Cooking The Basic Equipment

Writen by Michael Russell

If you're just starting out on your culinary journey, you may find the array of kitchenware available on the market a bit baffling, so here's a quick guide to the must-haves for the first-time cook.

Pots and Pans - A student or single person may get away with one frying pan and a couple of saucepans, but a keen cook or a family would certainly need more. Ideally, I would recommend a small (20 cm) frying pan and a large one (24-28cm), preferably non-stick or very well-seasoned stainless steel. In addition, at least three stainless steel saucepans between 16 and 24 cm plus a large (24cm) and small (18cm) non-stick. The stainless steel ones will be fine for boiling eggs, rice, pasta, potatoes and vegetables and the non-stick ones for sauces or frying off meat and onions for chilli or a casserole. Buy the best quality you can afford, but avoid cast iron, which is just too heavy to be lifted by a single handle, especially if it's full of boiling water and potatoes.

Oven Dishes - Casserole dishes of varying sizes are useful. I like Le Creuset cast iron because you can use it on top of the stove to seal meat and prepare your dish, put it in the oven to cook, then put it on the table to serve, thus saving on the washing up! Because they have two handles, the weight isn't such a problem. A baking dish is also a must if you're going to make lasagne, cannelloni or pies of any kind topped with sliced or mashed potato - earthenware, glass or cast iron is fine. If you want to make pies topped with pastry, then a proper pie dish is almost essential and the same goes for quiche - it really needs the right dish for the job.

Bakeware - If you're going to try your hand at baking cakes, try to choose an all purpose cake tin that you can use over again. The type with a loose bottom or spring-loaded sides make getting the cake out of the tin much easier. For bread, a loaf tin is a must, but you can also use this for meat loaf or paté. A couple of flat baking trays are handy for meringues, biscuits (cookies), sausage rolls and similar items. For individual cakes, buns, tarts, mince pies or Yorkshire puddings a twelve hole tin is a must, preferably non-stick.

Utensils - A selection of wooden spoons is essential. For all other utensils, it's safest to choose acrylic as they won't damage non-stick pans. You will need a slice, a spatula, ladle, slotted spoon and masher.

Knives - Buy the best knives you can possibly afford, but at least get one really good, all-purpose cooks' knife and a decent steel to sharpen it. When selecting knives, ask to hold them and weigh them up in your hand. A good cooks' knife should feel comfortable to use and should be quite heavy. The handle should give you a good grip - you don't want it slipping out of your hand and spearing you in the foot. When you find the right knife, you will know!

Chopping Boards - I prefer acrylic because they can go in the dishwasher for a really good, hot, clean. Some people like to adhere to proper kitchen hygiene rules and keep separate boards for raw chicken, raw meat, cooked meat and vegetables. Others like a nice solid wooden block. It's all down to personal taste.

Miscellaneous Bits. As well as the above, a selection of glass or plastic bowls in different sizes is useful for mixing and plastic boxes for fridge storage are a real boon. Other oddments may include a rolling pin, garlic press and potato peeler, although you can survive without these.

That just about covers the basics. In our next article we're going to look at some labour saving devices.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Cooking

The Procedure To Make Basic Gelatine Jelly

Writen by Razzi Rahman

1) To make 1 litre of gelatine desert gel, you will require about 20gm (1 sachet) of Halal gelatin. Soak gelatine in about 700ml water (not boil water) and stir until swells. Add about 160gm sugar or to taste. Heat up the solution until gelatine and sugar dissolve. Add flavoring and coloring. Done! Simple isn't it? Try to do it couple of time just to make you get use to it, and later on, try to do this simple task that I prepared for you. And practise with this one...

2)Simple task :-

Ingredients
1 sachets of Halal gelatine (6 teaspoons)
½ cup hot water
2½ cups appromaxly. Flavoured Soya milk (Can use any)

Instructions
•Add Halal gelatine to hot water and stir briskly with a fork until dissolve.
•Combine the dissolved gelatine with flavoured soya milk.
•Stir well. Pour into small cups mold.
•Refrigerate until set.

You can always find a unique shape or a love shape plastic container and make a nice love shape jelly and refrigerate until set. Try it. It's easy and simple. Something for you to practise. And when you're most ready. I got a bigger project for you. Just email me if you are already an expert. I can always give you a complicated gelatine recipes. Take care.

Advise on cooking: Don't follow the law!! Hehehe...what I meant is don't just stick to what your reading. Different people is different chef they are. Be flexible in anything you do. Always go ahead with what you have. Don't be stuck, find a way to get around it. Cause a good chef is a chef that come out with their own way NOT copy the way.

But always remember, Be Alert...choose Halal Gelatin! Come and visit us at http://www.halalgelatine.com.

What Is Gluten And Why Does It Matter

Writen by Dennis R Weaver

Gluten is a substance made up of the proteins found in wheat flour that gives bread its structure, strength, and texture. Without these marvelous little proteins, bread would not be bread. It also explains why it is so hard to make bread from rice, potato, or oat flour and why wheat flour has to be added to rye flour to make bread—only wheat has enough protein. The gluten makes the bread.

Gluten is developed in the dough when the proteins absorb water and are pulled and stretched in the kneading process. As the proteins are worked, they become long, flexible strands. As the yeast produces gases in the dough, mostly carbon dioxide, these strands trap the gas bubbles and the dough expands. When we put the bread in the oven, the gluten strands coagulate or solidify much as the protein in eggs solidifies as the egg cooks.

How is it that we can use flour to make both a tender cake and firm chewy French bread? The gluten makes the difference. In a cake, we want little gluten development. In a chewy bread, we want a high percentage of well-developed gluten. We can control this texture in our baked goods by changing four conditions:

1. Selection of flours: Cake flours are "weak" or "soft" and have a low protein content, probably around 8%. Bread flours and high-gluten flours are "strong" and usually have a protein content of 12 to 14%.

2. Amount of shortening: Any fat is referred to as a shortening because it shortens the gluten strands. It does so by lubricating the fibers so they cannot stick together. The more shortening in the dough, the more tender and less chewy the product will be.

3. Amount of liquid: Gluten must have liquid to absorb and expand. If dough does not have enough liquid, the gluten will not fully form and the product will not be tender. That's why we put a minimal amount of water in pie crusts.

4. Mixing methods: Generally, the more a batter or dough is mixed, the more the gluten develops. Tender muffins use low-protein flour and are mixed only until the moisture is absorbed while breads are kneaded for a relatively long time.

For more articles like this visit The Bakers' Library.

© 2004 The Prepared Pantry