As the holidays draw near all the cooking that’s about to happen in your kitchen is top of mind. Lots of loved ones will be gathered to feast upon the tasty delights you  prepare for them. While it may be a labor of love for you, it never hurts to double check to be sure you have everything you need to insure all goes as planned.

For me, a list is essential.  Let’s see:

First, what’s Thanksgiving or any December holiday without a turkey, a ham or  some large meat roast.  If you don’t have a nice roasting pan take a look at the All-Clad large roaster. Not only is it up to handling a really big bird, it comes with a rack to keep heat nice and even around your bird. When the bird is done cooking you will REALLY appreciate the 2 turkey lifters that come with this roaster. These large lifters allow you to stick the tines into the meat so when you lift the meat it is stable and controlled.  We recently posted a roasting pan guide to help you find the right roaster for your roast.

No turkey will fall because of butter fingers.  It will be easy to move it right onto the cutting board.  A made in the USA John Boos slicing board has wooden pins to keep the meat stable.  This cutting board also has channels to help capture juices for a yummy gravy.   Now you can use delicious juices to prepare gravy in the roaster right on the stove top and save yourself from having to clean another pot.     If you already have a trusty roaster I can’t tell you how great those turkey lifters are. Moving the entree from roaster to your cutting board is a tenuous moment in every kitchen. Those All-Clad turkey lifters are a great insurance policy.

Another item that makes grand occasions run well is a really sharp carving knife set, like this one from Wusthof. This is especially important if your entree will be carved at the dinner table. A good carver glides through the meat making it truly a sight to see. The fork will insure it stays nice and stable while all of the good work is done.  No matter where it is done a sharp carver allows you to cut nice thin slices with ease.  No torn or shredded meat, the signature of a dull knife.

While I am on the topic of carving and cutting, sharp cutlery makes everything work better in the kitchen. Sharp knives are also much safer than dull knives. Before all the cooking begins I recommend you sharpen all of your knives. If you do not have a good knife sharpener try a Chefs Choice knife sharpener. They are so easy to use. Just place your blade in the appropriate sharpening channel for your knife and pull it straight back. No worrying about the proper angle.  The electric sharpener takes care of that.   It sharpens both sides of the blade at the same time. What could be easier? Good cutlery makes all your cutting and chopping effortless. I love to help friends cook but really don’t like it when I have to use one of their dull knives. Sometimes folks don’t realize how bad it is. Once they use a Chefs Choice sharpener they will appreciate the difference!

The holidays are a time filled with magical tastes and aromas that greet you as you enter the home. This is the high season of spices. Spices make all the difference in holiday foods. They are the heralds, the essence of what draws everyone young and old into the kitchen to see what wonder lies around the corner. Fresh is best when it comes to these spices and nothing beats fresh ground spices. For easy spice grinding, the Microplane Rotary Grater is a great value. I am thinking nutmeg and cloves. When freshly ground they make magic with cookies, cakes, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, egg-nog and the list goes on and on.  This grater magnifies all that is good in your holiday kitchen! It comes with 2 stainless steel drums, one for fine grating and one for coarse grating which is great for grating cheeses for salads. The Microplane rotary grater makes so many things better and it is easy to use and to clean. No kitchen should be without it!

For over a decade Metrokitchen has been a part of your cooking throughout the world! We appreciate the opportunity to help make your holiday cooking a bit easier by providing you with a selection of the best brands and products.   All of us at MetroKitchen wish you all the very best this Holiday Season and throughout the year!

photo credit: InaFrenzy

Mother’s Day has a way of catching me like a deer in the headlights leaving me dazed and confused on what to get Mom for Mother’s Day. For those of you who might be in a similar situation, here are some suggestions for a Mother’s Day gift for Moms who like to cook.

My first suggestion comes from a recent visit to my parents home. I cooked breakfast for myself while I was there and I was appalled at my Mom’s non-stick fry pans. None of them had any non-stick left on them. I bought her a Swiss Diamond non-Stick fry pan. They come in a wide variety of sizes and are covered by a lifetime warranty. These have the best non-stick surface I’ve ever worked with!

