This Sheet-Pan Chicken Is the Perfect Dinner Recipe
In her recipe for sheet-pan malai chicken and potatoes, Zaynab Issa shows us how to do it right. By pouring liquid into a still-hot pan, she eliminates the need to simmer — she just gives everything a firm stir. Zaynab uses heavy cream and lemon to unlock the drippings, which are an especially savory mélange of warm spices, chicken fat and green chiles. Spooned over roasted, yogurt-marinated chicken thighs and soft potatoes, it makes a rich and silky sauce for this delightful, curry-inspired dish.
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Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
63 Laksa: $2.80 bowls of Sungei Road-style laksa at Ghim Moh Road Market
All the way to Ghim Moh just for laksa? I was not entirely convinced that our in-house TikTok maestro, Rachel was being serious. The name 63 Laksa did ring a bell, though. I've had friends rave about the stall's signature dish for at least a couple of months and it has been in the news for its extremely affordable S$2.80 laksa bowls. The latter part especially intrigued me and questions flew through my head. Was it really possible to get quality ingredients and put enough effort into every serving for that price? Did Rachel just need a hand model for her viral TikToks? The answers lay waiting at Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre. Kelly Ng, 51, who runs 63 Laksa uses a recipe that dates back to the 1960s and was originally his grandfather's. That recipe was based on the famous laksa stall on Sungei Road (that's still around at Jalan Besar, in case you are wondering) which spawned a number of copycats, leading to what is now known as the 'Sungei Road-style' laksa. What does set it apart to an extent is that Kelly uses a gas stove for all the cooking. It's a deliberate decision to move away from the mess and smokiness of charcoal. 63 Laksa is only open for breakfast and lunch (8am to 2pm) and there is apparently a queue at both mealtimes. Our plan to beat the lunch crowd by heading there at 11am worked out perfectly— there were just 5 people ahead of us. What I tried at 63 Laksa Rachel and I ordered one small bowl of Laksa (S$2.80) each, as well as two (large) pieces of Mackerel Otah (S$1.40). I did a double take when my bowl arrived. Where were the chopsticks? All we had been given were a spoon each. Peering into my bowl, I unravelled the mystery. The noodles were cut up into spoon-friendly pieces! If nothing else, that one trick will save you (or likely your Mum) the time that would otherwise have been spent trying to get rid of little yellow laksa soup stain dots from your clothes. The bowl was filled virtually to the brim with laksa that was a wonderfully appetising pale yellow colour (incidentally, almost exactly the same shade as the tabletops). There was also fishcake and a dollop of sambal. A pleasant coconut milk fragrance wafted from the steaming bowl. Nanyang Spice: $6 earthworm laksa tucked away in Sim Lim Square draws attention? I became a fan with my first mouthful. Kelly's laksa goes easy on the salt and the well-handled seasoning went hand-in-hand with the intensity of dried shrimp. The fishcake is nothing to write home about, but gives the dish some essential bite. Rachel ordered cockles with hers and I stole one from under her very eyes. Meh, still not a fan of cockles. One of things I liked about the laksa here was that it was light, and not packed with the creamy heaviness that will give you a food coma. I was able to go back home after and begin on my first draft of this article right away. (Seth, are you reading this?) Despite abandoning the thicker (and perhaps more substantial) approach to laksa, the dish is not wanting in terms of flavour. With the otah as a side, I felt that I had a complete meal with a range of tastes and textures. Final thoughts There's little doubt that a large part of the appeal of 63 Laksa is the economy factor— it's really difficult to find a S$2.50 meal anywhere, even at a hawker stall. While it may not seem like much to many of us, it probably does make a difference to the residents of the surrounding housing estates. That said, while I did find the small bowl filling, most other people would find it a tad too small to be a full meal. It may be more accurate to describe 63 Laksa as the place for the S$4.80 laksa bowl (the larger option) as that would be what most people looking for breakfast or lunch would settle on. On the other hand, if you have little kids in tow, this is the perfect place to introduce them to laksa. The petite bowls aside, you can also ask for bowls to be less spicy to develop your kids' appreciation for this mainstay of Singaporean hawker dishes. Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre is home to several stalls that have received nods from international publications. I am happy to say that 63 Laksa easily makes the cut for me. Expected damage: S$2.80 – S$4.80 10 best laksa spots in SG for an irresistible meal [2024 update] The post 63 Laksa: $2.80 bowls of Sungei Road-style laksa at Ghim Moh Road Market appeared first on
