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.
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.
Sometimes, just like you, your dishes just need a shot of whiskey to make everything better
There are few things as wonderful as whiskey. It's an absolute divine gift from the gods and we will fight anyone who disagrees. Yes, it's a hill we're willing to die on, and for a damned good reason. Not only is this beloved amber spirit a perfect refreshment on its own -- the epitome of comfort in a glass -- but it also makes for a wonderfully diverse and complex addition to many of your existing favorite meals. A few drops of this sweet nectar and dishes are absolutely transformed into better, more mysterious, richer versions of themselves. So put the wine aside tonight -- this is how you really use booze in your cooking.
Surprisingly, you can add whiskey to foods all across the culinary board. In a marinade, it flavors meats from the inside out with its rich, golden notes. Reduced in a sauce, it becomes bold and punchy, pleasing the palette with a spicy kick. And if you add a few tablespoons into your chocolate dessert, such as a frosting or batter, don't blame us when you find you can never have a whiskey-less piece of cake again.
You should be dry brining your steaks — here’s why
This is the easiest way to get the most flavor out of your meats
When the word "brine" comes to mind, you may imagine yourself the night before Thanksgiving, wrestling a 19-pound turkey, trying to fit the thing into a container large enough to hold it and the salty water bath you're submerging it into. It isn't always the most fun activity, sometimes resulting in slippery poultry skidding across the kitchen floor and spewing curse words that make your visiting pearl-clutching mother-in-law blush. Thankfully, today, we're discussing dry brining, a much easier, much less stressful way to tenderize and flavor your proteins, and a new way to cook steak.
Essentially, dry brining is just a fancy culinary term for salting, then resting meat. And it's certainly not just for turkey. When you salt a piece of beef, pork, or poultry and allow that salt to penetrate the meat, you're creating flavor magic. When a piece of protein is seasoned with salt, it draws the juices from the meat to the surface. After a few minutes, that juice will break down the salt, which creates a concentrated dry brine. When left to rest in this way, meat becomes far more flavorful and tender than if you'd merely seasoned the meat right before cooking.
Furthermore, everything you dry brine, from steak and chicken breasts to pork chops, will have a far more even, beautifully golden, crispy crust. This is because the moisture that draws back into the meat after salting creates a much drier surface. And a dry surface is a deliciously golden one when cooked.
The recipe below is a beautifully simple one from Omaha Steaks, walking you through how to dry brine a steak, but this method to make steak will work on just about any protein you can think of, so get creative! And maybe next Thanksgiving, skip the water bath.
Dry-brined New York strip recipe
(From Omaha Steaks)
Omaha Steaks deliciously pairs these New York strips with grilled brown butter balsamic onions, which is exquisite. Enjoy these dry-brined steaks by themselves and/or with your beloved side dishes.