Another great item for Mom is a Wusthof Classic Panini knife. This knife is not just a knife for Panini, actually it is a very versatile knife. What’s different about this knife? Most bread knives are serrated and feature a cutting edge with lots of pointy teeth. These knives, when faced with a nice hard crust, virtually bursts through the crusty bread sending crumbs flying everywhere. The Panini knife, in contrast, has a reverse serrated blade that looks like a series of little half moons all in a row. This blade glides smoothly into crusty breads without the pyroclastic burst of crumbs. It is also a lovely knife to use for slicing meats because it glides effortlessly into the meat. A regular bread knife will make a mess of meat with all those tiny points tearing the meat all the way through. Your panini knife is good for pastries, bagels and even cheese. Mom will love this knife and most likely will not have a knife like it.

Some Moms have a kitchen full of culinary accoutrement because they fancy the magic that can come from a kitchen. They bring the family and the neighborhood together over the aromas wafting from her kitchen. I have such a friend and I was surprised when I tried out her fine cutlery only to learn that it had become dull from years of use. For such a Mom I suggest a Chef’s Choice knife sharpener.  One of these will bring the old glory right back to her kitchen and put a sparkle back into her eyes when she tries out a newly sharpened knife! Most of these are designed for German style knives but there are some that are good for Japanese style knives too. There is nothing quite like razor sharp kitchen cutlery!

Another scenario I have encountered is the kitchen with great cookware and really lousy knives. These are the knives where the wooden handle might be cracking or the blades are flimsy, so thin that they bend with little pressure. What I am describing are stamped knives which are knives that are made by rolling out a sheet of metal and the blade is stamped right out of the metal sheet kind of like a cookie is cut out of a sheet of cookie dough by a cookie cutter. For such a Mother I suggest a Wusthof Grand Prix II 8 piece knife block set.  This comprehensive set fits nearly every cutlery need in the kitchen. It has a paring knife which is good for working with herbs a small vegetable work. It has a boning knife which is handy for cutting around bones, trimming fat off of meat as well as cutting fillets. The carver is for those roasts, hams, turkeys and other meat delights. The chef’s knife will certainly help you cut through your veggies and fruits. The bread knife will take care of breads, bagels and pastries. The kitchen shears is great for quick work with herbs, works great for cutting up meats for stir fry, and opening any number of plastic bagged items. The 17 Slot block has plenty of left over slots for your collection to grow and the steel helps you maintain the amazing sharp edge of your Wusthof knives. The handles of these knives have a pebble finish that make them more easy to grip when your hands are wet which frequently is the case when cooking. The blades are high carbon, forged stainless steel. These are substantial knives with a presence. They are balanced and the steel is a very hard steel designed to hold its sharpness well over time. This set will transform Mom’s cooking experience forever! I say forever because these knives have a lifetime warranty.

Because Mother’s Day lies at the doorway to summer I have to recommend a Vitamix Blender. These blenders have over 2 peak horsepower!  Models with a variable speed provide maximum control for your creation.  Frozen drinks are a snap with these blenders. Smoothies are a delight with a Vitamix. If your goal is to eat a more healthy diet, Vitamix makes it a delight to eat your fruit and veggies! You can make your own nut butters, peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter etc.  You can even make hot soup with these blenders. No, they do not have heating elements they have friction at 240 miles per hour when coupled with a little time renders hot soup. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love my Vitamix. While it is expensive, it has a 7 year warranty and it is built to last here in the USA. You’ll be amazed at all this blender can do! Maybe Mom will even let you borrow it from time to time.

I hope my suggestions have been helpful. The important thing to do is not forget Mom on Mother’s Day!

