Tip - 10 Pieces Of Equipment To Help You Cook To Beat The Clock

COOKING TO BEAT THE CLOCK:
DELICIOUS, INSPIRED MEALS IN 15 MINUTES
10 Pieces of Equipment to Help You Cook To Beat the Clock

Most of you are familiar with my cookbook, Cooking to Beat the Clock:
Delicious, Inspired Meals in 15 Minutes. My next book, Low Fat
Cooking to Beat the Clock, will be available in stores in December
(or earlier from me directly). In the next few issues of the Sam
Cooks newsletter, I'll be focusing on tips to help you cook
delicious, inspired meals while beating the clock.

1.  A large (preferably 12-inch) skillet.  A must for sauteing chicken
breasts, fish fillets and medallions of veal or pork.  Choose a
nonstick surface to use less fat.

2.  A large (preferably 12-inch) saute pan.  With a larger capacity
than a skillet, it lets you make short work of stews and soups.

3.  A 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet.  For frittatas and Spanish
tortillas, two omelets that go under the broiler.  Also great for
pan-fried steaks and chops.

4.  My wok sits permanently on my stove, which should give you some
indication of how often I use it.  It's particularly good for fast
meals because, in addition to being used for stir-frying, sauteing,
braising and steaming, it can be used as a mixing bowl.  Invert the
ring that comes with the wok so it sits closer to the flame, giving
you greater heat intensity.

5.  I generally use only two saucepans, one with a two-quart capacity
for rice and the like, and a larger heavy pan for polenta, risotto and
pilafs.

6.  An eight-quart capacity pasta pot is essential, not just for pasta
but for boiling, steaming, and poaching as well.  Smaller pasta pots
can boil over while you re performing another task.  You might also
consider a pasta pot with its own colander insert.

7.  A meat pounder beats pork tenderloins or chicken breasts into
medallions and cutlets for faster cooking.  A meat pounder is a flat,
heavy piece of metal that may be round or rectangular and is attached
to a handle (not to be confused with the toothy meat tenderizer).  The
side of a weighty cleaver will also do the job.

8.  A salad spinner whips moisture from salad greens through the slats
of an inner chamber into an outer bowl, where it falls to the bottom.
It works much faster than draining in a colander.

9.  A food processor can't be beat for chopping and pureeing and for
making no-cook sauces and dressings.  I use the stainless steel blade
90 percent of the time, but I also recommend using the shredding and
slicing attachments.

10.  A swivel-bladed vegetable peeler, especially one with a fat,
easy-grip handle, makes peeling go a lot faster, except for garlic and
onions.