Place Package of Bacon on Cutting BoardPhoto © Danilo AlfaroI generally opt for the low-sodium variety of bacon if it's available — not so much for health reasons, but because I find I get really, really thirsty after I eat the high-sodium kind. Next page>>
Most supermarkets sell soup bones, but just ask the butcher if you don't see them displayed. The best bones to use are the so-called "knuckle" bones from the various leg joints, because of their high cartilage content. Calves feet are also frequently available, and are another good source of the proteins that form gelatin.
The bones should be cut up — pieces 3 to 4 inches long should be about right. The same goes for calves feet, if you're using them. If the bones aren't cut up yet, ask your butcher to do it for you.
Arrange the bones in a heavy roasting pan. You can drizzle them with a bit of vegetable oil if you like.
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The tomato sauce recipe calls for two 28-oz. cans of whole tomatoes, but you could substitute crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes or tomato puree.
For some variations on this basic Tomato Pasta Sauce, try these:
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil for a minute over medium heat.
Had a friend give me a huge turnip from her garden. Had no idea what to do with it, and frankly had doubts I would even use it for anything. Looked online and ran into this recipe, so I gave it a shot. Changed it slightly with little more butter, garlic, and my home made veggie broth, but at the end of the day, fairly close to the recipe. I was pleasantly surprised how great this soup or puree was. I'm sold. Try this, you'll love it!!
Write a review 6 out of 6 people found this helpful.
Sharpening a kitchen knife involves two separate but related tasks: Sharpen the knife using a whetstoneHone the blade using a honing steelGenerally I'll break out the whetstone about once a month or so. But the honing steel is a different story. If I'm doing a lot of slicing, I might give my knife a couple of strokes on the steel every few minutes — especially if I'm working with items like ripe tomatoes or plums.
See Also: Poach, Boil
Harmful bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli are a different story, though. When these baddies contaminate food, they do so without any physical signs, smells or tastes whatsoever. We need to rely on other methods to avoid getting sick.
Like killing the little beasties — which is really not that hard to do. Temperatures hotter than 165°F kill most bacteria within a few seconds. But to do the job, it's a food's internal temperature that has to reach 165°F, not just the outside. And with the exception of poultry, cooking meats or vegetables to that degree renders them all but inedible.
Fortunately, we have size on our side. Bacteria are really small, and it takes quite a lot of them to make us sick. So rather than killing them, and ruining our food in the process, we merely have to stop them from multiplying — or at least slow them down — so that there's never enough of them to do us any harm. We do that by controlling the food's temperature during every stage of storage and preparation. Bacteria won't multiply in the colder temperatures of a refrigerator or freezer, or at temperatures hotter than 141°F. Where they thrive is between 41°F and 140°F, a region known as the "Food Temperature Danger Zone."To substantially reduce your chances of contracting, or passing along, a food-borne illness, make sure that your perishable foods never spend more than an hour in the Food Temperature Danger Zone. Here are some basic food handling techniques to help you do just that.
And here's a table showing the key temperatures of the Food Temperature Danger Zone.
Another key is not overloading or crowding the pan. The pan must stay hot in order to achieve the desired browning of the food. Too much food in the pan dissipates the heat, causing the food to steam or boil rather than saute.
One method for maintaining a hot pan and ensuring the food cooks evenly is through tossing or flipping the food in the pan — saute actually means "jump" in French. Some saute pans have sloped sides to facilitate this, but it's generally only done with smaller pieces of food, especially vegetables. For a demonstration, here's a video on how to saute vegetables.
Pan-frying closely resembles sauteing, with the main difference being that pan-frying uses slightly more fat and slightly lower temperatures than sauteing. This makes it a good method for cooking larger pieces of meat that would not have time to cook through because with sauteing, the food isn't in the pan for very long. For that reason, larger pieces of meat are often finished in the oven after the surface has been cooked to the desired degree.
The words roasting and baking are largely synonymous in that they both describe a method of cooking an item by enveloping it in hot, dry air, generally inside an oven and at temperatures of at least 300°F (but often much hotter).This technique cooks food fairly evenly since all of the food's surfaces are exposed to much the same degree. This differs from pan-searing, for instance, where the surface that touches the hot pan gets much hotter than the side that faces up. Roasting and baking both require that the food be cooked uncovered, so that it's the hot, dry air that delivers the heat, not steam from the food.
