Chef Tips: Selecting a Pepper

Did you know that pepper is the worlds most used spice? And it comes in so many varieties, its easy to get confused and not know what to buy! Well, Im here to make it easier on you!

Today's Chef Tip is the battle of the peppers. Which one is right for seasoning food at the table, which is better for cooking, etc.

So lets get started with plain old table grade ground black pepper. This is the stuff you get at restaurants on your table, or even on your own table at home.

This is the same pepper that you would have in a pepper mill, however, it is ground to a uniform shape, sometimes coarse, sometimes not, and is available at almost any grocery store or market, for a low price.

The flavor is bold, not as bold as fresh ground, but is good for having at your dinner table, but not so much for cooking!

Next is pepper corns that you will grind yourself in a pepper mill (pictured above). This is my preferred method for cooking. A pepper mill will grind your pepper into all different sizes of grind, and will give a bold, rich flavor to your food! This is why Chef's prefer it.

Pepper mills come in all different sizes, shapes, and looks. But no matter what they look like, they all work the same.

Now, let's discuss the new "Grinders" from McCormick. These little bottles are a wonderful alternative to having a large pepper mill on your table, and have better flavor than ground pepper from a jar. They are also very affordable! (I got mine for $1.99 at walmart!)

And I know there are so many other varieties of pepper, like pink pepper corns, or a multi-peppercorn mix, etc. These all have their specific uses, and will most likely show up in a recipe if you need it. But I wanted to make sure that we covered the basis of regular every day pepper!

So get your pepper mills out ladies and grind away! :)

Chef Tips: Speaking of Chicken

Ok, since Molly asked such an awesome question about roasting a chicken, it got my head spinning on all the possibilities there are for making these chickens. You can make a roasted chicken with ANY flavor you want, so I thought I would add some ideas in case you want to make something Non traditional for dinner....after all, that's what the Gourmet Momma is for! :)




Italian Chicken Ideas:
**Season your chicken with an Italian dressing seasoning packet and oil mixed together.
**Season with fresh basil, rosemary, or thyme and garlic powder.
**Season with fat free Italian dressing.

Mexican Chicken Ideas:
**Season with cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, and chopped cilantro.
**Season with Lime juice and cilantro.
**Season with chicken fajita seasoning packet mixed with water.

Oriental Chicken Ideas:
**Season with teriyaki sauce and freshly grated ginger.
**Top with pineapple slices and sweet and sour sauce.
**Top with cilantro, lemon juice, soy sauce, and red wine vinegar.

Hawaiian Chicken Ideas:
**Brush with Hawaiian marinade (Lawry's is the BEST) and top with canned pineapple slices.

Simply Seasoned:
**Top with olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
**Top with 1 can of beer and poultry seasoning.
**Top with Brown sugar, orange zest, and chili powder.
**Top with buffalo hot wing sauce and serve with blue cheese dressing.
**Top with Cajun seasoning.

Chef Tip: Crockpot Do's and Dont's

Crock pot or, Slow Cooker, cooking has made a huge comeback in the last 10 years or so. An old favorite in the 70's to get dinner on the table with less effort, is now a favorite with more and more moms for the same reason! We are all just too busy to cook sometimes! And who needs the stress? Crock pots are so popular now, there are groups online dedicated to women who use them for every meal!
You can check out MY FAVE group on Cafe Mom here: http://www.cafemom.com/group/896/
and here: http://www.cafemom.com/group/9604/

So I wanted to share some simple tips to make your crock pot last long, and keep you CCing as long as possible! So here we go....

