As an avid home cook, I believe the type of cookware you use is as important as the food quality and ingredients used in your meals. Having the correct type of cookware ensures a dish is cooked to perfection and means a dish you can feel good about eating. I’ve even convinced my grandparents and parents to ditch their nonstick cookware recently — which is no easy task for an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” type of crowd.
A recent study has suggested that even a tiny surface scratch in Teflon cooking pans can shed over 9,000 microparticles and nanoparticles of plastic into your food. If you ask me, this is reason enough to switch to stainless steel cookware free of PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) that build up in your body and cause adverse effects on your health and the environment. I recently tried an 11-inch pan by Hestan NanoBond cookware, which has made the switch to stainless steel pans a breeze. Here’s why I think this pan is perfect for any home cook.
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Even heat distribution
Emily Caldwell / The Manual
For those like my grandma, the most common argument against giving up traditional nonstick cookware is that stainless steel cookware doesn’t distribute heat the same way. Many argue that food doesn’t cook relatively as evenly in these types of pans, which can be a barrier to making the switch. Meanwhile, I haven’t had this issue with the Hestan NanoBond titanium stainless steel pan.
The NanoBond technology of this pan creates a patented, multilayer structure of titanium-based alloys that bond directly to stainless steel for an even cooking surface that is also resistant to scratching and staining. Unlike other pans I’ve tried, the handles don’t get hot while cooking either, helping to ensure your safety as you cook. Although there are dozens of brands to go with when shopping for stainless steel cookware, Hestan’s NanoBond offers something different by bonding titanium-based nanolayers into stainless steel. I’ve cooked everything from seared steaks to scrambled eggs in this perfect, everyday pan. The 11-inch size is a great “medium” size that isn’t too big or small for most basic meals.
The quality of this pan feels like something every avid home cook deserves. Its sturdy construction is made to last even with everyday use. I like the feel of these pans and their durability, which is a bit better than my HexClad Cookware pans. Handcrafted in Italy with exquisite detailing on the handle, you get what you pay for with these quality pans. If you’re not used to cooking with stainless steel cookware, there is a learning curve. You’ll want to figure out how to preheat the pan to avoid cooking incorrectly. The learning curve isn’t difficult (regardless of your skill level as a home cook) and is worth it in the long term.
Chemical-free cookware
Hestan Culinary
While I love how the Hestan NanoBond pan cooks my food, the health-conscious factor of these pans is most important to me. If you’re cooking quality food daily, it’s worthwhile to do so in a frying pan that is 100% nontoxic and free of PFAS. I also like that it is a dishwasher-safe and nickel-free (good for anyone with nickel allergies) pan. Simply put, my meals just feel “cleaner” coming from high-quality cookware like this.
You’re probably not using the broiler setting on your oven, but it’s a game-changer — here’s why
What is a broiler, you ask? Only the best oven setting you're not using.
In the summertime, we talk an awful lot about grilling. And who can blame us? Grilling is a hoot, and grilled foods are spectacularly delicious. But for many reasons, grilling isn't always an option. Perhaps you haven't yet been inspired to buy a grill for yourself, or you live in a place that's especially rainy with no covered patio. Maybe you had a particularly embarrassing experience years ago that involved burning off your eyebrows, and you've been too scared to pick up the tongs ever since. Whatever the reason, it's okay. There is another option. In fact, it's likely something you already have in your kitchen and may not even be aware of. It's your broiler setting.
In addition to being a fantastic substitute for a grill, your broiler can also do a multitude of other impressive culinary tasks, from cooking to crisping to browning to brûléeing. So it's in your best interest to learn how to use this handy tool as soon as possible.
Broilers come standard with almost every oven on the market, be it gas or electric. In most cases, the broiler will be on the inside of your oven, the heat coming directly from the top. You'll access the broiler's heat by placing one of your oven racks on the highest setting — usually two to three inches from the broiler. In other cases, the broiler may be located in a drawer at the bottom of the oven and will work similarly, but with less control as to how closely your food can be placed to the heat source. Either way, it should be fairly obvious when you give your oven a quick inspection. So in case you've ever wondered what that button is for, or, if you're just noticing it for the first time since you moved in, this is how to use your broiler.
