Posts in Jul 2009
Hershey Kiss cookies
Hershey Kiss cookies (AKA peanut butter blossoms) are one of our all time favorite cookies--peanut butter and chocolate are simply meant for each other. We grew up having these mostly around the holidays, but there is no reason why this delicious cookie has to be limited to a few short months. We haven't been to a summer picnic yet where these weren't the first dessert to be finished off.
How to season cast iron pans
We're big fans of cast iron cookware, but it does take a little more maintenance than some other materials. Most importantly you need to season cast iron. Seasoning simply means a patina of carbon which not only protects the pan from rust (which exposed iron will do rapidly), but also gives cast iron a natural non-stick finish. Many pans come pre-seasoned these days, but if you need to re-season or refurbish a rusted pan here's how to do it.
Beat the recession one protein at a time
With the economy in recession a lot of people are cooking at home more frequently. That means more grocery store visits than in years past and as we all know it's easy to go way over budget if you go in unprepared. We've got a series of tips coming up, but we're throwing in one of the biggest money savers in first: rotate your proteins based on the sale at your preferred store. It sounds simple, but grocery stores frequently use one or two proteins as loss leaders to get you into the store. If you plan your meals around what's on sale you will save serious cash. A great side benefit is you won't get into a rut because you'll end up buying different cuts every week.
Dutch oven
An enameled cast iron dutch oven is one of our workhorse pans. It's perfect for making pasta sauces, stews, braising meat, deep frying and even some kinds of bread. Le Creuset is the largest brand name in this space, but at north of $200 their pieces are priced a bit more than most consumers (including us!) are willing to spend. Our kitchen sports a 6-Quart Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven [$69.32