Gulp, gulp, gulp… ahhhhh! Picture this – you are having a get-together with some friends and/or family.  It’s one of those parties that involves a sporting or competitive event.  You know:  the Super Bowl, March Madness, a singing competition finale or the hoops championship.  And the right type of food is being served. “The right type of food,” meaning something fried or grilled.  There’s lots of chatter in the background.  The guys are talking junk. The girls are (thinking here – hang on….) talking junk.  All of this is going on in your home and you’re being a good host.  Everyone is happy and everyone has a draft beer in their hand.  Yes, a draft beer.  Like the pubs, cold and foamy at the top of the glass.  How is this possible you ask?  Well, the Krups BeerTender brings the draught/draft beer to your home.

This latest revision of the Krups BeerTender holds a 5 liter mini keg of beer and chills it to the best drinking temperature.  This appliance is a show piece.  If fits on a kitchen counter top, and can also be transferred to an outside patio to enjoy those days where the weather is oh-so-perfect.  I am loving this thing.  It’s super easy to use and clean.  Basically when you get the box, everything is already to go.  You just have to put the drip tray together, attach one of the spout tubes to the mini keg, close the lid, turn it on and presto!  There are two indicator lights on the machine.  A power and a temperature light that is green.  The temperature light has an icon that looks like a thermometer, but it doesn’t specify the actual temperature, but whether the beer in the keg is cold enough to drink.

Most likely the mini keg you buy will already be cold and shouldn’t take long to get the the right temperature.  If that is not the case, I recommend putting the mini keg in the fridge for about 12 hours.  Chilling a warm keg in the Krups BeerTender B100 will take about 15 hours.

With all that said, I am loving my BeerTender.  My buddies love the whole draft concept in a home.  The machine is good looking and it’s a joy when you pour your beer in a cold glass.  I read the instructions and they recommend wetting the inside of the glass or chilling the glass so the foam can accumulate.  I did it with a non-wet or chilled glass and it was fine.

The Krups B100 BeerTender is definitely the most talked about appliance in the kitchen when someone comes over.  My word of advance to the ladies; if you wanna keep the guy at home more, get him the BeerTender.  His buddies can have a draft while watching the big game or playing cards.  It makes a great gift for those that like a cold bruski.  And at under $100, I think it’s a show piece for the kitchen, garage, patio or the social event at your home.

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Holidays make me feel like a Keebler Elf.  I just love to bake and love baking with quality bakeware.  I really like to watch people enjoy my cookies, especially at Christmas.  And, as a side bonus, when I bake cookies, I never eat them.    Great way to control calories during the eating season!   I eat everyone’s cookies, but not my own.  Probably  because of all of the broken cookies I “test!”

An absolute essential in my cookie baking are easy to clean pans that don’t warp (you know that popping sound you sometimes hear when a pan is not thick enough to handle 350 degrees or more needed for tasty cookies?)   I don’t want to have to worry about pans burning cookies or turning out cookies that aren’t quite done.  I count on my cookie sheets to be consistent.  Of the many brands I’ve tried over 30 years (been baking since I was a kid), I have 3 favorites.  I like each brand for different reasons.   Here’s what I think:

Culinary Institute of America Master’s Collection Bakeware
This bakeware is non-stick, really.  I never have trouble removing cookies (or cakes) from these pans.  I don’t have to worry about cookies over-baking (crisp chocolate chip cookies are one thing, tooth breaking is another!) because it’s a light gray color.   I also like the way the cookie sheets have a slightly higher edge on one side — makes it easy to use a mitt to take trays from the oven without mashing cookies that are on the edge.   Prices range from $24.95 to $39.95

All-Clad Bakeware
All-Clad ovenware can be used for way more than just baking.  Use it on the stovetop, in the oven, under the broiler or on the grill.  It’s really a combination of bake ware and oven ware.  All-Clad designed very functional handles for each piece to make it easy for you to use it with multiple heat sources.  As with All-Clad cookware, this bake ware has multiple layers of stainless steel around an aluminum core for even, quick heating.  I like All-Clad oven ware because it is made in the USA too!

