A Good Dish

making food simpler

Less Pots & Pans in Your Kitchen – Paring Down to Essential Cookware

Colorful grill pans with other color coordinated kitchenware – so tempting!

Browsing a kitchenware store is one of my guilty pleasures (along with strolling through bookstores, flea markets, art supplies, handbags, spice or specialty grocers and a good factory tour). The colorful enamelware pots and colanders attract me like a child to candy bins. While admiring, lifting and examining each pan or sieve, I imagine the scrumptious dish I will prepare in or with it, as if it were already in use. Unfortunately, this preoccupation has resulted in overstuffed kitchen drawers and cabinets, from which I am routinely culling items to add to the give-away pile.

Cast iron dutch ovens and other Le Creuset Flame pots

We really only need a few cooking pots and pans in our kitchens, not a whole fleet. Cookware manufacturers and salespeople would have you think otherwise but as I cook more, I’ve realized that many pots do double duty and many are so similar as to be redundant. Why fill your walls and cupboards with cooking pots and lids that get used only occasionally? If you have an enormous kitchen with unlimited storage – okay – you need not read on. But for most people, deciding how to stock one’s kitchen is a matter of space and utility. For example, if you make paella regularly, you may want to keep that paella pan but if you make it once in 2 or 3 years, your large skillet will suffice. If you only use your wok every 5 years, couldn’t you find a better use for all that space and make do with that same large skillet?

All Clad Master Chef pots with brushed exteriors

Especially in an apartment kitchen, I have to be conscious of the value of cabinet footage, and mindful of what I hoard behind closed doors. (I am especially conscious of this reality this week as we are painting our apartment for the first time in more than 15 years and I have to pack and move each one of those hoarded items). I love stainless steel pots (as they are non-reactive) and cast iron pans (for their heat retention) and I prefer heavier to lighter. My husband, a very good researcher of consumer durables, among many other areas, came to our relationship with several excellent Paderno pots from Bridge Kitchenware that we are still using more than 25 years later. We purchased and were gifted several pieces of All Clad Stainless (love the brushed steel Master Chef) and Le Creuset (addicted to Caribbean and Flame) and I think those are both still the gold standard. Full disclosure, I definitely have accumulated more than I need because some are so beautifully crafted or colored or have sentimental attachments. But as I learn the value of less, I am slowly deaccessioning even my beloved kitchenware.

My motley assortment 

I gave up on Teflon years ago but do use one Tramontina non-scratching, PFOA-free, non-stick pan for making eggs. I ditched my crepe pan (skillet works fine) and egg poacher (saucepan substitutes perfectly) but held on to the wok, extra saucepans (how can I get rid of such good quality pots when I know I am going to need them when I burn yet another after forgetting to set a timer?) and that extra huge stockpot. And this is not mentioning the broiling, roasting and baking pans! Perhaps writing this post is a semi-conscious effort at listening to my own words. In the long struggle to lighten up, I am making steady progress in the kitchen, although that wok ….

Inexpensive Lodge cast iron skillets are highly rated

Here is a list of my essential stovetop cookware:

  • Large stockpot (12 – 16 quarts, depending on the volume of soup you make)
  • Large skillet (mine has a 16″ diameter but I like to cook for 6-8 at a time)
  • Small non-stick skillet (for making your eggs in the morning although you might try seasoned cast iron if you don’t want to use a pan with a non-stick coating)
  • Small saucepan (handy for everything from boiling a couple of eggs to melting butter to reheating a bowl of soup)
  • Medium saucepan (ditto only larger as well as steaming vegetables, making sauces, rice, etc.)
  • Medium stockpot (8 quarts – perfect for pasta, deep frying and larger amounts of vegetables, dumplings, and so on)
  • Cast iron skillet (I found mine at a yard sale butThe Sweethome (com) recommends the Lodge 12″ for around $20.
  • Whistling tea kettle (I’ve burned out the bottom of enough kettles that the whistle is essential)

Beyond that, if you have space or cook a lot, I would recommend:

  • A cast iron grill pan
  • A Dutch oven, preferably enameled cast iron so you can cook with acid things like vinegar and tomato (for braises, stews, baked beans and anything that gets seared and then roasted)
  • A mid-sized saucier (a saucepan with sloping sides for anything, like a sauce or roux, that needs whisking, risotto and, my favorite use – a big batch of asparagus)
  • A double boiler steamer that fits into your medium saucepan (for steaming dumplings, reheating leftovers, etc.) and a double boiler for cooking over water (You can use a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of water for melting butter, chocolate, etc. but if you make a lot of custards or puddings, you will need a pot to fit on top.)
  • A cast iron griddle that fits over two stove burners and is great for pancakes (which my guys love)

Please – do as I say, not as I’ve done!

Flame and Caribbean Le Creuset with the old Paderno stockpot

Salad Every Day – Just Do It!

Early spring salad with bagged greens, oranges and toasted pumpkin seeds
Bowl by Adero Willard

I like to eat a salad at least once a day but this can be challenging in the winter. Fresh vegetables don’t always look that fresh come late winter and soup often seems more appealing. I make lots of soups (kind of like a hot salad in some ways) but I almost always accompany them with a salad of some sort. We just got home from 3 weeks of travel and the first thing we wanted was a big green salad.

Fresh salad greens are available year round

With better packaging techniques and shipping, a variety of greens are available in markets and grocery stores year round. Some greens, like watercress, arugula and baby versions of kale, beet and mustard grow well in greenhouses and can be bagged or boxed efficiently and keep pretty well for a couple day in your refrigerator. We can depend on them before local spring greens appear. Pears, apples, persimmons and pomegranates are available at different times during the winter and citrus is still plentiful. If you don’t have fresh fruit, chop some dried apricots or pears or add a handful of dried cranberries or raisins. Add fresh green herbs, storage vegetables (like carrots or radishes) and some toasted seeds or nuts and you have a gorgeous salad on the table in a flash.

