Grill Pan Recipe: Marinated Grilled Zucchini with Oregano and Dried-Tomato Vinaigrette

Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.
By Sur La Table and Marie Simmons

Prep 10 min | cok time 8 min per batch | serves 4

Zucchini is mild flavored, so it is the perfect canvas for the bold tastes of fresh oregano and dried tomatoes. Use your best extra-virgin olive oil and aged red wine vinegar for the dressing.

Implements
Small Bowl, Flat or Sauce Whisk, Mandoline or Chef’s Knife,
Grill Pan, Silicone Brush, Tongs

Ingredients
Vinaigrette
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, grated or pressed
½ teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 medium (about 5 ounces each) zucchini
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
2 tablespoons finely slivered olive oil–packed sundried tomatoes, drained and patted dry, for garnish

1. Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and grinding of black pepper, and whisk until blended.
2. Trim the stem and blossom ends from the zucchini. With a mandoline or chef’s knife, cut each zucchini lengthwise into 5 slices each about ¼ inch thick, and then spread the slices in a single layer on a platter.
3. Heat the grill pan over medium heat until hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle on contact.
4. While the pan is heating, brush the zucchini slices on both sides with a film of the vinaigrette. Working in batches, place the zucchini on the pan and grill for 4 minutes, or until grill marks appear. Turn with tongs and grill the other side for 4 minutes, or until tender. As each batch is cooked, return the slices to the platter.
5. Sprinkle the zucchini slices lightly with salt. Whisk the oregano into the remaining vinaigrette and drizzle on top of the zucchini. Sprinkle with the tomato slivers. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Green Bean, Tomato, and Potato Salad with Almond and Basil Pesto

From Things Cooks Love, by Sur La Table and Marie Simmons

Prep 30 min | cook time 18 min | serves 4–6

The Italian word pesto translates roughly as “pounded” and typically refers to any food mashed in a mortar. But the best-known pesto is a sauce made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and grated cheese. It is traditionally the sauce for a pasta dish that also includes green beans and potatoes, but here the pasta has been left out and the pesto is instead served over a salad of warm cubed potatoes and green beans. In another departure from tradition, dry-roasted almonds are used in place of the pine nuts. Make this recipe in the summer when the markets are well stocked with beautiful fresh basil.

Implements:
Large Mortar and Pestle, 6-Quart Dutch Oven, Colander, Rubber Spatula, Chef’s Knife

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon coarse salt
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted dry-roasted almonds
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, stemmed
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Yukon Gold or other boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
12 ounces thin green beans, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 large, ripe tomato, cut into thin wedges, for garnish

1. Place the garlic, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and 2 tablespoons of the almonds in a large mortar. Pound with the pestle to a smooth paste. Gradually add the basil leaves while pounding, adding more only after each batch has been reduced to a paste. This will only take 2 to 3 minutes.
2. When all of the basil leaves are pounded to a smooth paste, gradually add both cheeses, stirring with the pestle to blend them with the basil paste. Then drizzle in the olive oil with one hand while stirring and pounding with the pestle in the other hand until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
3. Fill a 6-quart Dutch oven or other large, wide pan two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon salt and the potatoes. Boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the green beans and boil for 6 to 8 minutes, until both the beans and potatoes are tender. Drain in a colander.
4. Place the beans and potatoes in a large serving bowl, spoon the pesto on top, and fold together gently with a rubber spatula until blended. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons almonds. Garnish the bowl with the tomato wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Three-Alarm Tofu with Oyster Mushrooms and Spinach

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

Prep 15 min | Marinating 30 min | cook time 5 min |
serves 4

Tofu absorbs the flavors of other ingredients with which it is cooked. In this dish, it takes on the earthiness of the mushrooms and the spice of the ginger, garlic, and chiles. To save time, chop the ginger and garlic and prepare the other ingredients while the tofu is marinating.

Implements
Cutting Board, Wok, Slotted Spoon, Wire Skimmer, Wok Spatula

Ingredients
12 ounces firm tofu, in a single block, well drained
Marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 ounces oyster mushrooms
3 tablespoons peanut, canola, or other oil with a high smoking point
1 tablespoon peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
6 ounces baby spinach
¹⁄3 cup thinly, diagonally sliced green onions, green and white parts, for garnish
Hot cooked white or brown rice, for serving

1. Set the tofu block on one end and cut it into two ¾-inchthick slices. Place the slices on half of a clean kitchen towel, top with the other half of the towel, and press the tofu gently with your palm to coax out excess moisture. Uncover the tofu, transfer to a cutting board, and cut into ½-inch squares. Set aside.
2. Make the marinade: In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, cornstarch, sesame oil, and red pepper, and mix well. Add the tofu and stir gently to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes, or longer, if preferred. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tofu to a plate and set aside. Reserve the marinade.
3. Trim the base of each mushroom stem. Cut the mushroom caps and the remaining tender stems into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
4. Heat the wok over high heat until hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle and evaporate on contact, then add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu a small batch at a time, shaking the wok and flipping the tofu over with a wok spatula for 2 minutes, or until evenly browned. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the tofu back to its plate.
5. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the wok. Add the mushrooms, ginger, and garlic, and stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute, or until heated through. Return the tofu to the wok and add the reserved marinade and spinach. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, or until the spinach wilts.
6. Transfer the stir-fry to a serving platter and sprinkle with the green onions. Serve at once with the rice.

tip
Where There’s Smoke
Because you’ll be cooking in your wok over high heat, the kind of oil you use is important. Some vegetable oils with a low smoking point, such as extra-virgin olive oil, are not well-suited for high-temperature cooking. Peanut oil, grape seed oil, and canola oil are recommended for high-temperature frying.

