::The::Jane::Ellen:::Domestic Diva::Entertainment Personified::Cook Extraordinaire:::

Tips and Tricks For Your Kitchen...

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BAKING PANS

When you are setting up a kitchen it is hard to decide what pans you should buy.

There are a lot of different brands and styles out there. Generally speaking, there really isn't any one brand that is better than the other, but as a rule these are just some basic pointers for locating some pans that will work for you.

You want to select heavy weigh aluminum pans that will resist warping.

You can get either plain aluminum, or aluminum with no stick coating.

Just remember that the darker the inside the pan the quicker that the baked item will be done.

The pans with dark interiors will conduct the heat faster to the item that you are baking and you may want to try reducing your heat by 25 to keep your items from becoming over cooked.

Sneaking A Look In The Slow Cooker

You are making dinner in the crock pot and it smells sooooo yummy. Every now and then you stop by the pot, open the lid and take a sniff.

The crock pot is a lot like a little oven. When you lift the lid a lot of precious heat disappears. It is estimated that the crock pot will loose about 20 degrees of heat if the lid is left off for 2 minutes.

Try not to lift the lid until you absolutely have to. When you do have to lift the lid to add ingredients, have them prepared and ready to go so that you don't loose as much heat.

BAKING SHEET SELECTION

Setting up a kitchen can be quite a task. You don’t know exactly what you need and when you do look, there are a billion choices. Please remember when you are making your purchases, don’t skimp on the quality. If you spend a little bit more now, you will save a lot of money down the road and in most cases you will have better success with your recipes.

Buy a good Jelly Roll Pan. If you can only buy one pan, I select this one instead of a cookie sheet because the possibilities are endless.

You can use it to bake cookies, or you can line it with foil and bake bacon or meat. It is quite the versatile pan.

Make sure that you purchase a nice heavy weight aluminum pan. The heavier professional grade pans will resist warping more than lighter weight pans.

Try not to heat an empty pan, nor douse a hot empty pan with water. These actions may cause your pan to warp.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sirloin Steak with Garlic Butter

1/2 cup butter (or the liquid I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 pounds beef top sirloin steaks
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. If you don't have an outdoor grill you can cook this in a large frying pan. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat with garlic powder and minced garlic. Set aside. Sprinkle both sides of each steak with salt and pepper. Grill steaks 4 to 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. When done, transfer to warmed plates. Brush tops liberally with garlic butter, and allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.