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
This Country Produces The Most Pomegranates In The World
Pomegranates are a seriously underrated fruit. This ruby red gem is delicious and tart -- tasting great by itself, in drinks like Ina Garten's festive holiday batch cocktail, and even in savory dishes. Whether you like to eat pomegranates as is or use them in cooking, you can thank one country for producing mass amounts of pomegranates: India. India single-handedly leads pomegranate production, producing 2.4 million metric tons of pomegranates each year. In comparison to other countries, India produces nearly double the amount of pomegranates than any other country in the world. India has been a consistent leader in pomegranate production thanks to its hot climate, which has proven to be ideal for producing not only pomegranates but other fruits, too. India also happens to be the country that produces the most bananas for similar reasons. As such, this means that the pomegranates you grab from the store are more than likely exported from India's crop. Read more: 13 Meats People Used To Eat, But Are Now Illegal In The US Pomegranate Production Around The World Part of what makes India's pomegranate production so high is the fact that the fruit is grown year-round, making the exports continuous. Most of the pomegranates from India are produced in a state known as Maharashtra, which makes a majority of India's exported pomegranates. Several varieties of pomegranates are grown here and throughout India, such as Ganesh and Arakta pomegranates. Outside of India, pomegranates are also grown in other countries throughout the Middle East and Asia. Major pomegranate-producing countries include Egypt, China, Iran, and more. There is also some production in Europe from Spain and Turkey, as well as some additional production in countries outside of Eurasia, like Peru and Israel. These do not contribute nearly as heavily as the countries located in Asia and the Middle East. Out of all of these countries, China and Iran are the only countries besides India to produce more than a million metric tons of pomegranates per year. China produces roughly 1.6 million tons of pomegranates annually, with Iran following closely behind with 1.1 million metric tons. From there, production drastically drops to 559,000 metric tons and 380,000 metric tons from Turkey and Egypt, respectively. Read the original article on Chowhound. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
a day ago
- CNN
We tested 8 of the best kitchen knife sets, and only 3 are worth it
The best kitchen knife sets we tested Best kitchen knife set: Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro 7-Piece Knife Block Set Best budget kitchen knife set: Cuisinart Triple Rivet 15-Piece Knife Block Set Best starter kitchen knife set: Cutluxe Artisan Series 8-Piece Knife Block Set High-quality, supersharp kitchen knives can make culinary tasks easier and safer. Although most home cooks would fare fine owning basic serrated, chef's and paring knives, investing in one of the best kitchen knife sets offers a higher level of versatility to meal-making. Many of these sets are housed neatly in a handsome knife block and provide serious joy for real cooking nerds. But it's important to invest in the right kitchen knife set for your needs and cooking preferences. And since dull knives are more dangerous than sharp ones, we recommend buying a quality knife sharpener too. To help you choose the best, we spent several weeks testing eight top-rated kitchen knife sets. We loaded our cutting board with fruit, veggies, herbs, bread, meat and cheese and chopped, diced and sliced them all to see which blades performed best. In the end, we found three winners any home chef would find to be … er … a cut above the rest. A post shared by CNN Underscored (@cnnunderscored) Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro 7-Piece Knife Block Set We found the knives in the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro Seven-Piece Knife Block Set to be super sharp and durable during testing. They feature ergonomic handles that make slicing and dicing easy. We think these high-quality knives will last a lifetime and suggest you give this kitchen knife set a good look. Cuisinart Triple Rivet 15-Piece Knife Block Set This 15-piece set from Cuisinart is a well-rounded knife set that delivers extremely sharp blades right out of the box, comes with an attractive light-shaded wood block and has a budget-friendly price tag. Cutluxe Artisan Series 8-Piece Knife Block Set The sharpness of this heavy-duty set takes a slight dip compared to our top pick. Still, it's a comprehensive, durable arsenal well-suited for casual to experienced cooks starting a kitchen from scratch. If you're in the market for a set of kitchen knives that are sharp, ergonomic and