Meringue Crispies

From Baking Kids Love by Sur La Table and Cindy Mushet

Ingredients
3 large egg whites (not even a speck of yolks, please)
¾ cup sugar
Tools
Hand mixer and a medium bowl, both very clean
Silicone spatula
One 14-inch pastry bag fitted with a ³⁄8-inch plain round tip
2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper

1. Before you begin
• Position two oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 225ºF.

2. Make the meringue
• Put the egg whites in the clean bowl and whip on medium speed until they are foamy and form soft peaks.
• To check, turn off the mixer, lift the beaters straight out of the eggs, then turn them upside down. The slope leading to the tip of the egg whites should be soft and barely holding its shape.
• With the mixer running on medium, gently shake the sugar over the eggs, letting it blend in slowly. Once all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer to high and continue to beat until the eggs are very fluffy and shiny, and form firm peaks, another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Turn off the mixer and check as above — at this point the slope should be nearly vertical.

3. Pipe the cookies
• Put the tip into the pastry bag. Spoon the meringue into the bag until it is half full. Grasp the bag just above the mound of meringue and twist it 3 times (this prevents the mixture from coming out the wrong end of the bag).
• Squeeze from the twisted part of the bag, while guiding the bag with a couple of fingers near the tip. Pipe the meringue into any shape you like, such as letters of the alphabet, rounds, or even zigzags. Keep the tip of the bag about an inch from the surface of the pan and let the meringue fall out of the bag onto the pan in a thick rope.
• Refill the bag with the remaining meringue. Retwist and continue piping until you have used all the batter.

Playing Around
Rattling meringue bones and fingers

For bones: Pipe the meringue into a stretched version of dog bone treats.

For fingers: Pipe a straight line with a knobby center for the knuckle and a tapered end for the fingernail. Just before baking, set a colored candy almond or a sliced almond into the meringue at the tapered end. Once the “fingers” have dried, finish them by dipping one of the ends in melted red coating chocolate for blood. Pipe a ring with melted colored coating chocolate, and embellish with colored sugars, dragées, or candy pearls.

Grilled Country Pork Chops with Bourbon-Basted Grilled Peaches

From Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America’s Farmers by Sur La Table, Janet Fletcher

Grilling intensifies the flavor of peaches by caramelizing their natural sugars. Baste the peaches with butter, honey, and bourbon as they grill to give them a sheen. Serve them with juicy pork chops that have been brined to season them all the way through. Serves 4

Ingredients

BRINE
1 1⁄2 quarts water
6 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

4 bone-in pork loin chops, about 3⁄4 inch thick
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 teaspoons honey
2 large freestone peaches, such as O’Henry or Elberta, halved and pitted

1 Make the brine: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt. Set aside until completely cool.

2 Put the pork chops in a nonreactive container that holds them snugly in a single layer. Add the brine, which should cover them. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

3 About 1 hour before cooking, remove the pork chops from the brine and set them on a wire cooling rack at room temperature to dry. Discard the brine. Prepare a moderate charcoal fire for indirect grilling (page 102) or prehat a gas grill to moderate (375˚F), leaving one burner unlit for indirect grilling.

4 In a small saucepan, combine the butter, bourbon, and honey. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring until the butter melts and the honey dissolves. Keep warm.

5 Pat the pork chops with paper towels to remove any remaining surface moisture. Set the chops directly over the coals or flame and brown both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Then transfer to indirect heat, cover the grill, and cook until the pork chops offer some resistance to the touch but are still springy, not firm, about 4 minutes longer. On an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should measure about 150˚F for medium.

6 Once the pork chops have been moved to indirect heat, grill the peaches. Brush them all over with the butter-honey mixture and place cut side down directly over the coals or flame. Cook until the peaches are lightly charred, then turn, baste again, and cook just until they are tender and juicy. The pork chops and peaches should be done at roughly the same time, but if not, move whichever is done first to a cooler area of the grill. Serve each pork chop alongside half a grilled peach.

Carrot Zucchini Bread with Candied Ginger

From Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America’s Farmers by Sur La Table, Janet Fletcher

When summer delivers too many zucchini, many people reach for a zucchini bread recipe. Here’s one with a difference: wisps of grated carrot for color, and nuggets of moist candied ginger for spice. The idea comes from Annie Baker, a respected pastry chef in California’s Napa Valley. Makes two 8-inch loaves

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1⁄2 cup minced candied ginger
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 3⁄4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely grated carrots
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini

1 Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Coat two 8-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

2 In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in the salt and candied ginger.

3 In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and foamy. Add the oil, sugar, and vanilla, whisking vigorously until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the carrots and zucchini.

4 Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until blended. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.

5 Bake until the bread is well risen and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert and finish cooling right side up on a cooling rack.

