Up until now I never broke down and bought a deep fryer. I’m not a big deep frying fan, however, there are a few Italian dishes that I’ve never had much success making without one. I’ve tried to deep fry in a large heavy stock pot, but I could never get the oil to the proper temperature on an electric stove. So last week I went and bought a reasonably priced one ($59) by Presto. I have to say, this is an amazing tool when you need it. I’ve been having fun all week testing a variety of dishes like Shrimp Tempura, Breaded Zucchini Sticks, and this past weekend at the request of my husband, Sicilian Arancini.
These rice balls bring back so many fond memories of my childhood. My grandparents would take me to an Italian street fair. These were always sold there and you’d eat them right out of hand. They are made with already cooked rice mixed with a bit of butter and parmesan cheese. The filling is made of ground meat sauteed in a bit of butter with tomato paste and a bit of wine, and peas. The best part of the filling, though is that special little piece of fresh mozzarella and better than that the crispy breaded outside crust! MMMM!
When you assemble the balls, you cup your hand and put some rice in it. Then add some of the meat filling, a piece of fresh mozzarella and more rice on top and press firmly to create a ball. It takes a bit of practice to get the ball of rice to stay together but I find if you use risotto rice, it’s a bit easier to mold them as the rice is “stickier”. Once you have the ball formed, you roll it in egg whites, then breadcrumbs. (Be sure to form and bread all your arancini before starting to fry so you don’t walk away from the fryer).
Be sure the fryer is set to 350 degrees and that the oil reaches that temperature before settting the arancini in the oil. I only fried 3 of them at a time to be sure the temperature of the oil didn’t drop too fast. After 3 minutes they came out perfect! They were crisp and perfect and not oily at all! We saved a few and reheated them in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes before serving. They were just as crisp and delicious as the day before! My husband even said they tasted better the next day.
I am sold on the deep fryer for this application and others that require a proper deep fry like fried calamari which has been attempted several times on stove without much success. The deep fryer is truly a great little tool that I will be using but only on occasion or until that craving for zeppole creeps up on me!
Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll
Nabeyaki Udon
Seafood and Chicken Paella
Client Feedback:
“Hi Lia, It was so nice meeting you too. I really enjoyed the cooking lesson and the food was so delicious. And my daughter loved the nabeyaki udon soup. Thank you so much again!” – Heather
I’m pleased to announce another recipe of mine was recently published in this cookbook – Country Comforts: Slow Cooker Favorites by Monica Musetti-Carlin and Mary Elizabeth Roarke.
Slow Cooker fans should add this cookbook to their collection. There are over 100 hearty family-style recipes worth trying. And, start with my Chicken Cacciatore with Porcini Mushrooms. It’s a perfect recipe to please the palate on a busy day or even for a Sunday Dinner!
As an Independent Representative of Demarle at Home, I am excited to be able to enhance your cooking class experience utilizing professional-grade cooking tools. Who is Demarle At Home you ask? They are the company that originally created the Silpat® baking sheet that revolutionized the profession and home baking industry. Current products include Flexipan® molds and trays that make baking and cooking fabulous meals easy!
If you love to cook and bake, hosting a Demarle at Home Rendez-vous is a lot of fun. We will share good food and great cooking ideas with your family and friends, and you will also earn FREE products!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is issuing recommendations to help minimize the potential for foodborne illnesses in the wake of continuing winter weather patterns that dump multiple inches of snow and bring strong chilling winds that can leave wide swaths of communities without power for extended periods.
“Food safety becomes even more of a critical public health issue when winter storms that bring heavy snow, ice, bitter cold and strong winds are part of the forecast,” said USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator Al Almanza. “I want to make sure those who could be impacted by winter storms have the information they need so they can ensure the safety of the food and water they may consume, even in the event of power outages.”
Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer. An appliance thermometer will indicate the temperature inside the refrigerator and freezer in case of a power outage and help determine the safety of the food.
Make sure the freezer is at 0°F or below and the refrigerator is at 40°F or below.
Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator or coolers after the power is out.
Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.
Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.
Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours. Purchase or make ice cubes and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers.
Group food together in the freezer — this helps the food stay cold longer.
Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding.
