Sauteing and frying: Tips and recipes to help you master stovetop cooking techniques - The Washington Post |
- Sauteing and frying: Tips and recipes to help you master stovetop cooking techniques - The Washington Post
- Cooking essentials for your college dorm - CNET
- The D-Constructed Cook: Student Cooking Survival Guide - The Dartmouth
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Posted: 08 May 2021 07:00 AM PDT  Shallow and deep-frying can be among the more intimidating ways to cook food — they were for me, at least. Frying in oil is a way to cook using convection, as heat travels in currents throughout the liquid (though the heat is initially transferred from the heat source via the pot by conduction). Here the liquid is fat and not water, as is the case in boiling, which we'll tackle in the future. In shallow-frying, there's enough oil to cover the bottom and sides of the food, while deep-frying covers the food all the way in oil, McGee says. One of the biggest advantages of frying is, of course, the crispy exterior, which comes thanks to the fact that oil can get to a much higher temperature than water (frying is often done about 350 degrees), allowing for flavorful browning reactions to occur. Breading and batters provide crunch and flavor and also protect the food from the intense heat of the oil. As in many other cooking methods, frying is about managing temperature and food size to create the optimal conditions that let the interior and exterior cook at an equal pace. Among the keys to successful frying: Maintaining the proper oil temperature (insufficiently heated oil can turn food soggy, too hot and it will burn), using a vessel big enough to prevent boil-overs and meticulously keeping moisture out of the oil, which can cause spattering.  |
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Cooking essentials for your college dorm - CNET Posted: 08 May 2021 06:00 AM PDT Deal Savings Price Whether you never made it to your dorm in the first place or you're heading back after a surprise extended stay with Mom and Dad, you might need some dorm cooking essentials to ease the transition. Yes, your total living space might be shrinking exponentially but that's a small price to pay for being back on your own -- or, you know, finally on your own for the first time. Whatever the case, you may not have a home-cooked dinner waiting for you at 6 p.m. sharp anymore. So the time to learn a few dorm cooking hacks is now, and we've got all the gear you need. Cooking in a college dorm is possible but has its challenges. It's a little bit like camping, only indoors and for 15 weeks straight. Oh, and you have electricity. You're likely not going to be whipping up lasagna and three-layer cakes in your 12-by-12-foot box, but you'll be amazed at the culinary feats you can accomplish with just a few simple (and brilliant) tools. If you find yourself in limbo at your parental home base or elsewhere, looking at a longer period of distance learning, a lot of these gadgets still come in handy for feeding yourself, even if you're only at Level 101 cooking. These are just a few absolute dorm cooking essentials every college student should own. Read more: 13 great kitchen gifts for grads  If your dorm room doesn't already include a refrigerator-freezer, then you've got to get a mini version. It's a must. If your dorm room is currently your childhood bedroom or basement, it's still nice to have a dedicated place to put your snacks. This retro-styled 3.2-cubic-foot dry-erase refrigerator with neon markers is stylish and lets you write and erase lists and notes right on the fridge door -- whether it's a warning to stop stealing your oat milk or a note to self about next week's Zoom class schedule.  To some of us, a microwave is also already an accepted essential, but many dorm vets wave the hot pot flag. (Sunbeam makes a $20 hot pot that boils water in one to two minutes, and you can make pasta, rice, potatoes and vegetables in there, too, along with coffee or tea.) But if you're microwave all the way, this could be the one for you. Go with a small version and then make sure all your plates, bowls and mugs are microwave-safe. To fall under standard dorm safety regulations, you'll want a compact microwave with 700 watts of power or less, such as this stylish model with a retro oval window. It's available in three colors and will add some pop to an otherwise drab dorm.  Want to avoid the "freshman 15" and maintain a healthy diet that includes fruits and vegetables? Smoothies, smoothies, smoothies. We like personal blenders better than traditional ones because they're more compact, the blending container doubles as a cup and they come with lids to make them to-go cups so you can sip on your way to class (or as you log in to your laptop at the kitchen island again). We've enjoyed the Nutri Ninja Pro, which has been discontinued, but this NutriBullet Magic Bullet is a No. 1 bestseller for good reason. It can crush through ice, seeds, skins and stems for a smooth, even consistency. Ice and frozen fruit is no match for this nifty little machine, so it's great for cold, healthy drinks and smoothies. And, ahem, margaritas…  Getting out the dorm door with a proper breakfast is pretty much impossible, but an egg cooker can definitely help. The popular Dash cooker will make six perfectly cooked eggs in minutes -- hard-boiled, soft-boiled or poached if you're fancy. Plus, it takes up very little space, which is great because space is at a premium in college. Hooray for protein!  This should've been No. 1, really. You might try to schedule all your classes late in the day, but inevitably, there will be at least one 8 a.m. class (uggghhh) that you have to take. Now regular coffee makers have a 12-cup max capacity, which as ambitious as you are, might just be unnecessary. Plus it's large and takes up a lot of precious space. Enter this top-rated model, which is slim, shiny and uses a mesh scoop filter so you can choose your preferred coffee grounds. The maker brews an 8-ounce cup in 90 seconds, but you're gonna want a 14-ounce travel mug's worth, and that only takes about two-and-a-half minutes to fill up.  With this little robot-looking oven, you can make all the fried favorites like wings, fries, tots, mozzarella sticks, empanadas and other frozen snacks without any oil. The 2-quart size is perfect for a dorm and the digital presets include a 60-minute automatic shut-off for safety. All I'll say is I sure wish I'd had one of these my freshman year. You kids have it so good nowadays.  