able to last a lifetime, look no further than this set from Zwilling. It comes with an 8-inch chef's knife, a 4-inch paring knife, a 5.5-inch prep knife and an 8-inch bread knife, as well as shears, a sharpening steel and a 16-slot hardwood bamboo block. Each piece received excellent scores on performance and quality during our tests. One of our favorites in the set was the chef's knife, which uses a wide curved blade that allowed it to effortlessly rock back and forth to mince parsley or garlic or slice onions without lifting the blade off the cutting board between cuts. With an ultra-sharp edge, it rarely required any pressure to cut through whatever we threw at it, and we could nearly drop an entire head of lettuce right through the blade. The chef's knife is typically the most used in a home cook's block, so the fact that this was the best piece in the set shows that Zwilling understands its importance. The block also comes with a four-inch paring knife, which was bigger than most others in our testing pool. The height of the blade seemed quite significant in our hand, nearly twice the width of other paring knives. We thought it was more like a smaller chef's knife. The chunky blade, while sharp, made it hard to do things like hull a strawberry or core a tomato, and it didn't work well for removing the peel from an apple or a potato. It did, however, work better than any of the smaller paring knives in our product pool for chopping smaller foods like garlic or shallots. We did enjoy the utility knife, which sliced cheese and salami with ease, and we found that the serrated knife swiftly cut through angel food cake and a loaf of crusty French bread. Each of the knives in this set is designed with a sloped bolster so users can achieve what's called the 'professional pinch grip,' where the thumb and index finger rest on either side of the blade to provide improved control while cutting. We liked this design choice and found that it made the knives more comfortable when chopping and slicing onions and carrots, and when mincing parsley. Buying a quality set of kitchen knives doesn't mean you have to spend hundreds of dollars, and this 15-piece set from Cuisinart is the perfect example of why. Priced at $130 (but often on sale for less than $100), it offers incredible value for at-home chefs of any skill level. The fact that it also comes in a wood block that looks good on any kitchen counter is a massive plus. CNN Underscored's senior testing editor, Rick Stella, tested this set in his kitchen for several months and walked away so impressed that he heavily considered pitching it not just as the best budget pick but as the best overall kitchen knife set. That idea faded after some side-by-side comparison to the Zwilling set, but the fact remains that this is an excellent set of knives for any kind of at-home chef. What particularly stood out to Stella was just how sharp the knives were right out of the box. They were so sharp that even a small nick from the side of the chef's blade was enough to cut his finger. The cut was nothing serious, but it did prove just how honed the blades were. He also appreciated that the set came with six steak knives. These are often the first things left off many kitchen knife sets, but Stella said that it's something that comes in handy when entertaining guests. These were also quite sharp and have held up to repeated (sometimes daily) use for several months. There's also something to be said about the overall design and aesthetic. Each knife (and the shears) has a pleasant white handle with silver accents that pulls off an elevated style. To top it off, everything is housed in a beautiful light-colored wood block that would look good in almost anyone's kitchen. For those who prefer it, the set is also available in black, with the handles of the knives and shears black and the wood block sporting a black 'Cuisinart' badge. If you're shopping for a kitchen knife set that won't break the bank and also won't be an eyesore, this set from Cuisinart is what you seek. A knife set priced over $300 can be a tough ask for someone just looking to stock their kitchen with the essentials. At half that price, the Cutluxe Artisan Series Eight-Piece Knife Block Set provides a hefty starting kit that feels solid, performs well and looks more expensive than it is. It wasn't the cheapest set we tested, but it was the best bang-for-your-buck standout. Housed in a massive acacia wood block, the Cutluxe set includes a 3.5-inch paring knife, 5-inch utility knife, 5-inch serrated knife, 7-inch Santoku knife, 8-inch chef's knife, 9-inch carving knife, 10-inch serrated bread knife and a honing rod. It's a gamut of blades that never really felt lacking, as the utility knife, sized between the paring and chef's knives, made it easy to specify roles. If one thing was missing, it was a pair of shears. The Cutluxe knives are heavier and bigger than our top set from Zwilling. Take the paring knife, for example: The Cutluxe