Tuesday Tips

 Here are a couple pandemic tips:

1. Buy individually wrapped disposable masks and stash a few in every vehicle glovebox, backpack and purse in case you forgot to bring one when you need it.  I've needed mine 4 times already.
   
   
   
2. Setup Apple pay or Google Pay on your phone in case you get to the counter without your wallet.  Since you no longer carry a wallet around the house since you never leave, and when you do it's the last thing on your mind because your not even sure you still know how to drive.  Apple Pay saved me twice so far. 
   
   
   
3. Muster up an attitude of gratitude because it will make you and everyone around you feel a bit better even (and especially) during a pandemic.  If you can't think of anything, be thankful this is not the 1918 pandemic, or that your family is not off fighting a war, or that Netflix still works.

The 2020 Black Bean Scandal

 I like black beans. I like Wegman's Organic Black Beans. I buy 6 cans at a time. I don’t like the recent change of only filling the cans 1/2 full of beans.  

The can indicates it holds 3.5 half cup servings which totals 1.75 cups.  I confirmed the can indeed holds 1.75 cups of product.  However, I only got 1 cup of beans with .75 cups of water.  There is always some water, you know the kind of black sludgy water that recipes warn to rinse off so your whole dish is not a black gross looking mess...well no worries with these new cans, the water is almost clear and the beans are completely clean from sloshing around in the black bean spa in all their travels.  The cost is far fewer beans.

I will inquire about the bean drowning program with Wegman's officials and report back.

Review: Recipe Keeper

During the day I work for DocFinity which is software schools, businesses and governments can use to eliminate paper and optimize their processes, so for us printing and filing paper should be avoided at all costs.  A digital recipe box is perfect and I've been using one for many years.  No paper recipes allowed.

I started using Pepperplate because it was free and had all the things I cared about at the time, easy to add recipes, each could have a picture, and notes, and they even had a way to grab recipes of specific websites without having to type anything in.  I moved all my paper recipes to Pepperplate and it served me well, however over the 10+ years I've been using it they have not improved it at all.  The website grabber has not read a recipe I've found online in years but I paid nothing and it still functioned.  Then a couple months ago all Pepperplate users got an email saying we had 2 weeks to subscribe to continue using it, to the tune of $36/yr.  They claimed to need money to improve it but failed to list any planned improvements.  That got me looking for it's replacement and I'm glad I did.

I searched, downloaded and tested Yummly, RecipeBox, Epicurious, Big Oven, OrganizEat, Recipe Keeper and probably others.  Some were not really organizers and much as places to find recipes.  Others were klunky or complicated, in the end it was between Big Oven and Recipe Keeper and I chose Recipe Keeper

It's easy to use, can grab recipes off the web from almost anywhere perfectly, imports from other products, syncs recipes between all your instances, allows for custom organization, even let's you take a picture of a recipe to add it and uses OCR so it's searchable.  It runs circles around Pepperplate in every way.  But it does cost a little bit to get all this quality, which I'm glad to pay for once I used it.

Beth and I had our own Pepperplate accounts and kept our recipes separate but we do have many in common too.  Ideally we'd share one digital recipe box. Recipe Keeper has a two level organizational structure (taxonomy) - Course and Category.  There can only be one course per recipe but each can be in unlimited categories and you can add your own and remove any default categories you don't need.  I added a "Jim" and "Beth" category so we could see only our own recipes if needed.  I also added "Low Carb", "Crockpot", "Pressure Cooker", and "Try" for recipes that we have not made but added because they looked good and we want to try them.  If we are looking for something different we can check out what's in the try category.  As you can see in the picture above we have 23 things to try. 

It allows easy resizing of recipes by simply specifying how many people you want to feed and based off the "servings" listed for the recipe it does the math for you.  It also stores nutrition information and will grab it from a website recipe if available.  I use notes to tell me what worked and what did not and what to try next time.  There is a 5 star rating you can give each recipe so you can quickly find your best ones.  If you want step by step pictures you can upload those too.  If someone asks you for a recipe you can quickly share it right from the app by entering their email address.  This gives them a direct link right to that recipe.  I've already shared recipes a couple times.

