Latest news with #Bolognese
CNET
2 days ago
- General
- CNET
This Portable Induction Cooktop Saved Me During a Kitchen Remodel. Get It While It's 16% Off
Weeks before we started our kitchen remodel, we asked for advice from friends and neighbors about how they survived the experience. But nothing truly prepares you for the daily inconvenience of not having a fully functioning kitchen. While my kids would've voted to eat at a local taqueria whenever possible, I was determined to continue cooking at home -- and make better than passable meals everyone would eat. After a failed attempt at using a microwave (I don't want to talk about it), I bought a Duxtop portable induction cooktop burner, put it on the workbench in the garage and made every meal on it through the rest of the remodel. This cooktop burner will normally run you $139, but now you can snag this model for $117. At 16% off, it's a solid addition to your cooking arsenal, and it would be a great gift for a grad, too. How does an induction cooktop burner work? I didn't really understand till I got one, but an induction cooktop generates heat by creating a magnetic field that flows into a metal pan. Not all metal pans will work -- my aluminum pans remained as cold as my disconnected gas range. Instead, you need a pan or pot made of a magnetic metal like cast iron or stainless steel. I have several enameled cast iron pots that worked great, and I bought a Tramontina stainless steel 10-inch pan for frying. I started simply, making pasta, using sauce out of a jar, but by the end of the remodel, I was making Baja fish tacos from scratch and homemade Bolognese sauce. And I was surprised how much I loved cooking on it. My family started avoiding me while I was in the garage cooking because I'd boast about how amazing induction was. "Look!" I'd tell them. "The cooktop stays cool!" Or, "Check this out! When I take the pot off the cooktop, it pauses heating!" During a kitchen-warming party we threw for our neighbors after our new kitchen was finished, I learned our friend across the street had the same love for her induction cooktop. We huddled like allies, devoted to this magnetic object. Now that the kitchen is done, I'm thinking of ways I can keep using the cooktop. Maybe, when I'm cooking a big meal and need an extra burner, I can set it up on the counter. Maybe I can use it outdoors during a cookout. Or maybe I can give it to one of my kids as they set up their own home. I actually love it so much, when it comes time to swap out our gas range, I'm going to get an induction cooktop. For more, here are our favorite cookware sets and our favorite chef's knife.
Scottish Sun
24-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Four savvy tips to get on top of weekly admin and planning to save cash
From batch cooking to reviewing your calendar, read on for our tips SUN SAVERS Four savvy tips to get on top of weekly admin and planning to save cash A SUNDAY reset – where you get on top of your weekly admin and planning – is a great way to prepare for the Monday-to-Friday grind. Not only will it save you time in the working week, it should also save you money. Advertisement Here's some tips . . . PREP MEALS: This is a cornerstone of the Sunday reset. By batch-cooking dishes, you can avoid last-minute take-aways or pricey ready meals. Your batch-cook menu might include Bolognese sauce, a chicken or veggie curry or chilli, and a sausage casserole. All of them can be cooked in advance, divided into portions and kept in the fridge or freezer for an easy mid-week meal. ZAP ADMIN: Now is the time to tackle your overflowing inbox and towering pile of papers. Advertisement Go through your paperwork and bills and dedicate an hour or two to sorting-out-your-life admin. If you've got a friend's birthday looming, choose a present now, instead of making a more expensive panic buy. Still got an hour to spare? Delete emails you don't need, and unsubscribe from mailing lists. Then do a thorough blitz of recent photos on your phone, only keeping the ones you really want. MAKE A BUDGET: Review what you spent over the last seven days, so you can see where you could have saved. Once that's done, you can create a budget for the week ahead. Advertisement Track subscriptions and cancel any you don't use, then work out how to budget for big costs over the longer term. CREATE A CALENDAR: Look at what's coming up in the weeks ahead and add to your diary or calendar. Hidden button to get designer dupes at a massive discount Note the dates of upcoming bills and write down important deadlines or appointments. Schedule tasks such as fine payments, or return dates, to avoid late fees. All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability. 