HOW TO: THE PERFECT BAKED POTATO

Baked potato in the oven, totally worth the wait.

Who doesn’t love a good baked potato. It is so versatile. You can serve it with just about any meal. Steak, pork, chicken, fish, or ham, let’s face it, it goes with pretty much everything. So, let’s assume you are making a great steak on the grill (maybe even Italian Crusted Filet Mignon). So how do you prepare your baked potato? If you said or even thought about the microwave, please slap yourself twice across the face. Now, repeat the last step. Ok, now you are thinking straight. You know that oven you barely use?? Please turn it on to 400 degrees. Thanks. If you want a GOOD baked potato, you must cook it in the oven. I know it takes longer, but it is so much better. As a matter of fact, once you go oven baked potato, you can never go back.

Prep Time: 1 Min

Bake Time: 1 Hour

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Medium to Large Russet Potato
• Smart Balance Butter
• Italian Seasoning
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Optional, sour cream (only optional because I don’t like it)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Scrub potato with a vegetable brush.
• Place potato on baking sheet and bake at 400 for 1 hour. Turn potato over at 35 minutes.  When potato is done, it should be crispy on the outside but soft to the squeeze.
• Remove potato, slice down middle and squeeze potato.
• Add 1 tbsp, smart balance butter.
• Garnish with fresh ground pepper, italian seasoning, and grated parmesan cheese.
• Top with sour cream (only if you like, yuk…I don’t).

Related posts: Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast; Italian Crusted Filet Mignon

What Every Kitchen Needs: PEPPER MILL (GRINDER)

If you are not grinding your own pepper, then shame on you. Photo courtesy of amazon.com.

In this column, we will highlight items that every kitchen needs in
order to function.  These items will make your kitchen function to its true potential, save time, and also intrigue guests.  In addition, these items would make wonderful gifts for that person in your life who loves to cook and/or entertain.  Enjoy!

Using pepper out of a pepper shaker, c’mon man!!!  I’m just going to warn you.  Once you go fresh ground pepper, you can never go back.  If you don’t believe me, do a simple taste test.  Grind a little bit of peppercorns and put them side by side with some from a shaker.  What are the results?  Case closed.

Now for an added tip on peppercorns, how are you storing your  extras?  Please don’t say in the pantry!!!!  Store your excess peppercorns in a Ziploc freezer bag in the freezer.  Again, our main enemy, air, will oxidize the peppercorns and reduce the taste.  One other tip, if the recipe calls for a lot of pepper, i.e. Chili, then grind a whole bunch of peppercorns in your coffee grinder.

So if you are in the market for a good quality pepper mill, I’d recommend the Trudeau Elite Graviti Pepper Mill, Stainless Steel Finish.   It’s very good quality, and it retails for less than $25.  Check it out.

Trudeau Elite Graviti Pepper Mill, Stainless Steel Finish

HOW TO STORE COFFEE BEANS

Store coffee in the stainless steel canister for up to 4 weeks to preserve freshness.

Okay, so you bought that fancy coffee machine and now you can’t figure out why your coffee isn’t tasting anywhere near as good as your favorite coffee shop.  I bet you are asking yourself, “How can that 17 yr old kid with pimples all over his face make a better cup of coffee than me?”  You probably even bought a bag of the same expensive beans that they use at the coffee shop.

Well, they didn’t sell you a bag of second-hand beans Jack.  You probably just aren’t storing your beans properly.  See, the coffee shop has a serious advantage over you, QUANTITY.  They use a lot of beans every day, therefore they use their freshly roasted beans within a week of roasting.  So let us first understand what the enemy of fresh roasted beans is:  AIR.  Think of coffee like baking soda, it absorbs the air.  Therefore, all the smells and contaminants get into the coffee beans.  Which in turn distorts the taste, giving it that terrible taste of bad coffee.

So, here’s what you are going to do.  First, store your coffee in a Stainless Steel Canister  .  Coffee can be stored in one of these for 3-4 weeks.  Don’t even think about grinding the beans before putting it in there.  Ground beans only stay fresh for 1-2 days.  Be sure to store your ground beans in an airtight container as well.  So, you should only grind what you are going to use in the next day or two.  If you have more than 3-4 weeks supply, that is going to have to go into the freezer in a freezer proof bag or container.  Now some places will say not to freeze beans.  I was uncertain, so I decided to perform numerous taste tests with frozen and fresh beans.  I’ve had coffee amateurs and connoisseurs taste them blindly, and NO ONE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE.  So it is safe to freeze for 1-2 months.  I would not recommend going beyond that.

Well there you go, good luck on achieving coffee-house quality coffee for a fraction of the price at home!!!

What Every Kitchen Needs: Cast Iron Skillet

Every great chef has cast iron in their arsenal.

In this column, we will highlight items that every kitchen needs in order to function.  These items will make your kitchen function to its true potential, save time, and also intrigue guests.  In addition, these items would make wonderful gifts for that person in your life who loves to cook and/or entertain.  Enjoy!

Wow, what can’t you do with a cast iron skillet?  Do you like tender meats that melt in your mouth?….Check.  Do you like to saute vegetables to perfection?…Check.  Do you like home fried potatoes just like grandma used to make?… Check.  I’m just gonna say this once and once only, BUY SOME CAST IRON!!!!  The possibilities are endless, and many of my recipes in the future are going to require the proper use of cast iron.   So, I’m gonna teach you how to cook with it, clean it, and care for it properly.

• How to cook with cast iron:  First, get it hot.  Second, you must put some oil on it .  Extra Virgin Olive Oil sprayed on it or drizzled on the pan will work just fine.
• How to clean it properly:  Do not even think about putting soap on it.  While the pan is hot, you are going to have to scrape it.  A plastic or metal scraper will do just fine.  Then, take  a paper towel and rub the surface clean.
• How to care for it:  Grab a paper towel, gently spray the skillet with oil and wipe the skillet clean.  This will prevent rusting and season the skillet for future use.  REMINDER:  DO NOT USE DETERGENT TO CLEAN A CAST IRON SKILLET.

In the near future, I am going to show some cast iron methods for cooking that will blow your mind away.  So if you don’t own any cast iron click here  for more information.

What Every Kitchen Needs: Garlic Press

The Garlic Press saves lots of time chopping garlic.

In this column, we will highlight items that every kitchen needs in order to function.  These items will make your kitchen function to its true potential, save time, and also intrigue guests.  In addition, these items would make wonderful gifts for that person in your life who loves to cook and/or entertain.  Enjoy!

An essential ingredient in Italian cooking is fresh garlic.  Many home cooks get intimidated by using fresh garlic.  Let’s face it chopping it is very difficult.  It is so much easier to sprinkle some garlic salt, powder, or some jarred minced garlic.  The only problem, to quote Mick Dundee is, “You can live on it, but it tastes like shit.”

So now your problem has been solved, get a Garlic Press .  These things are absolutely fantastic.  All you have to do is put the entire clove of garlic in the press (skin and all), squeeze, and minced garlic comes out the other side.  To clean, just reverse and remove the skin.  Unreal!!!  There is no excuse to not use fresh garlic ever again.  You can now use fresh garlic for everything:  sauces, salsa, garlic bread, etc, etc, etc.  It’s little things like this that give your recipes a little extra wow factor.  I challenge you to never use granulated garlic powder or salt ever again.  Throw them right in that garbage can.  Head to the grocery store or better yet, the local farmers market; and buy some FRESH bulbs of garlic.   Then, start enjoying the robust flavor of freshly pressed garlic.  You won’t be disappointed.  I promise!!!

For more information on the Stainless Steel Garlic Press click here.