Despite these similarities, roasting and baking can mean slightly different things depending on who you ask. Some chefs use the word "baking" only when speaking of bread, pastry and other bakery items. Some may use the word "roasting" only when referring to meats, poultry and vegetables, but use the term "baking" for fish and other seafood. Yet another distinction can be made with respect to temperature, with "roasting" implying greater heat and thus faster and more pronounced browning.
Broiling is another dry-heat cooking method that relies on heat being conducted through the air. Because air is a relatively poor conductor of heat, broiling and grilling require the food to be quite close to the heat source, which in this case is likely to be an open flame. Thus the surface of the food cooks very quickly, making this type of cooking ideal for poultry, fish and the tenderest cuts of meat. In fact, because of the extremely hot and dry nature of this cooking method, it is customary to marinate meats that will be broiled or grilled.Incidentally, there is one significant distinction between broiling and grilling, which is that grilling involves heating the food from below, while broiling involves heating from above. In both cases, the food is typically turned once during cooking, and a grid or grate of some kind is used, which gives the food the distinctive grill-marks that are the hallmark of this cooking technique. As with sauteing, it's critical to heat the broiler or grill before putting the food on it.
Since deep-frying involves submerging the food in hot, liquid fat, it might take some time to get used to the idea that it's actually a form of dry-heat cooking. But if you've ever seen the violent reaction of hot oil to even a tiny drop of water, you know that oil and water are a couple of opposites that want nothing to do with each other. To avoid that, make sure anything you place into the hot fat is free from excess moisture. That might mean patting an item dry with a paper towel before frying it.Deep-frying requires keeping the oil at temperatures between 325°F and 400°F. Hotter than that and the oil may start to smoke, and if it's any cooler, it starts to seep into the food and make it greasy. After cooking, deep-fried items should actually have very little oil on them, assuming they've been fried properly.
The key to keeping the oil hot is to fry items in small batches, as introducing too much food to the oil will cool it off. Another clue that deep-frying is in fact a form of dry-heat cooking is the attractive golden-brown color of foods cooked using this method. Foods are often coated in a simple batter to protect it and seal in its moisture.
Unfortunately, what they're eating is our food — especially foods that are high in protein, like meats, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products.
To be sure, some of them will go for low-protein foods like fruits and vegetables, but those ones are a lot slower. Which is why an onion or a peach left on your kitchen counter for a couple of days would still be safe to eat, while a steak clearly would not.
It's important to note that spoiled food isn't necessarily dangerous food. For one thing, most people won't eat food that smells bad, looks slimy or whatever. And you can't get food poisoning from something you didn't eat.Moreover, the microorganisms that cause ordinary food spoilage aren't necessarily harmful to us. In fact, centuries before refrigerators, the earliest sauces and seasonings were used to mask the "off" tastes and smells of food that had begun to spoil. This continues to be true in parts of the world where people don't have home refrigeration units (which, interestingly enough, includes most people alive on the planet today).
The bacteria we're concerned with from a food safety standpoint are the so-called "pathogens" that cause food poisoning. And these pathogens, like salmonella or E. coli, don't produce any smells, off-tastes or changes in the food's appearance — a slimy surface, for instance, or some sort of discoloration. So how do we control these nasties? One way would be to starve them out. As noted above, bacteria need food to survive. Get rid of the food, and your bacteria problem disappears. Unfortunately, though, without food, the field of culinary arts has very little to offer.So we'll assume that food is part of the equation. Bacteria still have several other, quite specific, requirements, each of which can be controlled to some extent. Armed with this knowledge, we can effectively minimize the chances of food-borne illness. The factors we need to keep in mind include: TemperatureTimeMoisturepH Level (Acidity)Read Part 2 of the article >>
In its simplest form, brine is a solution of salt in water. But generally for brining chicken, turkey and other poultry, we add sugar and also a few simple spices.
When you add your poultry to the brine solution, the liquid should be icy. Room temperature brine can be a food safety hazard.
Combine the water, salt, sugar, peppercorns and allspice in a large stockpot. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.
Beans should be soaked in cold water for at least eight hours so that they'll cook faster, more evenly, and also to minimize the unpleasant effects that have earned them their "musical fruit" reputation.
If you're short on time, you can use your pressure cooker to "quick soak" beans in a matter of minutes. To quick soak beans in a pressure cooker, rinse and sort beans, and add them to the pressure cooker with 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt for each cup of beans. Cover the pressure cooker and lock the lid in place, and bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain pressure and cook for 2 minutes. Release pressure by the cold water method: carrying the pressure cooker to the sink and running cold water over the lid (but not the valve). Drain the beans, and they're ready to use in your recipe.