Steps to follow after the weather emergency:
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) and the door remains closed.
Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after 4 hours without power.
Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40° F or below when checked with a food thermometer.
Never taste a food to determine its safety!
Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for 2 days.
If the power has been out for several days, check the temperature of the freezer with an appliance thermometer. If the appliance thermometer reads 40° F or below, the food is safe to refreeze.
If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, the food is safe.
Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers.
Thoroughly wash all metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils that came in contact with flood water with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches (for example, flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches) can be saved. Follow the Steps to Salvage All-Metal Cans and Retort Pouches in the publication “Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency” at:www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Keeping_Food_Safe_During_an_Emergency/index.asp
Use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood waters. If bottled water is not available, tap water can be boiled for safety.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is still investigating glassware by Pyrex and Anchor Hocking that can explode if not handled properly. I love using Pyrex dishes to store leftovers and reheat them in the microwave. I also love my 8 x 8 inch glass pan to cook brownies in. They come out perfect every time. So if you love your glass cookware too, here are some tips to help assure they don’t break on you unexpectedly, with my comments next to them as to how I use this glassware.
To minimize the chances of the glassware shattering, consumers should read and save the safety instructions from their glass bakeware and follow these safety rules:
Always place hot glassware on a dry, cloth potholder or towel. – COMMENT: I love using silicone mats they are squares of silicone that are used as potholders. But I use them as hotplates too!
Never use glassware for stovetop cooking or under a broiler. - COMMENT: Definitely stick to your metal pans for these uses.
Always allow the oven to preheat fully before placing the glassware in the oven. COMMENT: You should always allow the oven to preheat anyway. Why do they say this for the glassware? Newer ovens tend to use both the broiler and the bottom elements to pre-heat the oven. So in essence, this is like using the broiler with the glass dish.
Always cover the bottom of the dish with liquid before cooking meat or vegetables. – COMMENT: If you are roasting meat, better off using a metal pan, or cast iron or stoneware, just to be safe. Why take the chance that the juices from your roast cause the glass to shatter?!
Don’t add liquid to hot glassware. COMMENT: That includes trying to clean it while it is still hot! DO NOT PUT IN THE SINK TO SOAK UNTIL COOL!
If you’re using the dish in a microwave, do not use browning elements, and avoid overheating oil and butter.
Do not take dishes directly from the freezer to the oven or vice versa. COMMENT: For example, that frozen lasagna or casserole you set up to freeze and bake, simply defrost it overnight in your refrigerator and then pre-heat the oven and bake.
Never place hot glassware directly on a countertop (or smoothtop), metal surface, on a damp towel, in the sink, or on a cold or wet surface. – COMMENT: Again, I love those silicone pot holders for this very reason.
Inspect your dishes for chips, cracks, and scratches. Discard dishes with such damage.
To avoid risks associated with glass dishes, consider using metal bakeware for conventional and convection ovens. COMMENT: I agree with this comment for roasting. No need to use glass for this application.
This month I’m the featured entrepreneur on the website of the Personal Chefs Cooperative. This group has the most wonderful people in it. Great chefs and best of all, people who really care about all the members and their success as a personal chef. I am proud to be a member and most honored for this bit of press.
I was just watching a recent episode of Simply Ming on PBS and saw a wonderful tip (which he didn’t even discuss) on the perfect vessel to bake your cheesecake in. A braiser pan!
I watched him wrap the spring form pan with foil on the bottom. He placed the pan in the braiser pan. Brought it to the oven and put the hot water in the bottom.
This is an excellent vessel for baking cheesecake because it’s much smaller than using a roasting pan so it’s easier to carry after the cheesecake is baked without sloshing a lot of water around. I love seeing these types of ideas. Happy cheesecake baking.
Just received my signed copy of a cookbook that published my brasciole recipe. The name of the cookbook is “Country Comfort Holidays Cookbook” by Monica Musetti-Carlin and Mary Elizabeth Roarke. I’m so proud that my recipe was included in this delightful collection of recipes from other chefs and people they know. There are interesting stories to go along with the recipes that drum up memories of great meals.
If you’re looking for a new cookbook, this might be of interest to you. Amazon carries it. Here’s the link. Happy Cooking!
