RoobiFood

As a Personal Chef there are many pieces of kitchen equipment that I can not live with out. My stand mixer, food processor and citrus zester to name a few. But the most important ingredient in all my cooking is in fact a piece of metal. My knife. Where ever I go this comes with me. It’s my security blanket and good kitchen friend.

There are a number of knives that both chefs and the home cook use. Knives of all sizes and shapes that have various uses around the kitchen. The traditional chef’s knife has a longer more narrow blade (in most cases) that’s balanced by the handle. This knife allows the user to rock the knife back and forth in quick motions to finely chop up things like vegetables or something smaller like garlic cloves or some form of fresh herb. A great knife but not my best friend.

I prefer to use the Santoku chef’s knife. I like the way it feels in my hand and the stability I get from its flat bottom. That’s the major difference with this knife and the traditional type of knife. The blade on the Santoku is flat from the end of the handle to the tip and is specially designed with hallow indentations on the blade that reduce drag when chopping and cutting. It will easily cut through a ripe tomato without compromising the fruits integrity. Although its flat bottom doesn’t allow for the easy rocking motion of the traditional knife, I’ve found a way that I can easily mince garlic or chop my parsley just as efficiently as if using the traditional knife. A many a meal for both clients and family has been created with this knife as the star helper.

We all have our favorite gadget in the kitchen. Favorite ways to do or use things. What’s yours?

Important tip: A dull knife is more dangerous then a sharp one. Always keep your knife sharp!

Okay, so you’ve taken my earlier advice about wanting to bring your child(ren) into the kitchen but your not sure where to start. What do we do to get them interested in food? We get them to help make it! You’d be surprised at how much more willing they are to try new foods this way.

As a parent you must decide what feels comfortable for their kitchen duties. You know your children, their abilities and temperament so take that information and decide how much responsibility you want to give them. My own daughter has always been in the kitchen somehow. From very young in the high chair I would give her measuring spoons and cups to play with and check out. As she got older and was able to stand up I’d get her to help mix, then add wet ingredients to dry, crack eggs… well you get the picture. Now at age 8 she wants to run the show. I’m not quite ready to let her near the gas flame but I’m working on that.

I think muffins are a great recipe to start with. Even though baking is a much more precise science then cooking, muffins are fairly forgiving to any extra ingredient whether added on purpose or not. A number of muffin recipes can also be altered with special additions such as fruit, nuts ect. ( the recipe to follow is a good one.)

Muffins are a great way to get fruit into a child’s diet too. Even vegetables like shredded carrots or zucchini can be added. They give the muffin a yummy moist texture. I usually add 4 to 6 tbsp. of ground flax seed as well to add some fiber.

As long as the muffin is not dry I find that most kids love them. Muffins are a great lunch box item, an after school snack, or a quick portable breakfast.

I’d love to hear about your messes and success, let me know- click on my name at the end of the article to email me.

Basic Muffin recipe: (adapted from everyday food)

Makes 12 muffins
Preheat oven to 375, place either muffin liners into muffin tin or grease and flour pan well
11/2 stick of unsalted butter, melted
2 cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

- in a small bowl whisk together cooled melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla
- in a larger bowl put all dry ingredients together, make a well in the middle and pour in wet ingredients in. With a spatula gently mix until moist. Don’t over mix.

These are a couple mix in ideas: ( to be added at the end of mixing gently fold into mixture.)

11/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
11/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (my favorite)

You can use lower fat milk, the texture is a bit different but not that noticeable.
I also use some apple sauce in place of 1/2 cup of butter

Enjoy!

I am an avid fan of one of the most hilarious quick cooking shows around and it’s totally free and accessible online. I am talking about www.AverageBetty.com -a great place for entertainment and more.

The site hosts a variety of quick and easy recipes for any occasion, and even better the recipes are accompanied by crazy comic sketches that show you how it’s done.

From the Cuckoonut Shrimp Fairy to Chicken Satay-ser the mini-shows are both educational and entertaining. With great music, skits and parodies the recipes and laughs keep on coming.

I highly recommend checking out www.AverageBetty.com today, and you will become as addicted to watching these mini-programs as I am.

Ah, the Peppadew^TM. Peppa-who, you say? If you are unfamiliar with this little red bite of deliciousness, it’s not surprising; the Peppadew has only been around for a few years. They are found exclusively in South Africa in the Eastern Cape. A farmer happened upon one, and in what could have been a fatal move, ate it. Luckily for him (and us!), he was pleased with the refreshing sweet/spicy taste and crisp texture of the fruit. He named it the Peppadew, trademarked the name, and finagled exclusive growing, packaging and selling of the fruit.

My first encounter with this delicious little pepper (I really can’t think of it as anything else) was on a winter trip last year to South Africa. Given that the Peppadew is native to the country, they are found absolutely everywhere in a variety of dishes. You can find Peppadews in pizza, in salads, on sandwiches, roasted, as an appetizer, an ingredient in a riff on bruschetta—the possibilities are endless. My favorite way to eat Peppadews is in salad; they are so wonderfully fresh that I can best appreciate their taste among other veggies.

I was devastated when I left South Africa; I could only fit three jars of Peppadews in my already packed suitcase. I craved the taste of them constantly and begged my sister to bring me more jars when she next visited the States. Then—after an absolutely rotten day at work—I discovered jars of Peppadews in the Whole Foods by my apartment. My joy was only eclipsed by the fact that they were served in the olive bar as well, and at a slightly lower price point. Now, I buy them at least twice a week and eat them every day (um, sometimes twice). Fortunately for me, this is a guilt-free indulgence. If you’re not near a Whole Foods, you may also order them online at www.peppadewusa.com.

Try the below for a healthy and tasty salad; the addition of chicken (or shrimp, if you prefer) means that you can serve this salad as a light summer dinner:

Ingredients:
-Romaine lettuce
-Dried apricots, sliced
-Roasted chicken, chilled and shredded into bite-sized pieces
(alternately, simply grilled or sautéed shrimp would make a great addition)
-Crumbled goat cheese
-Peppadews!

Mix ingredients together, in whatever proportions you prefer. Toss lightly with a simple dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar; add a dash of freshly ground pepper and serve.

- but these silicone potholders/oven gloves are still a damned near perfect kitchen tool (from GadgetReporter)

Here is a cool little item that you might not consider a gadget, but then again, you might. It’s called the Orli Oven glove, and it really comes in handy taking those hot items out of the oven. It’s a little different than a lot of other items of its kind, because it is made out of silicone, and you can store it right on your oven door with it’s built in suction cup. So now, you won’t have to search for that pot holder, when the cookies are about to burn! Via Orli