The Bite (Issue 15): Air fryers and antique juicers

All about our favorite kitchen tools none For Christmas I received an air fryer and since that day, I’ve been making a list of all the things I intend to cook in it. It’s long and varied at this point despite the fact that I had once rolled my eyes at the appliance, dismissing it as a countertop space-sucking unitasker. However, despite my undue cynicism, bringing it into my kitchen has me menu-planning around air fried ingredients: vegetarian [carbonara](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0Q-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMDQvMjQvbXktMTAteWVhci1jYXJib25hcmEtam91cm5leS9XA3NwY0IKYdbYitlhDzvWkVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl)with air-fried and seasoned chickpeas, air-fried tilapia served with cheesy grits, crispy air-fried tofu with a bourbon-maple glaze. My enthusiasm for the air fryer reminds me of one of my favorite recent “[Bob’s Burgers](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RLaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjAvMTEvMTUvYm9icy1idXJnZXJzLWxvcmVuLWJvdWNoYXJkLTIwMHRoLWVwaXNvZGUvVwNzcGNCCmHW2IrZYQ871pFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)” episodes, “Die Card, or Card Trying,” in which the titular Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) becomes obsessed with his Christmas present: a juicer. While his wife Linda (John Roberts) is preoccupied with getting a decent family photo, Bob remains enamored with, as he puts it, “[his] antique juicer that you got me which I love more than life.” While Linda frets, Bob makes Orange Lemon Basil juice. While the rest of the family preps for a group hike, Bob juices 30 oranges to fill a canteen. It’s a ludicrously relatable episode because who hasn’t had the experience of getting a new toy and sort of playing with it to death for a bit? It’s just that sometimes as an adult, those toys are things like air fryers and antique juicers. This week in The Bite, we’re going to be looking at stories and recipes that say about our relationship with kitchen tools, those wondrous inanimate objects that can bring a lot of joy into our day-to-day cooking. Have you ever become mildly obsessed with a new-to-you kitchen appliance? Do kitchen fads impact your cooking — like the enduring Instant Pot craze — or do you tend to stick to a few tried and true tools? Let us know at food@salon.com! — Ashlie Stevens, deputy food editor none Tiny tools, big results As Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams wrote, “there is no five hundred dollar blender, no state of the art oven, that is standing between you and making a decent meal today.” That said, there is something magical about cooking with the right tools. “The items that give us confidence in the kitchen, that make the act of preparing food a pleasure instead of a chore, are often the smallest, simplest things,” she wrote. In her recent piece “[The (cheap) tools that will transform your cooking in 2022](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RXaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMDIvdGhlc2UtY2hlYXAtdG9vbHMtd2lsbC10cmFuc2Zvcm0teW91ci1jb29raW5nLWluLTIwMjIvVwNzcGNCCmHW2IrZYQ871pFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~),” Williams shared her own insight into which small, budget-friendly items can actually make a difference in your cooking. She also spoke with staff members, including me. Spoiler: I’m a fan of my miniature food processor and a very specific butter knife. Going Dutch Like everyone, I jumped on the “let’s bake bread!” train early in the pandemic. However, it wasn’t until November 2020 that an interview with J. Kenji López-Alt changed how I bake it with one simple tool: my Dutch oven. Prior to this my Dutch oven had been reserved for long braising projects and the occasional casserole, but according to López-Alt, you can use it to mimic the moisture that’s present in a professional steam-injection ovens.  "The steam does a couple things," López-Alt said. "First of all, it gelatinizes the starch layer on the outside of the bead, which means it doesn't dry out as fast, which allows for better 'oven spring."" Read more [here](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjAvMTEvMTgvai1rZW5qaS1scGV6LWFsdC1uby1rbmVhZC1icmVhZC1kdXRjaC1vdmVuL1cDc3BjQgph1tiK2WEPO9aRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) about the science behind the process. none Broccoli, meet blender Bored with beige pasta? Rescue that head of broccoli and those drooping carrots that are languishing in your crisper drawer. Toss both in the blender and then you’re just a few ingredients away from a vibrant, verdant pasta sauce. I know that folks are sometimes reluctant to pull out the blender on a weeknight, but I swear, [this