New! American Kitchen Bakeware
When we first heard of this all stainless steel bake ware a few months ago, we were all pretty skeptical.  Stainless steel doesn’t hold heat very well.  It’s why good cookware companies, like All-Clad and Viking put aluminum between layers of stainless steel.   But, bakeware is not cookware.  Duh.
Because the stainless steel American Kitchen cookie sheet doesn’t heat very well, your cookies actually get baked by the heat of the oven.  So, assuming your oven is properly calibrated, your cookies will be crispy or chewy, depending on your preferences and the recipe.   The cookies won’t pick up extra heat from the baking sheet.   The other thing I really like about American Kitchen bakeware is that it’s made in the USA, in Wisconsin!

Finally, I am so excited to tell you about our Chef’s Choice Pizzelle iron.   Pizzelles are those thin, waffle-like cookies originating in Italy.  I grew up eating them, from Aunt Honey’s kitchen (Uncle Ralph was Italian).  I never made them until this pizzelle iron came into my life.  They always seemed like too much work.  Plus Aunt Honey’s are sooo good.   They’re really easy to make, with the pizzelle iron from Chef’s Choice.  Yum.  Just spoon in a little batter, wait a bit and boom, your pizzels are done.

I’m happy to share Aunt Honey’s pizzelle recipe:

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 3 ½ cups flour*
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 cup butter, melted & cooled
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp anise oil or extract*

Instructions:

• Beat eggs, adding sugar gradually until smooth.
• Add cooled, melted butter and anise oil/extract.
• Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture.
• Dough will be sticky but thin enough to drop by teaspoon onto pizzelle maker.  If dough is too sticky, gradually add a bit more flour until the dough is the proper consistency.

* NOTES:  If you like thin pizzelles, use a bit less flour than 3 ½ cups.  If you don’t like anise flavor, vanilla or almond will also work, though anise is the traditional flavoring in this cookie. Anise extract has a less strong flavor than anise oil.  We use extract.

Related posts:

1. CIA Baking Sheet
2. MetroKitchen Celebrates the Holidays with Turducken
3. Tis the season for cookies – All-Clad Bakeware

For our Oprah fans, she picked this Kyocera ceramic knife set as one of her “Favorite Things” for 2010.  The Kyocera ceramic knives she selected are a practical and reasonably priced kitchen essential.   One thing that’s great about these ceramic knifes is that they rarely need to be sharpened.  And, when it finally needs to be sharpened after many many many uses, if you send your knife off to Kyocera, they’ll sharpen them for FREE!

What’s there to love about a Kyocera ceramic knife?

First, it’s incredibly sharp and long lasting.  You never have to worry about leaving it in the sink too long and having it rust!

Second, because it’s not metal, this knife does not interact with acids or salts.

Third, when you chop or slice lettuce and other veggies, you never need worry about lettuce edges turning brown as happens with all metal knives.

This particular ceramic knife set featured on the show is a great value as it includes a 5-1/2 inch Santoku knife which is designed for chopping vegetables with ease.  A paring knife is also included with this set which is ideal for peeling or small mincing jobs.

If you like buying products with a portion of sales going to a good cause, Check out the Susan Komen Kyocera chefs or santoku knife.  Five dollars from every sale goes to the Komen foundation.  Plus, it’s a really cool looking knife with a vibrant pink handle.  Everytime I’ve given one as a gift it turns into that cook’s favorite knife.  It’s light weight, so you can use it all day without getting tired.  And it cleans up easily too.  I always put my in the dishwasher (though Kyocera recommends you wash it by hand to avoid accidentally cutting yourself when removing items from the dishwasher).    And, this knife is just $44.95.

Oprah learned about this extra sharp ceramic cutlery from Ming Tsai, recently a competitor on Food Network’s Iron Chef and creator of  Blue Ginger restaurant in Massachusetts.   Ming loves these knives as well, especially for cutting fruits, vegetables and boneless meats as well as for trimming and peeling small fruits and vegetables.

