Logan Levant - The Kitchen Decoded: Tools, Tricks, and Recipes for Great Food

Copyright 2014 by Logan Levant and Hilary Hattenbach

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover and interior design by Tracy Sunrize Johnson

Cover and interior photos by Melissa Barnes

Photo styling by Alicia Buszczak

Print ISBN: 978-1-62914-695-9

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-016-7

Printed in China

CONTENTS

This book is dedicated to our moms, Alison Levant and Judith Eytel-Swar.

INTRODUCTION

As a couple of career gals on the go, we know its tough to make time for home-cooked meals. Wed never even attempt to cook if we didnt have an arsenal of time-tested recipes and tools at our disposal to help streamline time in the kitchen. And thats why we wrote The Kitchen Decoded to simplify cooking by breaking down the best tools for each task, and to provide delicious recipes that are easy to execute and quick to make.

Many people register for and purchase expensive kitchen equipment because the idea of cooking is exciting. But more often than not, the appliance ends up sitting in a cupboard, collecting dust because nobody knows how the heck to use it. The Kitchen Decoded takes the fear out of cooking and breaks down kitchen essentials. The chapters are organized by our favorite, tried-and-true cooking tools. A variety of manufacturers make excellent cooking equipment, but we wanted to speak from experience and give you the lowdown on the tools we use and why we chose them. The ins and outs of our featured tools are outlined in each chapter, but you do not have to own everything we recommend nor do you have to be a professional chef to make great food.

We asked a few friends to submit their favorite recipes using our books featured tools to illustrate the many ways everyday people use the kitchen. Keep an eye out for guest chef recipes peppered throughout the book. We hope that youll be inspired to put some of our tricks, tools, and recipes to work and that the outcome will be tons of yummy meals. And if you have a favorite recipe using a gadget from our book, wed love to hear about it. Send us a message at .

Logan and Hilary

ABOUT US

Logan Levant began her career as a busy PR executive in the entertainment industry. Due to the long hours and high-pressure environment, she made a habit of stopping by her favorite neighborhood bakery for daily lemon-bar therapy. When the bakery owner decided to retire and take her lemon bar recipe with her, Logan had to act fast. With a passion for cooking and baking but no formal culinary training, Logan took over the bakery and set about learning everything from scratch. Armed with essential cooking tools and family recipes, she quickly transitioned from an amateur home cook to a professional chef and ran the business successfully for ten years.

During that time, whenever a friend got married, Logan gave the gift of cooking equipment hoping to encourage her friends to prepare homemade meals. After receiving several thank you notes that said, I cant wait for you to come over and teach me how to use this, a light bulb went off and the idea for The Kitchen Decoded was born. Excited and inspired by a chance to teach her tricks to beginners, newlyweds, or anyone with a desire to cook, Logan closed the bakery and teamed up with Hilary to create The Kitchen Decoded .

Hilary Hattenbach , a childrens book author and entertainment executive, has always had a passion for cooking, baking, and writing. Cofounder of the popular blog WeHeartMacandCheese.com, she has eaten enough macaroni and cheese to make a cardiologist run screaming. As an entertainment executive, shes conceived and produced award-winning, multi-platform campaigns for 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, DreamWorks, Disney, and Marvel. With a focus on creativity and innovation, shes instrumental in spearheading first-to-market and press worthy campaigns. In her spare time, she watches BBC mysteries with her husband, Jared, and dog, Noodle.

CHAPTER 1

NITTY-GRITTY KITCHEN BASICS

RECIPES IN THIS CHAPTER

We know that cooking can be intimidating, especially if you watch TV shows like Top Chef, where contestants run around sous viding steaks and making ice cream with liquid nitrogen. Well, guess what? A lot of great cooks have never even thought about putting a steak in a vacuum-sealed bag and immersing it in water for seventy hours. Regular people dont have that kind of time or motivation. And just because something has a fancy name or looks pretty on a plate doesnt mean it tastes good. Weve found that, most of the time, homey, simple meals like Mom used to make are the ones that really hit the spot. So dont panic. We wont throw any fancy cooking techniques at you. Our foolproof recipes are easy to prepare, especially with the right tools and a few tricks.

RULE #1: HAVE FUN

Cooking should be fun. Its always a challenge to try something new. But if you approach each recipe as a fresh adventure with the possibility of a delicious outcome, youre going to have a good time. Start by putting on upbeat music. Pour a glass of wine to sip, but pace yourself because you should be coherent enough to follow the recipe instructions. If youre baking or making a dish with a lot of steps, invite a friend over to help. Sometimes having a helper in the kitchen makes things go more quickly and smoothly. Think of every meal as a mini party rather than a cooking competition, and take the time to sit and enjoy the results of your hard work.

RULE #2: FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS

Before you attempt a recipe, read it from beginning to end and make sure that you have all the necessary ingredients and equipment. Nothing creates more unneeded stress than having to run to the store for supplies. Prepare the recipe exactly as it is written. That way you will know how the chef intended it to taste. If you think it would taste better with, say, more salt or less oil, you can make a note and add your own flair next time.

RULE #3: BE WELL EQUIPPED

It isnt necessary to own every kitchen gadget ever invented. There are plenty of gimmicky gizmos and expensive, fad-inspired appliances that are borderline useless. But some tools will revolutionize the way you cook by saving time and getting results that are impossible to achieve any other way. Weve identified a list of inexpensive kitchen staples that are uniquely designed to ensure accurate measuring and cooking results. Take some time to review the guide below to get a handle on your kitchens most crucial tools. Dont feel pressured to run out and buy everything on the list. Once you know the recipes youd like to try, consider which tools might make the job easier.