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T-Fal OptiGrill Review

September 29, 2013 by Renee

Normally we don’t like having a separate gadget for every different job in the kitchen. But in the case of the T-Fal OptiGrill, we are so glad to have this additional appliance. The T-Fal OptiGrill is the first and only indoor grill with Precision Grilling Technology. This means that the grill has special sensors that automatically determines the thickness of the food and it will grill it to perfection.

This really is an “intelligent” appliance.

TFal OptiGrill-1860

There are six different cooking options to choose from- burgers, poultry, sandwiches, sausage/pork, red meat and fish as well as an option to cook manually (great for fruits and vegetables) or to cook from frozen. This last option is awesome and is a lifesaver some nights!

You can actually take chicken straight from the freezer and grill it- and it will cook- thoroughly.  This makes it an incredible tool for making dinner on a busy weeknight when we haven’t had a chance to pull anything out ahead of time. (Which is more often than not!)

The one downfall of this is having to season the chicken once it has been cooked (or cooked partway), but it gave us the idea to preseason, or marinate and freeze individual portions of chicken to grill later.

Here, I had two massive chicken breasts that were frozen together- and they actually cooked all the way through- even though they were an uneven thickness.

TFal OptiGrill-1864TFal OptiGrill-1866

The amount of smoke that I usually produce when cooking steaks, usually sets off the smoke detectors but with the OptiGrill, it was significantly less. A Cooking Level Indicator lights up and changes color to indicate when your food has reached your ideal temperature: Yellow for Rare; Orange for Medium; Red for Well Done. Once it has reached the temperature you chose, it will beep. And you know it’s done!

Our steaks turned out perfectly Medium. (This was also a great time to try out Grass fed beef versus grain fed, but that’s another story for another time. Can you tell which is which?)

TFal OptiGrill-1867 TFal OptiGrill-1869 TFal OptiGrill-1877Perfect!

When we made burgers, they cooked in about 7 minutes flat and were actually done before we had even finished baking the French fries!  Need to work on our timing with that.  But, the best part is that all the unnecessary fat dripped into the extra-large tray, making this a much healthier dinner, without sacrificing taste. The burgers also weren’t dry and retained much of their juiciness because we could choose what level of cooking we wanted without guessing when they would be finished.

TFal OptiGrill-1859

 Look at all that grease!

The extra large, nonstick grill plates enable you to easily cook for several people at once and they are removable so you can put them and the drip tray right into the dishwasher for easy clean-up.

Since receiving the OptiGrill, we have used it on several occasions. We even grilled sausages to accompany breakfast this weekend. Because of its versatility for use and easy care, I think this is one appliance that will have a permanent home on my counter top. I’m looking forward to making some sandwiches on this soon too!

The T-Fal OptiGrill is priced at $179 and is a great option for those who do not have space for a traditional grill or those who love the convenience of an indoor grill. It’s currently only available online but they expect to be in retail locations soon.

 

Disclosure: We received a T-Fal OptiGrill to test at home. All opinions are our own and we were not compensated in any other way for our review.

 

If you want to check them out on Social Media, you can follow them here:

www.facebook.com/optigrill

www.twitter.com/tfaloptigrill

www.youtube.com/optigrill

https://plus.google.com/u/0/100373006917375787518/about

www.pinterest.com/optigrill

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink, Kitchen Gear & Gadgets, Product Reviews Tagged With: Indoor Grill, OptiGrill, Product Review, T-Fal

Maille and A Taste of France Show in Bryant Park, NYC 9/28-9/29

September 26, 2013 by Renee

After returning home from Paris, I was thrilled to have a package waiting for me from Maille. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Maille mustards and it was great to add some more jars to add to my stockpile. The package contained a jar of each of the Dijon Originale, Rich Country Dijon, Cornichons and a jar of Horseradish. It was as if I had a little extension to my vacation!