Caramelization is related to the Maillard reaction, where proteins in meat turn brown when heated.
Caramelization is the principle that makes toast look toasty and turns pale white potatoes into crispy, golden-brown French fries.See Also: How to Caramelize Onions
Whether you're a newlywed setting up house for the first time, or you're an established cook taking stock of your kitchen, there are certain things you should consider when you're buying kitchen equipment. Here are four questions to ask yourself before you make your next big kitchen equipment purchase.
Choose appliances and equipment based on the types of food you envision yourself making the most. If you're an avid baker, you'll probably want a stand mixer to assemble doughs for cookies and breads. If your family is health-conscious, an indoor grill is advantageous for low-fat cooking, and a steamer and/or rice cooker can easily prepare healthy dishes.
If you're constantly hosting dinner parties or big family get-togethers, it's a good idea to invest in equipment that can make your work easier. Depending on the types of dishes you usually serve your guests, a large-capacity food processor, a heated buffet server, an oversized griddle or a generous-sized blender could help with your hosting duties.
A serious (and often overlooked) consideration when buying kitchen equipment is where you'll put it. If you live in an apartment or have a small kitchen and limited storage space, then it would be unwise to invest in a lot of large countertop appliances and space-hogging tools. Instead, consider equipment that can perform a variety of tasks, or only buy items you know you'll use all the time.
Luckily, many kitchen tools and appliances come in a wide range of prices. In some instances, you get what you pay for (particularly for power-based tools like blenders or food processors), but in others, such as griddles, ice cream makers or panini presses, you can opt for less expensive versions.
Note: Units are volume measurements, not weight. So "ounces" are fluid ounces.
Serves one.
Note: This recipe can also be made using a regular blender, although an immersion blender makes cleanup easier!
You could definitely make this Russian dressing with store-bought mayonnaise. It's quicker, and because store-bought mayo is pasteurized, your Russian dressing will keep longer in the fridge. But if you really want to taste something special, try making it with homemade mayonnaise.
In a glass bowl, combine the mayonnaise and other ingredients. Chill.Note: The ingredients listed above call for ? cup of either chili sauce, cocktail sauce or ketchup. Chili sauce and cocktail sauce are just variations on ketchup, and Heinz makes the definitive versions of each one. I prefer to use chili sauce for my Russian dressing, because I like it to have a little kick.
When you're using a slow-cooker, it's very important to use a slow cooker that's the right size for the amount of ingredients you're using. If you do a lot of slow-cooker cooking for a varying number of people, you could either invest in a few different cookers, or you could get Hamilton Beach's 3-in-One Slow Cooker. This appliance neatly solves the problem of having multiple cookers. It comes with three different stoneware crocks, in 2-, 4-and 6-quart sizes, each of which fit snugly into the single base. A single glass lid also fits each of the three crocks.
Appetizer dips, side dishes, or meals for two can be made in the smallest crock, while main dishes, soups and stews for larger families or for parties can be made in one of the two larger sizes.
The appliance has low, high and warm temperature settings, and the machine also adjusts the temperature depending on the size crock you're using (you press the button corresponding to the crock size when you start cooking). The crocks have a clever tapered design, so all three sizes seem to maintain the ideal temperature consistently.
The external surface of the slow cooker base gets very hot while it's cooking, but it has easy-to-grip handles if the appliance needs to be moved. When not in use, the crocks nest together so the unit stores compactly. While some slow cookers have more bells and whistles, such as programmable timers and extra safety features, this basic machine performs very well, and the 3 nesting crocks will give you more versatility than most others on the market.
The slow cooker either comes in a stainless base with black stoneware crocks, a white base with white crocks, or a white base with colored crocks. It's priced at under $50.
Plastic cutting boards: still safer than wood.Photo © U.S. Dept. of AgricultureA thoughtful reader kindly sent me a fascinating article on cutting boards. Originally published in the Feb. 6, 1993 edition of Science News, the article describes research claiming that wooden cutting boards possess some sort of bacteria-killing properties, thus making them less likely to contaminate food than plastic or acrylic cutting boards. "Pathogens prefer plastic," the article declares. Fifteen years later, however, experts are still recommending nonporous plastic cutting boards, and local health departments continue to prohibit the use of wooden cutting boards in commercial foodservice.
