kitchen rap
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October 2, 2003
volume 4 number 6
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some recent additions to our product line
Cuisinart
Egg Cooker
Cook your eggs just the way you like them! Never have under or overcooked boiled or poached eggs again. The amount of water added to the egg cooker precisely controls the cooking time. Cook up to 7 eggs to hard, medium, or soft consistency, or insert the poaching tray to perfectly poach up to 3 eggs. An indicator light and an audible signal alert you when the eggs are ready to eat, and an auto-shutoff prevents overcooking.
Le Creuset Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware
These attractive French ovens and casseroles are ideal for braising meats and vegetables and cooking long-simmering soups or stews, and are elegant enough for serving at the table. The heavy cast iron pots and tight fitting lids provide a blanket of heat which gently and evenly cooks food, sealing in moisture and flavour, whether on the stove or in the oven. The porcelain enamel coating is non-reactive and won't absorb food odours or flavours, and is dishwasher safe. The French ovens, casseroles, sauce pans, and other items are available in a variety of sizes, shapes and colours.
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in the spotlight...
Bakeware
When you are baking a cake - whether as a dessert for the family or for a special occasion - the right cake pan is just as important as the quality of your ingredients and accuracy of your measurements. But how do you choose? With today's new technologies and materials, the choice of a cake pan has never been more confusing. So we've put together a brief guide to some of the different types of bakeware that's available with our rating of Good, Better and Best to help in your selection among Uncoated, Non-Stick
and Silicone Non-Stick.
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Uncoated Bakeware:
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Wilton - Performance
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Wilton's standard lines of cake pans, these pans are made of durable anodized aluminum to provide consistent baking performance. The flexibility of aluminum allows for virtually any shape of pan to be crafted, from plain round and rectangular pans to fanciful seasonal shapes and your favourite cartoon characters. Dishwasher safe.
Representative prices:
• 9" round cake pan (2" deep), set of 2: $16.00
• 9 × 13 rectangular cake pan (2" deep): $17.00
• 10" bundform pan: $15.00
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Crown Cookware
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Constructed of one piece of aluminum, this is the style of pan used in most commercial bakeries. Aluminum heats quickly and evenly, producing an attractive golden crust. Heavy-gauge aluminum and rolled or hemmed edges prevent the pans from warping. Excellent for baking wedding and special occasion cakes, these pans are available in a range of sizes for producing multi-tiered cakes, have straight (as opposed to sloping) sides and defined square corners, and are available in both 2" and 3" depths. Also available is a cheesecake pan with a loose bottom (similar to a tart pan), which allows a cheesecake, frozen dessert, or baked cake to be removed from the pan simply by pushing up on the bottom of the pan.
Representative prices:
• 9" round cake pan (2" deep): $7.75
• 9 × 13 rectangular cake pan (2" deep): $25.50
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Wilton - Decorator Preferred
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Wilton's Decorator Preferred pans are made of pure aluminum and are thicker than the Performance pans. Excellent for baking wedding and special occasion cakes, these pans are available in a range of sizes for producing multi-tiered cakes, and have straight (as opposed to sloping) sides and defined square corners. The round cake pans are available in both 2" and 3" depths. Covered by a lifetime warranty.
Representative prices:
• 9" round cake pan (2" deep): $13.00
• 9 × 13 rectangular cake pan (2" deep): $26.00
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Chicago Metallic - Commercial
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Crafted from heavy-weight aluminized steel, Chicago Metallic's Commercial line of pans combine the durability, strength, and superior heat conduction of steel with the corrosion-resistance of an aluminum-silicone alloy. The square and rectangular style pans have folded edges, and most of the pans have a wire rod curled inside the rims to provide extra strength and warp-resistance. Available in an extensive selection of styles and sizes, including a unique double-height square pan and roasting pans with racks. The pans show almost no wear even after years of use, are dishwasher safe and are covered by a 25 year warranty.
Representative prices:
• 9" round cake pan (2" deep): $16.25
• 9 × 13 rectangular cake pan (2¼" deep): $23.75
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Non-stick Bakeware:
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Wilton - Excelle Elite
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A non-stick baking pan which combines excellent non-stick performance, serving convenience, and elegant design. Made of one-piece of heavy-gauge steel with a durable non-stick coating. A unique feature of this line of pans is the oversized handles which extend from the sides of most of the pans – making it easy to remove the pan from the oven – and into which the pan's dimensions are stamped for ease of reference. Available in a wide selection of styles, including a rectangular cake pan with a cover for easy storage or transporting, springform pans in multiple shapes and sizes, and tart pans. Dishwasher safe and covered by a 10 year warranty.
