Best products from r/Food

We found 148 comments on r/Food discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 1,375 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

Top comments mentioning products on r/Food:

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/food

A book I can't recommend enough (though with some caveats) is Nourishing Traditions. It gives you something of a baseline to begin to understand some facts about what actually is good for you and gives you loads of ideas on how to eat in a healthy, economizing way (the author is pretty consistent about having uses for nearly everything you make -- and the byproducts). It's also kind of fun making some of the ingredients that get used in a plethora of dishes you'll make.

It also gives you the ability to start to parse some of the folk wisdom you've heard all your life -- stuff that a scientifically-minded peson (rather rightfully without any additional knowledge) dismisses as old, magical thinking. But stuff which upon examination sometimes makes enormous sense as "wisdom" received through generations and generations of iterative testing (and relatively stable environments conducive to -- say -- figuring out practical ways to get iodine into your diet when you live in a mountaineous region, far from the sea).

My main caveat about the book, though, is that she cites seemingly literally every study she can find that supports her basic premise (that you should eat "whole" foods prepared with specific care instructions and only from a certain class of foods). I think the premise is sound but that some of the studies she cites (and so some of her evidence) is not. The variable nature of statistical science (see regression toward the mean) assures us that some statistically significant results are aberations. In my mind, some of what she cites is certainly an aberation. Oh, and she's really, really excited about some stuff that science has seemingly proved to be total BS, by now (e.g. MSG as a neurotoxin).

Like I said, though: In my mind, her basic notion of what is healthy is right. And even when she's wrong ("MSG is neurotoxic"), she's often right (MSG is a good marker for heavily synthetic and unnutritious food, on an ingredient list)

A good companion to that is Mark's Daily Apple, which is a Primal/Paleo eating/lifestyle site, but which I think has a lot of worthwhile information whether or not you decide to go on a "Primal" diet. At the least, you'll begin to understand what actually is in some of the food you eat and be able to make more informed decisions about it.

This article about bread gives you some clues as to what you should be eating, as well, IMO.

I think ultimately that diet is something people simply have to spend time learning about in the modern world -- that in traditional societies, people (generally or often) lived in stable situations and could, through slight variation and trial and error, oftentimes chance upon some very health habits. We simply don't live in a place and time in which received knowledge is sufficient (or even easily passed on) and in which coherent rules of thumb fail can even emerge -- unless we understand some of the science (principles) behind them.

> You make me think of the French who are known for snacking all day on small portions of very rich foods, and somehow are not fat, instead are healthy.

Oh, and as another example of perhaps skewed cultural values, we in the West or America (or whatever it is) often think of skinniness as necessary and sufficient condition for considering someone healthy. What that is, though, is a rather superficial aspect of health and one whose sole focus on belies some rather backwards thinking. Here, we're more focused on tricking people into thinking we're healthy (on that visceral, biological level that judging people as attractive entails) than on actually being healthy. I think that being fit and reasonably not-too-fat are logical outcomes of living healthfully but that if your focus is on the outward manifestations of health rather than actually being healthy, you're doing it wrong.

Sorry. Wall o'text.

u/HappyHollandaise · 1 pointr/food

I'm glad to hear you enjoy adobo! The first time I ever made it was also the first time my boyfriend ever tried adobo. Luckily, everything went better than expected - the adobo turned out great, and it is now one of his favorite foods.

Chicken Adobo

From How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

Makes: 4 servings
Time: About 1 ¼ hours

This Philippine classic has been called the best chicken dish in the world by a number of my friends and readers. It is cooked in liquid first, then roasted, grilled, or broiled. Here, however, the initial poaching liquid is reduced to make a sauce to pass at the table for both the chicken and white rice, the natural accompaniment.

The coconut milk isn’t mandatory, though it does enrich the sauce considerably.

Other protein you can use: pork chops (bone-in or boneless).

  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup white or rice vinegar
  • 1 cup water (this was not listed in the ingredient list in the book, but it is mentioned as an ingredient in the recipe)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups coconut milk (optional)
  • 1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 8 pieces, or any combination of parts

    Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, pepper, 1 cup water, and half the coconut milk, if you’re using it, in a covered skillet or saucepan large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken; reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, turning once or twice, until the chicken is almost done, about 20 minutes. (At this point, you may refrigerate the chicken in the liquid for up to a day before proceeding; skim the fat before reheating.)

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit or heat a charcoal or gas grill or the broiler to moderate heat and put the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Remove the chicken pieces from the liquid and dry them gently with paper towels. Boil the sauce, along with the remaining coconut milk if you’re using it, over high-heat until it is reduced to about 1 cup; discard the bay leaves and keep the sauce warm. Meanwhile, grill, broil, or roast the chicken until brown and crisp and hot, turning as necessary, 10 to 15 minutes total (roasting will take a little longer). Serve the chicken with the sauce.

    -----

    I have never used coconut milk when making adobo. My Mom and Grandparents never used it, so I just went along with that school of thought. It sounds like it would be an interesting addition though! I have used bone-in and boneless chicken, as well as bone-in and boneless pork for this recipe and have never been unhappy with the results.

