ElizabethB
Guru
I do have a new cook book - Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazen. It is a very good read. My goal is to read it cover to cover before I start cooking. I made a good start then got distracted with holiday baking and cooking. Thanks for the reminder. I need to get back to reading.
As for gadgets everything I have purchased recently I use. A couple of years ago I purchased a food mill that I have used once. George has an electric smoker that takes up a lot of space and has not been used often enough to justify its existence. Almost forgot my Insta Pot. I have used the Sous Vide setting with very good result especially with wild pig. I also use it to slow cook red beans and sausage or white beans and ham hocks.
In the dark recesses of the attic there are numerous never used gadgets - dehydrator, electric juicer, ice cream maker and who knows what else.
George spent a lot of money on a commercial grade vacuum sealer. My initial reaction was over kill. I have changed my mind. The residential machines we were using never lasted more than a couple of years. When I cook soups, stew, gumbo, chili I make large batches and freeze. I buy bulk ground meat, portion in 1/3 lb. patties and freeze. I buy bulk pork chops, packs of 4 tenderloins from Costco, rib racks plus the fresh fish we catch, the fresh shrimp we purchase and the venison and wild pig that George hunts. I had to eat crow and apologize for giving my husband a hard time about that purchase.
As for gadgets everything I have purchased recently I use. A couple of years ago I purchased a food mill that I have used once. George has an electric smoker that takes up a lot of space and has not been used often enough to justify its existence. Almost forgot my Insta Pot. I have used the Sous Vide setting with very good result especially with wild pig. I also use it to slow cook red beans and sausage or white beans and ham hocks.
In the dark recesses of the attic there are numerous never used gadgets - dehydrator, electric juicer, ice cream maker and who knows what else.
George spent a lot of money on a commercial grade vacuum sealer. My initial reaction was over kill. I have changed my mind. The residential machines we were using never lasted more than a couple of years. When I cook soups, stew, gumbo, chili I make large batches and freeze. I buy bulk ground meat, portion in 1/3 lb. patties and freeze. I buy bulk pork chops, packs of 4 tenderloins from Costco, rib racks plus the fresh fish we catch, the fresh shrimp we purchase and the venison and wild pig that George hunts. I had to eat crow and apologize for giving my husband a hard time about that purchase.
