(Part 3) Top products from r/seriouseats

I have the Swissmar Borner V-1001 V-Slicer Plus Mandoline 5 Piece Set. I purchased it in May 2013 for $31.95. Now its going for $49.99. I'd pay $50 for it, but I'm also not convinced that for $50 its the best value. I will say that its still sharp (and I'm a horrible person who runs it through the dishwasher gasp). I use it at least 1x per week, if not 3-5x per week on average. Note: IT. IS. SHARP. Use the guide and/or cutting gloves. I have nicked myself more than once (read: more often than I'd like to admit, I guess I'm just a slow learner).

If I were to purchase another, I think I'd look for one that stores better. All of the pieces hook together and it has like a holder, but it doesn't necessarily stay together very well, nor does it lay down very well. If I were to get another I'd look for one that stores a bit nicer. Some have like a catch compartment as well that's pretty nice.

Yummy mango & sticky rice!!
 


I know personally, I learn better by watching so if you find it easier to make this while following along with a video, just click: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZLs1ZIRZAs&t=12s
 


Check out my blog for tasty pictures and details on the recipe!: https://lyndygates.com/
 


Ingredients:
 


1 cup of sweet rice soaked in water overnight
 


1 mango
 


1 cup of coconut milk
 


3 tbsp of sugar
 


A big pinch of salt
 


Sticky rice steamer basket & pot (linked down below)


Directions:
 


    ⁃    Soak your sweet rice in water overnight!
 


    ⁃    The next day, drain your rice and place in steamer basket
 


    ⁃    Fill a pot with water a little less than half way and place over the stove to bring to a boil
 


    ⁃    Once the water is completely boiled, place the steamer basket with the rice in it over the pot and cover with a bowl or damp towel
 


    ⁃    Let the rice steam for about 20 minutes, checking at 10 minutes to stir the rice to give an even steam
 


    ⁃    Once the texture reaches sticky rice, remove from the pot and place in a bowl or on a plate
 


    ⁃    To make the sauce, place your coconut milk, sugar and salt in a pot and over the stove on a medium heat. You only need to HEAT UP the mixture so DO NOT bring to a BOIL. The coconut milk cooks very fast and will turn into an oil if you over cook it. Just mix everything together and wait till the sugar dissolves and your mixture is heated. Once you see a little steam come out and the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and place in a bowl.
 


    ⁃    Add a little of the sauce to your rice and stir, just to coat the sticky rice and bring out a little more flavor. Don’t pour too much because it will make the rice soggy. Plate your rice however you want and slice your mangos. Place the mangos next to the rice and drizzle a little more sauce over the top. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds if you would like and serve!
 


So simple! This recipe is PERFECT for any occasion, fancy or casual. It is a huge hit for everyone and it’ll having you crawling back for more! I know it might be hard to find the steamer basket and pot so here’s one I found on amazon that’s very similar to what I have (NOT SPONSORED): https://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Rice-Steamer-Pot-Basket/dp/B00019MRRE
 


Enjoy! :)

Marecella Hazan has an amazing Italian Cookbook.. That was one of the first cookbooks that really got me into Italian Cooking.

This book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756613027/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Is what really got me started me and taught me the basics.

The Inn at Little Washington's Both Cookbook was a big influence

Rick Stein's Complete Seafood is comprehensive and really unique approaches to seafood

Beal Neals Southern Cooking is to Southern Food what Marcella Hazan is to Italian.

Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis, the Gift of Southern Cooking is another.. Or any Edna Louis Book is

Molly Stephens All About Braising is another wonderful book that is incredibly comprehensive with regards to Braising.. Some amazing recipes.

Fuschia Dunlop's book, The Land of Plenty is a wonderful intro to Sichuan Food

And really, just for incredible inspiration, i think everyone should have a copy of Ecoffier's Book


I am a self taught cook and these books started me.

Whirley-Pop all the way! It has a thin aluminum bottom that distributes heat evenly but doesn't retain heat so that as soon as it's done popping, you can take it off heat and the popcorn on the bottom won't burn. The swirling arms also make sure that you get pretty much 100% poppage and that everything pops at the same time. It's amazing because normally in a pot or a wok, there's a gap of maybe a minute or so between when the first kernel pops and the last one does. With the whirley-pop, it all shoots off at once. Like, a five second interval start to finish. It also makes distributing melted butter very easy.

Pro-tip: clarify your butter. The water content is what will turn popcorn soggy.

I buy bay leaves, yeast, and an assortment of dried chilies in bulk and freeze. They are always in my freezer.