    I have followed this recipe step by step, including finishing it on the grill, and it turned out great. However, when my Mom or Grandparents made adobo, they would just keep the protein simmering in the liquid and I enjoy it that way too. I have also used this recipe as a reference for proportions, browned the protein, and put everything in a crock pot on low for a few hours. Depending on what types of flavors you like, you can also add onions, peppercorns, whole garlic cloves, extra bay leaves…I’m just naming things that I would find in my adobo when I was growing up. Haha.
u/hailtheface · 1 pointr/food

I've spent the last year focusing primarily on learning to make really, really good bread. It is hard to do. It takes a long time to master even the basics, but that isn't to say that you can't still crank out some good bread. Start with Peter Reinhart's 'Artisan Breads Every Day'. It's a really great book designed with the home baker in mind. Covers pretty much everything you would need to know to make great bread.

As for cultivating yeast, yes I have my own starter. I maintain it by simply keeping it in the fridge. Before using it in a recipe it receives a few feedings over a couple days and is then used to make dough. I made a nearly perfect batch of sourdough boules today with it. Best sourdough I've ever had in my life, not to toot my own horn.

u/Natalia_Bandita · 14 pointsr/food

YES!!! this is the book you have right?

My boyfriend and our friends do the same thing every sunday!

For the season premier we made onions in gravy, Roasted Aurochs with Leeks, and turnips in butter- for dessert we did frozen blueberries with the creme bastard! lol

Last night we cooked the beef and bacon pie. SO delicious. Definitely one of my favorite cookbooks. However there were a few spices that i still have found that I couldnt include in certain recipes.. like Grains of Paradise. I went to 5 different markets...3 of them had never even heard of grains of paradise. =(

edit- wow! I had no idea that I can use cardamom. I read that GoP was a mixture of different kinds of pepper with citrus notes. I was using a mixed pepper mill and a tiny bit of orange zest. But if I can use cardamom- then it makes things a lot easier! THANKS EVERYONE !!!!!!!

u/mjstone323 · 2 pointsr/food

Any of the America's Test Kitchen cookbooks are fantastic for people learning how to cook. My boyfriend, like you, was a sandwich-pasta-burrito guy before these cookbooks. Now he can turn out a mean baked ziti and a pan of brownies :)

They've tested recipes extensively to find the easiest ways to create the most delicious, flavorful, fail-free versions of favorite foods. For each recipe, they describe the most common pitfalls of a recipe and how they avoid them, provide helpful illustrations, and make suggestions for the best cookware and ingredients to purchase (if you don't already have them). They most often do not recommend the most expensive option ;)

I recommend the Skillet cookbook and the New Best Recipe for starters.

u/hugoniotcurves · 1 pointr/food

Maybe I'm not as skilled as the other cast iron cookers around here, but I just use what I have on hand to season my skillet. I bought a Lodge combo cooker and it was pre seasoned so I don't know if you are starting from a truly unseasoned skillet or it's pre-seasoned and you just want to improve/maintain it. Usually I just wipe it out with some canola oil because that's what's sitting next to my stove. I have also wiped it out with lard because that's what was on the counter after I made pie crusts and of course I have used bacon grease because I had that on hand after making bacon.

Not knocking what other people use on their skillets but I just wipe my skillet out with whatever fat is near by and my skillet still has a great seasoning on it. I feel like it's more important just to use the skillet and always make sure that you oil it after use. I also leave my skillet in the oven sometimes when I'm baking something and season it then too just because I can.

u/GoodAtExplaining · 1 pointr/food

There was a great suggestion earlier in this thread about a Victorinox knife that was recommended by Consumer Reports.

Here are a few that are slightly outside your price range (By about $15) that I wouldn't have any issues with using in my own cooking adventures :). All prices are listed in Canadian dollars.

[Victorinox 8" Chef's knife - $36] (http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-40520-Fibrox-8-Inch-Chefs/dp/B000638D32/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)

[Kai 6" Santoku - $51.38] (http://www.amazon.ca/Kai-Wasabi-2-Inch-Santoku-Knife/dp/B000YL4NYY/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1380663533&sr=1-7&keywords=santoku)

[Calphalon Katana 8" Chef's knife - $59] (http://www.amazon.ca/Kai-Wasabi-2-Inch-Santoku-Knife/dp/B000YL4NYY/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1380663533&sr=1-7&keywords=santoku)

[Calphalon Contemporary 8" Chef's knife - $29] (http://www.amazon.ca/Calphalon-Contemporary-8-Inch-Chefs-Knife/dp/B000V6ROPC/ref=sr_1_16?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1380663579&sr=1-16&keywords=8%22+chef)


For any and all of these, the first thing you'll want to do is go to a store that sells knives, and try a few before you find what you like. Hold them by the handle, and then hold them where the handle ends and meets the blade. Check the balance - When you're holding it by the handle, is the knife weighted evenly, front to back? Is there more weight towards the back or the front? If you were using this for 40 mins-1hr of prepping veggies and meat, would you be comfortable with it? Does the handle fit your hand, does the whole thing feel like a natural extension of your arm when you're chopping, slicing, etc?

