Content provided in partnership with
Essential cooking gear for active guys - Men's Fitness - Brief Article - Buyers Guide
Men's Fitness, Jan, 2002 by Mark Thorpe
Despite the frequency with which the Emerils and the Iron Chefs of the cooking-show world slather butter, oil or anything lardaceous on their meals of the moment, learning to cook can actually be good for your waistline, as well as your wallet. When else do you have complete control over what goes into your comestibles, not to mention the size of your portions? However, cooking well, even reasonably so, requires having the right gear, so we've whipped up an assortment of kitchen essentials for the burgeoning cook inside you. Bon appetit!
1 CUISINART MINI-PREP FOOD PROCESSOR
Chops things in a hurry, eliminating what the neophyte might consider tedium, thus freeing you up to perfect Mom's secret chili sauce. $40; 800-726-0190; www.cuisinart.com
- Most Popular Articles in Health
- Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...
- Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions
- Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...
- The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use
- The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...
- More »
2 CAPRESSO ELEGANCE COFFEEMAKER
Filters water, makes 10 cups of joe, and can be programmed to have your preworkout cup ready when you wake up. $90; 800-767-9684; www.capresso.com
3 COOKBOOKS FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN
Betty Crocker's Best of Healthy and Hearty Cooking: Chock-full of recipes that won't clog your arteries. Betty knows cooking, baby! $25 Cooking for Dummies: A good launching point for the virgin chef. This book walks you through many tricky kitchen conundrums. $22
4 ALL-CLAD NONSTICK FRY PAN ($115)
What the food goes on. The nonstick surface requires care--wood or plastic spoons only--and less oil, which cuts down on fat. 800-255-2523; www.allclad.com
5 ZOJIRUSHI RICE MAKER
Cooks five cups of rice and keeps the rice warm and fresh for up to 12 hours. Pour in the uncooked grains in the morning; go to work, come home and eat the finished product with a breast of chicken. Smells like muscles growing. $160; 800-733-6270; www.zojirushi.com
6 KITCHEN EXTRAS
Easily overlooked items that help keep your food edible and your gastrointestinal system humming.
Components Designs Northwest thermometer and timer gift set $24.50; 800-338-5594; www.cdnw.com
Farberware microban plastic cutting board $6; 800-809-7166; www.farberware.com
Pyrex measuring cup $4; available at all major supermarkets
7 CUISINART PASTA SUPER SET & STEAMER
Stainless steel, flawless pasta. Add water, bring to a boil, add noodles. Or steam veggies, fish or just about anything that takes the water cure. Offers the easiest way to get your daily serving of greens, yellows, reds and whites, $100; 800-726-0190; www.cuisinart.com
8 KITCHENAID FIVE-SPEED ULTRAPOWER BLENDER
Will whip damn near anything into a liquid, though you're still better off getting your protein in powder form. Beware: heavy-duty machinery--wear goggles. $150; 800-541-6390; www.kitchenaid.com
9 GEORGE FOREMAN LEAN, MEAN, FAT-REDUCING GRILLING MACHINE
This double-sided electric grill cuts cooking time, siphons off fat, and cooks up to six burgers at a time. Fits conveniently on any countertop. Thanks, champ! $100; 800-233-9054; www.salton-maxim.com
10 HENCKLE THREE-PIECE GOURMET KNIFE SET
Few things make the act of cooking more enjoyable than good, sharp knives, and Henckle is the brand. These babies are razor sharp. And yes, they can remove fingers. $120; 914-747-0300
11 ALL-CLAD TWO-QUART SAUCEPAN WITH LID
For that quick can of meaty soup. A pan that should last a lifetime. $95; 800-255-2523; www.allclad.com
GINSU THE FAT
Now that we've laid out a few kitchen essentials to help you on your haute-cuisine way, we've dipped into the brain pan of Marie Rama, co-author of Cooking for Dummies, for a few fat-cutting tricks.
To start, Rama suggests investing in Teflon-coated pans. "You can always reduce the oil in a recipe by at least half with a nonstick pan," she explains. "Which is a considerable amount, because every tablespoon of fat contains 100 calories, whether it comes from butter, oil or margarine." Cooking with lemon juice instead of butter or oil is a great way to liven up bland food without adding lard. Other approaches to savory, lower-fat meals:
* Leave the skin on chicken until it's done cooking. This helps the meat retain flavor and moisture without increasing calories. Just be sure to skin the bird before eating it.
* Dip your meat in low- or fat-free liquids such as buttermilk, yogurt or skim milk, then roll it in crushed cornflakes or cracker crumbs before baking. Kinda like frying.
* Discard pan juice, which is laden with fat, after cooking with oil and butter.
* Grill and broil your meats, which melts the fat. Both marinating and brining provide flavor and moisture without adding a lot of extra butter and oil.
* Steam vegetables instead of boiling them. This keeps the flavor from leaching into the water and prevents you from slathering the vegetables in dressing to make them palatable
HERBS AND SPICES
IN YOUR CUPBOARD
Olive oil and corn oil
Good for: When you have to use oil, these are two of the best for cooking in and cooking with.
Salt and pepper
Good for: Salt brings out the flavors in other ingredients. Pepper adds some heat and zing.
Chili powder
Good for: Stews, soups, chilies, barbecue sauces, rice and beans.
Find Research Guides for:
Most Popular Articles in Health
- Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...
- Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions
- Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...
- The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use
- The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...
- More »