The Amazing Shape-Changing Bread

From Baking Kids Love by Sur La Table and Cindy Mushet

Makes 1 delicious 9” x 5” loaf

Ingredients

for the bread dough
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast)
1 ¼ cups warm milk (no hotter than 115ºF)
2 teaspoons sugar
3 ¼ cups unbleached allpurpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

To finish
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon water
Tools
Small bowl
Whisk
Large bowl
Wooden spoon
Bench scraper
9 by 5-inch loaf pan, lightly buttered or sprayed with pan spray
Pastry brush

1. Proof the yeast
• Wake up the yeast by whisking it into ¼ cup warm (not hot) milk in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and set the bowl aside for 8 to 10 minutes, until it looks foamy (see page 9).
• If the yeast isn’t foamy after 15 minutes (it didn’t wake up), start over with a new package.

2. Mix the dough
• Put the flour and salt in the large bowl and whisk to blend. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture. Pour in the remaining 1 cup of warm milk and the melted butter. Stir well with the wooden spoon until you get big, shaggy clumps of dough and it all starts to stick together.

3. Knead the dough
• Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface (don’t put too much, because you can always add more later). Dip your hands in flour and start kneading the dough (see page 12). It will take about 10 minutes of kneading until you get a smooth, springy dough.
• Sprinkle a little more flour on the table and on top if the dough feels very sticky. It should feel tacky, like tape, but not sticky and gooey. A metal bench scraper is handy to scrape up any bits of dough that are stuck to the table, and to help you move the dough around.

4. Let the dough rise
• Wash out the large bowl and rub the inside with a thin layer of vegetable oil (or use pan spray). Shape the dough into a ball and put it in the bowl. Lightly rub or spray the top of the dough with a little oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set it aside and let the dough rise until it is twice as big, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5. Punch down and shape the dough
• Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured table. Press down firmly to flatten the dough and pop the air bubbles in the dough. Don’t knead or it will get too springy to shape.
• To shape the dough into a loaf, gently pull the flattened dough into a 7 by 10-inch rectangle.

Fontina Fondue with Grappa and Chopped Broccoli

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

By Sur La Table and Marie Simmons

Fondue Pot recipe

Prep 30 min | Cook time (bread) 20 min | Cook time (fondue) 10 min | Serves 4–6

The classic fondue is made with Gruyère and Emmental cheese melted with white wine and a splash of kirsch, a clear brandy distilled from cherry juice and pits. This riff on that tradition is made with imported Italian fontina Val d’Aosta, a rich, nutty cheese used to make fonduta, the famed fondue of northern Italy that combines cheese, egg yolks, and cream. The broccoli is a pretty touch but is optional, as is the crushed red pepper.

Implements
Tongs, Rimmed Sheet Pan, 2- or 3-Quart Saucepan, Strainer, Fondue Pot, Slotted
Spoon

Ingredients
1 loaf whole wheat Italian or French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 cup coarsely chopped (¼-inch pieces) broccoli florets, (optional)
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 large clove garlic, halved lengthwise
1 cup pinot grigio or other dry white wine
1 tablespoon grappa or brandy
1 pound fontina Val d’Aosta cheese, rind removed and coarsely shredded (about 8 cups)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with the oil. Use tongs or your hands to toss the bread, coating it with the oil and adding a little more oil if the cubes aren’t evenly coated. Spread the bread on a large rimmed sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until very lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool.
2. Heat to a boil a 2- or 3-quart saucepan half filled with water. Add the broccoli and salt and boil for 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
3. Rub the inside of a flameproof ceramic fondue pot with the cut sides of the garlic. Discard the garlic, or reserve for another use. Add the wine to the fondue pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. (Check the manufacturer’s instructions to see if a heat diffuser is necessary.) Add the grappa.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cheese and flour and toss to combine. Gradually add the cheese, a handful at a time, to the simmering wine, stirring vigorously with a slotted metal or wooden spoon after each addition until melted before adding more cheese. Fold the broccoli and red pepper into the melted cheese until blended.
5. Put the bread cubes on a platter or in a basket and place on the table. Place the tabletop heater in the center of the table and place the fondue pot on top. Provide each diner with a fondue fork for spearing the bread cubes and dipping into the communal pot.

Shrimp and Pork Dumplings with Spicy Dipping Sauce

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

Prep 30 to 45 min | cook time (per batch) 20 minutes |
Makes about 40 dumplings | serves 4–6

Asian dumplings are fun to make and to eat, and ready-made wrappers can be found in the refrigerated or frozen-food section of many supermarkets. Asian dumplings can be boiled, braised and browned in a skillet, or steamed. These are complemented by a spicy dipping sauce.

Implements
Small Saucepan, Small Strainer, Food Processor, Rimmed Sheet Pan, Parchment Paper, Large Skillet, Tongs, 1 or 2 Bamboo Steamers, Pot Holder

Ingredients
Filling
½ cup dried (about ½ ounce) shiitake mushroom slices
4 ounces shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 ounces ground pork (not too lean)
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon crushed or grated garlic
¼ teaspoon sugar
¹⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 (10-ounce) package refrigerated or frozen round wonton wrappers or square gyoza skins (about 50)
6 to 8 whole Napa cabbage leaves

Spicy Dipping Sauce
¹⁄3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon chile oil

1. Make the filling: In a small saucepan, combine the mushrooms with water to cover (about 1 cup) and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes, or until softened. Drain in a small strainer placed over a bowl, reserving the soaking liquid for soup. Spread the mushrooms on a clean kitchen towel and blot dry. Finely chop the mushrooms.