So what happened? A careful reading of the article reveals the disconnect between what the researchers observed and the conclusions they drew from those observations. It's a great example of why it's never a good idea to let someone else do your thinking for you — because scientists make mistakes just like anyone else.
The claim was based on an experiment in which wooden cutting boards were infected with common food-borne pathogens and then allowed to sit overnight. The next morning, researchers found that "99.9 percent of the bacteria were unrecoverable and presumed dead."Presumed dead? That's quite a leap, especially when, by the researchers' own admission, "We've not recovered the little critters' dead bodies." They did allow for the possibility that, instead of dying, the "little critters" may have simply taken refuge within the nooks and crannies of the porous wood, where they would then be free to breed like — well, like bacteria. And since we know that bacteria can live on a cutting board for up to 60 hours, that wooden cutting board could be hosting an entire colony of pathogens by then. "As best we can tell, that isn't going to happen," one of the scientists said, though he did not specify why he didn't think it would happen.
As for what mechanism or agent might be responsible for wood's alleged antibacterial powers, the researchers admitted that they had no clue. One begins to see why this particular piece of "science" didn't exactly blow the doors off the conventional thinking on food safety.
Finally, though, the kicker: One of the microbiologists responsible for the study shares his recommended technique for cleaning wooden cutting boards: "A good wipe will do fine – and if you forget to wipe the board, you probably won't be too bad off." The entire 1993 article is available here. (My thanks to the reader who sent it to me.)
But if you want the real facts on cutting boards, check out this article on cutting boards and food safety.
Pressure cookers can be extremely useful time-savers in the kitchen. By cooking food in an enclosed, pressurized chamber, pressure cookers can cut cooking times by as much as two-thirds. In addition, the cooking process can preserve nutrients within foods in ways that conventional methods do not.
Best of all, today's pressure cookers are safer to use than the pressure cookers that previous generations may have used – multiple safety features like locks and pressure-release valves prevent them from overbuilding pressure and exploding (Read more about pressure cooker safety.). Plus, the way that pressure cookers are designed, they're remarkably easy to use.
If you are on the market for a pressure cooker, here's what you need to know about choosing the right size, features and other options.
Pressure cookers come in a wide range of sizes; you might see them ranging from smaller than 4 quarts to 10 quarts or larger. When deciding what size to get, think about how many people you typically cook for. Keep in mind that the types of recipes that are best made in a pressure cooker, such as stews, soups, grains and beans, often lend themselves to be made for large groups of people, or in large batches to freeze or refrigerate leftovers. It's better to buy a larger cooker than you think you'll need, if you have the space and budget for one, because you can cook smaller quantities in a larger cooker, but the reverse is not true.
Also keep in mind that you can only fill a pressure cooker two-thirds full with food (and for foods that expand or foam, such as beans, you should only fill the pot half full), which means that having a 6-quart cooker doesn't mean you'll be able to make 6 quarts of soup.
For a family of four, a 6-quart cooker should be a versatile, useful size. However, larger sizes do allow you to use more accessories, such as steamer inserts, pans or ramekins, or cook bulkier items, such as roasts or whole chickens.
When choosing a pressure cooker, consider the material that it's made with. Aluminum is lighter in weight, but stainless steel is far more durable. Even better is a stainless steel cooker that has a thick base, preferably with encapsulated aluminum or copper, both of which will help with heat conductivity and retention. You'll also want to take a look at the handles, lid and locking mechanism and make the handles and lid are securely attached. With any size larger than 4 quarts, two handles, or a longer handle with a "helper handle" on the other side, will make it easier and safer to lift when it's hot and filled with food. The cooker should also have a locking lid, with a mechanism that prevents the lid from being opened before pressure is released. This is a fairly standard feature in today's pressure cookers.
There are several different kinds of pressure regulators, which indicate when the cooker has reached the correct pressure to be cooking your food. They all perform equally as well; it's just a matter of preference as to which one is easier for you to use: Spring Valve: This is a valve that pops up out of the cooker and is typically used for cookers that have high and low pressure settings; the valve will pop up to a certain level when it's reached low pressure, and then pop up more when high pressure is achieved (usually there is a line or a color change so you can tell the difference between the two pressure levels). Weighted Valve: Also called a jiggle top, this type of pressure regulator sits on top of the steam vent, and begins to rock when pressure is reached, an indication that you can both see and hear (handy if you're doing other things around the kitchen and can't be constantly watching your cooker). With this type of valve, you'll want to make sure it is removable so that you can check the steam valve before each use to make sure it's not clogged with food. Modified Weighted Valve: This type of valve is attached to the steam vent but instead of rocking, will release bursts of steam intermittently to maintain pressure; the first sight of steam puffing out of the valve is your indication that pressure has been reached and you can start timing the cooking process.