Representative prices:
• 9" round cake pan (1½" deep): $6.50
• 9 × 13 rectangular cake pan (2" deep): $10.50
• 9¾" bundform pan: $15.00
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Cuisinart - Chefs Classic
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Constructed of heavy gauge aluminized steel – which provides even heat distribution and consistent baking results – and coated on both the interior and exterior with a non-stick coating. Thick rolled edges prevent warping. Available in a basic assortment of sizes. Dishwasher safe and covered by a lifetime warranty.
Representative prices:
• 9" round cake pan: $15.00
· 9 × 13 rectangular cake pan: $22.00
• 9½" bundform pan: $20.00
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Kaiser - La Forme
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Commercial-weight steel construction provides even and gentle heat distribution for even browning and baking and a two-layer non-stick interior and exterior coating allows for quick and easy release. Kaiser pans are made in Germany and are available in traditional European shapes not otherwise easy to find in North America. The springform pans (including a unique square springform) are leakproof – a trough encircling the base of the pan prevents drips – and have a non-stick coating on the base which is resistant to cuts, enabling the cake or cheesecake to be served right from the pan. Covered by a 5 year warranty.
Representative
prices:
• 10-5/8" round gateau cake pan (2¾" deep): $50.00
• 8½" bundform pan: $65.00
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Chicago Metallic - Professional
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Manufactured of the same materials as Chicago Metallic's Commercial pans, the Professional pans also have a Silverstone non-stick coating bonded to the metal in a high-temperature coil-coating process (not sprayed on after the pan has been formed), ensuring strong, long-lasting adhesion, even coverage, and superior performance. Available in an extensive selection of styles and sizes, including baguette & French bread pans, roasting pans (both with or without handles and roasting racks), and 4 or 11 piece sets. Dishwasher safe and covered by a 25 year warranty.
Representative prices:
• 9" round cake pan (2" deep): $22.50
• 9 × 13 rectangular cake pan (2¼" deep): $31.50
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Nordic Ware - Platinum
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The originator of the Bundt pan, Nordic Ware's Platinum pans are made of heavy cast aluminum to provide superior baking performance. Baked goods rise evenly, cook more uniformly, and have delicious golden crusts because of the excellent conduction of this heavy walled pan. The special, heat reflective exterior and premium non-stick surface assure uniform browning and stick free results. Cast bakeware allows for finer detail in the design of the pans than ordinary formed pans. In addition to the classic Bundt pan, other Bundt-style pans with detailed designs (including a larger-than-life rose), loaf and muffin versions of the Bundt pans, and fancy round and rectangular pans with detailed designs of flowers and snowflakes are available. Covered by a 20 year warranty.
Representative price:
• 10½" bundform pan: $41.00
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Wilton - Dimensions
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Very similar to the Nordic Ware Platinum pans, Wilton's Dimensions line is made of cast aluminum and provides additional designs of Bundt-style moulds and muffin-sized pans. Covered by a 10 year warranty.
Representative price:
• 9" Bundtform pan: $42.50
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Silicone Non-stick Bakeware:
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SiliconeZone
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For years, professional and commercial chefs have known the secret and benefits of using high-temperature silicone bakeware. SiliconeZone's cake pans incorporate the same design and use features favoured by professional chefs. The unique high gloss finish creates a non-porous, non-stick surface, which doesn't retain odours or flavours and promotes even heat distribution and quick cooling. The pans can be rolled or folded easily for space-saving storage. Available in a range of styles, including a children's bakeware set. They are freezer, oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe and are covered by a lifetime warranty.
Representative prices:
• 9½" round cake pan (2½" deep): $24.75
• 9 × 13 rectangular cake pan (1½" deep): $36.50
• 10¼" bundform pan: $27.75
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Roll out the Specials: Baking Sheets on Sale |
Great for baking cookies, bars, breads and other desserts and savouries, these are also extremely handy as all-purpose baking pans. Professional chefs generally prefer the uncoated pan for best results (typically lined with parchment paper or a non-adherent baking mat), or choose a non-stick baking pan for convenience and easy cleanup.
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Pumpkin Eating
If you think pumpkins are just for carving into jack-o-lanterns you're missing out on the pleasures of a versatile and nutritious vegetable! While all pumpkins are edible, it's true that the large – sometimes mammoth – pumpkins that are harvested at this time of year are really best reserved for decorative purposes.
