Archive for May, 2010
Direct method of Charcoal Barbecuing
With your charcoal grill, the most convenient and standard way to barbecue is with the direct method. This type of barbecue refers to cooking the food directly over the hot coals. This is best for foods that take 25 minutes or less to cook.
Pour the coals in an even layer over the lower grill and then pile them up in the center and light(barbecue accessory like an electric lighter is great, but lighter fluid or lighter chips work too). When they are gray take your barbecue tool with the long handle thongs and spread the coals out. Place the top grill on its rack and cook away flipping or grabbing with your nice barbecue grill accessories.
The Proper Table Setting
Something I have always tried to convey to my children is to practice proper table etiquette. This starts with knowing how to set a formal table and thus how to find the proper utensil, plate or glass for each course of the meal. Then they don’t embarrass themselves with “civilized” company.
The main rule is for everything to be geometrically spread and centered and the flatware to be balanced with the proper piece of flatware placed from outside in relative to the courses to be served. You use the fork, spoon etc. from the outside in.The water glass is placed directly in front of the primary knife and successive glasses placed to the right of the waterglass large size to small. Possible exception would be a champagne flute which would be next to the water glass, then red wine, white wine etc. Enjoy!
How to Sharpen a Knife
Ultimately, you will lose your edge. We recommend using an oil stone, Japanese whetstone or diamond stone when it comes time for sharpening. While these do require learning the technique, they can be easily mastered and enable you to control the quality and the sharpness of the edge you create.
~ Follow the manufacturer’s recommended instructions for preparing your stone. A damp cloth under the stone protects the work surface. Start with the medium grit. (Use the coarse grit if your Maxam knives are particularly dull.
~ While holding the knife in your right hand with the cutting edge facing left, place the heel of the knife in the bottom right hand corner of the stone with the blade vertical in front of you. Raise the spine of the knife about 1/16″ off the stone, keeping the knife’s edge flush with the surface. Place your left hand on the face of the blade, applying just enough pressure to keep the blade edge in contact with the stone.
~ Move the blade in an arching motion from right to left, heel to tip, vertical to horizontal, covering as much of the stone’s surface as possible to allow the stone to wear evenly. Sharpen in one direction only.
~ Do this 10 times, or as many draws at it takes to form a burr (a slightly curled metal, the beginnings of your newly sharpened edge) on the opposite edge side.
~ To test for burrs: NEVER run thumb directly against sharp edge. Place your thumb at the center of the side of the blade near the heel, perpendicular to the edge. Run your thumb lightly from the center of the blade’s side, toward and off the sharpened edge, detecting any raised burrs. Repeat at the center and tip of the blade.
~ Switch the knife-edge to face right and repeat the steps, starting with the heel in the bottom left hand corner of the stone. If necessary, slant the stone towards the right for comfort. To keep the edge consistent, draw the blade the same number of times you drew the blade on the other side, and with equal pressure.
~ Repeat the above steps, using fewer draws of the blade each time, until no burrs remain. Once you can no longer detect burrs, sharpen the knife on the finer side of the stone with the same technique as above. The finer the stone, the sharper the resulting edge.
~ When complete, stroke the new edge on steel, wipe the knife clean and dry before using.
Cooking Steaks with Greaseless Method on Stainless Steel Cookware
Cooking steaks on the Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware 
sets is healthy and fast. Cooking on Stainless Steel requires no additional oil.
Just trim excess fat, preheat the pan om medium until water droplets jump off of the pan. Then place the steak on pan and press down. It will stick temporarily while braising and then will release. Don’t try to flip unti it’s ready to turn. Check by lifting up an edge(generally 4-5 minutes)and when ready the meat releases itself. Then flip it and cook to your preferrence.
On thick cuts or roasts you would cook another 3-4 minutes then turn on low and cover. Cooking for 30-40 minutes for full roasts. Have fun with it.
Caring for your Waterless Cookware
With Waterless cookware as with all Stainless Steel Cookware you should wash it after each use with warm soapy water and scrub with a dish cloth or nylon net scrubber. Then rinse with warm tap water thoroughly and dry. Never use abrasive, metal scrub pads as these will scratch the surfaces.
