Rustle Up Yummy Dishes Like a Chef With Gourmet Kitchen Appliances

Want to build up a gourmet kitchen but are not yet not ready to give up your other interests for the sake of pursuing your culinary ambitions?

Chef Knife

Well, one way of achieving the best of both worlds is setting up a smart kitchen.

Chef Knife

Today's smart kitchen is one that has everything a gourmet chef could dream of. At the same time it helps the chef cook up gourmet dishes with minimum efforts.

One way to set up a restaurant quality gourmet kitchen is to have the range of smart appliances. Let's discuss about some of the must haves for your gourmet kitchen.

The essential features of gourmet kitchen appliances

Today's high-end kitchen appliances are characterized by sleek designs, compact sizes, and futuristic finishes that perfectly blend in with your modular modernistic kitchen decor. Today's kitchen appliances boast of "smart" technology, with microprocessors and electronic sensors. This makes your appliances intuitive and multi-tasking; some of them would stock up recipes in their memories, while some others will let you know when you are running out of supply. In a nutshell, they are designed to give users the optimum cooking experience at the expense of minimum human energy. The home appliances are increasingly acquiring commercial style to help the chef stir up restaurant quality dishes at home, while energy saving has become a buzzword in their architecture.

Today's kitchen appliance market has become extremely competitive with their whole range of different products. Let's see what products are necessary for setting up a gourmet kitchen.

You can divide the entire set of kitchen appliances in four broad categories:

Storage appliances such as refrigerators and freezers. Cooking appliances such as ranges, ovens, and cook tops. Near-the-sink appliances such as dishwashers, trash compactors, and disposal units. Portable appliances such as coffee makers, blenders and food processors as well as mixers and toasters.

It is not easy to choose from an impressive list of feature packed smart kitchen appliances. You should keep the following points in mind while choosing your gourmet appliance:

Before you shop, go for a detailed analysis of your actual kitchen needs. Today's models are generally loaded with features--but go for those features that would support the needs of your family and lifestyle. Commercial quality cooking appliances are easy to lure the chef inside you--but make sure they not only complement your kitchen style, but also rightly support your level of gourmet expertise. Today's kitchen appliance industry offers pro-like appliances that match the residential safety and electrical standards. Go for the one that gives you maximum energy efficiency.
In the end here are a few tips to help you make the correct choice:

If you lack good ventilation in your kitchen, then don't go for the commercial ranges; Pro style ranges are better choice for the consumers as they are specially designed for reduced heat output. For more customization in the kitchen layout consider using separate cook tops and wall ovens; they work better for multiple cooks. If you do not entertain at your home regularly, then go for standard 24 inches oven, rather than 27 or 30 inches models. Go for an oven that combines micro, convection and grilling features. If you are a family that runs on multiple schedules, go for a warming drawer, which helps keep the foods warm. Waste Disposal Units and Trash Compactors are must if you want to keep your gourmet kitchen clean and hygienic. But before buying any unit make sure, they are not banned in your area. If the waste disposal charges are high in your locality then, trash compactors, by sizing down the volume of your trashes help you save in the long run. If you consider replacing your old refrigerator, go for a new modular type that ensures easy access to the drawers and other parts of the refrigerator.

Your gourmet kitchen should boast of appliances that help you store, prepare, and cook food - and clean up your kitchen post-cooking with minimum efforts. So while planning your kitchen, choose the appliances accordingly to cover all aspects of your kitchen experience.

Rustle Up Yummy Dishes Like a Chef With Gourmet Kitchen Appliances

Chef Knife

42 Lcd 1080P 120Hz

Hungarian Cabbage Rolls - Toltott Kaposzta

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are a Classic Hungarian dish that almost everyone world-wide recognizes. No wedding celebration would be complete without large pots of these tightly rolled bundles of meat and rice held by soft wrappers of cabbage. The rolls lay in a bed of silky sauerkraut with hints of smoky bacon. The cabbage and sauerkraut combine to a most delicious and mellow dish. Once you sample this dish, you are hooked!

