Soup’er Finds

I ♥ Cooking Gloves

The first time I saw a pair of these brightly colored gloves in action (outside of a medical office) was in my mom’s kitchen. She was standing over a cutting board, chopping onions, and telling me about the latest guest on Ellen. “What ARE you wearing?” I asked her in total dismay. “Gloves,” she answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “I hate the way onions make my hands smell.” Huh! As much as I love to cook, it had never dawned on me that there was an alternative to having hands that perpetually reeked of onions and garlic. That evening, I left with a pair of nitrile* gloves tucked in my purse, and now I’m never without at least one box stored in my kitchen.

In the years that I’ve been donning this ridiculous-looking kitchen attire, I’ve found many other helpful uses than that of odor control. When I’m peeling roasted beets, I wear them to keep my hands from being stained red. I also wear them when I’m kneading dough so that I don’t have to spend 20 minutes scrubbing my fingernails and rings. Nitrile gloves are also great for handling hot foods; I use them when I’m making homemade stock and I need to strip the meat from the bone, or when I’m rolling hot tortillas into enchiladas. Now that I have a toddler, I wear gloves when I’m handling chicken, fish, and other raw meats. This way, when she takes a header off the couch (which happens on a weekly basis), I’m able to strip them off and attend to her tears without having to worry about scrubbing down or spreading any food-borne bacteria. And ladies, when you’re sporting a fresh manicure, these handy gloves prolong the life of your polish — and that alone is worth the price of the package!

Nitrile gloves can be found online at Amazon.com.

*Note: Nitrile is a synthetic rubber material used in place of latex. Latex allergies have been on the rise in recent years† and cause symptoms as mild as a skin rash, runny nose, and sneezing to as serious as anaphylactic shock. Many people don’t even realize that they are allergic to latex if they aren’t exposed to it on a regular basis. Even if you’re certain that you’re not allergic to latex, it’s best to play it safe and keep it out of your kitchen. Most latex gloves are powdered for easy application, and that powder can become airborne, irritating the lungs.

† New York State Department of Health

Taking Stock: A Review of Store-Bought Stocks

Nothing makes me feel like more of a cook and health-conscious mom than standing over a steaming pot of homemade stock, stirring the meat and vegetables that I cut that morning. BUT, and this is a big but, there are many days when I just don’t have the time or the desire to commit four hours to the task. To make my life easier, I always ensure that I have a few cans of stock stored away in my cupboards for just those moments. So, when a recipe calls for homemade stock and you just don’t have the time, store-bought stock is a quick and easy alternative.

When shopping for stocks, I usually pick what’s on sale, but that’s not always the healthiest or tastiest option — and the restults have been hit or miss. So, over the course of a weekend, I forced my husband to put down his Playstation controller and taste-test over a dozen different meats and vegetable broths, and two seafood stocks (thanks, Honey, I owe you for this one!). We rated each stock based on taste, aroma, and appearance, and also took into account nutritional value and price point. Here’s what we found…

CHICKEN STOCK

Chicken stock is arguably the most commonly used stock for cooking, which is why grocers tend to carry a greater variety of it. In my search of four local markets, I was able to find about 8-10 brands, and reviewed six of the most commonly reoccurring ones. As you can see from the photo above, the colors were surprisingly diverse, spanning the “chicken spectrum” from a poached to deep fried. Even more surprising was the difference in taste and smell. Among the six stocks, there was a definite top three and bottom three, with a clear winner that pulled above the rest. (Note: every stock we rated contained zero fat and less than 20 calories per serving, therefore, I only noted the sodium content for each brand.)

Butterball (pictured top left): With no surprise, Butterball, a name synonymous with poultry, had the best overall taste, smell, and appearance. It was sufficiently chicken-y, without being either overly salty or overly bland. The price was appealing, too, at $0.49 for a 14.5 oz. can. Of course, good flavor comes at a cost, and with Butterball, it’s the cost of high blood pressure; 820g of sodium per serving.

Swanson (bottom left): Swanson brand was by far the easiest to find, as it appeared in the soup isle of every grocery store I visited. It was our second pick for flavor and price at $1.50 for a 32 oz. carton. The aroma and color were a bit off-putting, but if added to a dish with other aromatics, could easily be countered. Slightly better for the heart, Swanson contains 510g of sodium per serving.

College Inn (top middle): Fairly easy to find, comparable in price to the other two, and even less sodium per serving (450g), College Inn was the final in our top three picks. An excellent aroma of roast chicken, with a subtle (if not slightly bland) chicken flavor.