We never bothered using the shopping list or planner with Pepperplate because it was more hassle than it's worth but with Recipe Keeper we have tried it really kind of like it.  Pick some things to make for the week using the menu planner, then go to the shopping list and all ingredient are there to make it all, simply click on all the things you already have, add things not part of the recipes like laundry detergent, and it creates a dynamic shopping list organized in grocery store categories automatically and you can reorder them once and it remembers, so ours are in Wegman's order.

We shop together and start at opposite ends of the store and as you pick something up, mark it off the list and it shows as picked up on the other persons phone immediately.  High tech shopping at it's best.

Recipe Keeper is not a website but a collection of apps which sync together, so we bought iOS version for my iPhone and iPad and then Mac version for our Macs.  Beth had to get her own on her iPhone since it's a different Apple ID.  Each app is $5.99 per platform, so we ended up spending just under $18 for all our devices.  Not bad for a top quality product.  They also have apps for Android and Windows.

The only complaint would be cooking off your phone is tough because the ingredients are on one tab and the directions are on another, so flipping back and forth to get quantities is a pain.  But on the iPad and laptop this is not an issue at all.

I highly recommend it. 

Review: Carbon Steel Pan - Matfer Bourgeat 11 7/8-Inch

Non-Stick pans have been the rage for home cooks for a long time, but they don't last and they should not be used on high heat.  The chemicals are either coming off as a dangerous gas or flaking off in our food when we use them too long.  They can't handle metal utensils but a good one let's a egg slide right out.  When our Pampered Chef non-stick pans wore out I went looking for the new and improved versions which solve the previous issues and while there are some improvements the same issues still exist.  What do the pros use?  The answer is Carbon Steel.

A carbon steel pan is similar to a cast iron pan but 1/2 the weight and much smoother so when it's seasoned it becomes non-stick, or so they say.  But they are also about the cheapest pan you can buy.  From a restaurant supply site you can get them under $10.  They heat evenly, can handle high heat, oven baking, and are possibly the best pan to sear a steak.

I picked America's Test Kitchen #1 rated 12" carbon steel fry pan made in France - Matfer Bourgeat 11 7/8-Inch for $37

It was heavier than I expected.  A cast iron pan this size is 7lbs and this is only 3, but holding 3lbs on the end of a long stick is not as easy as it sounds.  That said it way way easier to manage one handed than a cast iron pan.  I like the lack of rivets which always catch food and become a pain to clean.  The pan has a very smooth finish, though it looks a bit rustic with it's welds and rough looking edges.

The downside of cast iron or carbon steel is the prep and maintenance.  You must never use a dishwasher, or soap beyond the initial cleaning and you need to season the pan before use and perhaps occasionally refresh it.  I'm willing to put in the work if it is everything they claim it is.

This brand has one of the most bizarre seasoning rituals I've ever heard of but America's test kitchen and others have said it's the best way.  You put 1/3 cup of sunflower oil, 2/3 cup of salt, and 2 potato skins in the pan and sauté that mess for 15 mins. The last 2 minutes will fill your house with smoke, but as you can see from the pictures the result is amazing.

It's a beautiful color but is it really non-stick?  The answer is a resounding YES.  In fact, it is the most non-stick pan I've ever used.  That chicken appeared to be stuck to the pan and yet barely touching it caused it to slide across the pan.  As you can see it left a nice sear on the chicken too.

However, I had the heat too high and as I cooked the 2nd batch of chicken I noticed the remnants, fond, left  in the pan started to burn.  That should have been my clue to turn down the heat, but I pressed on removing the burnt bits and deglazed the pan with broth for my sauce.  The broth immediately turned to steam, clue 2 it was too hot, and as I stirred the sauce I noticed more than fond was coming off.  In the end much of the seasoning on the pan appears to be gone.  

Is it still non-stick?  Do I need to re-season it?  From what I've read it may be just fine and the seasoning and color will build up with continued use.  I'll report back once I use it again.

My over all conclusion:  I love the idea, the pan seems like a good one, and I'm excited to keep using it and experimenting with it.  I need to up my game, but that's really the point isn't it?