Chef Knife

Growing up in a Hungarian household, we all loved Cabbage Rolls in tomato sauce, prepared just like Stuffed Hungarian Peppers. We were able to smother the bread with sour cream and mop up the juices and cabbage pieces. My dad preferred a more smokey bacon flavour. In order to please everyone, mom prepared it both ways. We would always complain that she hadn't made our first choice and only dad was being preferred. So, on one occasion, she came up with a brilliant compromise; she combined both sets of ingredients - partially tomato juice and partially smoked bacon and sauerkraut. We loved it and she continued to prepare it this way since that time. (Aside - the Hungarian Club in our city of Brantford, Ontario purchased mom's cookbook, because they insisted they mom's recipe was out of this world. They book hundreds of events yearly - that should tell you how good this recipe is.)

Chef Knife

INGREDIENTS

1 lb each of ground pork, beef & veal (don't compromise on this!)

1 cup long grain rice *(Uncle Ben's Converted Rice)

1 medium to large head green cabbage

1 large onion

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2-3 cloves garlic

2 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp hot paprika

1 - 28 oz jar Sauerkraut

1 - 28 oz can tomato juice

2 cups water (more if required)

Roux- Rantas

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp sweet paprika

2 tbsp bacon fat

Smokey Version

lb piece smoked pork rib, bacon, pork hock or ham bone

Garnish

1 pt sour cream

1 Loaf Hungarian White Crusty Bread

DIRECTIONS:

Stuffing/Filling: Grate and saute onion slightly in a small amount of bacon fat. Add paprika, stir and allow flavours to bloom. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine; onions, meat and rice and seasonings. Taste and adjust seasoning. *(Uncle Ben's Converted Rice stays whole and just al dente -lovely. Soak in 1 cup luke warm water and rinse, no need to cook.)

Cabbage Leaves: Core center of cabbage in a cone shape down and into the cabbage so the leaves will pull away easily. Place in a large 6 qt boiling pot of water. Place cabbage (core first) into the water. After a few minutes of steaming, pierce the center of the cabbage head with a long roasting fork and hold immersed in boiling water. As cabbage blanches, the outer leaves will start to peel away. Encourage peeling away each leaf using a large wooden spoon, pushing each leaf down into the boiling water. Keep peeling leaves until all are pulled away from the core. If you are new at this, remove the loosened leaves from the pot and shock in cold water bath. You don't want them going limp and shredding on you while you stuff and roll them.

When steaming is complete, remove all leaves carefully into colander and drain with cold water to stop the cooking process. Then, place all leaves on a cutting board. Sort leaves by placing all equal sized leaves together. Trim off thick, middle vein with a sharp paring knife being careful not to tear the cabbage leaf. Larger leaves can be cut into 2, right down the center cutting away the thick vein to create 2 smaller leaves. The smallest leaves are not used in rolling, but cut into julienne strips to line the pot.

Rolling Technique: Place the cabbage leaf on a cutting board or in your left hand. Take 1 leaf at a time (ruffled edge away from you) and place an ice-cream scoop or 2 tbsp seasoned meat/rice mixture on the center. Roll lengthwise starting at cored flat end way and then fold left leafy side over middle (like a Burrito). Continue rolling and then when completely rolled, tuck right leafy loose end inside with index finger. (Not too much pressure, or you will tear the cabbage and then the stuffing will leak and protrude out during cooking.)

Pot Assembly: If using the Smokey Version, place Pork Hock or rib on bottom of pot now. Then, start by placing reserved cabbage strips at the bottom of large pot along with 1/3 of the sauerkraut and the pieces of thick bacon including rind. Start placing Cabbage Rolls snugly in concentric circles layering the sauerkraut in between each layer. The smokey flavours will filter all the way up through the pot. Continue in this fashion until all leaves are rolled and placed into the pot. Cover with more cabbage pieces and sauerkraut if desired. Pour over the tomato juice and enough water to cover. Simmer about 1 hour on medium heat. Test 1 roll - go ahead - you know you want to! If meat is cooked and rice is al dente, then remove from heat. If not, cook for another 15-30 minutes at the most.