7 Four savvy tips to get on top of weekly admin and planning to save cash Credit: Getty Advertisement Deal of the day 7 Dunelm's Hani floral wool rug (160 x 230cm) is £174.30 Credit: Supplied FOR fancy floors, Dunelm's Hani floral wool rug (160 x 230cm) is down from £249 to £174.30. SAVE: £74.70 Cheap treat 7 Tula black-and-gold earrings from Oliver Bonas, down from £19.50 to £5 Credit: Supplied Advertisement COMPLETE your look with Tula black-and-gold earrings from Oliver Bonas, down from £19.50 to £5. SAVE: £14.50 What's new? TAKE 20 per cent off on a £30 spend on kids' and babies' clothes at until Tuesday. Offer doesn't include schoolwear. This pink spotty tulle party dress is £12. Top swap 7 Magnum Euphoria pink lemonade sticks, £4.25 at Sainsbury's for three Credit: Supplied 7 Gianni's Luxury Pink Lemonade Chocsticks, from Aldi, £2.49 Credit: Supplied Advertisement GET that happy feeling with Magnum Euphoria pink lemonade sticks, £4.25 at Sainsbury's for three, or cool off with Gianni's Luxury Pink Lemonade Chocsticks, from Aldi, £2.49. SAVE: £1.76 Little helper PROTECT skin with Ambre Solaire ultra-hydrating sun cream SPF50+, down from £10 to £5 at Morrisons. Shop & save 7 Grab this Magnifi-Scent Wash for less at Tesco Credit: Supplied SURF Magnifi-Scent Wash sunshine blossom laundry detergent is half price with a Tesco Clubcard, down from £6.50 to £3.25.= Advertisement SAVE: £3.25 Hot right now DECO time? A 2.5L tin of Dulux matt emulsion is down from £23 to £15 in Wickes' paint sale. Save on own-brand and Crown products, too. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Advertisement Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets you'll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
Business Insider
20-05-2025
- General
- Business Insider
Le Creuset vs. Staub: Which Dutch oven is best?
When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven, 5.5 Quarts Beloved by home cooks, Le Creuset's Dutch oven has tons of user-friendly features like roomy handles, a (relatively) light weight, and straightforward lifetime warranty. Staub Round Cocotte, 5.5 Quarts Staub's Dutch oven is often preferred by professional chefs for its darker interior — which browns food faster and doesn't show stains — and innovative self-basting lid. I've worked in kitchens for over a decade, and if there's one piece of equipment that I reach for even more than my chef's knife, it's my Dutch oven. Also known as a cocotte or French oven, a great Dutch oven is the true backbone of a well-equipped kitchen. They're essentially large, heavy-bottomed, do-it-all pots that can be used for boiling water, braising meats, simmering soups and sauces, deep frying, or even baking bread. There are dozens of cookware brands that make solid Dutch ovens, but the big decision often boils down to two options: Staub vs. Le Creuset. I've cooked with dozens of Dutch ovens and know firsthand that both Staub and Le Creuset make phenomenal pots and pans worthy of their reputations. But for this guide, I wanted to settle the debate once and for all, so I put both Dutch ovens through a series of identical tests to find out which one is truly the best. (It's worth noting that Le Creuset and Staub make their Dutch ovens in a range of shapes and sizes, but I tested the 5.5-quart round Dutch oven from both because it's the shape and size we recommend for most people in our guide to the best Dutch ovens.) After 16 hours of cooking with each Dutch oven across five different tests, Le Creuset emerged as the clear winner. Read on to see why I think Le Creuset is the best choice for most home cooks. Staub vs Le Creuset, an overview Staub and Le Creuset are both legacy culinary brands with roots in France and are known for making high-quality enameled cast iron cookware. Unlike regular cast iron, which needs to be seasoned and carefully maintained, enameled cast iron has a glass-like coating that is non-porous, non-reactive, and easy to clean. The result is a pan that has the heat retention and durability of traditional cast iron, but doesn't require as much upkeep. Unsurprisingly, both Dutch ovens look similar at first glance, but have subtle differences in shape, color, and weight. Here's a quick overview of the differences: How I tested the Dutch ovens For this comparison, I but the two Dutch ovens head-to-head in four