MetroKitchen.com features a large selection of ceramic knives by Kyocera available for shipment today.

MetroKitchen is not affiliated with nor specifically endorsed by Oprah. “Oprah” is a registered trademark of Harpo, Inc.

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Happy December! You know what that means…cookie time! Besides delicious holiday desserts, the most frequently baked item is the “cookie”. What kind of cookie depends on your family traditions and recipes. Many gather every holiday season and participate in a “cookie exchange.” Bring enough batches of your favorite cookie recipe and trade batches with other bakers. At the end of the event you take home dozens of different cookies. What a treat!

Here’s a list of some great values in bakeware.  MetroKitchen.com will ship them right to your door. Check out the free shipping too!

All-Clad Bakeware: New in 2008, these high quality stainless steel bakeware products offer the finest in baking results. The reviews from our customers have provided great insight into how great All-Clad Bakeware products are. MetroKitchen offers a wide variety of All-Clad baking pans including pie pans, baking sheets and jelly roll pans. These moderately priced items will surely last you many holiday baking season and beyond.

CIA Bakeware: This line was designed and engineered by professional chefs, ensuring a pleasing baking experience. We carry many different CIA Bakeware pieces and specialized baking tools Our top seller is the CIA cooling rack,  that has been reviewed and recommended by Cook’s Illustrated Magazine in the past.

Doughmakers: Made in the USA, Doughmakers Bakeware continues to fly off our shelves. Durable, easy to clean,  these baking pans will last a long time in your pantry. We carry several Doughmakers products including pizza pans and muffin tins.

Viking Baking Tools: Viking offers great baking tools to help make baking easier in your kitchen. We love the Viking Stand Mixer. The Viking Stand Mixer comes with several attachments and is a great addition to any counter-top as a showpiece. The newly introduced  Viking Digital Hand Mixer is perfect for mixing and beating the toughest or finest cookie dough.

photo credit: Poncho Equihua

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3. CIA Baking Sheet

Recently I got news about a neighbor, young mother,  who found out she has breast cancer. We have boys the same age, so it really hit home. We live in a great community, and all of us got together and decided to act fast and help. We formulated a schedule for the next two weeks to cook homemade meals for our friend after she comes home from surgery. I signed up to make her (well actually for my husband to make) penne ala vodka. Food brings comfort and at the same time we can help someone who cant take care of her family at the moment. Food and cooking brings people together in communities around the world.

It just so happens that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. My dear neighbor did not feel sick or any lumps—they found a one centimeter lump in a routine mammogram. At MetroKitchen, we sell a great product from a great brand that helps to support Breast Cancer Research.

The Kyocera Susan G Komen 5-1/2 inch Revolution Series Pink Ceramic Knife is a special edition knife developed to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. It features a pink, ergonomically designed handle and white ceramic blade. Kyocera will donate $5.00 for each pink ceramic knife sold for a maximum of $10,000. This Kyocera Ceramic Knife is a versatile knife, perfect for slicing fruits and vegetables and even some meats.

Kyocera Ceramic Knives are super sharp, will never rust, nor alter the taste or smell of food. It is super lightweight and made in Japan.

Support the cause!

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“Passion. Ambition. Butter. Do You Have What It Takes?” That is the tag line for the new movie everyone is talking about, “Julie and Julia”, written and directed by Nora Ephron, and bases on a book by Julie Powell. Any foodie knows this movie is a must see! The movie stars outstanding actors such as Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Stanley Tucci.  The movie follows the lives of Julia Child, the French Chef who was the first widely known television cook. The movie also follows the life of Julie Powell, a New York blogger who became famous for making all 534 recipes in Child’s famous cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, in just one year.

The silent stars of the movie is the cooking equipment used to cook these grand meals.

Mauviel Copper Cookware

Being that Julia Child received her culinary training in Paris, it would be appropriate that she would use Mauviel copper cookware.  Since 1830, Mauviel has produced some of the best quality copper cookware for professional and home chefs alike.  Produced in France,  Mauviel cookware comes in a variety of styles and thickness.  Several different types of handles are also available to fit your comfort and style.