You can also always use a dishwasher as well. Doing it soon or soaking first for a while in water if anything burnt or stuck to bottom, then washing it will help to avoid pitting from salt if it is undissolved or condenses on the bottom of the pan.
The bright like new shine should last a long time with caring for your Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware.
Butterflied Lamb Barbecue
It’s Summertime and time for an outdoor barbecue. For this delicious recipe of Butterflied Lamb Barbecue, you need to butterfly a leg of lamb the day before. Get out your proper kitchen cultery knife and cut down along the shaft of the bone and disect it out. Then marinate the boned lamb overnight for best results.
Ingredients:
1 leg of lamb, 5-6 pounds boned
1 cup medium dry sherry
2TBS. olive oil
1 medium sized grated or chopped onion
8-10 fresh Rosemary sprigs
salt and pepper
Marionate the lamb overnight in the ingredients and cook on mesquite charcoal or gas grill with mesquite wood chips for 2 hours. Turning it of course with your barbecue tools every 5-10 minutes or so to cook evenly. It is delicious.
Clams with Chives and Peppers over Pasta
Here’s a quick delicious seafood pasta dish. Pretty much all can be prepared in a large Stainless Steel Frying Pan and a stainless Steel pot for the pasta.
Ingredients:
1/2 TBS. olive oil
1 TBS. margerine(I might use just olive oil or use butter if not worried about calories)
2 Chile de arbol seca(dried hot chiles) chopped
3 TBS. fresh chives, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper chopped(I might use 1 whole)
pinch ground cloves or cinnamon
3/4 pound estimated shucked clams or can of clams drained
Heat oil and butter/margerine in a large stainless steel cookware pan. Add chili peppers and suaté for 30 seconds. Add the clams and sauté for about 2 minutes when the edges curl and wrinkle up telling you they are heated through. Stir in the chives, red bell pepper and cloves and cook for 30 seconds more. Serve over pasta of your choice.
I would serve with nice Baguette or Italian bread, leafy salad with vinaigrette dressing and a nice pinot noir or chardonay(or other dry white wine). Enjoy!
Always Clean your new Waterless Stainless Steel Cookware
When you purchase new Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware, it is important to clean it thoroughly to remove any oil or other residue film on it.
A great way to do this is to wash it in a solution of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 hot water with dish soap. Scrub with a dish cloth or plastic scrub net and then rinse well. Then you’re ready to go with your Waterless cookware.
Teflon Coated versus Stainless Steel Cookware
DuPont says that Teflon coated pans are safe and always have been. However when Teflon pans are accidentally overheated (apparently to 680 degrees F.) they will release a gas PFOA(perflurooctanoic acid) which causes cancer in lab animals and is thought to be a danger to people. At the least, this gas and others being released when an empty pan is left on an turned on burner or accidentally left in oven during broil cycle will cause severe respiratory distress in birds(it can be lethal). I am a critical care veterinarian in my “day job” and treated a parrot for this a few months ago. The bird was very distressed and was on oxygen overnigh and transferred to a specialist in the morning. It did ok but flagged the dangers, because people can apparently have similar symptoms.
A Stainless Steel Cookware Set can eliminate this fear. Quality cookware with multi element clad bottom heat evenly and doesn’t, since there are no hot spots on the bottom. It is a great alternative choice and eliminate the risk.
Add a little Flavor to Your Barbecue with Wood Chips
Gas Barbecue Grills are wonderful and convenient, but at times we miss the woody extra flavors of the charcoal. Especially if we use hickory or mosquite charcoal.
A way around this is to buy wood chips at your local home improvement store or barbecue grill accessories store. You should always soak them in water for 30 minutes or so if there is time. This allows you to let them steam the food before the chips start to burn up and smoke the food. It will enhance the flavor even more. You can make a cup of aluminum foil to put them in or use the container built in to many gas grills.
Fire up the grill, get out the food and barbecue tools and cook up a great meal.