Beginners Guide - Pots

In this article in the beginners guide to the kitchen we look at pots in the kitchen.

GENERAL INFO ON POTS
The material and size of the pot is closely linked to the manner of heating surface on which it is placed, solid top stoves or individual burners.

The size of the heating surface, determines the bottom area of the pot. Large pots can be placed on solid top stoves or large individual gas burners, while smaller size pots are best heated by individual burners or solid top elements. All pots and pans should be handled carefully, so that they do not fall. This causes the pot circumference to loose it’s round shape and makes the lid unable to close tightly. This makes the pot ineffective for it’s purpose, as it looses too much liquid by evaporation, causing the food to burn easily in the pot.
Never place an empty pot on a hot surface and wait for it to heat up. The heat will deform and warp the bottom of the pot, making it hollow. This has the effect,that the surface has no contact with the heating surface and the heat is not transmitted properly, causing the pot to cook very slowly or not at all. All pots, kettles and pans, must be stored upside down to avoid dust collecting inside.


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Beginners Guide - Small Kitchen Tools

This is the second installment in the Beginners guide to the kitchen.

In this insallment well be looking at Small kitchen tools.

The trussing needle
This is a needle which is approximately 15 cm long and very sturdy. It can take a butcher’s twine.

The needle may be straight or bent, like a sail maker’s needle. It is used for sowing the bally cavity of a chicken or a lamb, veal or pork carcasse closed. The needle can also be used to pierce the leg joint of a chicken or turkey and help to truss (shape) the bird by tying the legs and wing joints together and pushing the breast outwards. This is mostly used in display birds for showpieces on a cold buffet.

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