Smorgasbord July 2018

by RogerJuly 7, 2018

Welcome to the July Smorgasbord episode!

Talking points and links from the show are below:

Welcome new listeners

Thank you to all the listeners, new and old, for downloading the podcast! In this episode I share a little about the vibe of the show as well as my background and cooking/food philosophy. I am also looking for feedback from you. What am I missing, and what do you want to hear more of (or less of) in the future? Send me an email to feedback@kitchencounterpodcast.com and let me know.

The future of the Facebook page

If you follow the show on Facebook you probably already know that I don’t spend a lot of time updating the fan page for the show. I put up new episodes, but that’s about it (I just don’t think Facebook fanpages really deliver an experience that fits the show).

That being said I am toying with the idea of starting a Facebook group for listeners of the show. It could be more of a community space where I can interact with listeners, and listeners can interact with one another. We can discuss episodes past and future, food news, share recipes, answer questions and so forth. Would you be interested in joining that Facebook group if I started it? Let me know!

Update on Sous Vide Cooking

I received a sous vide cooker for Father’s Day, and I have been having a BLAST getting to know how it works.

So far I have made steaks, chicken breasts, and halibut. Let me tell you, the chicken and halibut were “next level” awesome. Hear all my thoughts in this episode, but also be sure to go back and listen to “The Basics of Sous Vide Cooking” with Jay Nutt and Jennifer MacKenzie from back in December 2017. If you are interested in picking up your own sous vide cooker, one of the most popular brand is Anova.

Listener Question: Essential Tools for the Home Chef

Jessica sent me an email and wanted to know what, in my opinion, were the top 5-10 essential tools that a home chef should have.

Of course I had to take a simple question and make it more complicated than it needed to be, but hey, that’s me. I go into a lot of detail in the episode, but here are Amazon affiliate links to everything I mention:

Wusthof 8-Inch Cook’s Knife; one of my favorite kitchen tools. You might also even find a deal on a three-piece knife set!

A digital instant read thermometer is a must for cooking perfect proteins.

A skillet and lid are essential. All-Clad makes some of the best.

Enameled cast-iron dutch ovens are kitchen workhorses and can serve multiple functions. Le Creuset are an industry standard and are heirloom quality, but Lodge makes affordable alternatives.

Casserole dishes are a must for, well, making casseroles. But hey, you can make brownies and roast chickens too!

Finally, at least one (or better, two) heavy rimmed sheet pans will let you bake cookies or roast veggies with ease.

Here are the “Essential Plus” items I mentioned

First on the list of next level essentials is a food processor.

If you plan on doing a lot of baking, you will want the classic KitchenAid Stand Mixer on your short list. Heavy duty and versatile with lots of cools accessories available. Oh yeah, and a kitchen scale is a baker’s best friend.

Slow cookers make life a lot easier for busy families. Of course, an Instant Pot can slow cook, pressure cook, make rice, make yogurt, steam veggies, and more! Did I mention I did an episode on both slow cookers and the Instant Pot?

Last but not least, a pro-quality blender can be a life-changing appliance. Make your own peanut butter, smoothies, soup, sauces, and so much more. I have a Vitamix and swear by it, but they aren’t cheap (though you can save a bit by going with a refurbished model). I have heard good things about the Ninja blenders, and they are certainly easier on the bank account.