u/rach11 · 57 pointsr/food

I received the Feast of Ice and Fire Game of Thrones cookbook as a gift last year. We decided to make meals from the recipes based on different regions from the show for watching different episodes this season. This week it seemed only appropriate to cook food from King's Landing and invite a few people over for a feast to celebrate the wedding :)

I normally always include recipes for all the things I post but this time it seems a bit wrong since it would just be copying recipes from their cookbook. I shared the ingredients for some of the items in the figure captions and have typed out the recipe I modified for my favorite dish the salmon fig tarts

I wish I could have taken better pictures, but I just had time to snap a few shots before we started eating. There was nothing that I didn't like. The game hens were a bit boring but still tasted fine. The cheddar onion pie, the salmon fig tarts, and the lemon cakes were my favorite! I'm excited to try out more recipes from the book. I think the authors have more of their recipes posted on their blog

u/bunsonh · 1 pointr/food

I don't have a mixer (mostly due to not having space for one), but I love making bread. My solution has been no-knead methods, which replaces the kneading effort with parking it in the fridge overnight. You still get the gluten development with the added bonus of additional flavor.

The best (and most simple) pizza dough recipe I have ever used comes from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Bread Every Day.

u/zajhein · 2 pointsr/food

For anyone who is curious, Amazon has a pretty cheap pre-seasoned pan, goes around $16-$20 and is a very good pan if you learn how to take care of cast iron. It's not hard but like knives, takes a little care.

I don't use it too much because I cook mostly for myself and don't need to use such a large pan for the majority of dishes, but there are smaller sizes that are even cheaper out there. I prefer my somewhat lighter hard anodized pans that don't stick and keep a nice even heat.

I'm sure all clad are nice but way too expensive, because you're paying for the name brand and they know it. As for in college, unless you're living in a shared house you won't have a good enough kitchen to use them in and they'll probably get dropped or misused if they're left anywhere that someone else can use them.

u/mcgroo · 52 pointsr/food

Honestly, the "recipes" aren't complicated. It's mostly cutting and punching. A few tools go a long way.

You can find all kinds of fun bento toys on Amazon. Here are my faves:

Kotobuki Egg Mold, Rabbit and Bear
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TZ04J6/

SCI Cuisine International 2.75 Inch Square Egg Press
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C8ZDQE/

CUTEZCUTE 10-Piece Bento Decoration Box, Animals Food Picks and Forks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038LNVR2/

Happy Sales Stainless Steel Vegetable Cutters
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00095VK7S/

CuteZCute Animal Friends Food Deco Cutter and Stamp Kit
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CDPNA70/

Kotobuki Crayon Bento Box, Black Ninja
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C61CP3G/

Sushi Grass Baran Garnish Short
http://amzn.com/B001F73TX2

If you enjoy this sort of thing, it's easy to get lost in Amazon's lists of related products.

Spend $30 on those tools and these lunches should take 10 mins to assemble in the morning. One of my biggest challenges is keeping a variety of foods on hand.

u/RickDaglessMD · 2 pointsr/food

Yes. I love these knives- I think they are some of the best valued ones you can buy. If these knives are good enough to use professionally, they are good enough for you (I worked in a small commercial kitchen for 5+ years...) I've got the 8 inch version.

u/dreamKilla · 1 pointr/food

Well, it's not really a cookbook per se, but it's definitely for food geeks:
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee.

Otherwise, how about the New Moosewood Cookbook. I found a copy of it used and it's pretty easy, affordable, tested, with delicious recipes.

u/wakeupsanfrancisco · 5 pointsr/food

Cast iron pizzas are the best. I researched pizza stones, but Amazon convinced me to get a Lodge Cast Iron Pizza Pan instead. Best homemade pizza by far. :)

u/melonmagellan · 3 pointsr/food

I always recommend these items in these type of threads, they'll get you off to a really good start.

  1. A $29 Victorinox Chef's Knife


  2. A good cutting board for $12-15


  3. A cast iron pan for $15-$20

  4. A utensil set of some kind for $15-20



    From there I'd get a solid set of pots and pans and/or a dutch oven. A rice cooker also is pretty helpful. I use mine constantly. Good luck!
u/02keilj · 7 pointsr/food

Haha, the presentation is nothing. Ive worked in a kitchens for a total of about 3 or 4 years so I guess I kinda just learned. The combination of ingredients is nothing. At one of the places I worked we had a couscous salad which had sultanas, grilled egg-plant and pumpkin, along with some orange juice. I didnt have egg plant so I just left it out and skipped the orange juice. So that part is easy. The salad...having lived in a wine region for 10 years I quickly learned that the locals like marinated olives/mushrooms/sundried tomatos...just put them on some greens and you have a tasty looking salad. Then just do the lamb cutlets and you have an awesome meal :) If you really want to learn about combining some more ingredients and maybe move away from conventional cooking, i highly recommend THIS book. I often try and buy something ive never worked with (like a herb or spice, or some vegetable etc) and then look it up in this book and make a meal from that.

u/hlskn · 1 pointr/food

Some how my text got lost so here it is again:

This is my second time making brioche and it came out really good this time. The recipe made a lot of dough so I made it into little brioche rolls, to plated loaves (one big, one small) and I even turned the left over dough into a tart crust. I got the recipe from The Bread Baker's Apprentice (http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Bread-Bakers-Apprentice-Cutting-edge/dp/1580082688) and it was super easy to make.

