mastering the deep fryer

The deep fryer has, for whatever reason, been deemed an unsafe form of cooking. But the truth is if you are careful and paying attention, deep frying food is fun and delicious.

Deep frying, in case you don't know is a form of cooking that involves submerging your food in oil that is heated to about 365 degrees, give or take. Peanut oil is preferred because of its high smoking point, but olive oil works great too.

Before you get started there are a few things you are going to want to have prepared. First the type of pot you are going to use; you want a pot that is about 5" to 6" deep and 8" to 10" in diameter. Preferable you are going to want a cast iron, but most of us don’t have a cast iron that size (even though we'd like to) so any kind of pot that size will do just fine.

Second, you are going to want to have both a pair of tongs as well as a slotted spatula on hand. You are also going to want a drying rack for when your food is done. The best thing to use is a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet, but a cookie sheet with some paper towels on it will do just fine. And lastly, a bowl of salt to season your food after it comes out of the fryer.

Next is what to fry. Theoretically, you can fry just about anything, from potatoes to bananas. Most of the time when people fry things it is because of the crunch you get from the frying batter, so let us start there. The batter used to achieve this crunch can be one of the simplest things you will ever make.

For most things you are going to use a beer batter. It’s simple and easy, and works great. In a large bowl combine flour and beer, that's it! The carbonation in the beer lends to a beautiful texture to the fried batter. Start off with one cup of flour and 1 cup of beer, and then add beer little by little until you get a consistency that is a little bit looser than a pancake batter. A little tip is to not make your batter until you are completely ready to start frying, because the longer the batter sits the less carbonation it will have. For fried chicken you won't necessarily want a beer batter, try my fried chicken recipe instead.

Ok so you are ready to start frying, but what ARE you going to fry? French fries? Onion rings? Zucchini? Banana? Chicken? Those questions I’ll leave up to you.

A few things you need to think about when you are frying are; how long will it take to cook my food? And is my oil hot enough? For the most part by the time your food is ready to be taken out, it will be fully cook, but something like a potato you are going to want to blanch first before you fry them. This is because if you fry them raw, by the time the inside is fully cooked the outside will be so burnt you wouldn’t want to eat it anymore. You, also, have to remember that every time you put something into the fryer the temperature of the oil will drop and the lower the temp the slower it will take to cook and you will in turn lose that beautiful crisp you get when you fry things. To ensure the oil stays at the right temp invest in an instant read thermometer that hooks on to the side of your pot. Eventually, after frying for a while you will be able to gauge if your oil is hot enough by how long it takes to brown whatever it is you are frying.

Now, let's get frying!!!

five types of stocks

A stock is an extract from cooking meat bones and/ or fish bones and/ or vegetables in water. There are many different uses for a stock, such as sauces, soups, braises, consommé’s and aspics.There are five different types of stocks

A white stock - made with blanched veal or beef bones, along with a mirepoix (a mirepoix is a rough chop of stewing vegetables, such as onions, carrots, celery, and sometimes leek.

A chicken (white) stoke - made with chicken bones, along with a mirepoix.

A brown stock - made with chicken or beef bones and vegetables. The different between a brown stock and a white stock is for a brown stock, you first brown the bones and mirepoix in the oven, and then tomato paste is added and cooked longer.

A fish stock - made with fish bones, along with a mirepoix.

And lastly, a vegetable stock - a vegetable stock is made when meat is not desired. Although, a vegetable stock is quick and easy, it is, however, the lightest of stocks and therefore generally not used for sauces.

Farm Fresh to You

As a college student, having fresh produce isn't the easiest thing, especially when you don't have a car.

Farm Fresh to You (FFTY) is one of the best ways to solve this problem. As Angelenos become increasingly more demanding in the quality of produce, Farmers, like Kathleen Barsotti, have started to deliver their fresh produce to all over southern California, delivering that weeks harvest directly to your door.

Like any new fad, competition for the best "bang for your buck" has really picked up, and FFTY is leaving the competition in its dust. With descriptions of exactly what comes that week, in all the different boxes.

They have about 20 different boxes you can choose from, starting at $25 per box to $80 per box, you can choose fruits and veggies, or just friut, or just veggies.

Since this is a per delivery fee and not a monthly fee you also get to choose how often you want to get a delivery, you can get it every week, every other week...... and if you're going to be out of town for a week, all you have to do is email them saying you don't that week's box. They, also have a page of everything they grow and when they grow it.

And if that isn't enough, if you don't like a certain product they grow, you can simply send them an email saying you don't want that anymore and they'll stop sending it to you, no questions asked.

my kitchen survival list

While I continue to build up, what I like to call, my kitchen survival list, I have come to realize that everyone has pretty much the same nine or ten "tools" plus a few to fit their cooking style.

This is my list.

A chef's knife - Your chef's knife is your best friend in the kitchen. I use a 8" blade, but as important as the blade is, the handle is just that important. The handle should fit comfortably in your hand, you want your knife to be an extension of your hand.

A pairing knife - A pairing knife is used for more precision cutting, I use a 3" blade.

A wooden or plastic cutting board
Balsamic vinegar
Extra Virgin olive oil
fresh garlic
yellow and red onions
ground pepper
salt

Now, the next list are things I always make sure to have but aren't necessities in YOUR kitchen.

A Mandolin - A Mandolin is like the long blade on a cheese grater, but extremely sharp. I like to use a mandolin when I have to do a lot of precision cutting and I don't want to take all day. The one I have has three different sizes allowing for different size cuts.

garlic salt
crushed pepper flakes
teriyaki sauce
dried diced challots - I found these at Cost Plus World Market
dried oregano
a few cans of tomato sauce and paste
garlic infused olive oil, which I also found at Cost Plus.

Recently, I added a fish spatula and a cast iron skillet. I can't wait to break them in!!

My list is by no means finished, a good chef's list should be constantly growing and changing. I am always on the look out for that something to take my cooking to the next level.

The Easier the Better

I have always loved homey food, and I really enjoy how the simplest ingredients can make you feel right at home.

When I go out to eat with people, they are always masking the flavor of the food, whether we're eating sushi or a burger at a bar, out comes the soy sauce, eel sauce, ketchup, mustard with no moderation. I will admit that on occasion I have been known to use condiments, but when I take a bite of my food I want the first taste to hit my pallet to be from the food not the "add-ons".

Now, I'm not saying there is NO place for condiments because there is, but again in moderation, and instead of using them after you finish cooking, use them IN your cooking.

Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a family, keep it easy, keep it simple.