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I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Garbage compacter. Had one, hated it and sold it. Viking markets a 'microwave/convection oven/vent hood" that works well as a second oven in a small space and can use metal pans in the microwave.
Art of Pizza: Usually a Classic, But Not This Time
Have you tried the pizza by the slice when it is fresh? It seems a bit unfair to wait until 3:00 PM to judge the food abd wright a review!
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The 20 Dishes you need to know
As with any list: give the 'how to" portion of the list. Anyone can make a list, show us you know what you are talking about, connect us to the recipies!
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Garbage compacter. Had one, hated it and sold it. Viking markets a 'microwave/convection oven/vent hood" that works well as a second oven in a small space and can use metal pans in the microwave.
Art of Pizza: Usually a Classic, But Not This Time
Have you tried the pizza by the slice when it is fresh? It seems a bit unfair to wait until 3:00 PM to judge the food abd wright a review!
The 20 Dishes you need to know
My personal Top 20:
1. Bacon and Potato Omelette (I'm from germany and can't live without my "Bauernfrüstück")
2. Pasta with a garlic sauce
3. Spaghetti with meatballs
4. Roasted Chicken
5. Kao Pad (I'm also half Thai, and grew up with this dish)
6. Pancakes
7. Steak
8. Pizza
9. Potato Soup
10. A good Sandwich
11. Satay Sticks
12. Mashed Potaoes
13. Meatloaf
14. Gravy
15. Thai Sausages
16. Green Cabbage and Smoked Pork Chop
17. Spareribs
18. Quesadillas
19. Burger with some Fries and Fried Onions
20. Double Mud Chocolate Cake
The 20 Dishes you need to know
My 20:
1. Buffalo, Beef, Ostrich, Elk or Venison Burgers
2. Lamb & Goat
3. Grilled Vegetables
4. Mixed Green Salad
5. Sauteed Vegetables
6. Eggs of all types
7. A Really Good soup
8. Broiled/Grilled Fish
9. Fish Stew
10. Spatch-Cock Chicken
11. Puttenesca Sauce
12. Ratatoullie
13. Tomato Sauce
14. Clam Sauce
15. Vegetable Stir Fry
16. Roasted Vegetables
... I cannot think of any more!
The 20 Dishes you need to know
I think that really depends on the audience, wouldn't you? I would say that macaroni and cheese may be essential because I have a small child at home, but I can count on one hand the number of times my parents have had mac and cheese in the past ten years.
Some of my staples:
I have 3 dishes I make with ground turkey or beef that can be whipped up in under 20 minutes -- one with worcestershire sauce and cheddar cheese, one with peppers, onions, fish sauce, sriracha and basil, and one that's a variation on sloppy joes.
Spaghetti Carbonara -- we almost always have bacon and eggs
Omelets -- They do in a pinch when the cupboard is bare
Various soups -- I make several variations on tortilla soup, which is a favorite in my house. I also frequently make butternut squash soup, and mushroom soup.
Panfried steak or pork chops with a pan sauce
Salad dressing
Beef Stew
Pot Roast
Tacos -- various fillings
Enchiladas -- various fillings
I can't imagine having only 20 dishes in my repertoire!
The 20 Dishes you need to know
roast chicken
cheese based salad (usually goat cheese)
homemade soup including beans of some kind
Indian style curry with Indian rice
stir fry, usually with tofu
a salmon (fresh) based dish
baked potato and salad
quiche
Thai style curry made with coconut milk
soup (made with beans), especially in the colder months
tacos (with pork or possibly chicken)
my style nachos (with anchovies on)
vegetarian chilli
ratatouille with rice or over pasta plus a protein
homemade burgers (usually lamb or possibly bison)
fillets of fish (haddock, catfish, etc.) baked in the oven over rice (brown) and veggies
The 20 Dishes you need to know
Grilled chicken
a good grilled steak
spaghetti olive oil and garlic
beef stew
chef salad or any large salad
chicken soup
The 20 Dishes you need to know
- SOUP and homemade bread
- moussaka
- main course salads, there's an infinite variety
- filled pastas (ravioli,tortalini, etc) in broth or with butternut squash sauce
- barbecued beef sandwiches
- tortilla soup
- fritatta or Spanish tortilla
- onion or leek tarts
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Random thoughts on what is already here-
Microwave for kids- when you have a 9 yr old and a 14 yr old who want to heat something up and you don't necessarily want to supervise (my son is going through a --shudder-- canned ravioli phase), the microwave is great. We also use it as our rice cooker.
The other thing I wouldn't give up would be my KitchenAid. Each week I use it to make pizza dough, shred the cheese for the pizza, shred carrots and make pasta (granted most of those are with the attachments).
Microplane- for grating a bit of parmesan for pasta, you can't beat it, but otherwise, eh.
I am laughing at the 'cherry pitter'- the year I processed about 5 kilos of cherries for jam, I was DARN glad to have that thing! (no, I haven't used it since, but in its day...)