Here’s a brief rundown of the bottom three picks in the order we rated them:

Kitchen Basics (bottom right): This brand was easier to find than College Inn, but much more expensive than the rest with a price of $2.69/32 oz. carton. It had the second lowest sodium count at 210g per serving, and although it had a nice smell of grilled chicken, there was too strong of a vegetable flavor — which would be excellent for vegetable broth, but not for chicken stock.

Emeril’s (top right) and Rachael Ray (bottom middle): We found that neither of these stocks were worth the price ($2.62 and $1.98 respectively for a 32 oz. carton). Emeril’s was very salty and left an oily finish on the tongue, with a high sodium count of 590g per serving. Rachael Ray’s Low Sodium Stock-in-a-Box obviously had the least amount of sodium per serving (135g), but also had the least amount of flavor.

When buying pre-made stock, I want to spend my money on something that tastes good, but is also healthy. Although Butterball had the best overall flavor, I plan on using College Inn for my “chicken stock emergencies.” The smell was fantastic, the lower sodium count was appealing, and the somewhat thin flavor can easily be punched up with the addition of other vegetables and spices. Next week…beef stock!

Soup’er Finds

There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t stand in my kitchen and say, “What would I do without this (fill in the blank)?!” Over the years I’ve accumulated a variety of culinary tools designed to make cooking easier; some have been useful, while others have been embarrassingly silly (the banana slicer, anyone?). But the ones that have withstood the test of time, that have earned a place of honor in my kitchen, and have truly made my life simpler, these are the treasures that I plan on sharing with you in Soup’er Finds.

January 2014

Cuisinart 2-Speed Smart Stick Hand Blender

One item that I’ve found particularly helpful (and versatile) in my kitchen is the Cuisinart 2-Speed Smart Stick Hand Blender. With a 200-watt motor, it easily purées all my soups directly in the pot, saving me the hassle of processing hot liquid in my blender. The Smart Stick comes with a whisk attachment and 16 oz. plastic measuring beaker, which is excellent for whipping up homemade vinaigrettes. But, it’s the mini-chopper attachment that makes this product stand out from other hand blenders. I’ve found it so much more convenient to chop up small batches of food than if I were to pull out my heavy duty food processor. Whether I’m making a quick pico de gallo for fresh guacamole, chopping nuts to add to cookie batter, or blending seasonal fruit to top my toddler’s morning waffles — I find myself using it a few times a week! If your local kitchen store doesn’t carry it, there’s a great deal online at Kitchen and Company for $59.99 +free shipping.

Book Club
One of my many passions in life, aside from cooking, is reading. Novels, magazines, cereal boxes, it doesn’t matter — if it has text, I’ll read it! Over the years, I’ve acquired a large collection of well-loved and often-turned-to cookbooks, that without, would leave me feeling lost in the kitchen. I always have my eye out for new ones, and when I find a real gem, you better believe I’ll be curled up on the couch reading it from cover-to-cover as one would a novel. In this monthly segment, I outline a few of my most recent favorites, along with some other fun reads to keep you entertained while you’re not slaving away in the kitchen. Don’t forget to check back next month for my newest Book Club picks!

January 2014

COOKBOOK:

Pure Flavor by Kurt Beecher Dammeier

You don’t have to be a Seattleite to enjoy this Northwest-based cookbook. The author, and creator of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese located in Pike Place Market, gives the reader 125 recipes for every type of home cook, plus tips on buying and preparing select ingredients. Bonus: if you are a Washingtonian or are planning a trip to the area, be sure to read the Northwest Food Icon sections (intermittently dispersed throughout the book) for suggestions on outstanding local food purveyors. Check out Pure Flavor on Amazon or visit Beecher’s Handmade Cheese website for info on his other products.

Recipes to try:
Butter-Rubbed Salmon with Blueberry Sauce
Apricot-Dijon-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Parsnip Puree
Fruit Salad with Vanilla Syrup
Deep-Dish Cinnamon Buns

FOODIE BOOKS:
Not cookbooks, per say, but other books (memoirs, novels, short essays) centered around the joys of cooking and eating.

My Life in Paris by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme

This humorous, and sometimes touching, memoir by Julia Child gives you an inside look into Child’s transformation from housewife, to cooking goddess, all the while touring you through Europe and beyond. Read a full synopsis on Alex Prud’homme‘s website — he’s not only the co-author, he’s Julia Child’s nephew as well!