Recipe:

Ingredients
(For the sponge)

  • 2.25 oz strong white bread flour

  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast

  • 4 oz (1/2 cup) whole milk, lukewarm

    (For the dough)

  • 5 eggs

  • 16 oz strong white bread flour

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 16 oz butter, room temperature (yes, that is a lot!)

    Method

  1. Mix together all the ingredients for the sponge and leave for 20 minutes or until frothy.

  2. Add the eggs to the sponge and mix together.

  3. Add the sugar, salt and bread flour and mix to form a rough ball. Leave for 5 minutes to "let the gluten develop" (it will be a bit liquidy)

  4. Now in a mixer start kneading the dough, adding a small piece of butter and waiting for it to be kneaded in, then adding another piece of butter until all is used up.

  5. The dough should be very smooth and soft so place it in the fridge overnight to chill.

  6. The dough is ready to use!
u/MikeyMadness · 4 pointsr/food

Victorinox is a constant favorite of America's Test Kitchens. I have the Chef's knife, Slicing knife, and Pairing set and I really like them. Great prices for great knives. I'll probably eventually get the Steak Knife set and Wavy Bread knife. I posted links to Amazon so you could look at the reviews.

u/Squid_I_am · 2 pointsr/food

Global knives are a really good bet
They're good quality steel with a double ground japanese edge (unlike some japanese knives that are only ground on one side). They hold up really well, and the entire knife is a single piece of steel so it will never get loose in the handle or the setting. I really like them, and they're pretty popular with chefs too apparently; it was a chef that first alerted me to them in the first place.

u/loki8481 · 1 pointr/food

with a family like that, I'd probably just say fuck it -- lock your doors, turn off the lights, and leave a couple pizzas with a few bags of coal out on your front porch. lol

for what it's worth, Cooks Illustrated "New Best Recipes" is pretty much the most reliable cookbook I've ever owned and can be had used pretty cheap -- http://www.amazon.com/Best-Recipe-Cooks-Illustrated-Magazine/dp/0936184744. the recipes in there have never failed me, and they take the time to actually teach you why you're doing things certain ways.

u/FANGO · 8 pointsr/food

If you'd like something similar, but which doesn't cost 600 dollars or weigh 40 lbs, try On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee.

Edit: honestly, reading the review of this new book sounds just like reading a review of the book I linked, but 1/20th the price and 1/3 the pages. This guy must use some huge typefaces or something. I'm sure there's more content in this new one, but try out the McGee book first, it's probably more than enough for anyone, unless you're looking to spend tens of thousands on expensive modern equipment or something.

u/badarts · 2 pointsr/food

I highly recommend "The New Best Recipe". It applies a laboratory method to cooking and, backed by America's Test Kitchen, they almost always vet their recipes thoroughly. It's also fun to read when you're not cooking, so that's a major plus.

But to get the best grip on everything, try "Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking".

These two tomes will have you a pro about the kitchen in no time.

u/thinkerplinker · 2 pointsr/food

I use this. It allows me to maintain a high temperature in my charcoal grill, but won't crack or break like a typical pizza stone (I have had 2 cheap ones break). I use lump charcoal and can get my grill well over 500 degrees. The only shortcut I sometimes take, is buying fresh dough from my local grocery store in order to save time. Cheaper and tastier than 75% of the pizza places I find here in Minneapolis.

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Pro-Logic-P14P3-Pizza-14-inch/dp/B0000E2V3X/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1413991783&sr=8-25&keywords=lodge+cast+iron

u/higherlogic · 2 pointsr/food

Since I have a sourdough starter, I'm always looking for bread recipes that use natural leavening instead of commercial yeast. I found this adaptation of Peter Reinhart's recipe from The Bread Baker's Apprentice (if you like to make bread, and you don't have this book...get it) and decided to make them. Needless to say, they turned out amazing (nooks and crannies and all). I don't think I'll be buying them from the store anymore, it's the first time I've ever had homemade English muffins, and it's a world of difference.

If you don't have a sourdough starter, here's the original recipe. If you've never had homemade English muffins, I highly recommend them.

Edit: A note about the cooking temperature with these, the first batch I made, I went with the recommended medium heat, and it was a bit too high. I prefer to cook these on low heat, maybe 2-3, so the insides cook a bit more, because the middle of my first batch was not fully cooked, even after finishing them in the oven per the instructions. I'd rather just get them browned nice on the skillet, and then finish in the oven until the internal temperature is 190-200 F.

u/Ateoto · 1 pointr/food

The best pizza recipe I've had has come from this book.

Bread Bakers Apprentice

That book in general has great recipes. The bagel recipe and the pizza recipe typically impress people.

u/yellat · 1 pointr/food

I like my Global knife better then the Shun I have, don't get a set, get a 8-10" chef, a paring knife, maybe a bread/serrated knife, you'll be good to go. I also have a J.A. Henckel that is still wonderfully sharp a few years later.

