November 2009 Archives

To celebrate the publication of the Top Chef Quickfire cookbook and the release of the Quickfire Wines, Purcell Murray and Chronicle Books invite you to join us for an evening of cooking demonstrations and recipe tastings by three of the Bay Area's Top Chef contestants.

Please RSVP before December 3rd, 2009.

Space is limited. For questions, more information and to RSVP, please contact Larissa Taboryski. (415) 330-5550 topchefrsvp@purcellmurray.com

Cost: $45 per person and includes a copy of the cookbook.

Pantone recently released their fashion color forecast for Spring 2010 entitled "Splashes of Sunshine for Spring 2010." Hot new colors include Aurora PANTONE 12-0642, a chartreuse yellow that adds fun and freshness to any color scheme in your home + wardrobe.

Gwyneth Paltrow shared her love for her Gaggenau steamer and fryer on the Oprah Winfrey show and in Bon Appetit magazine:

See the Bon Appetit article: An Interview with Gwyneth Paltrow 

And the Oprah  "Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets" segment where Gwyneth talks about her Gaggenau steamer:

"The most efficient dishwasher today, which Bosch introduced this year, uses 1.5 gallons of water per cycle, 70 percent less than the average dishwasher, and meets the 2011 standards. The savings are, in part, created by sensors that detect the amount of soil in the water as well as the type and quantity of dishes and adjust the washing time, amount of detergent and water accordingly. Additionally consumers can opt to only wash the top rack."

As stated by The Associated Press in today's New York Times article "Energy-Wise Appliances Save More Than Time & Money"

How does Bosch do this? Press Play and find out how.

Twenty-Pound Turkey Roasting to Perfection in a 24" Gaggenau Wall Oven

Successfully roasting a turkey is actually quite a simple feat but deciding how to cook the turkey can be confusing. Cookware stores and grocery stores sell deep turkey roasting pans, basting tools and brining kits, yet in a Convection oven we simply place the seasoned turkey on the oven broil pan or in a shallow pan with a rack and roast it without turning or basting it and in much less time.

Before you plan your Thanksgiving menu it will be helpful if you understand the different cooking methods you can choose from. A turkey can be roasted using either Convection or Radiant heat with fabulous results, but there are many advantages to cooking in Convection and since recipes typically don't mention cooking in Convection here is an outline of the differences.

Thermador has always been a leader is creating user-friendly professional appliances for the home but the features of their newest professional cooktops are simply stunning. Each of the star burners features an amazing 18,000 BTU's and while this firepower is amazing for high heat cooking the real joy is that each burner also simmers at an incredibly low rate.

The two left burners have the additional unique to Thermador, Extra-Low feature, that cycles the burner on and off in various timed phases. Extra-Low is ideal for slow cooking and holding food until you are ready to serve it. I have held mashed potatoes on the lowest setting for 1½ hours without scorching the pan or burning the potatoes and you can also melt chocolate without using a double boiler and cook perfect oatmeal and rice without any boil overs.