new research debunks trad views on nutrition

[saysfaa]

Um. That is my list for helping someone get started. Not the list of things I currently have or even the list I expect to try to get to.

 

[Molpet]

So. What would all of you suggest as essential kitchen equipment?

I seem to be coming at it from the opposite direction. I've been getting serious about ditching excess stuff. I continue to be surprised at how much isn't needed.

My list: a cast iron frying pan (unless the stove is glass topped). You can cook nearly everything in that, stovetop or oven. But the seasoning suffers if much boiling of liquids is done and boiling over can be an issue with larger amounts so a soup pan is second on my list.

If you have a glass top stove, substitute a standard frying pan or a wok for the cast iron one and add two glass pie plates if the frying pan has handles that can't go in the oven.

Add lids for the pans, two pot holders, a trivet, a spatula, a stirring/serving spoon, a whisk, a colander.

A two-cup (or 500 ml) pyrex (or other brand of heavy tempered glass) measuring cup, a set of measuring spoons.

A moderately long knife, a knife sharpener, a wooden cutting board.

Probably a meat thermometer.

Maybe an immersion blender.
Maybe a rolling pin.
Maybe a gram and/or ounce scale.

The next tier, these aren't essential but are worth getting if one has the resources (including storage space):
A medium-size or smallish sauce pan and its lid.
A smaller knife.
A mixing bowl.
A slotted spoon.
A flat pan for the oven - with or without low sides. Aka cookie sheet, pizza pan, or jellyroll pan.

The third tier:
Enameled roasting pan. Sigh, well, I have three and will keep all of them. The shallow one for roasting food, the lasagne pan that is like a cake pan but bigger and deeper, and the oval roasting pan that we haven't put food into for a couple of decades.

I have generations of everything. When I got covid it was handy to have lots of pots and pans and silverware so I sleep instead of cleaning...of course I'm still finding things that need to be washed

 

[Perris]

So. What would all of you suggest as essential kitchen equipment?

A fridge.
A hob.
An oven.
A quality small knife.
A quality large knife.
A good chopping board.
A Dutch oven.
A wooden spoon.
A silicon spatula.
A palette knife.
Scales.
A pyrex measuring jug.
A large mixing bowl.
A hand-held mixer.
A baking tray.
A springform cake tin.
A loaf tin.
Oven gloves.
A quantity of reusable storage containers.
eta and some kitchen scissors.

 

[Shadrach]

do they invite you back? if so, have you picked up any useful tips (as well as enjoyed the company of course)?

Ah, most have in one form or another. I've done a couple of dinners for people who live where I do. I know they don't cook. Family feed me more than I feed them.

The last guest did invite me. I can't do it. He has two very hairy cats and his friends very bouncy long haired spaniel.
The guests before him, similar problem.
I could and I have dosed myself up with antihistamine which makes me feel groogy and I still get a runny nose and swollen eyes. Can't be doing with it now.

 

[Shadrach]

A fridge.
A hob.
An oven.
A quality small knife.
A quality large knife.
A good chopping board.
A Dutch oven.
A wooden spoon.
A silicon spatula.
A palette knife.
Scales.
A pyrex measuring jug.
A large mixing bowl.
A hand-held mixer.
A baking tray.
A springform cake tin.
A loaf tin.
Oven gloves.
A quantity of reusable storage containers.
eta and some kitchen scissors.

It's baking trays that have really caught me out. I've got good cast iron and stainless steel pots and pans. Needing to bake more than fry, particularly seperate vegetable dishes, which I've struggled with in the past, got me up to four stainless steel baking trays. Need an endless supply of tea towels as well.

 

[Sally PB]

And steel cut oats can cook themselves overnight. Bring them to the boil (2 mins maybe?) and the. Switch off the ring and go to bed. Perfect steel cut oats ready when you wake up.

I will try this tonight for my breakfast tomorrow. Thank you.

 

[saysfaa]

A fridge.
A hob.
An oven.
A quality small knife.
A quality large knife.
A good chopping board.
A Dutch oven.
A wooden spoon.
A silicon spatula.
A palette knife.
Scales.
A pyrex measuring jug.
A large mixing bowl.
A hand-held mixer.
A baking tray.
A springform cake tin.
A loaf tin.
Oven gloves.
A quantity of reusable storage containers.
eta and some kitchen scissors.