lands at 4.9 ounces on the scale, while the Zwilling weighs in at 2.9 ounces. And it's obvious just by looking at them, as the handles on the Cutluxe knives are far bulkier. The size didn't bother us during testing, though home chefs with small hands might feel like they're wielding a small sword when breaking out the carving knife. Associate testing writer Joe Bloss deployed this Cutluxe set in his kitchen for months to assess how it performed and how severely its knives dulled over time. A significant decrease in sharpness was never detected. Though they didn't slice through ingredients with the buttery smoothness of our favorite knives and more expensive options, the blades of high-carbon German steel performed well. Casual cooks are the target here; serious home chefs are likely better off reaching deeper into their budget for sharper knives. Looks weren't the primary focus of our testing, but there's no denying that Cutluxe's woodblock stands out among the pool of candidates. It's huge — 13.1 by 2.3 by 16.1 inches when filled — and makes for a countertop statement piece. If you plan on stashing it beneath a cabinet, ensure you have plenty of clearance for removing and replacing the knives. Cutluxe backs this set (and its smaller five- and seven-piece sets) with a lifetime warranty against material and workmanship defects. That confidence means something when you're shopping in this price tier. We spent several weeks testing eight kitchen knife sets, comparing each model using the same criteria, including overall performance, build quality, added accessories and warranty. We also took detailed notes on how specific knives functioned, based on everything from sharpness and materials to heft and hand feel. In some cases, we ordered two of each set so that after spending several days slicing and dicing our hearts out, we could compare the used knives' sharpness to their just-out-of-the-box twins. Here's everything we considered while testing. Performance Chef's knife: This standard tool is made to take on most of the bigger jobs in the kitchen. Its weight makes it easier to chop loads of ingredients in one go, say, for a big pot of soup or to roast a bounty of potatoes and other vegetables. We tested chopping through meat, tomatoes, onions, carrots, herbs and more, noting the knife's design, grip, weight and general feel, and then we noted the ease of drawing the blade through the various food items. Paring knife: A paring knife needs to be nimble and precise, and feel good in the hand. So, for this knife, we cored and peeled apples and tomatoes, then minced shallots and garlic to evaluate its performance and feel. Utility knife: These knives are made to take on all the random jobs that no other knife feels right for — the chef's knife is too big, the paring knife too small. Too many items to list, including tomatoes, cheddar cheese, oranges and salami, were used to test how easily this knife could live up to its name. Serrated knife: Serrated knives are made to cut through things you can't press down and through easily, like crusty baguettes, angel food cakes and cantaloupes. We looked at the ease of cutting through these difficult foods, as well as how thin we could slice something softer, such as a tomato. Build quality and design Quality: We took into account the quality of materials, including blade and handle construction. Feel: So much of handling a kitchen knife depends on how it feels in your hand, so we paid special attention to the weight of the blades and handles, maneuverability, weight distribution and ease of sliding the knives in and out of their blocks. Knuckle clearance: Not all knife handles are created equal, so we measured whether or not our knuckles or fingers hit the cutting board while chopping. General looks: Aesthetics are important, especially for utensils that will sit out on your countertop 24/7. While we realize taste is subjective, we noted our general reactions to how nice they looked. Accessories and warranty Items and their usefulness: Some sets were very simple with just a few items, while others included a full array of steak knives, shears, honing steels, boning knives, slicers and more. We looked at what was offered and how useful those items were. Limited or lifetime warranty: Stuff happens, so we noted warranty information. (Most had limited lifetime warranties.) Forged or stamped Knife blades are either forged or stamped from steel. Forged blades are hammered out of molten metal, while stamped blades are punched out of a large sheet of steel. In general, forged blades are sturdier, are easier to control and hold an edge longer. Between the handle and the blade, they have a bolster, which is a band of metal that strengthens the knife, helps to balance it and protects your hand. Forged knives have a full tang, which means the blade runs through the handle. When you use a forged knife, you can sense that the handle controls the knife. But you will find it heavier to hold, less