If you're looking for something more budget oriented link

u/whoshouldibetoday · 7 pointsr/food

I learned using The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. I found it useful in several ways. It has a great section on what materials and tools you'll need and will use, what the quality of your ingredients will need to be in order for the end product to be a certain way and so forth. Also, each recipe has great instructions, and a bit of the history of the recipe. Overall, a great book for the beginning Artisan Bread Baker.

I've also heard that Rose Beranbaum's The Bread Bible is a great resource, but haven't had time to look into it myself.

u/RebeccaSays · 2 pointsr/food

I try and follow a paleo diet. I still allow myself an indulgence of beer or treat every now and then, but mostly I follow it. I love to cook, and it has really forced me to cook more, which is nice. So far I am down almost 20lbs, and my stomach issues have dwindles (I use to get bloating + crampy after meals). One tip, try not to kill yourself following it to a T, gradually integrate into the diet. Also, get a spiralizer.

u/mumiu · 2 pointsr/food

Get him "The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs"

http://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Bible-Essential-Creativity-Imaginative/dp/0316118400

One of the most amazing books on cooking, ever.

u/Robots_on_LSD · 6 pointsr/food

A knife is only as good as its edge, without sharpening supplies, you are powerless to keep even the finest knife in working order. I recommend you buy this Victorinox, and use the leftover money for this double sided sharpening/honing stone.

here's a pretty good tutorial for using your new stone, and a little more info about sharpening. Disregard butcher's steel, acquire mirror polish.

This will be a good start, use the coarse side to take out major blemishes, hone with the fine side after each use (like when you're through cutting, not after every slice)

u/StaigerTiger · 4 pointsr/food

Lodge. I'm a little confused as to what you meant by your second question, but I needed a cast iron skillet, that's what they had at City Target, and I'd heard good things about Lodge! I've been using a lot of olive oil, but it's making lovely food.

u/xnecrontyrx · 2 pointsr/food

It isn't really a cookbook, but The Flavor Bible is a phenomenal book for anyone trying to understand what flavors work well together. It is just a stellar book and has allowed me (with knowledge of a variety of cooking methods) to create dishes on the fly with what we had around much more easily. I have a leg up in that I was a prep chef at a high-end inn/restaurant for several years, but I think any nerd will appreciate the format and specificity the book offers.

u/RIngan · 9 pointsr/food

Invest in Bittman's How To Cook Everything. It takes an analytical approach to cooking and teaches you techniques and modular recipes which you can combine to your liking! Great as a "technique" cookbook for experimenting, very well notated.

u/suciu · 2 pointsr/food

I'd recommend the Cook's Illustrated "Best Recipe" book. A few nice features:

  • the philosophy of CI strikes me as very reddit-friendly

  • each recipe is prefaced by an article explaining the many dozens of ways they tried to perfect this recipe, typically explaining why steps that seem odd (e.g. combine wet ingredients, then dry, then mix all together? Add lemon to the sauce, then wait?) are actually essential

  • the recipes are all fantastic
u/patsfan3983 · 3 pointsr/food

The New Best Recipe is by far the most useful book I use in the kitchen. It's big, over 1000 pages, but the recipes are simple, everyday food, meaning you will pull this book out everyday.

It's done by the people who put out Cook's Illustrated magazine and everything I have made from the book has been flawless.

u/abnormal_user · 2 pointsr/food

I have this Spiral Slicer
It's amazing for making veggie noodles AND curly fries. It's also nice if you like apples and pears in your salads.

u/blueshark5 · 1 pointr/food

Most of the recipes we cook are from the Cooking Light magazine, they have tons of good recipes. As far as a fun cookbook, I like Charcuterie, it's all about smoking and curing meats (ie bacon). I also want to check out Ratio by the same author. Ratio teaches how to cook many different things using ratios of flour, water, and fat.

u/monopoleroy · 3 pointsr/food

The New Best Recipe by Cook's Illustrated Magazine

They test each recipe many times until they get it perfect.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Best-Recipe-All-New/dp/0936184744/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280507588&sr=1-1

u/workroom · 7 pointsr/food

a proper cast iron setup

a great cookbook

a set of unique spices or ingredients in the style of his favorite cuisine?
italian, french, mexican, indian, spanish, chinese...

u/Langpnk · 5 pointsr/food

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bitmann.
This book is like a textbook. It is split up into different food parts, and at the beginning of each of those parts is an introduction to the foods. At the beginning of the book it goes over different cooking techniques. At the end of the book there are menus that work well together. Also, every recipe has like 3 recipes that go with it, with little things you can change. This is literally like a cooking 101 book.
http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Everything-Completely-Revised-Anniversary/dp/0764578650/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266279932&sr=8-1

u/burrite · 1 pointr/food

The subjects got very ill when fat was removed from their diet.

This is a really interesting study. I love stuff like this that goes counter to modern diet orthodoxy. For a whole cookbook based on similar (but not as dramatic -- it has vegetables!) ideas, check out Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions.

u/EgregiousWeasel · 2 pointsr/food

You may want to try http://foodgawker.com/ or http://www.tastespotting.com/ to get some ideas.

I really like http://www.cookingforengineers.com/ too. It's like the scientific method applied to cooking. :)

A good all purpose cookbook is America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. It's relatively cheap, and it has a little bit of everything. There is a lot of information about technique and ingredients, as well as what a well-stocked kitchen should have. Many people recommend How to Cook Everything, but I have never used it, so I can't give an informed opinion.

u/whatmepolo · 2 pointsr/food

How to cook everything, and Ratio are great first cookbooks, covers equipment, theory, and basic recipes.