Between the three types of pressure regulators, many people prefer the spring valve, because it gives an obvious indication of when pressure is reached.
Some pressure cookers only have one pressure setting (typically 15 pounds per square inch, or psi) while others have both high and low settings (15 and 10 psi, respectively). Most recipes call for cooking food at 15 psi (the high setting). In fact, before buying a cooker, it's a good idea to make sure that the "high" setting actually does correspond to 15 psi, since this is the standard pressure level for most recipes. Checking with the manufacturer or looking at the manual should give this information. The lower setting is good for cooking more delicate items, such as certain types of fish, or tender fruits and vegetables.
Another feature to look for is the pressure release valve. Recipes typically call for releasing pressure in one of several ways: the natural release, in which the pot is removed from the heat and allowed to slowly release its pressure; the cold-water method, in which the pot is doused with cold water to quickly release pressure; and the quick-release method, in which pressure is manually released by opening a valve and letting steam escape quickly. Not all pressure cookers have the ability to do the latter; check to see if there is a knob or dial that allows you to safely and quickly release the steam from inside the pot.
Many pressure cookers come with a number of accessories, such as additional, smaller cooking pots, steamer inserts, glass lids (to transform the pot base into a regular cooking pot) and more. Before springing for these types of sets, consider whether you'll use them, or whether it would be better to opt for a higher-end model that, while it may not have all the extra pieces, might be better quality.
In the long run, choose the best, and highest-quality pressure cooker that you can afford.
Like shrimp, fresh scallops can be sold under a bewildering array of names — such as "bay" scallops, "sea" scallops and "jumbo" scallops — that don't necessarily indicate a specific size or weight. And then there's the mysterious "diver" scallop. What do all these descriptions mean? Read on to find out!
Scallops are often soaked in a phosphate solution that whitens them and makes them absorb more liquid, increasing their weight by as much as 30 percent. So you're paying $15 to $20 (or more) per pound for water.Also, that phosphate solution is a common ingredient in soaps and detergents, and, not surprisingly, has a distinctly soap-like flavor. When you cook these scallops, all that extra liquid drains out and into the pan, so instead of searing them, you end up steaming them in something closely resembling soapy water.
If you want to avoid all that, look for scallops labeled "chemical free" or "dry packed."
If you're lucky, your seafood purveyor carries "dry-packed" scallops, which haven't been treated with this liquid. If you can get these, you don't need to rinse them — you can just season them with Kosher salt and they'll be ready to cook. Note that scallops have an adductor muscle (sometimes called a "foot") on the side. It's a tough little tab of meat that you should pull off before cooking the scallop because it can be kind of chewy.
Heat a nonstick saute pan over a high heat, and add a tablespoon of clarified butter (or raw, unsalted butter) and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. The oil/butter mixture needs to be very hot before you add the scallops — you should actually see just the tiniest bit of smoke.
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It's important to make the slurry with cold liquid, and then add the slurry to the simmering sauce.
Cornstarch imparts a glossy sheen to the liquids it thickens, so it tends to be used more in sweet sauces and pie fillings than in savory sauces and gravies.
Grind the nuts and garlic©2008 Jessica Harlan licensed to About.com, Inc.Pesto, made with basil plucked right from the garden, is one of summer's greatest pleasures. Best of all, it's incredibly easy to make, and you can use it in many more ways than simply as a pasta sauce. In my household, we use pesto as a spread on sandwiches, dolloped on toasted French bread for an appetizer, or atop grilled or sauteed chicken or fish.
Making pesto is quite easy if you have a food processor. Once you learn how to make this classic basil pesto, try substituting different types of nuts, or even other herbs, such as parsley or cilantro. You'll quickly discover for yourself how easy it is to add a shot of bold flavor to many dishes.
To make my classic basil pesto, you'll need:
1 small clove garlic, minced 1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted 1 1/4 cups fresh basil leaves (packed) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon butter, softened (optional) 1 cup (2 ounces) parmesan cheese, grated Salt and freshly ground black pepperBegin by putting the pine nuts and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse a few times until the nuts are ground into small pieces.