The bright-coloured flesh of the big standard pumpkin is just too stringy to be palatable, making the mini-varieties, sometimes called sugar pumpkins, the best choice for culinary use. Their fragrant flesh is more compact and comparatively unstringy and good for so many things from soup to pie. And, for most Canadians, pumpkin means only pie, but many other nationalities make much more of this humble member of the squash family.
In the French Antilles, they call pumpkin giraumon and use it as the basis for a hearty main-dish soup containing salt beef and rice. Turkish cooks make phyllo pies filled with pumpkin and feta cheese, while in Mexico they turn pumpkin flesh into custardy flans and, through roasting and salting, transform the humble pumpkin seed into the highly munchable (and quite nutritious) snack, pepitas. In Israel, halva, a Middle Eastern confection, often has pumpkin added to the base mixture of sugar, pistachios and cream. But for sheer inventiveness, the Italians win hands down, stuffing cooked pumpkin into pasta to make cappellacci. In Parma, tortelli di zuca, a ravioli-like pasta is made featuring a nutmeg-scented pumpkin filling. And near Mantua, there is even an annual pumpkin festival where creamy pumpkin-flavoured rice dish, riso e zucca, is topped with pieces of fried pumpkin. Pumpkins are packed with valuable beta-carotene, potassium and are a good source of vitamin C, iron and riboflavin. Low in calories and sodium, they are fat-free and full of flavour. So, buy a giant pumpkin for Halloween and make sure to buy a couple of minis to make the following fall recipes.
Until next month, cook and eat with love,
Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh
Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh is a Toronto-born food writer whose work has appeared in major Canadian newspapers and magazines.
Author of six cookbooks -- Rustic Italian Cooking,
The Global Grill,
The Sticks & Stones Cookbook (with Ted Reader),
The Wine Lover Cooks (with Tony Aspler),
Great Potatoes: A Cook's Guide to Over 150 Delicious Recipes,
and A Year in Niagara: The People and Food of Wine Country --
she lives with her beau and their black lab and assorted children who come and go, in Niagara wine country.
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Jamaican Pumpkin Curry |
In Jamaica, a variety of pumpkin is used in many curried dishes, some containing meat. Here is an Island-spiced meatless version that is quite delicious served over brown or white rice or as a filling for a roti wrap. Even better when made a day ahead and great with a cold Red Stripe beer.
| 3 Tbsp |
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vegetable oil |
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45 mL |
| 1 |
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onion, chopped |
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| 1 |
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small red bell pepper, seeded, chopped |
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| 3 |
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small cloves garlic |
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| 3/4 inch |
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piece of fresh ginger, grated |
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2 cm |
| 1 |
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Scotch Bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded, finely chopped
(use half if you wish; wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers and avoid contact with your face)
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| 2-3 tsp |
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curry powder |
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10-15 mL |
| 1/4 tsp |
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turmeric |
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1 mL |
| 1/4 tsp |
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fenugreek |
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1 mL |
| 1/4 tsp |
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cumin |
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1 mL |
| 1/4 tsp |
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dried thyme |
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1 mL |
| to taste |
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salt and freshly ground black pepper |
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| 1 cup |
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vegetable or chicken stock |
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250 mL |
| 2 lb |
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pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks |
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1 kg |
| 2 |
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green onions, chopped |
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| 4 Tbsp |
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pepitas (salted pumpkin seeds) |
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60 mL |
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, red pepper, garlic, ginger and hot pepper, then cook, stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes, until onion is golden. Increase heat slightly. Stir in curry powder, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, then stir in half the stock. Add pumpkin and the remaining stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until pumpkin is very tender, stirring now and then to prevent curry from sticking. Add a little more stock or water if mixture appears too thick.
- Sprinkle each serving with some green onion and pepitas.
Serves 4
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Pumpkin Soup with Spaghetti |
This creamy soup is from my first cookbook, Rustic Italian Cooking, and remains one of my favourite ways to enjoy pumpkin. Serve this at the beginning of your Thanksgiving dinner and add an unmistakable Italian accent to the meal. Either small sugar pumpkin or butternut squash may be used here.
| 5 cups |
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milk |
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1.25L |
| 1 cup |
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chicken stock |
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250 mL |
| 1 lb |
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piece of pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped |
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500 g |
| to taste |
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salt and freshly ground black pepper |
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| 1 cup |
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uncooked broken spaghetti |
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250 mL |
| 2 Tbsp |
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butter |
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30 mL |
| 3/4 cup |
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grated Parmigiano-Reggiano |
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175mL |
| to taste |
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freshly grated nutmeg |
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- In a large saucepan, combine milk and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in pumpkin; cook 10 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer pumpkin to a food processor or blender; purée. Return purée to saucepan, stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in spaghetti; cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender but firm. Remove from heat. Stir in butter.