2. In a food processor, pulse the shrimp until finely chopped but not pureed. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, shrimp, pork, shallot, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, and black pepper. Insert a chopstick or the round handle of a wooden spoon into the mixture and pull it straight across once or twice to mix the ingredients. Then use the chopstick or handle to stir the mixture gently in one direction until well mixed.

3. Have ready a small bowl of warm water. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. Lightly flour a flat work surface, and lay a wrapper on the surface. Top the wrapper with a rounded teaspoon of the filling, placing it off center. Using your fingertip or a small brush, moisten half of the edge of the wrapper with the warm water. If using a round wrapper, fold it in half to make a half circle. If using a square wrapper, fold it in half to make a triangle. Pinch the center closed first. Using your fingertips, make 2 pleats on the front (side facing you) flap of the wrapper and press to close. (You can skip the pleats, see Tips, following). Alternatively, bring the corners of both sides of the bottom of the triangle together and seal. Stand the dumpling on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat to make more dumplings until you have used up all of the filling. As you put the dumplings on the sheet pan, make sure they are not touching, or they will stick together. If you have leftover wrappers, they can be frozen for another use. At this point, the dumplings can be frozen. Place them on a rimmed sheet pan lined with heavyduty aluminum foil and freeze solid, then peel them off the foil and store them in a resealable plastic freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw before steaming.

4. Half fill a large skillet or sauté pan with water and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage leaves a few at a time and blanch for 1 minute, or until wilted. Using tongs, transfer 150 the leaves to a plate and let cool. Lay the cooled leaves in a single layer, overlapping them slightly, in the bottom of 1 or 2 bamboo steamers. Arrange as many dumplings as will fit comfortably, without touching, on top of the leaves.

5. Place the bottom of a steamer in a large wok and add just enough water so that the rim, but not the mesh, of the steamer touches the water. If using a second tier, place it on top of the first and cover it; otherwise, just press the top in place. Place the wok on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and steam the dumplings for 18 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, combine the soy, vinegar, water, and chile oil and stir to mix. Set aside in small serving bowls.

7. When the time is up, test the dumplings for doneness: Uncover the steamer, remove 1 dumpling, and cut it open. The filling should be cooked through and the dumpling light and tender.

8. To serve, slide the steamer (or each steamer) onto a round platter using a pot holder. Serve the dumplings directly from the baskets, and eat the cabbage leaves along with the dumplings. Either spoon the sauce over the dumplings once they’re served or place individual bowls of sauce on the table for dipping.

tips
The Many Ways to Wrap a Dumpling Dumpling wrappers are variously called dumpling skins, wonton wrappers, and gyoza wrappers. Examine them carefully before buying. The thicker wrappers are good for boiled dumplings, whereas the thinner ones are better for steamed or fried dumplings. Although round and square wrappers are traditionally used for different fillings, they can be used interchangeably.

Chinese steamed dumplings are typically pleated along their edges, so that the steam can puff them up without the delicate wrapper tearing. (If they do break open during steaming, you have probably used too much filling.) The pleating can be omitted in favor of simply pressing the edges together firmly; be sure you underfill the dumplings slightly, or they will break open while steaming. Or, look for a molded plastic dumpling maker, a hinged tool that pleats and presses a Chinese dumpling with one easy motion.

Why Stir in One Direction?
It may sound overly fussy, but stirring the dumpling filling in one direction is important. It blends the ingredients together thoroughly without compacting them, which is what happens if you stir them in more than one direction. Your filling will be lighter and more tender as a result. Apply this same technique to meat loaf, meatball, and pâté mixtures.

Fennel and Orange Salad with Fresh Cranberries and Green Apple

From Knives Cooks Love: How to Buy, Sharpen, and Use Your Most Important Kitchen Tool

Bright, tangy, and full of flavors, this slawlike salad will jazz up a pork, chicken, or turkey main course. It also lets you hone your fennel slicing and orange-segmenting skills. Reducing the orange juice is the key to the dressing’s intense flavor.

Serves 4 as a side dish

²⁄3 cup fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons sugar
3 navel or blood oranges (or a mix)
1 fennel bulb
¼ small red onion
1 small Granny Smith apple
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (see page 132)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
Freshly ground black pepper

Set a cutting board in a large rimmed baking sheet (to catch any runaway cranberries). Cut the berries in half, cupping your hand over the spine of the knife to help prevent berries from popping off the board. Continue chopping them to medium-coarse pieces, as for a relish. Put the cranberries in a small bowl and toss with the sugar. Let macerate for about 20 minutes as you prepare the restof the ingredients.

Working over a bowl, segment the oranges (see page 150). Pick out any stray seeds. Separate the orange segments from their juice, reserving both in separate bowls. Peel away the outer layer of fennel if it isscuffed up or very fibrous. Quarter and core the fennel, and cut it into very thin crosswise slices (see page 119); you should have 2 to 2 ½ cups. Put the fennel in a large bowl. Cut the onion into very thin crosswise slices until you get ¼ cup (see page 94), and add it to the bowl.

Peel the apple and cut it into ³⁄8-inch-thick slices (see page 139). Cut the slices into ³⁄8- inch julienne strips and then crosswise into ³⁄8-inch dice; you should have 1 cup. Add the apple to the bowl with the fennel. Add the parsley to the bowl as well.

