Kitchen Gadgets: The Pie Tin

There are a lot unnecessary kitchen tools out there in the retail world and most of them you don't need. This new kitchen gadgets section will focus on kitchen must-haves and useful tools you may not know about.

Which leads me to my first gadget, the pie tin. You may think I'm joking, but the pie tin may be the most inexpensive and useful tool in your kitchen. What can you use it for?

Roasting:
Before you make your next dinner grab a pie tin, some cloves of garlic, drizzle some olive oil over it and add a pinch of salt. Turn your oven to 275º F. and throw it in. An hour later the place smells great and you've got some fresh roasted garlic. Now what? Grab a stick of butter, soften it, mix roasted garlic in with it, add some fresh minced parsley, and salt to taste. Now you've got herbed garlic butter. Grab a loaf of bread. Cut lengthwise. Spread. Broil. Chomp. Smile. Refridgerate the rest of it and you're good to go for next time. Wasn't that easy? All you needed was a pie tin.

Toasting:
Toasted nuts are a great thing to add to any salad or entree and it is so easy. Grab a pie tin and a handfull of nuts. Preheat oven to 325º F. Put nuts in oven and check every 10 minutes. Depending on the nut it should take 20-30 minutes but don't count on that number. It doesn't take much to overdo them. When they are ready they should have just a little more color and still be soft when hot. Don't worry, while they cool they will get nice and crunchy. If you smell them without checking them, they've been in for too long. If you are forgetful (or a little careless, like me) simply preheat the oven a little lower (275º F.-300º F.)

Miscellaneous:
Another good use for pie tins is storage. If I am cutting up a bunch of vegetables I will grab a pie tin so my counter stays clean and clutter free. After you cook your meal you can keep your food hot by covering it with a pie tin. I do that to keep eggs warm. Nobody wants to eat cold eggs.

Pie tins might not be the most glamorous kitchen gadget in the world but I hope I have opened your eyes of how useful it can be. I guess if all else fails you can always use it to bake a pie.

Now get in the kitchen and make something great!

Stock Options

Having homemade stock in your kitchen is handy if you do quite a bit of cooking. It is also a great way to utilize perfectly good food which you may otherwise end up throwing away. Stock can be used for making soups, sauces, cooking grains like rice, and is used as a braising liquid. Use it anywhere broth is called for. Homemade stock always tastes better than store bought and best of all it has no salt so it is healthy to cook with.

One of the main ingredients in stock is the bones of an animal. Bones contain wonderful flavor and provide body to a stock. Bones are easier to come by than you think. You may not fabricate your own chickens or turkeys on a regular basis but if you do buy already roasted chickens (or turkeys) this recipe will be perfect for you.

First things first. Save all the bones that you can. You may think it is gross but you will change your mind after you try the following recipe.

Chicken Stock:
Bones of one chicken = about 1 lb. (Cut into small pieces with kitchen scissors.)
1 med. carrot - 1/2 inch pieces
1 med. celery stalk - 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 med. onion - 1/2 inch pieces
Note: You want the same amount of carrot and celery as you do onion. Adjust quantity accordingly.

Aromatics:
5 or so peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp. dry thyme)
5 or so parsley stems (if you have them)

Note: You don't have to go out of your way for aromatics. I almost never have parsley stems so I usually omit them.

- Put the bones in a medium (2 qt.) sauce pot and add vegetables and aromatics.
- Fill to the top with cold water.
- BTAB-RTAS. Don't know what this means, learn here.
- Simmer uncovered for 3 to 4 hours checking occasionally to see that it is not simmering too hard. The bubbles should be small and there should be very little movement. If there is, slightly adjust the heat accordingly. The last thing you want is to simmer away all of your water because you had the heat too high.
- After the 3 to 4 hours has passed strain your stock and cool before you store it.
- Discard bones and vegetable matter.
Homemade stock keeps for 1 week however if it smells rancid or off in any way, discard. Remember, there are no preservatives so it is not going to last as long.

Stock is a staple in every professional kitchen. Now it can be in your home as well. Enjoy! This one is for you Shanna.

Standard Ratio by weight for White Stock:
100% Water
50% Bones (Chicken, Turkey, Veal)
10% Vegetables

Vegetables:
50% Onion
25% Carrot
25% Celery