- Serve sprinkled with Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg.
Serves 6
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Spiced Pumpkin and Nut Cookies |
This recipe results in soft, fragrant little cookies that, when iced with a simple vanilla icing, can be decorated with chocolate chips for Halloween.
| 1 cup |
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sugar |
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250 mL |
| 1 cup |
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puréed pumpkin (canned is fine) |
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250 mL |
| 1/2 cup |
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butter, softened |
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125 mL |
| 1 Tbsp |
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grated orange zest |
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15 mL |
| 1 cup |
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all-purpose flour |
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250 mL |
| 1 cup |
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whole wheat flour |
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250 mL |
| 1 tsp |
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baking powder |
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5 mL |
| 1 tsp |
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baking soda |
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5 mL |
| 1 tsp |
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ground cinnamon |
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5 mL |
| 1/4 tsp |
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salt |
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1 mL |
| 1/2 cup |
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golden raisins |
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125 mL |
| 1 cup |
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chopped walnuts or pecans |
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125 mL |
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, combine sugar, pumpkin, butter and orange zest. Blend together well, then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. When well blended, add the raisins and nuts and stir to incorporate.
- Using a teaspoon, drop a heaped teaspoonful about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until light brown. If you choose to ice the cookies, wait until they have cooled somewhat.
Makes about 4 dozen
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Pumpkin Harvest Loaf with Orange Cream Cheese Spread |
Enter to Win a Dodge Caravan from Robin Hood!
You could win a Dodge Caravan courtesy of our partner Robin Hood. Click here to enter. (Contest closes January 4, 2004.)
This moist pumpkin loaf is chock full of juicy raisins, chopped dates, cinnamon and nutmeg. Top this with a creamy orange spread and you have a harvest of flavour!
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Loaf |
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| 1/2 pkg |
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cream cheese |
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250 g |
| 1/4 cup |
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butter, softened |
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50 mL |
| 1 1/4 cups |
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brown sugar, packed |
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300 mL |
| 2 |
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eggs |
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| 1 3/4 cups |
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Robin Hood All Purpose Flour |
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425 mL |
| 1 tsp |
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baking soda |
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5 mL |
| 1/2 tsp |
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baking powder |
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2 mL |
| 1/2 tsp |
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salt |
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2 mL |
| 1 tsp |
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cinnamon |
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5 mL |
| 1/2 tsp |
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nutmeg |
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2 mL |
| 1 cup |
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pumpkin purée |
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250 mL |
| 1 tsp |
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orange rind, grated |
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5 mL |
| 3/4 cups |
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raisins or chopped dates |
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175 mL |
| 1/2 cup |
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chopped nuts, (optional) |
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125 mL |
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Orange Cream Cheese Spread |
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| 1/2 pkg |
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cream cheese |
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250 g |
| 2 Tbsp |
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icing sugar |
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30 mL |
| 1 tsp |
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orange rind, grated |
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5 mL |
- Beat cheese, butter, brown sugar and eggs together with electric mixer until light and creamy. Combine next 6 dry ingredients. Stir into creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Mix well. Stir in orange rind, raisins and nuts. Spread in greased 9x5 (2 L) loaf pan.
- Bake at 350°F (180C) for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely.
- For the spread, beat all ingreadients together until smooth. Store covered in refrigerator.
Makes 1 loaf
Recipe © 2003, Robin Hood Multifoods Inc. Reprinted with permission.
For more great recipes, see the
Robin Hood Baking Festival Cookbook or visit the
Robin Hood website.
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Golda's Kitchen Rap is published monthly by
Golda's Kitchen Inc., www.GoldasKitchen.com.
Contents © 2003 Golda's Kitchen Inc. All rights reserved.
GOLDA'S KITCHEN and the LADY DESIGN are registered trademarks of Golda's Kitchen Inc.
All prices quoted herein are in Canadian dollars and are subject to applicable taxes;
shipping and handling fees are additional. For more information about our policies,
click here.
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measuring equipment; specialty cake decorating, chocolate & confectionery supplies; and a wide assortment of
kitchen tools, knives & appliances. We deliver across Canada, the United States, and worldwide. Visit us at
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