I've got this one Catskill Craftsmen Super Slab with Finger Grooves https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002HE13I/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_frqmyb7KS5HQB

And it's great. Tons of workspace. Heavy so it doesn't move even without a towel under it. Easy on the knives, easy to clean. They have smaller ones if that's too big.

I also have a couple plastic ones for stuff like chicken. Even though wood is naturally antibacterial, I prefer to just toss the plastic ones in the dishwasher. I don't like them nearly as much though.

I love these.

I use a big floppy teflon spatula to smash them. I spray the underside of it with vegetable oil (a spritzer or the aerosol stuff works great here) so it doesnt stick to the patty when smashing. I press down on the spatula with this meat pounder to get good leverage.

I have a Scanpan that works great for eggs, and it's unbelievably easy to clean. It's also oven-safe up to 500F. It's kind of pricey, but it's a pretty solid pan so far (I've had it for about 6 months).

I bought their book. Definitely worth the $10 price used many times over. It's a great reference along with Bittman's How to Cook Anything. I've perused a few issues of the magazines while at friend's houses and don't think that I would get more value if I had subscribed.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Best-Recipe-Cooks-Illustrated/dp/0936184744/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503484874&sr=8-1&keywords=best+recipe+cooks+illustrated

> Way better than fumbling with a phone to time things.


Easier than saying hands-free, "Hey Siri, set timer for 27 minutes"?

FYI, if you do want a separate timer, Serious Eats recommends this $9 Polder unit:

https://www.amazon.com/Polder-898-90-Clock-Timer-Stopwatch/dp/B00004S4U7

Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish has given us the best pizza we've ever made. The dough is so effing good. Highly, highly recommend this book.

I've got this one: AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_NTeSzb2HN6E3P which was recommended by America's Test Kitchen. While I like the idea of getting a sharpening stone, lol. I do not have time for that. I also don't sharpen my knife frequently - honing frequently is much more important based on what I've read. (Please note I am far from a professional.)

I've been making tons of these smashed burgers for the last few months. I don't think what you use to press the burgers matters that much as long as it is wide and flat and you use enough pressure, its going to be 99% the same.

In terms of scraping, you do want something that can definitely get between the burger and the surface to preserve all of the char on the burger. I recently bought this scraper from Amazon and it works perfect: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004OCNJ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you haven't already I would suggest picking up a copy of Feast by Sarah Copeland! I've heard good things about Plenty also but haven't had a chance to get that one yet.

I would also recommend Broad Fork and Nopi!

Those look damn good! I can't tell if that's kosher salt on top or Maldon. If it's not Maldon, try it; it makes a huge difference!

You're right. I misread/interpreted your previous comment.

> Kenji is a home cook because he develops recipes that are attainable to the relatively dedicated home cook

Thomas Keller released a cookbook designed for home cooks - Ad Hoc at Home. I still wouldn't call him a home cook. Chef implies a level of achievement - much like the title Dr. would. Do you start calling a Dr. a medic because he practices in the field instead of the hospital?

PS

SV can normally be had on sale for less than $100 (thankfully, I literally dropped and cracked my polyscience two weeks ago), and Modernist Cuisine has a home edition (it sucks, Ad Hoc at Home is many, many times better).

I’ve been canning a couple years now and have also dabbed in fermenting (Kim chi, sauerkraut). I’ve made SO many kinds of pickles via water bath canning - zucchini, carrot, okra, onions, beets, watermelon rind, green beans, radishes, and of course cucumbers. I have my own home garden so have pickled from that, and also pickled some veggies from my CSA.

My favorite canning book is this one:

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving https://www.amazon.com/dp/0778801314/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_aaMPCbF9JT4E2

Any questions? Just ask!

Take a look at Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix. It uses photos to suggest different variations of ways to approach the same ingredient. It is about technique, ideas and improvisation rather than recipes — sounds like what you have in mind.

Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix: More Than 700 Simple Recipes and Techniques to Mix and Match for Endless Possibilities https://www.amazon.com/dp/0804188017/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pRcUAbY9S4RM3

America's Test Kitchen recently started a kids club which sends recipes every month (not that cheap) and published The Complete Cookbook For Young Chefs, which is reasonably priced downright cheap ($8.01 on Amazon).

Would one of these be right for you? They are industry standard and will live a long life in a home kitchen.

If you want fool proof eggs, get yourself one an egg timer

I have never failed to produce exactly the kind of egg I want. Just fill a pot with water. Put in the eggs and egg timer. Heat on the stove. When it gets to the doneness you want, remove from heat and run under cold water.