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, and a generous pinch of salt in a small dish. Pour the reserved orange juice into a very small saucepan. Give the orange segments a gentle squeeze to release additional juice and add the juices to the pan. Bring the juice to a simmer and let it reduce down to a thin, syrupy consistency, 2 to 3 minutes; you should have about 1 tablespoon of juice. Add it to the oil mixture.

Sprinkle the fennel mixture with the ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Scrape the cranberries, along with any juices, into the bowl. Add the orange segments (but not their juices, if any) and toss gently. Whisk the dressing and drizzle it over the salad. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. Taste and add salt if needed before serving.

Fleur De Sel Caramels

From Tips Cooks Love: Over 500 Tips, Techniques, and Shortcuts That Will Make You a Better Cook!, by Sur La Table, and Rick Rodgers

Makes 36 Caramels

Salt is usually considered a savory flavor, but it is often sneaked into caramel desserts where it acts to heighten the interplay between bitter and sweet. A pinch of crunchy sea salt flakes on each caramel identifies it as an out-of-the-ordinary candy experience.

• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as fleur de sel or Maldon, plus more for topping
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Lightly butter an 8-inch square metal baking pan. Line the bottom and 4 sides of the pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to overhang the rim on all sides by about 2 inches. (The overhang will be used as “handles” to remove the caramel slab from the pan.)

2. In a saucepan, bring the cream, butter, and salt to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often until the butter melts. Remove from the heat.

3. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring just until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to boil without stirring, occasionally swirling the pan by its handle and wiping down any sugar crystals that form on the sides with a natural bristle brush dipped in cold water, for about 6 minutes, or until the syrup is dark golden brown—about the color of a new penny. The syrup should have a slightly acrid aroma, and a whiff of smoke should rise from the surface.

4. Gradually and carefully add the hot cream mixture—it will bubble up—to the caramel. When the bubbles subside, clip a candy thermometer to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often to avoid scorching, until the temperature reaches 245° to 250°F (firm-ball stage). Remove the heat and stir in the vanilla.

5. Pour into the prepared pan. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let stand until tepid, about 30 minutes.

6. Using an oiled chef’s knife, score the top of the candy into 36 equal portions. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt into the center of each portion, and press with your finger to help it adhere. Let cool completely, 3 to 4 hours.

7. Lift up the paper handles to remove the caramel slab in a single piece. Peel away the parchment paper. Using the oiled knife, cut the caramel through the scores into 36 individual pieces. Wrap each caramel in a square of waxed paper, twisting the ends to seal. The caramels can be stored in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 1 week.

Tips for Caramels

• Do not stir the syrup until the butter and cream are added.
• Wash down any crystals that form on the inside of the saucepan with a natural-bristle brush dipped in cold water.
• Judge caramel by color and aroma, not with a candy thermometer.
• Add vanilla extract to hot mixtures after they are finished cooking.

Panfried Skirt Steaks with Red Wine Béarnaise Sauce

From Tips Cooks Love: Over 500 Tips, Techniques, and Shortcuts That Will Make You a Better Cook!, by Sur La Table, and Rick Rodgers

Serves 4

Skirt steak is one of the most flavorful cuts and can be quickly panfried in a skillet on the stove top. The sophisticated and easy béarnaise sauce—it’s made in a blender—gives the steak a nice touch of class. When you cook the steak, be sure to turn on the range hood to avoid smoking up the kitchen.

• 4 (7-ounce) skirt steaks
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

RED WINE BÉARNAISE SAUCE
• ¼ cup hearty red wine, such as Cabernet-Shiraz blend
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
• Kosher salt

Trim a few pieces of fat from the steaks and reserve. Mix together the salt and pepper, and season the steaks all over with the mixture. Let the steaks stand at room temperature while you make the sauce.

To make the béarnaise sauce, combine the wine, vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and coarsely ground pepper in a small, nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible. Reserve the solids in the sieve.

Put the egg yolks and strained wine mixture in a blender. In a saucepan, bring the butter to a boil over medium heat. Pour the hot butter into a heatproof glass measuring cup. Skim the foam off the surface of the butter. With the blender running, slowly add the hot butter through the hole in the lid, leaving the milk solids in the measuring cup. It should take about 1 minute to add the butter. Then uncover the blender, add the reserved solids in the sieve, re-cover, and pulse just to combine. Season with salt. Transfer to the top part of a double boiler and keep warm for up to 30 minutes. (Or transfer the sauce to a warmed widemouthed Thermos and keep warm for up to 2 hours.)

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the reserved beef fat and use tongs to wipe a thin coating of fat over the entire bottom of the skillet. Remove and discard the fat. Add the steaks and cook, turning once, for about 5 minutes total for medium-rare, or until they are nicely browned on both sides and feel somewhat resilient when pressed in the center.

Transfer each steak to a dinner plate. Spoon the sauce into a serving bowl. Serve the steaks hot, and pass the sauce at the table.

Tips for Skirt Steak with Béarnaise Sauce

• A cast-iron skillet creates a beautiful crust on steaks.
• Grease the skillet with some of the beef fat.
• Keep béarnaise sauce warm in a double boiler or in a widemouthed Thermos.
• Use a nonreactive saucepan to cook the acidic ingredients for the sauce.