Roux- Rantas: Heat bacon fat and add flour and paprika. Saute slightly then, add water and stir until you get a smooth consistency. You may have to pour off some of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and cream the thickener from there. Add roux back into cabbage pot. Do not stir rolls; just shake the pot so that the sauce penetrates in between the rolls. Remove from heat. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a large serving dish.

Serving Suggestions: Serve with fresh Hungarian bread and generous servings of sour cream (and some good wine if that is your custom) If I may be so bold, I would go with a full Hungarian wine like Egri Bikavér ("Bull's Blood of Eger") which is Hungary's most famous red wine, but any of the following would go very well; Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Beaujolais Red and of course Shiraz.

Yield: 24-28 Medium Cabbage Rolls.

Note: Delicious the next day as flavours meld. Freezes well for 3-6 months. Mom says that red cabbage is never used for cabbage rolls, otherwise - both are fair game in most other stir-fry type dishes.

Soured Cabbage Version: Try soured cabbage (sold fresh out of the barrel at delis or sealed in a plastic bag at the grocer). Leaves are more pliable, but you should rinse thoroughly before using and taste-test as it may be quite tangy for some palates. Also, omit the 28 oz sauerkraut from the recipe - you can cut up left over cabbage leaves to line the pot. This is a bit more pricey, but faster and very delicious!

For a complete step by step photographed picture version with instructions - visit our YouTube site here. It's not only informative -it's down right entertaining!

http://www.youtube.com/user/HOTHUNGARIANCHEF

Hungarian Cabbage Rolls - Toltott Kaposzta

Chef Knife

Multi Room Music System Women To Women Vitamins 10 Saw Blade

Choosing a Knife Set - Forged Kitchen Knives Or Stamped Kitchen Knives?

I wrote this article after I went through the unpleasant process of choosing a new kitchen knife set to purchase. There are so many brands of kitchen knives to choose from, in a myriad of styles and prices, all with different features. The biggest decision I had to make was in choosing between stamped kitchen knives and forged kitchen knives.

Chef Knife

Many people believe that forged knives are much better than stamped knives. While this was true years ago, it is no longer true today. The manufacturing process of stamped knives has improved so much that they are now considered to be equal to forged knives by most experts.

Chef Knife

There are differences between the two styles and each has their own separate benefits. A stamped knife is much lighter and many professional chefs agree is more flexible because it contains a thinner blade. A forged knife is considered to be a little more durable because of a thicker steel blade. Without getting too much into the manufacturing process, the major difference between the two is the stamping process involves using a cookie cutter method where the blade is actually punched out of a larger piece of steel while forging involves heating and flattening the blade repeatedly. Temperatures as high as 1900 degrees Fahrenheit are used.

Both methods can contain very sharp blades that hold their edge well. The higher the grade of stainless steel is what determines sharpness here and that can basically be determined by price. The more expensive the knife the better the steel is that's used. In the end, your decision should be made based on how you are going to be using the knives most. If you plan on cutting a lot of heavy meats and large vegetables, forged is the way to go. If you do more stir frys or Asian type cooking, stamped is better.

Choosing a Knife Set - Forged Kitchen Knives Or Stamped Kitchen Knives?

Chef Knife

Vitamin Women 2.5 Hdd Media Player 46 In Lcd

Popular Christmas Gifts for People Who Love To Cook

Among your friends or relatives, there will always be an aspiring chef who would love to cook up recipes for you and friends. People like that will love a gift related to cooking from you. They will appreciate your gift by accepting it as a show of support for their cooking skills.

Chef Knife

Below are some popular gifts that will always work well with people who love to cook.

