It's gadget week at the Times dining section! First the rice cooker and its surprising jump into multitasking territory, then a secret weapon for turning your kid into an omnivore. These links and more in our favorite picks from the New York Times Dining section this week.
- Make entire meals in a rice cooker
Not just for perfect rice - try Bibimbap with Salmon and Spinach or Biryani with Saffron made in the rice cooker. Have you ever cooked an entire meal in the rice cooker?
- Cooking for 2 and a half
Buy a food mill! That's the general lesson from Keith Dixon, who feeds his 7-month-old daughter ravioli with sage butter, pecorino and crispy sage leaves - all well-pureed if course.
- A tribute to Paul Newman
Looking past his acting at the effects he had on organic snacking.
- Pasta - Turkish dumpling style
Delicious meal from Melissa Clark.
- Flank steak Spanish style
From the Minimalist. Steak rolled up with herbs, eggs, olives and seasoning? Yes please.
What were your favorite parts of the Times this week?
(Image: Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times)
I'm debating about buying a food millâhow essential do you all thing it is? I have an immersion blender...and am happy to strain tomato sauce...what am I missing out on?
view mgood's profile
Gosh, that pasta looked divine. I keep thinking about it. It's going to have to wait for next week, though.
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
The rice cooker meal was a staple through my student days. I'd pull a "chicken packet" of marinated and diced chicken thighs, shiitake mushrooms and chinese sausage that I'd pre-made out of the freezer and plop it on top of the raw rice. Then, when the one-button wonder popped up, I'd sprinkle in shredded nappa cabbage to steam at the very end. A little soy sauce and sesame oil on top made it delish!
view Michelle of Montreal's profile
mgood -- you are not missing out on anything; an immersion blender will work perfectly well -- you don't need a food mill.
I speak from experience -- I bought one, thinking I needed it. It is now gathering dust... Maybe I'll drag it out for puréeing some vegetable soups, but... heck, an immersion blender is so much easier to clean and deal with!
If you are thinking of it for baby food, the latest recommendations are to avoid puréed baby food:
"Sound scientific research and government advice now agree that there is no longer any window of a baby's development in which they need something more than milk and less than solids."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6762795.stm
One less gadget to store...
view mschatelaine's profile
I am still waiting to buy my first rice cooker... I don't know what's stopping me. Maybe this weekend...
Emily
view Emily Sneds's profile