Alton Brown's old show Good Eats is decent too if you can handle the grainy video quality of the feeds out there.

u/FoieTorchon · 6 pointsr/food

http://www.amazon.ca/Food-Cooking-Science-Lore-Kitchen/dp/0684800012

Is what you want... For like $50 you get a lot!... It's called 'On Food and Cooking' by Harold Mcgee... It's totally amazing

u/Backstop · 2 pointsr/food

If you want a good knife for cheap, the Victorinox Fibrox line usually gets great reviews for very little bux. Or get an expensive forged knife and get one of these for a backup (like if you're cutting chicken and vegetables, you can go back and forth without cross-contaminating.)

u/jon_titor · 2 pointsr/food

The Flavor Bible is a good one, but you might also want to check out Harold McGee's On Food And Cooking. It's pretty much the food science bible.

u/OGLothar · 6 pointsr/food

If he's at all serious, he needs this

Also, this is a very useful and fascinating book.

u/noonsick · 1 pointr/food
You can make your own with this thing and a deep fryer. I use mine all the time to make healthier food but this machine is the shit.
//www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0007Y9WHQ?pc_redir=1405572019&robot_redir=1
u/bp332106 · 3 pointsr/food

I can't believe no one's mentioned Global knives. A lot of chef's use their knives and they are more affordable than the "name brand" knives out there (though certainly not cheap). I have their ten inch chef's and its wonderful. http://www.amazon.com/Global-G-2-8-Inch-Cooks-Knife/dp/B00005OL44

u/diego_moita · 1 pointr/food

I've been doing far less than you: bread, ice-cream, dijon mustard and mayo.

For bread I go for variations of Jim Lahey's no knead bread or the recipes from Peter Reinhart's Artisan's Breads.

For Ice-Cream I follow the recipes from a book I bought in Italy, "Ice Dreams". The ice cream recipes you can find in European cookbooks are way more interesting and varied than in the U.S. However, Cook's Illustrated published 2 months ago a very good article on how to make ice-cream with domestic machines.

Most of times, the first time I try something the results are disastrous, often inedible. However my family has became more confident on my skills, so they keep encouraging me, even if I fail very badly.

I am fascinated by your method for mozzarella. Will definitely try it next week. Can you refer to your favourite resources (e.g: books, links, videos on line)?

u/kristephe · 1 pointr/food

Awesome! Question about the bread....how did you get that shape? I've been working with the no knead recipes and bought a smaller cast iron combo cooker to work with but with the standard recipe it's still not that tall even though the crumb is still nice and airy. Thinking I may just need to double the recipe?

u/heatherkh · 1 pointr/food

This is one of the major principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation. A good book to read on the subject is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. We need good fat to build our brains. I'm afraid we've been sold a bunch of bullshit with our current food pyramid.

And BTW, heart disease was practically unheard of at the turn of the 20th century. Our modern diet - low fat, plenty of carbs, sugar-sugar-sugar - has created this beast.

u/TheFinn · 7 pointsr/food

I assume you have seen THIS BOOK. I haven't read it personally but i am a huge fan of everything else Michael Ruhlman has done.

u/cdsherman · 3 pointsr/food

I've heard that this one is used in nearly every pro kitchen. I can't find the source right now though..

But like no_thumbs said: buy one that fits, keep it sharp.

edit: looks like I should have read all the comments...some one else already recommended it.

u/natemedeiros6 · 2 pointsr/food

I would suggest Ratio if she would like to become a more independent cook and not always have to rely on recipes. Probably the smallest and most useful cookbook I have.

u/gandhikahn · 1 pointr/food

Reproduced Original

10th Edition

This book?

You should supplement it with This which explains the how and why of cooking rather than being a recipe book, I have this and it is one of the most amazing cooking books I have ever seen.

u/GaryARefuge · 2 pointsr/food

I make a version of beef barley based on the recipe in the Game of Thrones cook book. It's fucking awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/Feast-Ice-Fire-Official-Companion/dp/0345534492

u/roxtafari · 2 pointsr/food

I'd get him this one. America's Test Kitchen makes the best cookbook I have ever used.

u/LittleRumble · 5 pointsr/food

Victorinox chef knife http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-8-Inch-40520-5-2063-20/dp/B000638D32 is one of the best knifes for beginers. You don't need 300 dollar knife.

u/agrice · 4 pointsr/food

Try this for heathy cooking and his other book for more traditional dishes. Both are amazing.

u/SonVoltMMA · 1 pointr/food

I've actually started using a Lodge Pizza Pan. At 14" across I can cook for a crowd. Makes a great hibachi/comal too.