I think panini irons are a bit silly (not the grill things that COOK them-- not as much anyway!)- if you have a flat pan and a cast iron skillet and pot, you use that as your press! :-)
I miss my pizza stone, we used to just leave it in the oven all the time, never had a problem with it (didn't need a place to store it either!).
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
It's interesting to see how many people become oddly intolerant of appliances and gadgets they don't own. It makes me wonder why - it's not like appliances or gadgets attack people or actively do something else to deserve such acute hatred. I don't own a garlic press or a KitchenAid (and I don't need or want either one) and I could easily live without a dishwasher, but it would never occur to me to call these or other appliances "a total waste of space and money" if somebody else uses and enjoys them. If I don't have it - I haven't wasted either space or money, if somebody else has it and uses it - it's not a waste.
Yes, there are plenty of funny, silly and outright ridiculous appliances and gadgets out there (doughnut factory comes to mind), and I may not care for any of them, but you know what, if somebody bought it, likes it and uses it - good for them.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
cherry pitter its a waste of money and an appliance
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Heeey now...I love my rice cooker! I brought one to college, and its the first thing my sister bought for her new apartment!
We eat rice nearly every day, and while rice in a pot isn't that hard to make, rice in a rice cooker is perfect every time, you can set it and go about your life.
You can also make rice casseroles in it, you can make bread and porridge, oatmeal, etc.
It is the epitome of the quick, cheap, but warm and homey meal.
On the other hand, I wouldn't know what to do with a garlic press or a potato ricer. A fancy pants mandoline with the rubber safety grips and what not has no place in my house, but a cheapo Japanese Benriner does.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Wow, this is the 140th post to this thread and the smart-alec response I expected when I was writing it up has yet to appear. Annien came the closest, but still no cigar.
It's interesting how many people dislike things that others absolutely love, but there are some that I'd bet we'd all agree are indispensible. Like sharp knives. Well, I know one person who refuses to have sharp knives in her kitchen but she wouldn't be posting here.
I've been completely amused at the responses.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Some interesting and some funny responses. It just shows there are a lot of cooking style out there and cooking is a very personal experience - thus the tools should fit the person (not just the kitchen). As for me, I am sure how you survive without convection/microwave, rice maker (which is also a convenient steamer), immersion blender and a few other items. Convenient but not necessary are panini grill (not necessarily George Foreman), freezer ice cream maker, deep fat fryer. Totally needed are good chef knives, basic cookware and bakeware (silpat vs parchment goes on) including spring form. And don't forget measuring, mixing, and prep bowls.
yogiwan
Your Smart Kitchen
http://tinyurl.com/8du8d8
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
I love you guys! Especially regarding the bread machine...what a total wast of space and money! Takes all the joy out of making bread.
My favorite gadgets are my blender, hand-crank popcorn maker (pops every kernal, never burns a single one and is so easy!), my "air-bake" cookie sheets (the ones with the hollow center layer...nothing sticks or burns...they're amazing!), my my immersion blender (blend soups right in the pot), and finally, my All Clad Dutch oven. I use it for soups, everything!
As for gadgets that I think are a waste of time, besides the breadmaker, the rice cooker (what...it's too tough to cook rice in a pot???), electric can opener (too much counter space...and how lazy can you get?), garlic peeler (give me a break!), and finally, those new collapsing bowls, measuring cups and colanders. All those ridges must be a nightmare to clean!
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Microwave went on the fritz and I never replaced it. I can pop corn on my stove. I always felt that food cooled down faster when cooked or heated up in a MW. I would like to have one of those avocado scooper/mashers i've seen on CreateTV.com, and i'd like to have one of those potato peelers that were hawked on the streets of NYC by Joe Ades. But I get by with a hand mixer, or a whisk. I would like to have a pasta maker tho. But, I am seventy four years old and I can make do without any of these things. I still have an egg beater that I use, and an old potato masher that I use every week, and an old potato ricer. If the companies depended on me to buy all the new gadgets, they'd go broke in a quick hurry.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Don't want:
- Electric coffee machine. I have a chemex and I love it.
- Electric carving knife.
- Popcorn Machine.
- Ants.
In defense of:
- Enameled Dutch oven: I'm frankly shocked at the backlash. I used mine tonight to make pasta sauce. I make bread in it. Soup. Chili. Stew. I roast chicken in it (the "french chicken in a pot" method). In a pinch I could fry burgers, make bacon, etc. While I don't tend to deep fry I know it does that to. If I could take one cooking vessel to a desert Island, it'd be my Le Creuset. It's probably the highest quality implement in my kitchen.