If you have not been to the Maille flagship store in Paris, it is well worth a trip. Located in the  Place de la Madeleine, the boutique carries an incredible variety of mustard and blends. They even have mustards on tap! You can have  Grain mustard in old Chardonnay, Fine mustard in Chablis or Fine mustard in White Wine pumped right into a lovely ceramic crock. In addition to mustards, the store carries an array of oils, vinegars, dressings and plenty of gift assortments to bring home. You can spend quite a while  just browsing all the different flavors that are available.

I always like to purchase at least one or two jars of their Originale that comes in a decorative glass. We love to use them for juice and cocktails when they are empty and they are fun to collect. Some of my other favorites include the Fines Herbs and the Ancienne, an old style, whole grain mustard that’s perfect on a  roast beef sandwich.

Maille-5255

Even though Maille is actually the number one brand of imported mustard in the United States, and not just imported in my suitcase, though it seems that way whenever I travel home from Paris, there are some flavors that you just can not get in the U.S.-like Celeri rave et brisures de Truffes (celeriac and truffles) and Moutarde à l’Abricot sec et Curry (apricot curry). But you can purchase many types here in the U.S. and online.

Their production process is also quite fascinating. The mustards are made by cutting the  black and brown mustard grains. They are  not crushed. This is done to preserve the natural antioxidant properties, then they are mixed with a blend of vinegars and white wines to create their rich flavors. If they are blended with herbs or other aromatics, they do so using only the freshest ingredients and purees.

Recently, beating out more than 300 mustards, Maille Dijon Originale won the Grand Champion Prize and Maille Honey Dijon earned the Silver Medal at the 19th Annual Worldwide Mustard Competition.

The Dijon Originale, is a  multi- purpose condiment. It goes with nearly everything!  It adds a smooth, mild spice to meats, fishes, sauces and vegetables.  Whisked into vinaigrette or added to mac and cheese, it’s a true kitchen staple.

A secret ingredient in some apple pies, the Rich Country Dijon is made with white wine, cinnamon and ginger. It’s delicious when just brushed lightly on the crust of quiches and savory tarts before they are filled. It’s also amazing on potatoes and used as a marinade with chicken or pork. There are so many uses!

Maille Horseradish actually won a Bronze Medal at the 2012 World Wide Competition for mustards in the category that is usually dominated by U.S. producers. It’s ideal on sausages, roast beef, sandwiches and vegetables- wherever you’d want a sharp intense flavor.

The last time I bought a jar of cornichons, I actually didn’t even get to eat one!  The kids ate them all before I even noticed they were gone! I had to buy them a generic brand so they could have those while I savored another jar of Maille Cornichons! No charcuterie plate is complete without them.

Maille-5142

This is how I love to have dinner several times a month… a simple plate of cheese and cured meats, mustards, olives and cornichons with a baguette and a bottle of wine to share. It’s simple and satisfying.

If you are in NY this weekend, be sure to see the Maille booth at The Taste of France Show that will be held in Bryant Park. There will be vendors representing the many aspects of French life:  Lifestyle, Technology, Beauty, Cuisine, Wine and Spirits, Tourism, Culture, Children and of course, Fun!

There will also be many events over the two days so be sure to check it out! I am looking forward to attending and while I won’t be in Paris, it will feel like it!

The show is free and open to the public. For more information, see the website at The Taste of France Show.

Event Hours:

SATURDAY – September 28, 2013
11:00am-11:00pm

SUNDAY – September 29, 2013
11:00am-7:00pm

 

A bientot!

 

Disclosure: I received the four jarsmentioned from Maille to try. The opinions are my own, and we all know how much I love Paris and Maille.

 

 

Filed Under: Travel, Kitchen Sink, France, Product Reviews Tagged With: France, Maille, Product Review, Travel, cornichons, mustard

Philly Cheesesteak Do-Over

June 6, 2013 by Renee

This past weekend Renee attended Eat, Write, Retreat in Philadelphia.  To help her bring home all the great gifts the sponsors gave out, Sunday morning I packed up the kids and drove down to the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ to pick her up.  As soon as we started planning this trip my mind, of course, turned to cheesesteak and trying to find one that could live up to all the hype.