Cook
A broiler is, essentially, an upside-down grill inside your oven. If you know your way around a grill and think about it this way, cooking with the broiler will become quite simple. It gives off very high heat, so it's designed to cook quickly. Anything that cooks well on fast, high heat will do well in the broiler. Things like thin cuts of meat, smaller vegetables, and even pizza all cook beautifully this way. Simply adjust your settings according to your ingredients.
Stop tossing your garlic and onion skins: Here are 6 incredible reasons why
It turns out you might be throwing away the best part of your everyday ingredients
They may be the first thing we toss in the bin when it comes time for dinner prep, but it turns out that papery onion and garlic skin actually has some pretty incredible talents other than frustratingly sticking to our fingers. These are our favorite onion skin and garlic skin benefits.
Benefits of onion and garlic peels
1. They add nutrients to your diet
It may sound peculiar, but you can actually eat your onion and garlic skins. And while that papery skin may not be the first thing you want to turn to when it comes time for a midnight snack, it can actually be incorporated into your recipes. Add garlic and onion peels to stock for added flavor, grind, and mix them into savory baked goods. However you choose to include them in your cooking, you can rest assured that you're getting extra boosts of vitamins A, C, E, as well as many additional antioxidants. Skins are also a hefty source of flavonoids, including quercetin, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
2. They add protection and flavor during the cooking process
Keeping the skins on onions and garlic during the roasting process has many benefits. Firstly, all of the wonderful health benefits mentioned above. By keeping the skin intact as long as possible in the cooking process, more nutrients can make their way from the skin into your dish. But by keeping that skin on, you're also protecting the ingredients themselves from harsh cooking and over-browning. Onion and garlic skin will help to protect the more fragile flesh beneath from high heat, providing you with a softer, gentler, more flavorful ingredient.
3. They can relieve muscle cramps
Onions — especially onion skins — are rich in anti-inflammatory properties. By steeping your onion skins in hot water for a few minutes to make tea, you can help to alleviate muscle cramps and tension throughout your entire body. Enjoy before bedtime for full-body relaxation.
4. They're great for the garden
It turns out all those added nutrients in onion and garlic skins aren't just good for your body. They're great for your garden, too. Instead of tossing those skins in the garbage, compost them and put them right back into the ground where all of those wonderful nutrients can help other ingredients grow and flourish.
5. They relieve itchy skin
In addition to all of their other health benefits, garlic and onion skins contain anti-fungal properties that help to alleviate itchy skin ailments, including bug bites and athlete's foot. Simply apply onion or garlic skin-infused water to the affected area for instant relief.
6. They're to dye for
Did you know that onion and garlic skins can be used for dyes? By boiling skins in water, you can create a solution that will give a beautiful golden brown hue to most fabrics, including wool, linen, and silk. It will even help to eliminate gray hairs and give them a natural shine and bouncy texture. Who knew?!
Here’s why you should be grilling your summer cocktails
We all love a classic summer cocktail, but have you ever thought to grill one?
Summertime means backyard barbecues, pool parties, and long evenings by the bonfire. It means picnics and beach getaways, and lounging around in chic shades and sandals. As varied as these fun activities can be, not a single one isn't improved by really, truly delicious summer cocktails. There are, of course, the sunshine staples — margaritas, daiquiris, and piña coladas. And while we certainly aren't here to bash the classics, there's a secret weapon for improving these tried-and-true cocktails, and any other adult beverage you can think of, for that matter: the grill.
While the idea of a grilled cocktail may sound a bit strange, we aren't actually recommending you somehow skewer your martini glass and pop it on the coals. That lemon wedge you use for your icy poolside lemon drop, however, would absolutely love a quick trip to the flames before it hits your glass. Or how about that grapefruit wedge in your Seabreeze? Imagine adding a hint of smoke to the perfectly tart slice of sweet. You get the idea. By grilling your cocktail ingredients before mixing and muddling, you can add a whole new level of beautifully smoky, summertime flavor to your favorite fruity drinks.
The smoke you add to your grilled cocktails can be as subtle or as bold as you wish. If it's only a small kiss of smoke you're after, consider charring your drink's garnish; a citrus wedge, a slice of watermelon, or a bit of peach are all beautiful after a trip to the grill grates. By grilling just some of an ingredient, your drink will have a hint of summertime smoke that contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of a fruity drink.
On the other hand, if you're looking to go bananas (which are also wonderful when grilled), feel free to really go all out. If you're making a Bloody Maria, for example, almost every ingredient but the tequila can be grilled or at least smoked — including all of the vegetable garnishes.