UPDATE (2/26/2020): My second use was cooking Smash Burgers as a test to see if the pan was still seasoned and still non-stick.  The result was great.  It was perfect, the burger got a great crust and none stuck to the pan.  I'm happy to say the color does not indicate the effectiveness of the seasoning.  I plan to continue using it and will report back any issues.

UPDATE (3/3/2020): Third use was sautéed onion and prosciutto. It was initially like a non-stick pan but as the meat started browning a nice fond began forming on the bottom of the pan. Note how amazing that crust looks. I really should have deglazed it and made a sauce. I was afraid it would be tough to remove but a little water and nylon scraper is all it took and it came right off. So far so good. 

Baby Back Ribs tip

One step in prepping baby back ribs for the smoker, pressure cooker or slow cooker is removing the membrane on the back.  It's either impossible or easy...

Whoever figured out that using a paper towel to grab the membrane on the back of a rack of ribs so you can peel it off was a genius.  I'm not sure what magic happens but barehanded that membrane is slippery and adhered to the ribs at an atomic level never to be moved but once you grab it with a paper towel it gives up and comes right off.  

Another tip I have found is starting at the small end works better than the wide end.  Not intuitive to me, but clearly faster and easier.  

Now go forth and make pork! Yum.

 

Best Burger

As a grill guy I was skeptical, but after using this method 5-6 times I can say without a doubt it is THE BEST way to cook a burger.  Every single time I make these I say "these are amazing, why would we do it any other way?".  I will warn you it gets a little stressful when you are in the middle of it since they cook so fast and sometimes are hard to get off the pan in one piece, but the reward is so worth it.

The Ultra Smashed Double Burger - https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/03/ultra-smashed-cheeseburger-recipe-food-lab.html

The Cadillac of Crockpots

In my quest to find a quality crockpot, you know one that does not have a hotspot where food always burns and one which won't set your house a blaze and kill Jack, I came up short at local stores or online reviews.  However, I recently discovered two models which look amazing and at a price which makes me hope they are truly a cut above.  If you are looking for a true multi-cooker with an amazingly high quality look and feature set check out the Wolf Multi Function Cooker.  It appears to be the best crockpot, rice cooker, and decent sous vide machine, and it sears, so it's more than a slow cooker.  It better be a rock star for $600.

Since there is no water circulator I would expect the sous vide is not the best, but likely good enough for most things.  I like the probe feature to ensure meat is actually done right vs. "low for 8 hours".

But if you tire of chopping, stirring, mixing, grinding, and weighing by hand and still need a slow cooking, meat searing, food fermenting, computer guided recipe bot which updates itself while you sleep, check out the Termomix T6.  You can probably use a home equity loan to pay for it.

 I expect the T7 will be named Rosie and deliver your meal right to your lap with attitude. 

It's worth noting that none of these are pressure cookers.

Update: If you like what the Wolf does, Instant Pot brand has a very similar unit for 1/5 the price and would likely be my choice if I needed a new slow cooker (it's also NOT a pressure cooker).

Reviving a dead couch

Our much loved leather sleeper sofa had become so saggy our backs got sore and we could barely get out of it.  We added a sheet of plywood under the cushions to firm it up but then it was like sitting on a brick.  We eventually realized the problem was the cushions had worn out.  The solution was replacing the foam inside.  It’s possible to buy foam already cut to size and even wrapped with a batting which protects the foam and fills out the cushion nicely. However ordering those requires exacting measurements and can cost over $100 per cushion.  I chose to buy one large piece of foam and a separate roll of batting from The Foam Factory for $80 total to my door. This made 3 cushions with some foam left over.  One complexity is knowing which foam to pick, there are many options with different firmness, longevity, and materials.  I guessed we wanted a medium firmness (36 lbs ILD) and did not need high quality as this would become secondary seating.

I cut the foam with a bread knife and followed their directions on stapling the batting.  It took simple tools and a couple hours but now the couch is like new.  One trick I learned is rolling the cover off the old cushion allowed you to easily unroll the cover onto the new cushion without having to fight to stuff it in smoothly.

Review: Pampered Chef Quick Cooker

Pampered Chef has their own pressure cooker based multi-cooker ala Instant Pot with a unique look and outlandish list price $240-299.  I’m glad we only paid $23.