If you're still in a dorm you might not need everything in this set, but keep it for next year when you move off campus and have to stock a real kitchen. A greater, can opener, measuring spoons, measuring cups, a peeler are the types of little things you might forget when you're picking out silverware, plates, cups and bowls. You can definitely find more colorful sets if style matters to you, but this basic collection is cheap and includes both a bottle opener and a pizza cutter, which you just might end up using more than the rest.  One of the most frequent questions you'll ask yourself in college is, "Wait, do I even have time to eat?" It's sad, but it's the truth. You'll need appliances that will help you prepare food in no time so that you don't starve if you're running late to class or an internship or wherever you need to be. This quesadilla maker is cheap and perfect for a quick and easy lunch! And there's really no shame in being the person who runs around campus frantically shoving a quesadilla in your face. We've all been there. Just don't forget to put the top tortilla down before you close it like I did several times my freshman year. A waffle maker is a worthy alternative (and is far more versatile than you think; by the same token, the quesadilla maker should be too).  I don't know if everyone is still drinking fruit-infused water, but I am, so this is important. While not technically a cooking item, a reusable water bottle is a smart thing to have in your dorm. Why keep buying water bottles when you can run tap water through a filter for free? And with this sturdy and slick-looking HYDY water bottle (which comes in a ton of great colors), you can add tea, lemons, berries or whatever your heart desires to that all-important H2O.  Even more of an essential than coffee (gasp!), is clean, drinkable water. A filtered water pitcher is a great way to have the most necessary sustenance around all the time. Even if you can't fit it in your fridge, you want this. There are many kinds, but a slim design works best for your limited space. The Brita 5-Cup Space Saver BPA-free water pitcher fits this bill, with color options of white, turquoise and red.  If the dorm allows it, an Instant Pot is a no-brainer, and this compact mini version is a great fit for small spaces (and those who might not want to deal with five pounds of pulled pork at a time). This particular model doesn't do yogurt, but it does double as a rice cooker and steamer -- and of course it churns out quick dinners, breakfast and perfect boiled eggs every time. Also: Microwave-safe food storage containers with lids, like Tupperware, as well as shatter-proof and microwave-safe dishes, are a great idea. A small cutting board wouldn't hurt either. Oh, and maybe a tea towel, pot holder and trivet, too (sigh). You gotta stop somewhere, though. Bon voyage!  |
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The D-Constructed Cook: Student Cooking Survival Guide - The Dartmouth Posted: 19 Apr 2021 12:00 AM PDT The D's food columnist offers tips and tricks to tackle cooking in your off-campus student home.  Students often demean Dartmouth Dining Services for its quality, but DDS is undeniably convenient and reliable. However, the pandemic has increased the number of students living off campus while restricting DDS to students in dorms. No longer can off-campus students, like myself, walk to the dining hall after a long day of classes. We are out in the real world to fend — and cook — for ourselves. Cooking for yourself, let alone for others, presents an entirely new challenge to Dartmouth life. Coordinating a house cooking schedule is a test of organization, but with diligence and the strategies listed below, putting food on the table can be simple. Working ahead is key for efficiency. In a previous article, I covered how pre-prepared ingredients open up the avenue for many different meals from a set of basic ingredients. Pre-cut vegetables, pre-made sauces and pre-cooked proteins allow for meals in minutes, and dinners like noodle soup, stir fry vegetables and tacos can go straight from fridge to stove. Taking these steps ahead of time will save you in a weeknight crunch. Additionally, I have come to rely on one-step recipes during my time as an off-campus college student. Being able to just dump every ingredient straight into one pot is a lifesaver. Cooking appliances like an Instant Pot, Crockpot or even just a large pot on the stove will make these tasty meals come together effortlessly. Some of my favorite recipes are Thai red curry, chicken and rice, and bean chili, but there are many more dump-and-go recipes on the internet. When it is my turn to cook for the house, I use this method whenever I have a time constraint. Especially for large groups, these recipes are extremely useful because they can be scaled for any amount of people. When grocery shopping, be sure to buy items that pack of a lot of flavor. Products like miso paste, curry paste, chipotles in adobo and Korean red pepper paste elevate even the most simple ingredients into filling and flavorful meals. With the miso paste, I often make a pot of soup noodles with the odds and ends of vegetables lying around in my fridge. With curry paste and chipotles in adobo, I make Penang curry and turmeric adobo chicken and rice. With the Korean red pepper paste, I love to marinade proteins and cook stews like soondubu jjigae. Any ingredient that imbues an aggressive flavor like balsamic vinegar or soy sauce will immediately impart a great depth of flavor in fundamentally basic dinners. Assigning jobs in the kitchen is another strategy that can make off-campus cooking easier. Having a weekly schedule for this helps maintain positive group dynamics and makes cooking less of a chore. Tag-teaming a dinner with friends is more fun and efficient than tackling it alone. That way, someone can prep food as someone else starts to cook, and there are always two eyes on every step of the recipe. My ideal number in the kitchen is two, especially with limited kitchen space, so that we can still be efficient while avoiding overcrowding the kitchen. These strategies will help overcome the difficulties of cooking off campus. Although it may seem daunting to cook so regularly, these tips for prepping ahead, following one-step recipes, buying flavorful ingredients and cooking with friends will produce simple, high quality dishes. Until we can return to the safety blanket that is DDS, off-campus students must be culinarily self-sufficient.  |
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