We were last in Philadelphia this past October, where, after some online research, we stopped for cheesesteaks at Tony Luke’s, one of the most famous cheesesteak eateries.  Unfortunately, the meat was flavorless, the roll dry, and the sandwich overall was a big disappointment.  We left for the long drive home dissatisfied but knew there had to be better.  There were too many stories about the wonders of the Philly cheesesteak, the hot beef and melted, gooey cheese for this to be it.  There had to be better!

Renee asked for recommendations from some locals who were attending the conference and I did a bit of research on my own. We narrowed our list of choices down to two for the drive home.  Pat’s King of Steak and Geno’s Steak.  They are literally across the street from each other.  We still hadn’t decided which one would be our cheese steak savior, when from the back seat came the grand idea, “Why don’t you get one from each?” Kids! Sometimes they do have the best ideas!  After grabbing a semi legal parking spot, I was off on my quest for cheesesteak redemption.

Stepping out of the car, my nose was greeted by the smell sautéing meat and onions that permeated the air on the entire block. I first walked into Geno’s , who’s bright façade and neon signs called out to the neighborhood.   After waiting in line behind Spiderman (was Comic Con in town?) I stepped up to the window and in a scene that would make Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi proud, I ordered, “cheesesteak, provolone, with onions” paid my $9.00 and stepped to the left.  Less then a minute later I was handed a wrapped wax paper bundle.  Not wanting to be seen by any of Pat’s employees, I quickly walked back to the car and passed the goods through the window to Renee.  I re-crossed the street this time to Pat’s. The storefront is more understated and stands like an oasis on its own traffic island.  Again I stepped up to the window and ordered “cheese steak, provolone, with onions” paid my $9.50 and just as I was getting my change, a hoagie roll piled high with steaming beef, cheese and onions was slid out of the window.  I carried it back to the car excited for our unofficial taste test.

Pat's Cheesesteak

The first difference we noticed was that Geno’s steak consisted of whole slices of meat while Pat’s steak was more of a chopped version.  I started with the sandwich from Pat’s while Renee began on Geno’s sandwich.  Keeping our comments about the sandwiches to ourselves as we ate, I fairly quickly devoured my half of the first sandwich.  My first bite was a bit of a letdown and a little déjà vu occurred of our prior experience. However, once I got further into the sandwich and had the full mixture of meat, onions and cheese, I was starting to feel redeemed. I had no idea what Renee was thinking, but she seemed to enjoy her sandwich. After eating my half and Renee finishing about a 1/3 of hers, we made the switch, finishing each other’s sandwich. (Yes, I got a bigger share!)

20130602-IMG_8348

Not surprisingly, we both agreed on the one we liked best.  The meat was tenderer and it had more flavor.  The onions were cooked perfectly and the cheese was melted but not too gooey. Although, there was a substantial amount of drippings from the meat, the bun was not soaked. The meat was very juicy and did not come across as dry, which may explain why it was the sandwich of choice.

We both felt that each of the sandwiches could use a bit of salt and maybe some more seasoning or some sort of a sauce (deviating from cheesesteak tradition!).  Pat’s did have a condiment bar opposite the ordering window offering hot peppers, ketchup and mustard, the latter two I assume were meant for the French fries and hot dogs and not the cheesesteaks. Geno’s condiment bar was also down the sidewalk and I didn’t venture that far down to see what it offered. We left ours plain to experience the unadulterated sandwich in its pure form.

Overall, we were much happier with both of our cheesesteaks this time, but Pat’s was the clear sandwich of choice on this trip. Yay for Pat’s King of Steak! They really were the King of Steak this time.

We have a few more on our list and have since heard of a few more  places to try, so the search for the ultimate cheesesteak in Philly continues! But for now, Pat’s King of Steak reigns.20130602-IMG_8351

Of course,  as far as I’m concerned, a real New York, corned beef on rye will beat a Philly cheesesteak any day.

Filed Under: Travel, Product Reviews Tagged With: Cheesesteak, Geno's, Pat's, Philadelphia, Travel

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