My collection of holiday cookies. Photo by E. Juocys
My holiday cookbook selections. Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman
Sous Vide cooking manual. Photo by Deborah Jones
When it comes to small great gifts, kitchen tools can’t be beat. Items like the above Benriner mandoline, a tool you’ll find in just about every professional cook’s knife kit, is perfect.
But there are many many ridiculous small brightly colored kitchen items out there tempting those who don’t cook with promises of ease and convenience . Last year my mom got me these pink silicone trussing bands —I do not recommend! This is the kind of stupid product that makes me crazy.
But a great pepper mill, that’s something truly valuable—there are good ones and bad ones. Pugeot’s are excellent. This one from opensky is top of the line with an adjustable grind.
The side towels I offer at opensky ...
This summer, I tweeted that I had Big Green Egg envy, word that reached Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ and Big Green Egg’s official chef. He convinced the company to ship me their top of the line (with the cypress wood table, which is awesome if you can afford it). I really wanted to cook with one because I’d heard such great things about it. (He’s @DrBBQ on twitter, and a hearty #FF to him).
After we corresponded, I’d read about these ceramic charcoal heated ovens in The New York Times, generically called kamado cookers. I accepted his offer enthusiastically. So: Full disclosure: they sent it to me free; I told them I’d love to use it and write about it but to know that if I didn’t like it or ...
This week’s posts will be devoted my personal kitchen tool gift guide, starting with the big guns.
I got my first KitchenAid stand mixer 20 years ago as a Christmas gift from my mom’s boyfriend, Hap, and it was one of the best gifts I ever got. It’s the most used appliance in my kitchen. I’ve beaten the hell out of it, even flipped it off the countertop while trying to grind something particularly difficult. And it still runs.
When Donna and I began doing photography for Twenty, we wanted something a little better to look at and so now use the above “Artisan” 5-quart model (linked to above). If you’re looking for that over-the-top gift for the one in your family who loves to cook, this can’t be beat. It’s what we tested all the ...
Two years ago, Donna made a calendar of some of her favorite food shots. Last year she didn't and several people complained. So this year she made one using some of her favorite shots from Ruhlman's Twenty. I linked each one to one of the twenty techniques and also add some words about the technique and about the dish featured. The dates page includes process shots of the dish where there's room.
They're printed on demand and shipped by Apple, so they're a little on the pricey side. Sorry, but unless we wanted to print 10,000 of them they are what they are, $38 delivered.
If you would like a copy of Donna's Ruhlman's Twenty Calendar, it works like her ratio chart. Here's what to do:
Go to paypal.com, an excellent and secure way to send money, sign in ...
Of the many many reasons I have to be thankful, one of them is this blog and the enormously thoughtful, intelligent readers who drop by to read and comment. I truly am grateful. Thank you. I wish you all happy Thanksgiving (and hope that you have tons of fun in the kitchen today)!
The above photo was taken on Thanksgiving 2007 (I'm struggling to hold the turkey up, but I think it's important to parade the bird before carving it—my mom found the platter in Mexico). That's my dad, Rip, with me. It would be the last Thanksgiving I would have with him. Three weeks after this day, he sat me and Donna down in front of the fire after dinner at his house. He had something to say. Recent X-rays showed a spot on his lung, he ...
Turkey: The Roast/Braise Method. All photos by Donna Turner Ruhlman
Gravy is nothing more than flour-thickened stock/photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman
Welcome to Ruhlman.com where I blog about food, cooking, recipes and technique, because the world is better when we cook for ourselves. Thanks for visiting and I hope you’ll join the conversation.
