How To Choose A Quality Cookware Set

Author: Sharon Chennault

If you are considering purchasing new cookware, you probably are wondering how to make the most sensible purchase and still get all the pieces and features you need. Price is always a major factor in deciding which cookware set is right for you. Choosing the perfect cookware set involves much more than color and the availability of nifty glass lids that you can see through. If you are a serious cook, or simply want the best deal for the price, you will need to be more practical in making your decision.

The main factor in choosing cookware is the material from which it is made. Copper is very expensive, but conducts heat better than any other material. Heat conduction allows your food to cook evenly. You will undoubtedly find cookware that is constructed from stainless steel with a copper reinforced bottom. The problem with this type of cookware is that the bottom of the food will cook faster than the rest, making it very difficult to avoiding burning and/or scorching your food. Braising is out of the question in a stainless steel pan with a copper reinforced bottom.

You need cookware that allows heat to be distributed evenly. You are probably very familiar with pans that have hot spots. Hot spots are places in the pan where the food cooks disproportionately faster than in the rest of the pan. Cookware with even heat distribution is imperative if you are serious about the food you cook. The problem with copper, cast iron, and aluminum cookware is that certain foods will absorb a metal taste and color from the pans, not to mention you will ingest some of the metal that is transferred to the food. Copper will scratch and discolors easily, but every cook should have at least one copper bowl for beating egg whites. Copper bowls will allow you to beat eggs whites to their maximum volume.

Aluminum is inexpensive, but as mentioned before, will react with certain foods in an unfavorable manner. Aluminum wears down quickly, although there are anodized pans that will cut down on reactivity and increase durability. If you opt for aluminum cookware, anodized is the best choice. Cast iron is good for searing steaks and a few other specialized cooking tasks, but you must keep your cast iron cookware seasoned to avoid sticking and pitting of the pan.

The fact is that there is no perfect cookware. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Stainless steel is probably the best compromise. Stainless steel is in the middle price range and heat conductivity. It is durable and cleans easily and will not react with any type of food you cook. Another good choice is stainless steel with an aluminum insert that goes all the way up the sides of the pan.

The conclusion would seem to be that in order to get a good set of cookware, you will have to spend some money, but it is not necessary to get the most expensive type. A good stainless steel cookware set with a few special pieces such as a non-stick frying pan, a copper bowl, and any other extras you desire will be your best choice.

This article has been provided courtesy of Kitchen Junkie. Kitchen Junkie offers great kitchen articles available for reprint and other tools to help you get the best bargain on kitchen gadgets and more.

About the author: None

Eating History - The Potato

Author: Paul Rinehart

This root vegetable is probably one of the most widely used vegetables in our modern world. It has come a long way from its air thin origins in the South American mountain ranges.

Long before the potato reached the shores of the Emerald Isle, it was widely cultivated some 7,000 years before its introduction in Europe. The Western World didn't even come across it until about the mid-sixteenth century and it would not make it to the Old World for another couple of decades.

This rugged tuber met resistance at first. The potato was thought to be poisonous due to the fact that it is a member of the poisonous ""Nightshade"" family. A green potato for example, contains a substance called ""solanine"" which tastes bitter and can make humans ill. When first introduced to the Old World, it was used to feed prisoners and the infirm.

It wasn't until the late eighteenth century that the potato would be elevated from its lowly station. Ireland began to cultivate the potato around 1780. The Irish became so dependent on it that this dependence lead to a population explosion resulting in famine. The Irish Potato Famine hit around 1845. Like the plagues of Ancient Egypt, a fungus wiped out the potato crop. People starved or ate grass and weeds to ward off hunger. Many people died and many more would leave Ireland in search of a better life in the New World. Today the potato has become a staple in many countries including the United States, where it is now grown in all 50 states.

Did you know? Potatoes are grown in over 125 countries throughout the world.

Germans eat twice as many potatoes as Americans do. Americans eat an average of about 125 pounds per year!

It is said that Thomas Jefferson introduced ""French Fries"" to America after serving them at a White House Dinner.

The potato is about 80% water and 20% solids.

An 8-ounce baked or boiled potato has only about 100 calories.

About the author: Paul Rinehart is classically trained and is the founder of Online Cooking .

Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.4 of 12 - Seafood Paella

Author: Paul Curran

Christmas recipe serves: 12

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Calories per serving: 605

Not suitable for freezing

Christmas recipe ingredients

* Onions or shallot: 225 g (8 oz)

* Celery, 125 g (4 oz)

* Garlic cloves, 3

* Fish stock, 1.1 litres (2 pints)

* White wine, 300 ml (10 fl oz)

* Saffron, 1.25 ml (quarter tsp)

* Bay leaf, 1

* Fish fillets, skinless, cod, salmon, haddock 450 g (1 lb)

* Rice, wild 125 g (4 oz)

* Olive oil, 50 ml (2 fl oz)v * Rice, long-grain, 350 g (12 oz)v * Salt and pepper

* Butter, 25 g (1 oz)

* Mushrooms, wild in oil, drained 280 g jar

* Mushrooms, brown-cap 125 g (4 oz)

* Watercress, 2 bunches

* Prawns, King, peeled, cooked 500 g ( 1 lb)

Christmas Recipe Instructions:

1. Crush peeled garlic, chop the celery and the onions. Combine the fish, bay leaf, wine, saffron and stock. Heat till biling and stand for 10 minutes. Sieve off the fish and keep the liquid. Fork the fish into large pieces.

2. Prepare cooked wild rice in salted boiling water. About 40 minutes. Remove from the liquid and keep.

3. At the same time, cook the garlic, celery and onions in the oil until soft. Add long-grain rice, heating for a couple of minutes before introducing the stock and bringing to the boil. Add seasoning and cook with a lid on at 200 degrees centigrade (400 F) for about 30 minutes.

4. Cook all the mushrooms in butter for about 2 minutes. Take out the mushrooms, add the watercross and stir for about two minutes, till floppy.

5. Mix the prawns, fish, watercress, mushrooms and wild rice into the long-grain rice. Season to taste and warm in oven for another minute.

6. Serve

About the author: (c) Paul Curran, CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at Gifts-for-Christmas.com, bringing you christmas recipes and unique gifts for christmas including their online home collectibles and russian gifts stores.

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