Chef Knife

• A good set of knives - This is probably the most used tool in the kitchen. A chef will always want a set of great knifes as nothing can dampen the mood in the kitchen more than a dull knife. Shop around and you will see that are many different kitchen knives for sale. Some will come in sets as many as 24 while you will also see just a single knife. Whatever your choice or budget may be, make sure that you always pick up a brand that is very reputable as quality of a knife is very important.

• A colorful gift basket - Make a gift basket of your own by buying the most colorful things you can find in a kitchen. Pick up vegetables and fruits with great color and also pick up small bright bottles of various spices. Throw in a small book with some special recipes to top off the basket. They will absolutely love this gift which will also be a visual treat to their kitchen.

• Kitchen appliances - You can go a little expensive with a kitchen gift, especially if it is for your mom. Nothing excites a homemaker more than a great new food processor or a new stove top. These items are usually quite pricey but the gratitude and happiness expressed will be worth a lot more than the cost of the gift.

• A good bottle of wine - A great cooked meal will often be accompanied by a great bottle of wine. Pick up a nice bottle of red wine or white wine depending on the person's taste if you know it. If not, just pick up any bottle of wine. It does not have to be expensive. Just ask the people at the store for something that is unusual but exciting and they will surely pick one out for you.

• Wine refrigerator - If you know that a person is a big fan of wine while also being a cooking enthusiast, you will make them quite happy by getting them a wine refrigerator. In many cases, the wine bottle is stuffed somewhere in the refrigerator. Now, with your wine refrigerator, the person will have a great new presentable place for that special bottle of wine.

• Kitchen Timer - Many cooks err when it comes to cooking time. They lose track of time when they have many things to do in the kitchen and will greatly appreciate a nice compact kitchen timer. Every time it goes off, the person will be able to stay on top of their cooking and they will also be reminded of you.

We hope the gift suggestions above will be enough to satisfy the cooking enthusiast that you want to gift to.

Popular Christmas Gifts for People Who Love To Cook

Chef Knife

Cyber Monday Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife 2011 Deals

Dec 04, 2011 01:26:01

Click for larger image and other views

>> Click here to update Cyber Monday prices for Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife <<

Cyber Monday Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife Feature

8-inch multipurpose chef's knife designed for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing
High-carbon stainless steel blade provides maximum sharpness and edge retention
Blade is conical ground lengthwise and crosswise for minimal resistance while cutting; laser tested to ensure optimum cutting power
Patented 2-inch Fibrox handle is textured, slip resistant, and ergonomically designed for balance and comfort
Hand washing recommended; lifetime warranty; expertly made in Switzerland

Cyber Monday Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife Overview

The R H Forschner by Victorinox Chef's Knife features an 8-inch blade that is 2-inches wide at the handle. High carbon, stainless steel blade is hand finished at Victorinox in Switzerland by skilled craftsmen. A special tempering process is used to produce an edge that can be resharpened over and over again, so the knife can keep its original sharpness throughout the entire life of the blade.

SAVE NOW on Cyber Monday offers below!

Available In Stock.

This Cyber Monday Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

Price : Click to Check Update Prices Please.

Limited Offer Today!! Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife Cyber Monday and Black Friday 2011 Deals

Digital Home Theater System

Everything You Need to Know About Laying a Table

Proper family meal times appear to be becoming somewhat of a rarity today. Families are often at home at different times of the day and are often in a rush to eat and then get on with work or homework. So whenever you do have the chance to get together for a meal it is nice to sit down all together at the table. It is times like this that having a proper dinner set comes in handy - it means that everybody at the table has their own individual set of plates, cutlery and other items such as glasses so that everyone can enjoy their meal together.

Chef Knife

For families that usually eat their meals in front of the TV or on the way out of the door, buying a dinner set can be the first step to making a commitment to share more family time. This can be a completely new experience for some, and so it may be that you just don't know how you should be setting the table. Although it doesn't matter too much at first, if you want to later expand the dinner and invite other people it looks far more impressive if the dinner set is laid out properly. Also, it can help to avoid confusion about which item belongs to who if there is consistency in how the dinner set is laid out.