Chopped celery and cucumber add crunch to salads

The following recipe is about as basic as salad gets and is is just a framework. It is the same structure for the raw beet and carrot salads I posted this winter only here I’ve used greens. It is more a reminder that a salad is so easy to make and the contents so flexible. Adjust the amounts according to your tastes. You can’t really go wrong. If you don’t feel like lettuce, use leftover or freshly cooked vegetables. Add in raw peas, scallions, raw cabbage, sugar snaps, red onion or whatever you like that you have available. I’ve included my usual vinaigrette recipe which dresses a big bowlful of vegetables plus some to store in the fridge for tomorrow’s salad.

VARIABLE GREEN SALAD with Basic Vinaigrette

  • Watercress, arugula and/or baby greens – the amounts depend on how much salad you want – washed, dried and torn in bite sized piece
  • Pear, apple, avocado or persimmon, diced or some citrus supremes or a handful of bite-sized dried fruit
  • Some combination of carrot, radish, celery, cucumber or jicama, sliced or diced in bite sized pieces
  • Cilantro or parsley, chopped (or any fresh herb you like and have on hand)
  • Toasted or raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts or almonds or pistachios (optional)
  • Sprinkle of chia and/or hemp seeds (optional)

Whisk together:

  • 1/4 cup orange, lemon, grapefruit or lime juice or a combination
  • Splash of rice vinegar (about 1 TBs)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (or part olive, part avocado or walnut oil)
  • Pinch of granulated garlic (I use this instead of garlic powder as it is more flavorful)
  • Pinch of salt and black pepper

If you like a creamier dressing, add 1 TBs Dijon Mustard and 1-2 TBs Yogurt or Buttermilk

Endive, apricot, celery, cilantro and toasted walnuts
Bowl by Adero Willard

HAPPY SPRING!

Spring arrived early this year (these photos are from the end of February) at Wave Hill in the Bronx. Hopefully, the storms we’ve had since won’t mess up Mother Nature so much that spring blooms or crops will be harmed. Ramps, fiddleheads and asparagus will be in markets before we know it.

Happy, happy Spring! (And Happy Birthday, Alex!)

Another Shot of Winter Gives Us Another Chance to Cook

From The Yosemite Suite (2010-11) by David Hockney

Even though we’ve changed the clocks ahead (when are we going to give up that antiquated routine?), it still feels like winter in New York. Nothing like a little snow on branches to make us forget that Spring will be here next week. But it will. We’ve had little glimpses. And until it gets here, make soup and ginger tea, make oatmeal for breakfast before it gets too warm and be cosy!

We will be traveling for a few weeks, researching food, wine, markets and all things clay. Be back in April with lots more posts. Until then, keep warm and enjoy bundling up with a steaming cup or bowl while you still are able. 

Buds around the Central Park Reservoir in February

My New Favorite Breakfast – Add Greens!

Scrambled eggs with arugula
Terra Cotta plate by Mary Briggs

You may not ordinarily think of making a vegetable for breakfast, but tossing a couple of handfuls of quick cooking greens in your pan a minute before adding your scrambled eggs takes a ordinary breakfast up a nutritional notch. If you are vegetarian or vegan, simply add the greens to your tofu scramble or beans. If you like savory oatmeal, corn grits, congee or another porridge rather than sweet to start your day, adding greens is a no-brainier. Keeping some fresh arugula or spinach in your refrigerator is an easy way to insure you always have greens to cook. You can get one or two servings of veggies out of the way before you leave home in the morning.

Keep fresh quick cooking greens on hand in the fridge
Frozen vegetables can have more vitamins than fresh!

You could make a sandwich out of your scramble or eat it straight up. (If you don’t eat bread, adding vegetables is a way to bulk up your breakfast). If you wanted to enrich your eggs even more, you could sauté an onion before adding your greens or simply toss in some leftover vegetables from your previous meal. Peas, asparagus, sautéed or steamed greens, mushrooms and even zucchini all work well. I never use broccoli or cauliflower because I can’t handle the aroma early in the day but if you are careful not to overcook and the smell doesn’t bother you, go for it. Full disclosure – someone (who shall remain unmentioned) went through a broccoli in the morning phase and since she often overcooked it, we’ve had trouble even thinking about using it ever since! Keeping some vegetables in your freezer means you’ll have a veggie on hand to add. Frozen peas, green beans, artichoke hearts and mixed vegetables all work well. Just heat them in a little butter or oil to take the cold edge off (they are already cooked) and add your eggs to scramble. Grating in some fresh (or a pinch of dried) turmeric makes it healthier (anti-inflammatory/antioxidant) and spicier. Or try a handful of chopped fresh herbs (dill is especially good but even parsley works) to your scramble – already an improvement!

Sautéed arugula only takes a minute to prepare
Scrambled eggs with mushrooms, baby kale and turmeric

Another possibility, if you prefer fried or poached eggs, is simply to cook or warm your vegetables (with arugula or spinach it only takes a minute) and top the greens with your eggs or put it all on a piece of whole grain toast. If you don’t eat bread but do eat grains, topping leftover quinoa, grits or kasha with greens and poached or fried eggs is delicious and quite filling. Whichever way, you’ve bettered your breakfast without much effort. Without the effort of an omelet or frittata, adding greens easily ups both the nutritional profile and satiety level of your breakfast. It is eye pleasing and, best of all, tasty!

Green Breakfast Sandwich