Tag: Pots and Pans

Weekend Finds 2:9:14

This edition of weekend finds is full of seriously useful articles and tips. Not just fun restaurants to try, but things that are actually good to know. Also, the polar vortex has hit Portland. Let’s get to it.

1. How to prep lemongrass

Lemongrass prep tips from Bon Appetit on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Lemongrass prep tips from Bon Appetit

This little tutorial would’ve been helpful a couple of weeks ago for that slow cooker Asian pork. Is it time yet for a second attempt?

2. How do you send back a dish?

How to send a dish back, from Food Republic on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Also, when I did a google image search for “how to send a dish back at a restaurant” this was the hilarious picture I found.

I don’t know that I’ve ever sent back a dish at a restaurant. Members of my family, who will go unnamed, definitely have. I honestly don’t know if I could have the gumption to do it! But now that I work at a restaurant, I realize how often it happens, simply via miscommunications and misunderstandings. Let me tell you, your server will be way nicer, and is way more likely to comp you a dessert or something, if you are kind about sending a dish back.

3. Keep your pan on the stove to clean it

Best way to clean those tough pans from the Kitchn, on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Get all the bits from the bottom of your pan with this cleaning tip.

Jonah and I have recently become big fans of this method of cleaning our pans (though we usually take the food out of the pan first, and sometimes even add a little soap to help with the really nasty ones). It makes such a big difference in cleaning our stainless steel pots and pans, and saves us time and elbow grease.

4. Butter chicken recipe/Indian food blog

Butter Chicken recipe from Quick Indian Cooking on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Butter Chicken recipe from Quick Indian Cooking on Weekend Finds

I have long been looking for a good resource for Indian food. I’ve been hurt (only emotionally) by internet recipes many times in my search for a Murgh Makhani recipe that mildly resembles the heaven that Swagat makes (if you haven’t been, I recommend it). Not only does this Butter Chicken recipe look good, but a lot of her recipes look good. Maybe it’s time for another try?

5. What wine to bring to a dinner party when you have no idea what’s for dinner

What wine to bring to dinner? From the Kitchn on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
I have spent far too long in the wine aisle at the grocery store staring blankly at all the bottles.

This is a serious issue. Very serious. Everyone experiences it. You’re going over to a friend’s house for dinner, you ask what you can bring, and they say, “Oh, just bring a bottle of wine!” And then you want to text or call and say “What are we having?” “Red or white?” “Do you like Riesling? Dry or sweet?” But then you’re pestering them while they’re slaving away making you dinner. I don’t know that I would ever bring sparkling wine over for dinner, unless it’s a special occasion, but I love these recommendations for what wines go with most things. And as far as lighter reds go, this Underwood Pinot Noir from Union Wine Co. in Oregon is one of my (very affordable) favorites right now.

New Pots & Pans (Cuisinart, from Costco)!

When I moved into my first house in college, and had my own kitchen for the first time, my mom took me to Target and bought me a set of pots/pans and a set of kitchen utensils (think knives, spatulas, bagel cutter…). And it lasted just fine. Not great quality, but it worked.

Over the years, the amount of pots/pans dwindled. I lost a mini fry pan, the right lids for the right pots, all that. And a few months ago, our one fry pan that we owned started losing its non-stick lining. And then it started to stick… so, not non-stick anymore. It started getting out of hand, and so I started bringing up getting a new fry pan. So we did some research and it was about 50 bucks for a new nice fry pan. And we were getting ready to buy one (or a set of two) when my little sister sent me a picture of a 12-piece set of Cuisinart stainless steel pots and pans for $150 at Costco. I love Costco.

So Jonah and I talked, saved up money for a little bit, and went to Costco. Now, at our local branch, the same set was $199. But it was still pretty dang worth it. So we went for it. And it has taken a bit of getting used to, cooking with stainless steel “stick” pans after years of non-stick, but wow is it nice. You don’t need to turn up the heat too high, and they heat perfectly evenly. I’m really looking forward to making scallops in these pans to get a really nice sear on them. And the little pan is perfect for eggs. The moral of the story is that these pans are pretty, shiny, and wonderful to cook in. And a good deal.