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How Wolfgang Puck Saved Thanksgiving

November 29, 2013 by Renee

Last month we received a Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven to test out.  The idea is that this table top oven works on the same concept as a pressure cooker- except in an oven form. When you close and lock the oven door, the pressure sealed compartment browns your foods perfectly while locking in juices and cooking much faster. It bakes, roasts and much more in less time.

The first thing we made was a rotisserie chicken, which turned out perfectly! It was so incredibly delicious- juicy and flavorful. Just like a chicken you’d pick up in the market’s take out section. This is a really great feature of the oven.Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2168

Pleased, we then made some cupcakes in it and those turned out really well too. They baked perfectly and around five minutes faster than my regular oven- which for something that only takes 20 minutes normally, that’s a striking 25% faster!Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2-2 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2-3

We pulled it out today when we realized that not everything was cooking that well in our regular oven. It’s been on the fritz for some time,  it doesn’t always keep temperature and everything was taking much longer than expected. Especially the turkey! It was only supposed to take 5 hours to cook at the standard 20 minutes per pound method, but nearing 6 hours, it was still very undercooked.

So we cut the turkey apart and in shifts, we finished roasting it in the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven. It worked like a charm. Not only did the turkey have a turn in the oven, but so did all of the side dishes. We also used it for warming everything up right before we sat down to eat too.

Having this extra oven really saved the day! I am really glad we had it here.

Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2275 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2277 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2286 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2278 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2287

There are some drawbacks to the oven though that might cause some raised eyebrows. For one, the steam valve on top is a bit quirky to use and you really have to wear an oven mitt when you turn it, or you could be seriously hurt by the steam it releases. It’s rather hot!  Secondly, the oven itself gets very hot on the outside. It’s an all metal casing and that gets very heated when you are cooking, so be careful not to touch the outside of the oven.

Speaking of the casing, it’s very easily dented. The oven I received first had many dings and dents, and was replaced but even this one has a nice big dent in the side, but because it doesn’t affect the way it cooks, I kept it. It’s just an aesthetic kind of thing and I really wanted to test it out without waiting for a third one to arrive.  I was told that the manufacturer has since changed the packaging to protect the ovens a bit more, so hopefully they won’t be dented anymore when they arrive to the consumers.

Lastly, the timer doesn’t work on the oven at all. I am sure it’s just on my model, but the knob doesn’t do anything.  We have tried it on every cooking occasion, and no luck, so, we just kept an eye on things from the glass window and our estimates were correct with the timing of things being fully cooked.

Even with those few negative things, overall, the positive outweigh them.  The oven cooks really well and in less time than my regular one. The rotisserie will be used often too. That’s my favorite feature.  I’m glad we had the opportunity to test it out.

Having a second oven is a huge help- especially when your primary oven isn’t working well. It is most especially useful on a huge food holiday such as Thanksgiving! It really saved the day! The turkey made it to the table in good time and all the sides were hot!

And that’s one thing I am thankful for!

 

 Disclosure: I received a Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven to test and review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. As always, the thoughts and opinions are my own! 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink, Product Reviews Tagged With: NaBloPoMo, Product Review, Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven

Happy Hanukkah! Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgivingakuh!

November 27, 2013 by Renee

From my home to yours-

Wishing you a very Happy Hanukkah and a Happy Thanksgiving! 

 

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink Tagged With: Hanukkah, NaBloPoMo, Thanksgiving

One Soufflé at a Time and The Paris Gourmet- Book Reviews

November 25, 2013 by Renee

As a lover of all things French, I was happy to receive these books on my doorstep last week. One, a memoir of a life fulfilled dream featuring a  move to Paris and running a culinary school, the other a guide to many restaurants, shops and even some recipes and travel tips to enjoy around Paris and to prepare you for your next visit.

One Soufflé at a Time: A Memoir of Food and France by Anne Willan with Amy Friedman

Founder of the world famous La Varenne Cooking School—originally located in Paris and then later in Burgundy, Ms. Willan has trained chefs, food writers and home cooks alike.

One Soufflé at a Time is the life story of Ms. Willan as well as the story of her interactions with some of the food-world’s best—including Julia Child, James Beard, and many others. She writes from her English girl roots in Yorkshire to her move to France, and how she overcame the male dominated world of French cuisine to start and run her own culinary school in the late 1970’s.  Willan’s warm and funny personality shines through and shows a different, more approachable side of traditional French cuisine.

This lovely book, although mostly memoir also features fifty of Ms. Willan’s favorite recipes, from Coquille St. Jacques to Chocolate Snowballs and includes some of my favorites, Gratin Dauphinois and Pistou. You will often earmark pages to return to just so you can keep reading her narrative.

Ms. Willan shows her tremendous courage, her downfalls and her resounding strength all the while making this memoir truly fascinating, entertaining and authentic right from the first page. She has certainly led a life full of food and adventures and her unique and lively voice resonates through her writing style.

I quite enjoyed this book and I think you might too. Now I have to go back and cook some of the recipes I marked!

One Souffle at a Time

 

The Paris Gourment by Trish Deseine

This guide book will lead you from arrondissement to arrondissement where Ms. Deseine notes all of her favorite foodie spots in Paris.  From restaurants, hotels, and bakeries to markets and even places to purchase kitchen wares, she shows the readers “her Paris” in this lively round up.  This is a fun, lighthearted book featuring the characteristic Flammarion graphics- trendy, bold and colorful.

Although I think Ms. Deseine left out some major spots in her listings, (the Marché de la Bastille for instance only appears as a side note with a list of places open on Sunday and not at all in the section of Markets), I do think she covered a great deal and I know you can’t possibly list every wonderful place in Paris. There really are too many!

It’s certainly a pleasurable read and perfect for anyone visiting Paris for the first time or the tenth time. It’s chock full of tips and information, sure to make any food lover happy.

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Disclosure: I received a copy of  each of these books to review. As always, the thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links to my Amazon Store.  So if you buy the books, I’ll make a few pennies. 

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink, Cookbooks Tagged With: Anne Willan, Cookbook Review, NaBloPoMo, Trish Deseine

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Patatas Bravas. There’s really nothing better. S Patatas Bravas. There’s really nothing better. Spicy, smoked paprika on roasted potatoes with tomatoes and créma. Dreaming of Spain. #sogood #comfortfood #eatthemall #potaotes #patatasbravas #spain #camino #caminodesantiago
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