- Food processor: I use my for bread making (as did Julia Child) and any time I have large amounts of shredding/chopping.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
I never got around to buying a Kitchen Aid mixer. Where would I put it? I like my hand mixer. I can't live without a wand blender. I have drawers full of gadgets, but just never could justify the expense of a Kitchen Aid. My most basic fave is a coffee scoop from Starbucks. It is two tablespoon measure so I use it as a measuring spoon for recipes that call for that amount. Kichen Aid also makes the world's worst hand can opener. Opens nothing. My ten buck electric works better. I use my collection of chopsticks for almost everything else. Simple is best.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Rice Cooker! Biggest waste of space on Earth.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
I don't have a George Foreman grill, but I have an equivalent grill from another manufacturer. I use it quite a lot actually, and I always like the food that comes out of it.
The worst part is cleaning out the fat trap. I just stick it in the freezer overnight then pop out the frozen fat like an ice cube. Yummy!
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
-a pizza stone. i found my cast iron skillet turned upside down on the lowest rack in the oven works great for making pizzas (use parchment too). sometimes i don't even bother with the oven and just preheat my skillet and its cast iron lid on the stove and make pizzas inside the covered skillet. the pizzas are on the small side, and you may not get the same browning on top (you could broil for a minute once the bottom crisps), but it works well, and i think takes less energy than heating the oven for an hour before you bake.
-an ice cream scoop. love ice cream, just don't need them to be perfect rounds. well, i take that back a little - cookie baking may be easier with one of those scoopers ...
-george foreman grill. they gross me out.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
@pjacob01, this is one reason I love the local thrift stores. Lots of people get rid of new or almost-new cooking items they got as gifts, and the thrift stores sell them dirt cheap. Garage sales, too, particularly if it's a new couple who are getting rid of wedding and shower gifts. Some of it is junk that I wouldn't want, but sometimes it's really good stuff and/or specialty stuff that's been given to a couple who don't cook much. I've bought cast iron frying pans for 50 cents.
But oh yeah, I'd love a foodie swapmeet. One thing I'd love to find is one of those iced tea jars with a spigot. Not for tea, but for homemade vinegar. But I'd want a glass or ceramic one instead of plastic.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Gosh! Sounds like you all should start up a SWAP MEET...just swap stuff around! I'll start...whoever it was who has the Raclette that they don't want...just send it to me!! I'm sure I have something you might want!
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
I noticed a lot of anti-microwave sentiment, and while I hardly ever use mine, I think it's only fair to point out that it makes an excellent bread box; the sealed door and everything help to keep bread products fresher, longer. Plus it's got a clock on it.
If you have space constraints, and problems with bread going bad, start keeping the bread in the micro. The three times a year when you have to pull all the bread out to reheat a cup of coffee is less of a bother than throwing away moldy or stale bread all the time.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
For me, a gadget's usefulness is determined by comparing the work involved in cleaning it and the amount of time it actually saves me.
Therefore, those garlic press doo-dads have no place in my kitchen. Once the papery skin is off, I can mince garlic with a good sharp knife in 15 seconds, and then have the knife and my fingers clean of garlic residue in another 15 seconds.
With a garlic press, I still have to remove the papery skin from the garlic before using it, it mashes the garlic in 15 seconds, and then it takes me 5 minutes to scrub the garlic out of the little holes before I throw it in the dishwasher, which actually doesn't clean it very well, so I scrub it again.
My wife, however, seems to think it's a real time-saver, probably because I do most of the washing up. So when she wants to help with dinner, which I do appreciate, I usually see to it that garlic is minced before she pulls out the garlic press
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
lmao at the onion goggles! Ya know all you have to do to keep your eyes from watering while cutting an onion is keep your mouth open! Seriously, it works! Has something to do with the vapors from the onion going straight to moisture, which is why it hits your eyes first. Open your mouth and the vapors go there instead of to your eyes. You'll look funny - but who cares?
Things I do NOT want in my kitchen:
electric can opener
iced tea maker
deep fryer
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
Things I don't want:
breadmaker
tabletop mixer (I use a strong handmixer, just like my mom does)
silpat (don't like the idea of hot hot plastic, doesn't seem healthy)
deep fryer
waffle maker
popcorn popper (I use my microwave)
electric wok
garbage compacter
George Forman grill
Thing I wish I did not have:
manual pasta maker
Things I am really glad I have:
30 year old-going strong-cuisine art
fantastic wooden spoon from Tom Littledeer-it's the medium wok paddle and comes in righty or lefty. See www.littledeer.ca I could throw all my other wooden spoons away, except for the propeller, also from littledeer.
Rice cooker
Grapefruit knife AND grapefruit spoon
Tramontina 6.5 quart dutch oven
two old well seasoned 12" cast iron pans
dishwasher
I had a hand-me-down electric can opener for 20 yrs, used it every day to open cans of cat food (it was known as 'the call of the wild' to my cats) Now I have a handheld swing-a-way, works great!!!
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As with any list: give the 'how to" portion of the list. Anyone can make a list, show us you know what you are talking about, connect us to the recipies!