Favorites: Vol. 2

It makes more sense to do a favorites in volumes, since there's no structure to the posting order. Besides that I am planning to do these monthly, and there will be 5 favorites per volume. So let's get to it!

1. My 10.5 inch T-Fal Stainless Steel Skillet

Every cook needs a decent skillet. I stray away from non-stick cookware, because frankly they don't make sense to me, and the quality of other materials (stainless steel, cast iron, even aluminum) seems better and longer lasting. And here's the deal: use a bit of fat in your cooking (butter, oil), and your food will never stick. When I first went to purchase a skillet, I did a mega ton of research, searching high and low for the perfect one. Since I planned to do more than just sauteing things, it was important for me to get something that could handle a good amount of food. The sides on this one are a bit higher, so it's more "all purpose" than some skillets i looked at. It has a copper bottom, and is oven safe. For a first skillet, and for a hobbyist cook such as myself, it's the perfect thing!

Here it is, with stir fry. Granted a wok is always going to be the best thing for a nice hot stir fry, a saute of veggies, protein and sauce works beautifully here.

Here it is with a chicken skillet dish I did on a whim. Chicken thighs, butter, dry sherry, salt and pepper, parsley, italian seasoning, mushrooms and a bit of lemon juice.

Do you have a skillet? If so, what kind?

http://www.amazon.com/T-fal-C8360564-Stainless-Mult-layer-Dishwasher/dp/B002HWRUES/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top


 2. Coriander

Can you believe I've never cooked with coriander before last week? I made African Chicken Peanut Stew (which I will post here soon, it was amazing), which calls for a healthy amount of coriander. I'm sure most of us who like to eat Indian and Asian food have tasted coriander. At first, I struggled to describe it. It is often compared to cilantro, which I find to be untrue. Coriander is bright but rich, and very herbal. It's scent reminds me of essential oils one may use in Aromatherapy. While it is a distinct scent and flavor, it isn't as distinct or strong as a curry, making it more versatile. I can see myself experimenting with this as a secret spice, whenever I want to brighten up a dish and also add depth to it. The link below describes it as lemon, sage, and caraway, which is the best way I can think to descrtibe it myself.

http://www.food.com/library/coriander-17


3. Lemon Storage Container thingie

What can be said about this thing? If you're a little lemon crazy like me, this is a must have. I got tired of wasting plastic bags on lemons, and found this in a dollar store one day. You might think the lemons dry up in this, but I don't find that they dry out any more than normal, even in a plastic bag. There are a lot of these types of containers out there, for tomatoes, onions, peppers!

 Sometimes limes go in there too. I'm a rebel!

4. Barkeeper's Friend

Speaking of skillets, one of the kind of pain in the ass thing about them is that you must care for them properly. It doesn't require a ton of maintenence, but I learned pretty fast that using soap will only leave a white residue on your skillet. So I recalled when a friend of mine had a can of barkeeper's friend to clean out his kitchen sink, which is porcelain. The sink was pretty well stained, but after a good wipe down with this stuff, it was gleaming whiter than Ryan Seacrest's teeth. I use it primarily for cleaning my skillet, and like it because it is very gentle and not abrasive. All I do is use about a teaspoon of this into the skillet, mix in a little hot water, and wipe it with a paper towel. You should not scrub your skillets with anything abrasive, as it can upset the material. This stuff can be used for pretty much anything, and is great for tough and delicate jobs alike!

http://www.barkeepersfriend.com

5. Asahi!

I like my beer like I like my humor. Dry, dry, dry. As the cold winter drags on here, I like to do a little fantasizing that it's nice, and I am sipping an Asahi on a patio somewhere. Who says I'm not imaginative? Plus, their advertising is awesome.

http://www.asahibeerusa.com/

There's my favorites for the month! Do you have any food/kitchen related items you swear by, are diggin right now, or have just discovered?