Do's and Dont's of Crock Pot Cooking:

Do spray the inside of the crock with a nonstick cooking spray before every recipe to prevent sticking and to make cleanup easier.
Don’t preheat an empty crock before adding food, unless specified in the directions.
Do cut root vegetables into small cubes no larger than 1-inch squares to ensure they cook in about the same amount of time as the meat.
Don’t use an extension cord—you’ll risk overturning the pot.
Do layer root vegetables on the bottom of the slow cooker beneath meat and poultry, as they cook more slowly.
Don’t place frozen foods directly into the slow cooker unless a recipe specifically calls for it, as it throws off the heating of the contents.
Do fill the insert with solid ingredients first. Place the insert in the base, and then slowly add liquid to avoid splashing and heavy lifting.
Don’t use the slow cooker insert in the microwave or on the stove top.
Do brown meat on the stove top before adding it to the slow cooker to add a deeper, richer flavor and color.
Don’t fill the cooker more than three-quarters full, as heated contents will expand, or less than half full, which will cause food to cook too rapidly.
Do check food for doneness at the time suggested in the recipe for a minimum amount of cooking.
Don’t add strongly flavored vegetables like broccoli until the end of the cooking cycle, so as not to flavor the entire pot.
Do add tender vegetables, pasta, seafood, dairy products and fresh herbs in the last 30 to 60 minutes of cooking.
Don’t stir or turn the food unless a recipe specifies that you do so.
Do transfer leftovers to refrigerator or freezer storage containers within two hours after they finish cooking.
Don’t add seasonings at the beginning of the cooking cycle. The flavor of dried herbs and spices will concentrate and fresh herbs will break down and dissolve.
Do put fresh herb sprigs in a cheesecloth bag, then remove and discard the bag and the cooked, blackened herbs before serving.
Don’t wash the hot stoneware with cold water—it could crack the crock.
Do precook ground meat and sausage to render out the fat before the meat is added to the slow cooker.
Don’t use abrasive cleansers or tools that might scratch the slow cooker’s surface.

Knives: making the decision!

One of the most frequent questions I am asked as a Chef, is what brand of knives do you use?

Well, I'm not really loyal to one particular brand of knives, and I think that almost every major brand has one knife that they make really well!

And I am going to give you the secret (well, its not really a secret, but we can pretend!) Chef's insight into how we pick our knives and why!

So, lets start with saying that if you looked in my knife bag right now, you would find knives from Global, Henckle, Wusthof, and yes, even a miracle blade! lol

Now, I don't think by any means ANYONE needs to run out a buy a full set of knives! They always come with knives that a home cook would not need! (seriously how many times are you going to de-bone your own fish, or french a veal shank?)

So here are my essential knives, and why I like them!

The Santoku Knife

I have a santoku knife from Global knives. The reason I chose this particular knife is it feels good in my hand, has a good weight, and also has hallow edge. This is where it looks beveled on the blade, and the reason it has this feature is because it releases food from the blade that is cut in thin slices, or that is sticky!

The Chef's Knife

A good chef's knife is always nice to have! Pick on that has a heavier weight, it will slice through tough food such as potatoes or carrots with ease!

I have a Wusthof chef's knife that I love. It is a 12 in. size.

The Paring Knife

Great for smaller jobs, peeling, slicing garlic or ginger, carving tomato flowers...lol The paring knife does it all! I love this little guy!

I use a Henckle brand paring knife, it is 5in. and its one of the most used knives in my bag!

The Slicer

I L-O-V-E my slicer, and a little embarrassed to admit, but its a Miracle blade, like those infomercials that are on at 3AM on HSN!

But this knife ROCKS! It slices bread without squishing it, its good on tomatoes and bell peppers also! And it promises never to go dull! Now that is a feature I love!

The Steel
Ok, so this isn't really a knife, BUT, you do need one! The steel can be used on your chef's knife, paring, knife, or any other knife that is NOT beveled or serrated!

Most people think that these are "sharpeners", but that's not true!

They will make your knife feel sharper, but here is why...

when you cut with your knife your hand naturally tilts ever so slightly to one side. After time, your knife will start to split at the blade. When you run the knife over the steel, it will knock the blade back into place and your knife will seem sharper!

Here is how you use a steel:

Ok, now your set with your knowledge, go get some really awesome knives and get to chopping!