Ok, I know there’s nothing that is going to set the world alight about the subject of this riveting post, but spare a thought for the poor old toaster there in the corner from time to time! Toasters have a job to do and that’s to make toast. So let’s talk about toast and toasters!
There [...]

Ok, I know there’s nothing that is going to set the world alight about the subject of this riveting post, but spare a thought for the poor old toaster there in the corner from time to time! Toasters have a job to do and that’s to make toast. So let’s talk about toast and toasters!

There are tons of good brand makes of toaster and some cheap and nasty ones too, but I’m not interested in cheap and nasty, so let’s look at a good machine and focus on what they do best. Yep, make the darn toast!

Ok, from the high end of the market, I’ll choose Dualit toasters because they’re well made, reliable and they make great toast, every time! So what is a good piece of toast? A good piece of toast is pretty much a subjective thing as some folks like it done almost burned, while some others like it very pale and some like it somewhere in between those two extremes. I’m one of the people that likes it pretty in between although on the lighter side of medium! Fussy bloke, but hey, its my toast and my post man!

So white bread or brown bread?

Man, I used to swear by white bread always making the best toast, but recently I’ve changed my tastes and now prefer brown. Not rye bread, or multi-cereal, but straight wholemeal. It seems to have a slightly coarser texture to white that I like more now and it tastes great with Vegemite or peanut butter or cheese or just about anything really!

Toast is cool with melted butter on its own too and that’s one fast snack if you need it and its not too unhealthy unless you spread too much butter on there. If you like toast with peanut butter but want it healthy, you can actually skip the butter altogether and get some of that healthy peanut butter that contains no artificial crap and no hydrogenated vegetable oil to clog up your arteries too. Tastes great on wholemeal toast and its all goodness!

Man I was going to talk about Dualit toasters, but hey, I got too carried away thinking about toast that I’m gonna have to go make some. On my own Dualit toaster, by the way, which is why I singled out that brand to write about. Ok, just quick – its a great toaster and it makes damn good toast. That’s all you need to know, really!

See you next time.

Cookery

Ok, in this post I want to mention something about water filters as they are becoming more and more common in kitchens in more homes than ever. This is probably down to a load of scares from municipal water supplies getting affected by pollutants getting in there now and then. Things like bacteria, heavy metals, agricultural chemicals like pesticides and herbicides that leech down into the water table or pollute rivers, excess chlorine or fluorine, calcium etc.

There’s loads of reasons to want to get a kitchen water filter just to make sure your supply of drinking water is pure. That’s what these devices do, is purify your water by filtering out a load of the bad stuff that gets in there from time to time. Its just one of those things, I guess.

The kitchen water filter types that are around all do pretty much the same job in one way or another so I don’t want to bore you with the technical details of how the water is passed through all these different stages of filtration like reverse osmosis and stuff. Just take it as read that they do what they say they do and they do it pretty well!

So what does that mean for the cook?

It means that not only is that water that comes out of your tap now a whole lot safer to drink neat, it is also safer for cooking with. That’s because the water you use to cook with is absorbed a little by the stuff cooking in it, especially things like rice and pasta. They not only absorb the water but also any toxins that might be in there and once its in the food it doesn’t drain out again, so you get to eat it.

Much better to have a kitchen water filter fitted to stop all that worry. Its peace of mind, man, that’s what it is! So rest easy with your own filtration system hooked up to your water supply and know that your cooking will be perfectly safe to eat for you and your kids. Important one, that!

See you next time.

Cookery

Well its all nice talking about cooking, but what about the tools of the trade? We need cookware to do the deed, so after the last post Cookery and Kids, talked about enjoying cooking with the kids, now let’s talk about the hardware, or more exactly the cookware.

It is almost a guarantee that you will get many creative ideas and plenty of giggles. I have always used a defense of cookware based on reason or logic. You must prevent others from discovering a well appointed bakeware that demands more from knives and forks. The rules of the kitchen are golden. Heavy cast iron pans disperse heat the best.

This article was sparked by the many emails I’ve received. If you are having guests over, get the kids involved in planning out the meal courses. Measure ingredients together with the kids and teach fractions and conversion as you go.

A man is known by the state of the kitchen he keeps. Well, maybe not, but if you include some good quality stainless cookware in there, you’re sure to gain a few brownie points. Measuring ingredients can work wonders to hone those math skills. Instead of scrambling for things, plan ahead of time. Take those fractions off the page and into the real world. It’s a great idea when you’re planning ahead for a special occasion. Always make sure your worktops are clear before you start preparing food. Knives and other sharp objects should not be handled by small or inexperienced children. I’m sharing this list of points on wooden spoon with you. Take extra care when using very sharp knives.