Chef Knife

Simple Dinner Set Layout

The simplest way to lay out a table is to place the salt and pepper and other condiments in the centre and work around that to lay the other pieces of the dinner set. Begin with the dinner plates, which should be laid out around an inch from the edge of the table. Any nearer to the edge and they risk being knocked off.

Next lay the cutlery around the plate. The knife should go on the right of the plate, with the blade facing in towards the plate. The fork then simply goes on the other side of the plate. A tablespoon should then also be placed for each person which should be laid next to the knife on the right hand side. If you are planning on having starters or other courses then you should place additional cutlery at the outside of the fork and tablespoon. Forks should be placed on the left always and spoons on the right. These should work from the outside in, so the fork for the starter is placed on the outside of the main dinner fork. If you are planning on having dessert then the fork for this should be placed on the inside of the dinner fork as it is going to be used last.

Every person on the table will need at least one glass although you may want to place two if you are intending on having wine with the meal as well as water. The glass should be placed to the right of each person, and goes directly above the knife and tablespoon.

A nice little touch is to also lay a napkin out with the dinner set for each person. This should be folded into a triangle and may be placed either on the dinner plate or next to the fork.

Everything You Need to Know About Laying a Table

Chef Knife

Cyber Monday OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife 2011 Deals

Dec 03, 2011 03:43:18

Click for larger image and other views

>> Click here to update Cyber Monday prices for OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife <<

Cyber Monday OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife Feature

8-inch chef's knife makes easy work of slicing, dicing, mincing, and chopping
Sharp, stainless-steel full-tang blade provides proper balance
Black, ergonomically correct, nonslip rubber handle ensures safe, secure grip
Dishwasher safe, but washing by hand with warm, soapy water, and promptly drying recommended
Measures 12 by 2 by 1 inches; lifetime warranty

Cyber Monday OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife Overview

OXO Good Grips Professional Cutlery features the perfect balance of professional quality cutting with soft, comfortable grip. Sharp, stainless steel blades are hardened for strength and the blades are full-tang for durability and proper balance. Soft, non-slip handles cushion your hands and provide a safe secure grip.

SAVE NOW on Cyber Monday offers below!

Available In Stock.

This Cyber Monday OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

Price : Click to Check Update Prices Please.

Limited Offer Today!! OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife Cyber Monday and Black Friday 2011 Deals

Hand Power Tools Onkyo Home Theaters

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Recipes Bad For Weight Watchers

The famous chef may argue that his mother is really the divine influence behind his fabulous cooking skills since he learned to cook with the best of the earth's natural harvest at her side from an early age. His love of adventure eventually pushed him into the spotlight where he was able to immortalize the distinctive dishes of his native Louisiana.

Chef Knife

Chef Paul is often mistaken for actor Dom DeLuise due to the fact they dress similarly, love cooking and have a portly profile that would give any Weight Watchers member a run for their money. Once in an interview the Chef revealed some of the actor's shenanigans. Deluise apparently had the habit of posing as the real chef and inviting people back to the restaurant in the New Orleans' French Quarter (K-Paul's) owned by Prudhomme and his late wife for a free dinner. He once burst out of the back of the restaurant with a knife and fork announcing that he was the real Chef Paul and the other guy was a fake.

Chef Knife

One of the reasons Chef Paul's most renowned dishes don't make the Weight Watcher's cut is the voluminous amounts of butter in the recipes. Take for example, the blackening method, which the chef created at his restaurant to mimic the nature flavors of fish and meat cooked directly over an open fire. The technique requests of the cook to liberally dredge the fish or meat in the blackening spices, primarily a mixture of various types of ground peppercorns with a few other powdered herbs to offset the searing effect on the tongue.