Emile Henry Ceramic Cookware

Also manufactured in France, Emile Henry ceramic cookware is perfect for slow cooking stews and curries.  The Emile Henry line includes dutch ovens, tart tatins, brasiers, tagines, pizza stones, and fondues.  Made in a small town in Burgundy, France since 1850, Emile Henry features high quality construction in a variety of colors.

Enjoy the film and get cooking Julia Child style with MetroKitchen.com!

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Memorial Day is the official kick off for summer fun, warmer weather and great summer recipes. MetroKitchen has all the cooking tools you need for summertime cooking.

Outdoor Grilling: Our best selling outdoor grilling tools are made by All-Clad. The All-Clad Stainless Barbeque Tool Set includes four must-have grilling tools and is neatly packaged and stored in an All-Clad metal carrying case. These great grilling tools are dishwasher safe. Get your grill on now!

Outdoor Cooking: When hosting a summer party, another great way to cook and keep food warm while grilling, is with the Viking Portable Induction Cook Top. This “green” way of cooking offers another place took warm up food and cook in other areas inside or outside your home, with its great portability.

Summertime Drinks: The ultimate blender! The CIA Professional/Vitamix Blender is the only blender used by great chefs and bartenders around the world. Enjoy frozen drinks, great juice smoothies and even makes soup (as recently seen on an episode of Martha Stewart). The Vitamix Blender offers great quality and functionality…a must have for this summer!

Summer Cooking on Rainy Summer Days: We have several different options here, but one multi-functional pan that is perfect for summertime cooking indoors is the Emerilware Cast Iron Smoker. The Emerilware Cast Iron Smoker is really a 5-in-1 pan. With this pan you can grill indoors, make delicious smoked spareribs, roast chicken, broil meats and deep fry your potatoes. Plus this smoker includes several of Emeril’s yummy recipes.

For grilling indoors we offer a wide selection of grill pans from several different brands including All-Clad grill pans, ScanPan grill pans and Swiss Diamond Grill Pans.

Cooking inside/outside…every host/chef needs a good knife for slicing/cutting/peeling and other kitchen prep tasks. From ceramic knives, to German steel knives, even great carving sets, MetroKitchen has every knife for every kitchen job. Check out our cutlery selection for great deals from our top brands.

Happy Summer…Get Cooking!

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With my mom’s recent move to the South, after retiring from her job…she requested something as a housewarming gift that I never would have guessed she wanted in a million years: cookware. The thing about my mom is that she’s never really cooked before! I shouldn’t say never cooked, but she’s no pro. Her idea of cooking is meatballs and pasta with sauce courtesy of Ragu. She makes a mean grilled cheese and wonderful french toast, but beyond that, her cooking ability is limited. Now that she is retired, I guess she has time on her hands to try new things. So I say, good for her, and I’d be more than happy to support anything she wants to do!  So I looked to Emeril Cookware for my mom.

In deciding which line cookware to buy her, I remembered that she always had junk, cheap pots and pans, never matching, never well cared for. I was not about to dig deep and splurge on a copper cookware set. I wanted something for her that was practical, functional, reliable, and looked good in her brand new kitchen. The perfect answer:  an Emerilware Stainless 10 piece Cookware Set. The Wall Street Journal recently named Emerilware Cookware as the best value for your money. I agree! Made by All-Clad, Emerilware stainless cookware is sturdy, yet not too heavy. My mom has found the set a delight to use.  She especially likes the see-through lids.  Emeril cookware sets comes with everything you need such as fry pans, sauce pan and even a stock pot.  Since its arrival in my mom’s kitchen, the cookware set has been put to good use.  The cookware set is not the only new kitchen accessory in my moms new kitchen. She now has displayed for all to see on her kitchen island, a Southern-Recipe cookbook, in an actual cookbook stand. Watch out Emeril!