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Pro-Logic-P14P3-Pizza-14-inch/dp/B0000E2V3X

u/nosecohn · 1 pointr/food

Perhaps I should have said "full bolster," but I think I have the meaning correct. In the link you referenced, I believe F, G & H are all parts of the bolster, right? By comparison, the Victorinox knife that's been mentioned many times in these comments has no bolster at all. Even the fully forged knives that I like have the bolster ground down at the return, like this.

u/Diredoe · 2 pointsr/food

You can buy food 'stamps' online or in some grocery stores that take 80% of the work out of it. It looks like OP used something like this set for the sandwich and egg, for example.

u/FairleighBuzzed · 4 pointsr/food

I throw remnants away and slice in utter fear. It's worked for me so far. I got the same one before Christmas last year. Recently I purchased this spiralizer and I really like the fact that I never have to slice in fear. It doesn't do the same things but the stuff it does is amazing.

u/OliverBabish · 0 pointsr/food

I cut these raw without difficulty - you using a sharp knife? Gotta use a hella sharp knife. Try this budget beauty for $35 from Victorionox - voted "best overall" by Cooks magazine.

u/Poprawks · 1 pointr/food

Baking recipes are simply variations on very basic ratios. There is actually a book full of these ratios. Called "Ratios" http://www.amazon.com/Ratio-Simple-Behind-Everyday-Cooking/dp/1416571728

An amazing read actually.

Source: Professional Chef

u/steyblind · 3 pointsr/food

I did the EXACT same thing a year ago.

Now my cupboard is stuffed with bread flour, and fridge is full of yeast, and I'm on the verge of baking sandwich loaves every week instead of buying it.

Recently acquired "the bread baker's apprentice", and it's full of win.

http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Bakers-Apprentice-Mastering-Extraordinary/dp/1580082688

u/asflores · 2 pointsr/food

Of course. I would encourage anyone that is interested to bake bread. My usual first suggestion is to get a digital scale, only because before I made the purchase I absolutely hated baking, as nothing was ever consistent. It's also useful for cooking with ratios a la Ruhlman.

u/Booyeahgames · 1 pointr/food

One area that's not great is that most recipe books don't actually cover any of the reasons things taste go, or what flavors pair well. That's a long part of the learning curve if you're just going by trial and error. It makes it difficult to deviate from a recipe.

The Flavor Bible got me over that particular hump.

It's also nice to either watch some of the more educational shows that actually discuss how cooking works. That can help shortcut a lot of trial and error as well. Alton Brown is popular here, and it's where I first started. I'm reading through Modernist Cuisine now, which is like a science text for the kitchen.

Those are the two knowledge areas that I think you can speed up learning with materials. The kitchen is a hands on place though. You need to be in there cooking to get better. Speed, accuracy, timings, tasting, multi-tasking all only come with practice.

I also recommend keeping a kitchen notebook handy. Computers are great, but not so much in the kitchen where you might have messy hands.

u/bigsphinxofquartz · 1 pointr/food

Ha! Yeah, I've got the Mark Bittman book, and I use recipes from Serious Eats for virtually everything.

u/jonknee · 1 pointr/food

Cast iron is not only more durable, but frequently cheaper. Definitely cheaper if you factor in all the cheap pans you'll have to buy compared to just one cast iron. If you're willing to do the work in the article (sanding rust off mostly) you can pick one up for a couple of bucks at a junk shop or yard sale. New pans are quite cheap too.

The only real knock is that they are heavy.

u/swervm · 5 pointsr/food

For baking I would recommend Ratio by Micheal Ruhlman. It not only explains the how of baking but the why as well.

u/tinyplastictrees · 3 pointsr/food

This is my favorite cook book for basic/general recipes!

u/wainstead · 5 pointsr/food

To that I would add On Food And Cooking: The Science And Lore Of The Kitchen. The scope of knowledge in this book is amazing: how different kinds of honey (some poisonous) result from what the bees polinate... how chewing gum was invented... why drinking alcohol mixed with a carbonated beverage gets you drunk faster... why cooking with iron is better for you than cooking with copper... where peppercorns come from, how they are harvested and how the varieties differ... why onions make you cry when you cut them... the science behind "toasting" something... can't recommend this enough to anyone fascinated by cooking!

u/Mr_Pickles_Esq · 3 pointsr/food

Published recently: Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman

It boils down a lot of foods to their essential ingredients. Not only does knowing the ratios make it easy to throw together something you've never seen a recipe for, it also gives you a deeper understanding of food. It shows how tweaking the ratios changes the quality of the final product or turns it into a different kind of food altogether. You start to see foods connected in a continuum instead of as distinct collections of ingredients.

u/Phantasmal · 8 pointsr/food

If you like this website, you may want to check out The Flavor Bible which is a reference/cookbook that does much the same sort of thing, only it is more in depth (being a book and all).

u/e_claire · 2 pointsr/food

I used this recipe. It was my first time!

Accidentally put only 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar instead of 3/4. Oops. But actually, it still came out great and resulted in a cookie that didn't taste overly sweet! I added extra chocolate chips.

My skillet.

u/kumquatqueen · 1 pointr/food

Is This The book you're referring to? I'm big into baking, and I want to make sure I'm looking at the right book.

u/Horrible_Economics · 2 pointsr/food

It's the San Francisco Sourdough recipe from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Bread Everyday. http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinharts-Artisan-Breads-Every/dp/1580089984

Though I did substitute like 50g of bread flower for some rye flour.

u/digital0129 · 1 pointr/food

This is how I make pretzels at home and they come out really well. I use the recipe from Artisan Bread Everyday.

u/pawpaw · 2 pointsr/food


Jaques Pépin's Complete Techniques

and On Food and Cooking (not really a cookbook, but I think it's the most important book for anyone who is serious about food)

u/random_dent · 2 pointsr/food

The heat and movement of air will remove far more moisture than is created by combustion.