flexible and more expensive. You may feel a stamped blade is more comfortable to hold and maneuver, especially for tasks like peeling an apple, coring a tomato or working around bones. Choose your style Western-style knives are thick and heavy, as they originated in Europe where cooks prepare a lot of root vegetables and large cuts of meat. They often have a curved blade to make it easy to rock back and forth when cutting and mincing. Asian knives, which were designed to cut fish and make precise cuts, are lighter and thinner, and have blades with a smaller angle. While they're comfortable to work with, they're more delicate and must be handled carefully. Don't even think of using one to hack through a butternut squash or the backbone of a chicken. Comfort You're the one who's going to be using the knives, so it's important that they feel comfortable in your hand, especially if you're going to be chopping and slicing large quantities in one session. Factors like the size of your hand, the type of grip you use and what food you prepare will affect your preference. When you pick up a knife, it should rest comfortably in your palm or between your fingers if you use a pinch grip. The knife should be balanced, meaning neither the handle nor the blade is heavier than the other. Pick up the knife and grip it lightly where the blade meets the handle to see if it will seesaw. A balanced knife will remain level in your hand, while an unbalanced one will teeter down on one side, indicating either the handle or the blade is heavier. A well-balanced knife reduces hand fatigue, especially when cutting a mountain of vegetables, and gives good control, which is especially important when you want to cut precisely, let's say to turn carrots into matchsticks or onions into little cubes. Safe, accessible storage A storage block that sits on your countertop is handy for keeping your knives accessible as well as protecting their blades from being dulled or nicked in a drawer or accidentally cutting you as you reach for them. However, a block eats up counter space and isn't always aesthetically pleasing, especially if it's branded with the manufacturer's name. Blocks designed so that the knife handles point toward you make it easy to grab the one you want but aren't compact. Slim blocks that sit at the back of the counter are less obtrusive but make it harder to remove a knife, as you have to lift them straight up and may have to move the block forward. If you buy knives without a block, we urge you to buy an in-drawer storage organizer like this bamboo one. Another space-saving option is to install a magnetic strip on the wall. But keep in mind that to remove a knife, you either have to lift it straight up or use some force. Don't ignore sharpening We can't say it enough: Nothing is more important than keeping your knives sharp. The most well-balanced, comfortable-to-hold, sharpest-out-of-the-box knives are useless once their blades get dull. If you aren't diligent about sharpening, it doesn't pay to spend much on a knife set. Over time, you'll feel your knives getting duller, so when they no longer easily pierce the skin of a tomato or slice through a sheet of paper, it's time to sharpen the blades. Depending on how much you use your knives, you'll need to sharpen them anywhere from once a month to once a year. We recommend you invest in a handheld, or even better, an electric sharpener that holds a blade at a fixed angle as you pull it through the mechanism, and use it regularly. You can't rely on a butcher's or honing steel to maintain your blade. Caraway 5-Piece Stainless Steel Knife Set This knife set from Caraway is a beautiful five-piece collection that feels good in hand, is incredibly sharp out of the box and comes in six stylish color options. It is a bit spendy, though, and it doesn't come with a block to store any of the knives. We've long been fans of Caraway's kitchen tools here at CNN Underscored, and the same can be said for this five-piece knife set. Though it is expensive at $275 for four knives and a pair of shears, it does prove its worth by offering sharp blades and a gorgeous design. They also perform extremely well, no matter if you're slicing tomatoes, chopping garlic or cutting up some berries. We also appreciated that the set is available in six eye-catching colors, which can match a diverse array of kitchen aesthetics (or other Caraway products if you have them). The quality is top-notch here — if you have the budget. Cutluxe 15-Piece Knife Block Set This Cutluxe 15-Piece Knife Block Set is a great alternative to the eight-piece Cutluxe Artisan Series collection above. It doesn't come with the same premium Acacia wood block (this one's walnut), but it does have more knives and costs less. Although we deemed the Cutluxe Artisan Series eight-piece set as the best kitchen knife set for beginners, this other collection from Cutluxe came in a close second. First, it's a bit less expensive, albeit the quality is not as