Poutine

Okay so I am currently on vacation but me and the Hubby really want to attempt to make REAL poutine. I have never been to Eastern Canada but my friends have and so has the Hubby. Two of our close friends are from Quebec and when they moved out here told us we were basically getting jipped on Poutine!!! Yes Albertans we aren't getting the real good greasy thing. So we will be off on a quest in the next few days to get the right ingredients and we will let you know the recipe!!!!!

BTW V&M: With a lot of research I found out what makes them different! Its the sauce and FRESH cheese curds.

Knives

Picking out a knife set, is a big matter of preference. They come in alot of different weights, and strengths. The stronger the metal the harder it is to sharpen but then you wont have to sharpen it as much as a softer blade. So spend sometime thinking, try some different knives and pick as set that works for YOU. I have mostly german made knives, I don't like to sharpen knives and they are strong so I don't have to sharpen as much. I also have a swedish carving knife which I really like.

The most important thing about using your knives is to make sure they are ALWAYS sharp. Hold up a sheet of paper and lightly press on the top with the blade, and if it cuts smoothly through it should be sharp enough. Remember if your knives are dull then you stand a better chance of them slipping and you cutting yourself.

Happy Chopping!

Pots and Pans

So before you even wanna start cooking your gonna wanna make sure you got the right tools, you don't drive without a car so don't cook without the right tools!

Pots and Pans: Now I personally own Royal Doulton Stainless Steel pots and pans, they are amazing they have a good weight and nare everything-proof. You can put em in the oven, dishwasher, etc. They distribute the heat nicely and are probably close to the best ones you can buy. They are very expensive and not everyone can afford them so there are good alternatives. Buy a nice set of non-stick pans, they are pretty good and as long as you don't use metal utensils on them they can last 3-ish years. Never wash your pots and pans with harsh materials, NO STEEL WOOL, if you got a lot of junk stuck on let them soak over night.

I suggest having the following pans:
5 Quart Pan, this basically looks like a big frying pan with a large lip so nothing will spill over, make sure you get one that comes with a lid, this pan is good for stirfry's and poaching.

8 Quart Stock Pot Used for soups/pastas.

10-inch Frying pan

8-inch Frying pan

Saucepans various sizes I have 5 of them ranging from 1-4 quarts

Saute pan At least one saute pan with a lid

Welcome!!

Come in, sit down, pour a glass of wine. And come back lots to learn more about the food basics! After many months of friends constantly asking me questions, and for advice I decided to start a food blog. I'll write down great shops for tools, recipes, and hopefully eventually will be putting up pictures of stuff I cook. Once my husband gets back and I can have the camera again.

So feel free to comment, ask questions and request things, this blog is to help people like YOU.