The French Pantry

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

Almost every American cook has had some exposure to French cooking, and that made the selection of cookware, tools, and recipes for this chapter an exciting challenge. The French have had an amazing impact on what Americans eat and how we talk about cooking. You can hardly look at a cooking magazine, read a restaurant menu, or step into a fast-food joint without seeing the words soufflé, fondue, crème brûlée, pâté, quiche, and, of course, French fry. Discover specialized cookware such as the cocotte, the chinois, the raclette grill, the mussel pot, and the pommes Anna pan, and rediscover familiar pieces like the crepe pan, the omelet pan, and the fondue pot. Then you can serve up these Gallic specialties using the wonderful variety of cheeses, oils, vinegars, and other specialties of France.

Cheese

Brie
This rich cow’s milk cheese has a creamy, soft interior and is covered by a chalky, mildly flavored edible rind. Brie imitations are sold everywhere but, for a special meal, seek out an imported Brie de Meaux. (This is almost impossible to find in the United States because it is made from raw milk and aged less than the FDA-required sixty days. An excellent substitute is an imported knockoff called Fromage de Meaux that is almost as good as the real thing.)

Chèvre
The word chèvre means “goat,” and is also used to describe a pure goat’s milk cheese in France. Goat cheeses are made throughout the world, but the French probably have the widest range of types, shapes, and sizes. Typically, the cheeses have a tangy, almost lemony taste. Soft fresh goat cheeses are often melted into sauces or cut into disks, browned, and served as the enterpiece of a salad. The semiaged log-shaped Bucheron has a tangier, more complex flavor than a fresh chèvre, and a drier, chalkier texture that makes it ideal for crumbling on top of salads.

Comté
A cow’s milk cheese from the Jura in eastern France, near the Swiss border. It has a sweet, nutty taste and, although it is a firm cheese, it has a soft feel in your mouth. Sometimes compared to Gruyère, it is both a great melting cheese and eating cheese.

Check out Things Cooks Love for more on The Frech Pantry....

Corn Tortillas Casserole

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

Prep time 30 min | cook time (sauce and chiles) 20 min | cook time (casserole) 35 min | serves 6

Known as a sopa seca, or "dry soup," this casserole is the definition of Mexican comfort food. Corn tortillas cut into strips are layered with spicy tomato sauce, roasted poblano chiles, and two types of cheese, one soft and melting and the other dry and sharp. The top is spiced with sour cream or Mexican crema, a rich, thick cream available in Mexican grocers, and then the whole thing is baked.

Implements
Large Sauté Pan, Stove-top Pepper Roaster, Tongs, Heavy 10-inch Skillet, Slotted Spoon, Round or Rectangular Terra-cotta Baking Dish

Ingredients
Tomato Sauce with Chipotle Chiles
2 tablespoons flavorless vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped white onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 cups canned tomato puree
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 poblano chile
Canola oil, for frying
12 to 15 day-old corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 cup (2 ounces) shredded queso Chihuahua or other semisoft melting cheese (such
as Monterey Jack or Muenster)
1 cup grated queso añejo or other sharp grating cheese (such as pecorino romano or Asiago)
½ cup sour cream, preferably Mexican sour cream, called crema

1. Make the sauce: Heat a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the tomato puree, chile and adobo sauce, and salt, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring. Decrease the heat to low and cook,
uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Set aside.
2. Preheat a stove-top pepper roaster or a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a broiler. Char the skin of the poblano, turning with tongs, for 10 to 15 minutes, until evenly blackened and blistered. Place the charred poblano in a bowl, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and let stand for about 20 minutes, or until cool enough to handle and the skin has loosened. Rub the charred skin off the cooled chile with your fingertips, or use the tip of a small knife. Rinse with water, then slit the chile along its length and open it flat. Cut out and discard the stem and scrape away the seeds and white membranes with the tip of a spoon. Cut the poblano lengthwise into ¼-inch-wide strips and set aside.
3. Line a tray with paper towels. Pour oil to a depth of ½ inch into a heavy 10-inch skillet, place over medium heat, and heat until a tortilla strip dropped into the oil sizzles on contact. Working in small batches, fry the tortilla strips for 20 to 30 seconds, until they begin to crisp but not brown. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to transfer the tortilla strips to the prepared tray. Repeat until all the tortillas strips are fried.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread one-third of the sauce in a 10-by-2-inch round or an 8½-by-10½-by-2-inch terra-cotta, ceramic, or enameled cast-iron baking dish. Layer half of the tortilla strips on top. Sprinkle with one third each queso Chihuahua and queso añejo cheese. Layer half of the poblano strips on top. Spread with half of the remaining tomato sauce and layer with all of the remaining tortillas strips, half of each cheese, and all of the remaining poblano strips. Add a final layer of tomato
sauce and then a layer of both cheeses. Spread the sour cream over the top.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

Cookware: Braiser - From Things Cooks Love

This multiuse round, shallow, two-handled stovetop-to-oven pan has a domed lid that keeps braised foods moist throughout cooking. Without the lid, it can be used in the oven as a baker or as a sauté pan. It is made from a variety of materials, some attractive enough to use for serving.

Braiser

The braiser, also known as the bistro or buffet casserole, is handsome enough to go directly from the oven or stove top to the table. It is relatively shallow (2 ½ to 3 inches deep) and has a large cooking surface, making it suitable for sautéing, browning, and braising compact foods such as chicken, fish, chops, and vegetables. The snug-fitting domed lid locks in the juices and allows the condensation to drip back onto the food, keeping it moist while it slowly cooks.