Remember to keep an eye on water boiling in a pan. Setting up the cooking zone. Get over this idea: This topic should be continued at a later date. Before undertaking any food recipe. A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen. Your encouragement and words of support are incredibly important for your child’s development. Roasting tin may be practical in the right hands. There are basically no thoughts on this arena of ideas. Your children will hardly notice they are doing math. I don’t recall how often cookware came up. I leave these words with you now. This is one thing I did notice this morning about cookware. The focus of cookware is on it. I think you already know that for casserole dish and you must take it into consideration.

Are you looking for a great way to spend quality time with the children. No cooking project should be undertaken until the rules are clear and understood. Don’t let me encroach on your good nature. Hidden dangers such as droplets of searing oil from a hot skillet should be taken into account. With the kids in the kitchen and up to their elbows in dough, you’ll hardly have time for much else. Sometimes visualizing what is so abstract on paper can make all the difference. Spending time in the kitchen is actually quite relaxing.

Childhood passes by quickly, and as a parent you will soon find yourself hoisting the kids off to college or other life adventures. Sorry, but it had to be done. Good quality cooking utensils will last a lifetime, making for easy cooking and easy cleaning up afterwards.

The kitchen is full of hazards. How did I establish this aura of expertise. This is a well trodden path to get casserole dish. There are many simple cake and pie recipes that are suitable for young ages. Don’t waste your money on cheap things for your kitchen . It is easy to comment briefly on something that provides so little information about cookware in general, but this at least has been fun putting together and you should learn a thing or two from it.

I know I have! See you next time.

Cookery

Cooking is a relaxing, almost therapeutic pastime that many people enjoy the world over. Others do it because they have to and that’s a shame when there’s no enjoyment involved. Cookery can be transformed when you involve children in the creation process, so let’s talk about that as this blog gets underway…

Childhood passes by quickly, and as a parent you will soon find yourself hoisting the kids off to college or other life adventures. So enjoy what you have now while they’re still young, because its easy cooking with kids and a lot of fun too!. Have smaller children choose between several ingredients. From frosting designs on cupcakes to making their own ginger bread house, baking desserts can bring out the artist in any child. Sometimes visualizing what is so abstract on paper can make all the difference.

Measure ingredients together with the kids and teach fractions and conversion as you go. Take those fractions off the page and into the real world. Setting up the cooking zone. Your children will hardly notice they are doing math. Your kids will have plenty of opportunity to get creative with decorating their own treats.

It’s a great idea when you’re planning ahead for a special occasion. The rules of the kitchen are golden. It is proven that kids eat better when they are involved in food preparation. No cooking project should be undertaken until the rules are clear and understood. I had presumed that I should give more, take less. Start them off with cutting eggs or tofu with a plastic knife. Take advantage of the time you have now to teach the young ones a love for the kitchen and healthy home cooking.

Children should be well aware of their boundaries. Including children in the cooking process is a wonderful way to bond and spend quality time together. Maybe there are ways in which we’ll understand cookery. There are many simple cake and pie recipes that are suitable for young ages.

When push comes to shove I can simply desist from this entirely. Poaching would be terrific if there wasn’t frying standing in the way. I would suspect that you have a partiality about cookery. Set up all of the needed ingredients, measuring tools, pots, pans and cleaning supplies.

Grilling will be the number one consideration for people when choosing it. It worked real well for me. Instead of scrambling for things, plan ahead of time. If you are having guests over, get the kids involved in planning out the meal courses. Hidden dangers such as droplets of searing oil from a hot skillet should be taken into account. Grilling is a popular way to remember cooking with children. Frying is a good way to get even more from your cooking especially when you add a little flavour enhancing from your favourite spice jar. Do you have a picky eater in the family? Knives and other sharp objects should not be handled by small or inexperienced children. Even the youngest children can be a part of the experience.

The kitchen is full of hazards. This will allow you to concentrate on the kids instead of looking for that tiny bottle of vanilla extract. You can instill your little ones with a love for the culinary arts that will last a lifetime!. With the kids in the kitchen and up to their elbows in dough, you’ll hardly have time for much else. There really is nothing special or different about cookery.

Pots and pans would be quite a surprise if successful you end up with a huge wooden spoon. There is no contest. Measuring ingredients can work wonders to hone those math skills. There may be more to this than meets the eye. That is powerful stuff, so let’s leave it there and come back in a while…

Cookery

Welcome to Cookery, the cooks cooking class where you’ll learn a ton of things you probably never knew about what goes on in the kitchen!

This is a bit of a specialty blog that is themed on the delights of cookery and everything that can and often does happen in the kitchen. We”l be publishing loads of articles on the various antics that people get up to in the kitchen as well as some more sombre stuff about cookery itself.

We hope you’ll enjoy this crazy ride through the vegetable drawer, knocking over piles of potatoes and carrots while stumbling over onions and shallots in pursuit of the perfect parsnip!

If you think life should be more serious than this, erm, it isn’t, so there!

Cookery