recipe](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RGaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMDIvcmVjaXBlLWNyaXNwZXItZHJhd2VyLXBhc3RhLWJyb2Njb2xpL1cDc3BjQgph1tiK2WEPO9aRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) makes any clean-up worth it. While you have it out, here’s another[stellar pasta sauce recipe](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RpaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMDMveW91cmUtNS1pbmdyZWRpZW50cy1hd2F5LWZyb20tdGhlLWNyZWFtaWVzdC1yZWQtcGVwcGVyLXBhc3RhLXNhdWNlLWV2ZXIvVwNzcGNCCmHW2IrZYQ871pFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)that is built around the blender, made with roasted red peppers, tomatoes and a secret creamy ingredient. *** Not a subscriber yet? Sign up to get [The Bite](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RQaHR0cHM6Ly9tYWlsLmdvb2dsZS5jb20vbWFpbC91LzAvI3NlYXJjaC92dWxnYXIvRk1mY2d6R210RkhITndCV2hHWFRURE5kd1RGR1RxYmhXA3NwY0IKYdbYitlhDzvWkVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl) delivered to your inbox every week! *** From our home cooks - Quick and Dirty: [You only need 3 ingredients and 15 minutes to bake this magical chocolate cake](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMDYveW91LW9ubHktbmVlZC0zLWluZ3JlZGllbnRzLWFuZC0xNS1taW51dGVzLXRvLWJha2UtdGhpcy1tYWdpY2FsLWNob2NvbGF0ZS1jYWtlL1cDc3BjQgph1tiK2WEPO9aRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) - One Way: [Free your barley from soup and risotto it instead](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RTaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMDUvZnJlZS15b3VyLWJhcmxleS1mcm9tLXNvdXAtYW5kLXJpc290dG8taXQtaW5zdGVhZC9XA3NwY0IKYdbYitlhDzvWkVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl) - Salon Food: [This impossibly cheesy one-pot copycat Hamburger Helper belongs in your winter recipe rotation](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMDUvcmVjaXBlLWltcG9zc2libHktY2hlZXN5LW9uZS1wb3QtY29weWNhdC1oYW1idXJnZXItaGVscGVyL1cDc3BjQgph1tiK2WEPO9aRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) What we’re reading - [It’s Time to Get Rid of Calorie Counts on Menus](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZWF0ZXIuY29tLzIyODcyMjU3L2dldC1yaWQtb2YtY2Fsb3JpZS1jb3VudHMtb24tbWVudXNXA3NwY0IKYdbYitlhDzvWkVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl) — Eater - [The World’s Largest Milk Producer Is Now A Hot Spot For Artisan Cheese](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0QyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2F2ZXVyLmNvbS9mb29kL2luZGlhbi1hcnRpc2FuLWNoZWVzZS9XA3NwY0IKYdbYitlhDzvWkVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl)— Saveur - [Over Fried Fish, I Said Goodbye to My Wife—And to a Version of Myself](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0Q4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYm9uYXBwZXRpdC5jb20vc3RvcnkvdG9ycmV5LXBldGVycy1sYXN0LW1lYWxXA3NwY0IKYdbYitlhDzvWkVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl) — Bon Appetit And finally, something rancid Alright, so this one isn’t necessarily rancid for readers — but things are not well over on “Sesame Street” for everyone’s favorite furry red monster. In a 2004 clip from the show that has since gone viral, Elmo is shown face-to-face with his nemesis, Zoe’s pet rock, Rocko. Elmo is shown reaching for an oatmeal raisin cookie that is sitting in front of the rock. Zoe protests saying that oatmeal raisin is Rocko’s favorite. Zoe informs Elmo that said oatmeal cookie is reserved for Rocco and Elmo can’t have it. After five years of enduring Zoe and Rocco’s shenanigans, Elmo is fed up. “Rocco?!” Elmo exclaims. “Rocco’s a rock, Zoe! Rocco won’t know the difference!” He continues: “How?! How is Rocco gonna eat that cookie, Zoe? Tell Elmo! Rocco doesn’t even have a mouth! Rocco’s just a rock! Rocco’s not alive!” As the L.A. Times put it, “[Elmo — yes, that Elmo — is beefing with a rock. And Twitter is eating it up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0RraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGF0aW1lcy5jb20vZW50ZXJ0YWlubWVudC1hcnRzL3R2L3N0b3J5LzIwMjItMDEtMDYvZWxtby1yb2Nrby12aWRlby12aXJhbC10d2l0dGVyLXNlc2FtZS1zdHJlZXRXA3NwY0IKYdbYitlhDzvWkVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl).” Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, 19801 DE [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0Q8aHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvdGhlLWJpdGUvdW5zdWJzY3JpYmU_aWQ9QDM0NTA5VwNzcGNCCmHW2IrZYQ871pFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) Copyright © 2022 The Bite, All rights reserved. [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjvA_WP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgph1tiK2WEPO9aRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~)