The pan, which has two looped opposing handles, is available in relatively lightweight, polished stainless steel–clad aluminum that heats up quickly and cleans easily. The other choice is a mattefinished enameled cast iron, which is a much heavier pan and heats more slowly but holds the heat longer, making it perfect for keeping foods warm on a buffet.



Tips for Using
Not just for braising, the pan—sans the lid—works as a baking dish and as a skillet on the stove top.

Because it is flameproof, the braiser can be used under the broiler.

Its broad, shallow profile means the brasier is good for cooking rice, and rice dishes like pilaf, perfectly. The braiser is handsome enough to use as a serving dish.

Braiser Recipe

Beef Braciole Stuffed with Sausage, Two Cheeses, and Dried Currants

Prep 45 min | Cook time 1 to 1½ hr | Serves 4

Braciole is a favorite Italian dish of meat slices pounded flat, spread with a filling, rolled into little bundles, and then slowly braised. For this recipe, you can use beef round, flank, or chuck, but pork cutlets, cut from the leg, will also work. As with so many slow-cooked dishes, the flavors improve if the recipe is made ahead and then reheated just before serving. Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta, or a small pasta shape, such as orzo. Serve with Creamy Polenta with Two Cheeses (page 57) or Fluffy Yukon Gold Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Green Onions
(page 111).

Implements
Meat Pounder, Cooking String or Silicone Ties, Braiser, Tongs, Flat-Edged Wooden Spoon or Flat Whisk, Food Mill, Cutting Board

Ingredients
Stuffing
8 ounces sweet Italian sausages, preferably with fennel, casings removed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup fine dried bread crumbs
½ cup (2 ounces) diced aged provolone cheese
½ cup grated pecorino romano or Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons dried currants or dark raisins
1 clove garlic, minced
8 thin slices (¼ to ¹⁄3 inch thick) boneless beef top round, flank, or chuck (about 1¼ pounds total)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional as needed

Sauce
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
½ cup finely chopped carrot
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup full-bodied red wine
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juices
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, for garnish

1. Make the stuffing: In a large bowl, combine the sausage meat, egg, bread crumbs, provolone cheese, pecorino romano cheese, parsley, currants, and garlic, and stir until well blended.
2. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface and place a slice of beef on top. Place a second piece of plastic wrap on top of the beef. Using a meat pounder, gently but firmly pound the meat, beginning in the center and working your way to the edges, until the meat is an even ¹⁄8 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining beef slices. Depending on the weight of the pounder and the thickness of the meat, each slice can take 10 to 20 firm, purposeful whacks to achieve the correct thickness.
3. Cut 16 pieces of cooking string each 10 inches long, or have ready silicone ties. Sprinkle each meat slice with a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper.
4. Divide the stuffing into 8 equal portions (each one will be a heaping ¼ cup). Place a portion in the center of a meat slice and spread to within ½ inch of the edges. Press the stuffing evenly into the meat. Beginning with the narrow end, roll up the meat around the stuffing to make a neat bundle. Using the string or ties, tie each roll crosswise and lengthwise, like a package, securely but not too tightly. Repeat with the remaining meat slices and stuffing.
5. Heat the braiser over medium heat until hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle on contact, then add the olive oil. Arrange the meat rolls in the pan (they fit best if arranged like wheel spokes) and brown on all 4 sides, turning the rolls with tongs, for about 5 minutes total, or until evenly colored. Using the tongs, transfer the meat to a plate.
6. Make the sauce: If the pan is dry, add an additional drizzle of oil. Add the onion and carrot, and cook, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until softened. Add the red wine and bring to a boil. Using the flat edge of a wooden spoon or a flat whisk, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil the wine for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Remove from the heat.
7. Set a food mill fitted with the fine disk on the rim of a medium bowl, add the tomatoes with their juices, and puree. Or, puree the tomatoes in a food processor and then press though a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
8. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf to the braiser and bring to a boil. Return the beef rolls to the sauce, turning with the tongs to coat well, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork. Turn the rolls occasionally and check to make sure the sauce isn’t boiling too hard.
9. Transfer the rolls to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the sauce over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
10. Snip the strings from the beef rolls and discard, or untie the silicone ties. Cut the rolls on the diagonal into slices ½ inch thick, and arrange the slices on a warmed deep platter. Remove and discard the bay leaf from the sauce. Spoon the sauce on top of the rolls and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve hot.

Clay Cooker

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

The design of a clay cooker, also known as a clay pot, imitates the ancient practice of covering food with wet clay, roasting it in an open fire until the clay forms a hard shell, and then cracking the shell to expose the cooked food, likely losing most of the tasty juices at the same time. Today, clay cookers are far easier to use and are especially appreciated because foods cooked in them require little or no added fat.

Some clay cookers are unglazed on the inside but all need to be soaked in cold water for about 30 minutes before using for the first time. As the heat of the oven permeates the pot, the wetness in the clay is drawn out, adding moisture to the cooker’s interior.

Tips for Using
Read the instructions that accompany your clay cooker before use. All clay cookers—even glazed ones—must be soaked—typically 30 minutes—before they are used the first time.

All clay cookers should also be soaked each time they are used, but for a shorter length of time,
typically 15 minutes.

To soak, slip the cooker into a sink filled with cool water.

Some clay pots must be placed in a cold oven, which is then turned to the desired temperature, usually 400° to 450°F. Make sure to read carefully the instructions that accompany your clay cooker.