Making mushroom risotto involves stirring hot stock into the uncooked rice a ladleful at a time and cooking slowly as the stock is absorbed. This technique, called the risotto method, releases the rice's starches, making a creamy, velvety dish.
The real magic in this mushroom risotto recipe comes from using mushroom stock, but vegetable stock can be substituted.
For an illustrated demo of the risotto method, here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to make risotto. And don't worry about making too much. These risotto cakes are a great use for leftovers.
Heat the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then lower the heat so that the stock just stays hot.Note: It's important to stir constantly, especially while the hot stock gets absorbed, to prevent scorching, and add the next ladle as soon as the rice is almost dry.
Using Leftover Risotto: Got leftovers? This recipe for risotto cakes is a great way to use leftover risotto.
With all of the different brands, shapes, materials and price points out there, buying cookware can be a confusing proposition. But it doesn't have to be. With a little bit of knowledge of cookware shapes and terms, and a little thinking about your own cooking style, you will be able to outfit your kitchen with a selection of pots and pans that will be most useful to you.
There are dozens of different cookware shapes, from everyday workhorses like a skillet to specially shaped fish poachers. Familiarize yourself with the different cookware shapes and their names, and then decide which ones you'll actually need.
Although buying 7- or 10-piece sets often seem like a good deal, don't buy one unless you're sure you will use all the pieces regularly. Often there will be a few essential pieces, combined with odd shapes or sizes that you'll never use, which wastes both money and cabinet space. Instead, build up a collection over time as your budget and kitchen allows. A few basics to start with:
A medium- to large-sized skillet (10 to 12 inches) for sauteing and stir-frying A nonstick skillet for cooking eggs (8 to 10 inches) A 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven for cooking stews and soups, and for boiling water for pasta or potatoes A saucepan or saucier for cooking smaller batches of soup, as well as sauces, rice and grains, and vegetables.Once you have the basics, build upon your collection with other pieces that make sense for your cooking style. Other useful cookware pieces include:
A small saucepan (1 or 2 quarts) for melting butter, boiling an egg or heating a can of soup A wok if you do a lot of stir-frying Additional sizes of nonstick or uncoated stainless steel skillet, depending on how many people you cook for. A small nonstick skillet is great for cooking 2 scrambled eggs or an omelet, while a very large one can be used to cook a big batch of eggs, pancakes or bacon. A cast-iron skillet (10 to 12 inches) for searing meat, making cornbread and more. A grill pan for indoor grilling An inexpensive stock pot for boiling water for pasta or potatoes, or for making stock Additional sizes of saucepan If you don't have one already, a or saucier for cooking risotto and grains, or for making custards and delicate sauces A steamer insert A double boiler for melting chocolate or making delicate egg-based saucesThe type of metal or combinations of metal used to make a piece of cookware is key to having a pot that works effectively, whether you'll looking for a piece of cookware that will retain heat for a slow, steady cooking process, or you need a pan that will conduct heat quickly but also allow you to adjust the temperature quickly.
You'll often see references to the gauge of the metal used for the cookware. This refers to the thickness of the metal, and the smaller the number, the thicker and heavier the piece will be.
These are the metals most commonly used in cookware, and their properties:
Aluminum: Conducts heat quickly and evenly, and is sensitive to temperature changes, so it cools nearly as quickly as it heats. Aluminum is also lightweight and durable, but it can adversely react with acidic or alkaline foods so it's often coated with another material, such as stainless steel or nonstick finish. Anodized Aluminum: An electrochemical process makes aluminum nonreactive and resistant to scratches. It also gives the cooking surface nonstick properties. The anodization process also seals in the aluminum so that it is less likely to corrode into food. Cast-Iron: Produces heavy, thick, durable pans that are slow to heat but are excellent at retaining and distributing heat. Regular cast iron, or enamel-coated cast iron, are good for deep frying and dishes requiring long cooking periods like braises or stews. Copper: Excellent at conducting, distributing and retaining heat, but copper tarnishes and dents easily. Because it is an expensive metal, it's often used in combination with other metals, such as in only the base or a pan or in a thin layer in the construction. Stainless Steel: Durable, non-porous, nonreactive and resistant to rust, corrosion and pitting. Because stainless steel is not very conductive, it is often combined with other metals, such as copper or aluminum.Knowing what pieces you'll need, and the best materials to choose, will go a long way in helping you outfit your kitchen with the best cookware for your needs.