Do you use the springform cake tin for anything besides cake?

 

[Shadrach]

do they invite you back? if so, have you picked up any useful tips (as well as enjoyed the company of course)?

Oh arr, I am learning as the smoke alarm reminds me; just a bit slowly.
I've learn't for example that people are pretty shocked when presented with no added sugar dishes, lets say a more rustic style of cooking.
I made a no added sugar or oil granola. Takes some getting used to.
I learn't that air dried mushrooms don't lose any of their nutrients when dried. I was told, don't put the mushrooms in the fridge, use what you need while they are fresh and let the rest dry out.
The lids of broken egg boxes are great for drying herbs I take from my field plot.
I need an undergound larder. I'm even thinking of making one in the chicken run.

 

[Appalachickens]

I would encourage anyone with a computer to simply do a Google search for recipes, they are everywhere. YouTube has a ton of videos. Just use the search feature. After that, it's just a matter of finding something you can do and/or finding the recipe that you like the best.



Yes, I use YouTube to see how other people did things.



Agreed. At 62 years old, I attended a Senior Citizens monthly cooking class that was offered locally for free. The instructors would show us how to cook a new main dish, a side dish, and a dessert at every meeting. I have a binder full of recipes from that class.

The instructor asked me if I was ever using any of the recipes from class at home. I was honest with her and told her that I only used a few of the recipes that were easier to make, but that my main purpose for attending class was to learn how to cook in general and that is why I attended every month. I was applying what I learned at the monthly cooking class to cook the food we normally eat at home.

Unfortunately, the funding for that Senior Citizen's Cooking Class dried up and the classes were canceled. But it was a great experience for me while it lasted.

As the token male in the class, I asked lots of beginner questions when I first started attending the classes. But, in small steps, I learned more and more and over two years really made a lot of improvements.

Our local food bank has some dedicated people that hand out food to those in need. In theory, that's a great service. In practice, I know some people who get food aid, and they have no idea how to cook that food. So, it just gets tossed into the garbage. Maybe a box of macaroni and cheese makes it to the table, or ready to eat soup out of a can is heated up in the microwave, but actually cooking raw veggies or dried goods is beyond them. They don't have the skills to cook that food and nobody is teaching them how to cook.

As bad as it was to force boys into shop class and girls into Home Economics when I grew up in 1960's and 70's, at least our girls knew how to cook and us guys knew how to swing a hammer and change the oil in the car.

In 8th grade (in the 70’s) I took home ec, which was required for all girl. The problem was, my mother had just had twins, so I was already doing childcare and cooking at home. I wish I had been able to take shop class. I could’ve learned those other skills.

 

[gtaus]

In 8th grade (in the 70’s) I took home ec, which was required for all girl. The problem was, my mother had just had twins, so I was already doing childcare and cooking at home. I wish I had been able to take shop class. I could’ve learned those other skills.

And I wish I would have learned about cooking and sewing. It would have served me well in life as I got older. Of course, at the time I was in school, I had no desire to learn how to cook or sew. Funny how life can change your perspective on things.

My broader point being that I don't see any of my younger nieces or nephews learning any life skills, shop or cooking, in school. I could be wrong.

In my perfect world, both boys and girls would be exposed to both shop and cooking skills. I don't know if young kids today are growing up with the same sexist biases that my generation did, but I think we need both men and women leading classes in both shop and cooking. I know the guys I grew up with considered cooking girls stuff, and the girls could care less about shop class.

But now I'm an old man in my 60's taking Senior Citizen cooking classes for the first time in my life. A big part of that class was learning about nutrition and healthy food choices. It's good that I am learning about that stuff now, but it would have been even more valuable to me at a younger age.

On the plus side, I have been building raised beds and growing fresh food in them. Dear Wife still does almost all the cooking, but at least I help with the food we grow in the gardens and bring to the table. Of course, my homegrown tomatoes taste better than the store bought ones. Actually, everything fresh off the vine, picked when ready, tastes better and I imagine is probably better for you.

Speaking of which, are there any good studies on the nutrition benefits of homegrown produce versus store bought food? Also, are there any real benefits to "organic" versus "non-organic" produce that make that food worth the extra cost?