Because the soaked pot adds so much moisture to the food, it’s the perfect vessel for making soup.

Care in Using
Don’t take a clay cooker from a hot oven and place it on cold granite, tile, stainless steel, or another cold surface. Instead, place it on a folded kitchen towel to buffer it from extreme temperature changes.

Wash with warm, soapy water and gently scrub with a stiff plastic brush. Use only mild dishwashing liquid, never strong cleaners.

To remove stubborn burnt-on food or residual odors from the interior, fill the clay pot with warm water, add a spoonful of baking soda, and let stand overnight. It should then scrub clean. Always consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

Alternatives
Dutch oven, cocotte, or braiser.

The Moroccan Kitchen

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

The MoroccanPantry

Morocco boasts a varied landscape: orchards of olives, almonds, and lemons; fishing boats crowding the seashore; and sheep and goats grazing on the mountainsides. Its colorful markets keep Moroccan pantries well stocked with exotic spices in every color and aroma. The intriguing cookware includes the couscoussière, a two-tiered metal pot for cooking couscous, and the tagine, a shallow earthenware pot with a tall, conical lid for cooking its famous stews. Here you will read about some of the staples of the Moroccan pantry and learn how to make bisteeya, a lavish savory pie with a buttery, paper-thin pastry, topped with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar—an appropriately sweet finish to your journey through the global kitchen.

Cumin
Cumin is one of the most popular spices of the Moroccan kitchen. For the best flavor, always toast the whole seeds in a small, dry skillet to release their aroma before grinding them in either a mortar or an electric spice grinder.

Couscous
When uncooked, couscous, small beads of rolled semolina, look like tiny pellets. When steamed, they swell and become soft and fluffy. Boxes of precooked couscous—often labeled “instant” or “quick cooking”—hold the same couscous you see sold in bulk in specialty-food shops, health-food stores, and many supermarkets. The box directions produce a satisfying but heavy starch, but when steamed in the traditional way (page 316), the results are lighter, fluffier, and more tender.

Flower Waters
Orange-flower water and rose water are used to flavor desserts, sweets, and beverages. Both waters are distilled from blossoms or buds and are sold in small bottles 312 in specialty-food shops and in some large liquor stores.

Harissa
Made from chiles, garlic, and caraway, coriander, and/or cumin, harissa is a fiery sauce found on tables throughout North Africa. It can be purchased in jars or tubes, or made at home in a blender or with a mortar and pestle. Harissa is used as a condiment to flavor soups, stews,
couscous, and other dishes.

Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons—slit whole lemons packed into jars with salt and lemon juice and left to mature—are indispensable in the Moroccan kitchen. The rinds are cut into small pieces to flavor tagines and other dishes, while the pulp is used to season sauces. They can be made at
home (page 328) or purchased in specialty-food shops.

Ras el Hanout
This blend of exotic spices is primarily used to flavor meat dishes, but it is also used in rice dishes and couscous. It can be made with as few as ten spices or more than three times that amount. Home cooks typically roast whole spices and then grind them to a fine powder
in a mortar or spice grinder. Look for ras el hanout in specialty-food shops.

Saffron
The orange-yellow stigma of a purple crocus, saffron is used in the cooking of many countries around the Mediterranean and in the Middle East, including Morocco, where local cooks regularly add it to tagines. Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, it will keep for up to 6 months before it begins to lose its pungency. (For more on saffron, see page 293.)

Phyllo
These paper-thin Greek pastry leaves are widely available frozen, typically rolled in plastic and packed into a long, narrow box. Phyllo is an excellent substitute for traditional Moroccan pastry when making bisteeya.

Cookware: Grill Pan

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

The grill pan, also called a skillet grill, comes in all sizes and shapes (round, square, and rectangular) and is made from a variety of materials, such as steel and aluminum blends, or cast iron. Designed for use on the stove top, it has raised grids that leave seared grill marks on the surface of the food, making it possible to pretend you’re grilling even when it is snowing outdoors. The wells between the grids catch fat and juices, leaving the surface of the food dry—a boon for anyone interesting in low-fat cooking.

Tips for Using
Before adding the food to the grill pan, preheat it over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates on contact.

Oil the grill pan or the food, just as you would when using an outdoor grill.

The grill pan is perfect for quickly heating up hot dogs or fully cooked sausages, and great for grilled sandwiches, thin cutlets, chicken breasts, and vegetables.

Food cooks more slowly on a grill pan than it does on a flat surface, because contact with the food is limited to the grids.

Hamburgers are only successful on a grill pan if the patties are less than ½ inch thick. This is true of most meats cooked on the grill pan.

Vegetables cook best when they are thinly cut, so all surfaces will come in contact with the hot grid.

Care in Using
Never scour a grill pan with abrasive cleaners. Instead, soak the pan in warm, soapy water, loosen cooked-on particles with a stiff brush, rinse, and dry.

Before storing a washed grill pan, rub all of its surfaces with flavorless cooking oil until they are dry, with no trace of oil remaining.

Always consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

Alternatives
A panini grill can be substituted for a grill pan.

Recipes
Tamari-Glazed Swordfish with Mango, Ginger, and Sweet Onion Salad | Marinated Grilled Zucchini with Oregano and Dried-Tomato Vinaigrette

Coming Next: Grill Pan Recipe - Marinated Grilled Zucchini with Oregano and Dried-Tomato Vinaigrette