano Reggiano.

I also like Pecorino, but same idea.

You might want one of these graters, also very useful for zesting citrus and grating nutmeg.

u/jimtk · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Your budget is pretty low but for 45$ here's what you can get that will set you up correctly

Fry/candy thermometer (Alton's favorite): 10.00

Instant read (the same one use by chefs everywhere): 19.00

Alarm Thermometer ( the good old Taylor): 16.00

And if you want to invest more change the alarm thermometer to something more serious like the chef alarm. But it's 60$ just for that.