high, especially when it comes to the wooden knife block. But if you just want to stock an empty kitchen, that's a fine trade-off. This set is durably built and the knives feel solid and weighty in hand. They proved to be ultra-sharp right after we unboxed them too, and they stayed perfectly sharp throughout testing. This set was also in the running for best budget knife set (and it was close), but since the Cuisinart block costs less, we chose that one instead. Hedley & Bennett Chef's Knife Set One of our favorite sets in terms of weight and feel, this trio of chef's knives from Hedley & Bennett is made of Japanese steel and backed by a lifetime guarantee. It nails the basics at a better price than others of the same size too. Our most recent round of testing placed a lot of knives in Bloss' kitchen. and after evaluations, these were the ones he continued to reach for most often. Ergonomic and balanced, Hedley & Bennett's lightweight blades feel almost custom-made in the hand. The weight and size are just right, and they cut through veggies, meats and breads with terrific sharpness. Hedley & Bennett's set features just three blades: a 5.5-inch paring knife, an 8.6-inch serrated bread knife and an 8-inch chef's knife. We didn't award it a winning spot because it's not as fully loaded as other sets with additional knives, but this trio is a rock-solid foundation that the solo chef will rarely need to go beyond. At this price, unfortunately, it doesn't include storage, though you can bundle the brand's magnetic stand for a final cost of $260. Brabantia Drawer Knife Block Plus Knives Encased in a flat block, this drawer-friendly set felt cheap because of its plastic grips. If the ideal weight and feel of a perfect knife inspires confidence in the kitchen, the flimsy plastic grip on this trio did the opposite in our latest round of testing. Don't get it twisted: They performed decently, cutting through bread with zero issues. But this set, which doesn't include a paring knife, felt more like a backup plan to stash away in a drawer than the kitchen staples that never take a break. Brabantia, however, does support its longevity with a five-year warranty. Schmidt Bros. Bonded Ash 7-Piece Kitchen Knife Set Blade performance is adequate with this knife set, though you're likely better off opting for one of Schmidt Bros.' more inexpensive handle materials. Schmidt Bros. has such an expansive collection of knife sets that it was hard to zero in on the best fit for our testing. We landed on this seven-piece set complete with a 4-inch paring knife, 7.5-inch santoku knife, 6-inch utility knife, 8-inch chef's knife, 8.5-inch slicer knife and 8.5-inch bread knife with a magnetic stand. The ash handles on each look handsome and feel comfortable to hold, though knuckle clearance was a bit tight during use. Ultimately, this set was only average in performance while being priced close to our top pick. It could be a better buy in other finishes at lower prices, but in this variant, you're much better off with the elite performance from Zwilling. How many knives come in a kitchen knife set? How many knives come in a kitchen knife set? Sets can consist of as few as three knives or as many as 20 pieces, including an assortment of knives, a butcher's steel, shears, steak knives and a storage block. Don't automatically assume more pieces are better, though. The bigger the set, the more room it requires in a kitchen drawer or on a countertop. What kind of knives do I really need? What kind of knives do I really need? A utility knife, which is a little longer than a paring knife, and shears are items you're likely to use often. Santokus are all-purpose knives that are nice to have, especially for slicing. But you may never use a boning knife, and we consider a sharpening steel of minimal benefit. Ultimately, consider the included tools that come in a certain set and whether or not you need them. What are high-quality kitchen knives made from? What are high-quality kitchen knives made from? Virtually all high-quality knives are made from high-carbon stainless steel. The carbon makes them easy to sharpen and helps them keep their edges while the stainless prevents discoloration and rusting. CNN Underscored thoroughly tests the products in our testing guides and provides full transparency about how we test them. We have a skilled team of writers and editors who have many years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when relevant to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this article, associate testing writer Joe Bloss, senior testing editor Rick Stella and contributing writers Lesley Kennedy and Sharon Franke put each knife set through several cutting assignments in their kitchen. You should have seen the amount of knife blocks built up in their homes. Bloss, author of this guide's most recent update, is a seasoned product tester across various categories in the home and kitchen, including coffee makers and men's razors.