Bottomline:
Is it worth it?  No
Is it better than a $70 InstantPot? No

The Good:

• Pressure cooking works well and is simpler and quieter than a stovetop pressure cooker
• Outside stays cool due to insulated plastic outer cover
• Sear mode works well for things like reducing sauces, but not searing as you’ll see below
• Lid is easy to lock, unlock, and remove
• The carrying handles work well 
• Accessory kit is high quality and I’ve read others say it’s amazing, I have not used it yet
• Everything I’ve made so far tasted great.  The ribs recipe which came with it was simple and great. 

The Bad:

• Controls are the worst.  One problem with Instant Pot is having to click + or - a million times to set the time, so I was excited to see a dial which could save time and hassle.  However the dial only selects the mode, not the time. You still have to click + or - repeatably every bit as bad as Instant Pot.  But unlike Instant Pot which has a button for each mode so you can set with one click, you must spin the Quick Cooker’s dial until the proper mode lights up...spin, look, spin, look, spin, look...ridiculous. Is it a big deal? Not really but I’d be embarrassed if I was Pampered Chef. 
• There is no way to control the temperature, so you can’t use it for Sous Vide,  The custom mode only sets pressure and time and it only works for pressure cooking, not slow or sear..
• The steam vent design differs enough from Instant Pot to make steam direction accessories not work
• The steam vent does not always close tightly so steam leaks as it’s heating.  You must fiddle with it while steam is coming out to get it to seal.  Not expected or safe.
• Searing in a deep pot has very limited usage.  Searing a big hunk of meat should be OK but searing diced chicken is unbearable.  It sticks firmly, needs tongs to flip, there is no way to slide a turner/spatula under it, the surface area is small so it needs to be done in batches which means removing one batch to add the next and managing a mess.  Just use a large skillet or fry pan on the stove, easier, faster more effective.  This is the same for all pressure cookers.
• Slow cook only has one temperature which I tested to be 185.  That is a normal low temp on a Crockpot.  Instant Pot has 3 slow cook temperature settings low, mid, high.  
• It’s unclear if the clear Instant Pot slow cook lid will fit and Pampered Chef does not offer one.  Not required but nice to see what’s going on without having to open it up and release heat and moisture.
• A cheap Crockpot has 2 temperature settings, and wide pot and clear lid.  As a result, the Quick Cooker is a poor slow cooker.

General Information:

• Proof keeps water at about 95 with top off (too low for sous vide)
• Slow cook keeps water at about 185 with top off (too high for sous vide)
• Warm keeps the temp at about 165 with top off (too high to souls vide)

Conclusion:

• We had a couple lifetime warranty Pampered Chef pans fail and the credit they gave us allowed us to get the Quick Cooker with accessory kit for $23, otherwise I would have bought a different machine. 
• If you don’t have a pressure cooker, a true multi-cooker could be a versatile tool in the kitchen.  I would look for one which has multiple temperature settings for slow cooking, precise temperature controls for sous vide, a stainless pot like the Instant Pot and Quick Cooker because a non-stick one will wear off and simpler controls.  I would not worry about how many modes it has because they are all just different temp/time/pressure settings and most are max temp and pressure.  Being able to set all 3 allows unlimited “modes”.   
• If you absolutely have to have the Pampered Chef cooker wait for a sale, they have been discounted 50%, but know you are buying one of the worst multi-cookers for more than the most popular one even at 50% off.
• This might be a better all around multi-cooker for 1/2 the price though I have no experience with it:

Update: I found out who makes the PC Quick Cooker - Midea in China.  The Amazon reviews are pretty positive about it and those selling it now are asking over $600 for it. I'm guessing in China is sells for the equivalent of $50.  I stand by my assessment, there are better machines for less money.

Update: Searing works pretty well for reducing a sauce.  If you cook meat for instance and want to turn the juices left into a sauce use sear, add additional ingredients and stir.  It will for that fairly well and reasonably quick.  You are still leaning over a deep pan and getting steaming sauce in the face but it smells great, so you have that going for you.  You are also not likely over a vent as you would be on the stove, so look up at the ceiling after using your Instant Pot for a couple years and I bet you'll be able to tell where it sits when in use.