"Blackening changes the texture of fish and meat and provides a building of natural tastes that can't be duplicated any other way. Butter and herbs and spices are key elements." - Chef Paul Prudhomme

Into a white hot skillet is poured a ladle full of clarified butter an instant before the seasoned fish or meat is applied to the raging inferno that ensues. This is subjected to the unbelievably intense heat for mere seconds before it is drenched with another wash of hot butter (Weight Watchers beware), before flipping it over to scorch it to a crisp. The method sounds mad but the result is a crusty, taste bud-awakening exterior shell offset by a succulent, juicy interior that is so sweet and tender it seems impossible. We are ever so grateful to our native son for his invention; however you are warned not to try this at home unless you have the local fire officials close at hand.

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Recipes Bad For Weight Watchers

Chef Knife

Cyber Monday OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife 2011 Deals

Dec 02, 2011 06:01:05

Click for larger image and other views

>> Click here to update Cyber Monday prices for OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife <<

Cyber Monday OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife Feature

8-inch chef's knife makes easy work of slicing, dicing, mincing, and chopping
Sharp, stainless-steel full-tang blade provides proper balance
Black, ergonomically correct, nonslip rubber handle ensures safe, secure grip
Dishwasher safe, but washing by hand with warm, soapy water, and promptly drying recommended
Measures 12 by 2 by 1 inches; lifetime warranty

Cyber Monday OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife Overview

SAVE NOW on Cyber Monday offers below!

Available In Stock.

This Cyber Monday OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

Price : Click to Check Update Prices Please.

Limited Offer Today!! OXO Good Grips Professional 8-Inch Chef Knife Cyber Monday and Black Friday 2011 Deals

46 1080P Lcd Tv

All You Need to Know About the Masamoto Sushi Knife

If you are reading this, then curiosity has definitely sparked your interest on knowing just what in the world is the Masamoto sushi knife, and why does almost every professional chef and culinary business have it in their kitchen arsenal? What separates it from the rest, and are there any drawbacks to it? To understand all of these, we first need to go back five generations in history and briefly meet Tomonosuke, the man responsible for bringing to life the Masamoto brand.

Chef Knife

Born in 1845, Tomonosuke made a life-changing decision to devote his time and efforts in "crafting the best kitchen knives in Japan". He made the kitchen a part of his everyday life, along with the goal of making his country famous in this area. He founded the Masamoto Company in 1872 and passed down his expertise from generation to generation.

Chef Knife

Fast forward to the present time, and one can easily see that this man's labour was not in vain. Tomonosuke achieved his goal as "Masamoto" is now an established worldwide brand with over 150 years of kitchen knife experience.

Every chef in business knows that in order to get real tasting food on a consistent basis, there are three key elements needed: "experience, skill and tools". Since the tools are the only variable in that picture and can be changed from the start, one should make a wise decision to invest in only the best and never to settle for anything less. And obviously, you can't go wrong with a "Masamoto".

Aside from getting the job well done, Masamoto sushi knives are hand crafted and have that fashionable look, when coupled with traditional sheaths or "saya" (made from wood).

Currently, there are different series types available in the market, made from stainless steel, virgin steel or high carbon steel (which is one of the best and originally used in crafting samurai weapons by sword smiths).

It is said that if there ever is a drawback, it would "just" have to be the price, as for example: the Masamoto KA Series Sashimi 270mm normally retails for around 0, for a single knife. There are other cheaper types of course. However, once you compare it with its features and the results that you're going to have because of it, you'll convince yourself that it is definitely a wise investment, if only to add one high-quality knife to your kitchen set.

Whether you get a single piece or a full-blown set for your family, your business or just for your passion of it, remember that the Masamoto sushi knife is to be cared for properly, particularly those that are not made from stainless steel.

All You Need to Know About the Masamoto Sushi Knife

Chef Knife

5.1 Audio System Air Powered Dispensing Gun