More humid air, which moves, will remove more moisture from a surface than dry, still air. It is the venting specifically which causes this increased air movement, and thus the removal of more moisture from the surface of the food.

My main source for all cooking related science is On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee, which is about the science behind all the chemical reactions behind cooking, the biochemical makeup of foods, and chemically speaking why the procedures we follow in cooking work the way they do. It also covers quite a bit of culinary history.

u/snookums · 2 pointsr/food

Get the book Ratio. It'll free you from the recipe trap.

edit: If you can, buy the iPhone version of the book. It contains a reference and a calculator.

u/mnic001 · 2 pointsr/food

This one comes highly recommended by me. Used to be $20... but $30 is still a decent price.

u/JCY2K · 1 pointr/food

Simple ratio (by weight) for pancakes, from Michael Ruhlman's book Ratios:

2 parts flour : 2 parts liquid : 1 part egg : 1/2 part butter

Whisk together liquid, egg and butter; add flour.


You could use soda for the liquid if you want.

u/heartsjava · 3 pointsr/food

Speaking of McGee, what about his book On Food And Cooking

u/jfjjfjff · 2 pointsr/food

its NOT subjective. it is a finer piece of meat... you just cook it to a degree where your average supermarket grade steak tastes the same as an expensive well aged cut. temperature and chemical change... aka science.

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Cooking-Science-Lore-Kitchen/dp/0684800012/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311274459&sr=1-1

the above book is essentially the textbook for all chefs enrolled in culinary school.

u/redditisforsheep · 3 pointsr/food

You need to pick up a copy of How to Cook Everything. It has loads of practical advice and techniques in a user-friendly format.

u/arseiam · 2 pointsr/food

The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread is by far my favourite cookbook though it is very niche. I don't have any favourtes in terms of cooking in general and tend to just use google and r/food for ideas.

u/Cdresden · 2 pointsr/food

The one book that transformed the way I think about bread: Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice. Read all the first few chapters on theory, then make the pain a l'ancienne.

u/WFOpizza · 1 pointr/food

as someone that tried (and mostly failed) making sourdough boule bred, I'd say the recipe is only a start... Start with this: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinharts-Artisan-Breads-Every/dp/1580089984

u/baskind · 1 pointr/food

I think she is referring to global knives. Here is and example.

u/lostinstl · 2 pointsr/food

I bought this one, and cook just about everything in it.

u/I_Have_an_above_avg_ · 1 pointr/food

> http://amzn.com/B001F73TX2

what do you do with the food scraps after cutting?

u/likelikelike · 1 pointr/food

I tried out Mark Bittman's flaky pie crust recipe, which can be found in his book, "How to Cook Everything" (which should be your kitchen bible, by the way)...or here. I've made a couple pie crusts before, but this recipe was the easiest to follow.

I didn't follow a recipe for the filling, but it was basically just a bag of cherries (pitted and broken up into pieces), a tablespoon of cornstarch, a dash of cinnamon, a couple tablespoons of sugar, and topped with some buttah!

u/bigdaddybodiddly · 2 pointsr/food

I think it's that they've got fancy machines to completely dry and pasteurize it.

I don't think it's preservatives, as an example, golden grains website says their ingredients are:
>DURUM SEMOLINA, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE (IRON), THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID.

I'm pretty sure the iron and B vitamins are there as nutritional fortification, not as preservatives.

this guy has a bunch to say about it, including:
>Commercial durum pasta is put through a more rigorous process of rapid, high-temperature pre-drying, followed by extended drying and resting steps. As Harold McGee explains in On Food and Cooking, the high-temperature method prevents discoloration and “cross-links some of the gluten protein and produces a firmer, less sticky cooked noodle.”

I've got that McGee book but I'm too lazy to go get it and find/read that chapter at the moment - I might later though, since now you've got me wondering about it too,

u/Nyxian · 0 pointsr/food

I have the Lodge 12 inch - I'd place my guess that he has a 8/9 inch on the side, and that the big one is 15 inches. My 12 inch is crazy heavy, I can't imagine that one.

u/milar007 · 4 pointsr/food

This is probably the natural seaweed extract she is talking about:
Kombu
I worked in Japanese food for a long time and was surprised to learn that I had been basically flat-out lying when I told people there was no MSG in our sushi. Good sushi rice dressing is traditionally seasoned with a large piece of Kombu.
Also, people who say they are allergic to MSG are lying.
edit: read page 342 - Seaweed and the Original MSG

u/TheBaconExperiment · 6 pointsr/food

Get the Victorinox 8-in knife.
And this sharpening steel.

Your first knife should be something you can beat the hell out of so you learn from your mistakes. Don't jump into more knife than you need at the moment. I have both items above and although I have a really nice Japanese Gyoto, I still use the Victorinox often because I can beat on it. (Now it has entered my travelling set).