cooking tests: making Bolognese sauce, boiling water for pasta, baking chicken and rice in the oven, and baking bread. I also evaluated each pot for durability by whacking the rim with a metal spoon 100 times. You can read a more in-depth overview of my tests in our guide to the best Dutch ovens. Performance The light-colored interior of the Le Creuset Dutch oven made it much easier to monitor browning. The Staub's interior is made of black-colored enamel, while Le Creuset's is white. I can see benefits to both — Staub's black coating definitely showed less staining — but when it comes to cooking, the white interior of the Le Creuset offers a significant advantage. While making Bolognese, I had a much easier time monitoring browning in the Le Creuset than in the Staub. In the Staub, I couldn't tell when the fond was turning from rust-colored red (the ideal color for Bolognese) to black and burned until it was too late. The resulting sauce was salvageable, but had a noticeable acrid, scorched taste. Proponents of Staub's dark interior claim that it browns food faster, but I felt much more confident cooking in the Le Creuset. I could easily follow the visual cues of the recipe, which is one of the primary reasons I recommend the Le Creuset over the Staub for most home cooks. The only downside I can see to a light-colored interior is that it's prone to staining over time. I'm not bothered by this patina, but if you are, you can always bleach the interior back to white — a process we outline in our guide to the best Dutch ovens. Le Creuset's Dutch oven has a roomier cooking surface, but shorter walls. Both Dutch ovens have the same 5.5-quart capacity, but slightly different shapes. The Le Creuset has a wider cooking surface — 9 inches, compared to Staub's 8.75 inches. Instead, the Staub applies an extra quarter-inch to the pot's wall height, for 4.25-inch walls compared to Le Creuset's 4 inches. These are small differences, but I did find that they made an impact when cooking. I liked that the Le Creuset's roomier cooking surface let me spread food out for better browning with less stirring. However, because of the shorter walls, I often found myself splashing or losing pieces of food over the side of the pot as I stirred. Though I was personally thrilled with the loaves that came out of both Dutch ovens, the Staub predictably made a slightly taller loaf of bread than the Le Creuset, which I preferred just a tiny bit more. If you're a messy cook like me, you may find the extra quarter-inch height of the Staub helps minimize mess. If we were judging on shape alone, Staub would eke out a win, but unfortunately, I found that any positives in performance due to the shape were offset by the Staub's incredibly dark interior color. Both Dutch ovens have generous handles and oven-safe knobs… Good handles are essential when you're carrying a heavy pot filled with hot food, and both Staub and Le Creuset's handles are roomy and comfortable to hold, even with oven mitts. I'd give a slight edge to the Le Creuset's handles and kob for being a bit more generous in width. Each Dutch oven has a stainless steel lid knob that can withstand heat up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which is great for preparing dishes in the oven, like bread or casseroles. …but the Staub Dutch oven is heavier to carry. I wouldn't call either of these Dutch ovens "light" — if maneuverability and weight are important factors to you, I recommend abandoning the enameled cast iron altogether and looking into stainless steel Dutch ovens. Still, every pound counts in the kitchen, and a Dutch oven shouldn't be unnecessarily cumbersome to carry. With the lid, the Le Creuset pot weighs 11.4 pounds, whereas the Staub weighs 13.2 pounds. I could definitely feel the difference, especially when carrying and tilting each pot filled with boiling water, as I did when making pasta. Moreover, I couldn't find a performance benefit to having a higher weight. Both Dutch ovens cooked evenly and retained heat well in all our tests, so I don't see any need to tack on an extra 1.8 pounds to an already heavy piece of cookware. Staub's tight-fitting, self-basting lid is great for dishes that cook in the oven. I've never given much thought to my Dutch oven lid, but I do think Staub's brings a bit of innovation to an otherwise classic design. The underside of the lid is covered in dimples that are supposed to drop moisture back onto your food as it cooks. The lid also fits tightly, which helps lock moisture in. I saw the benefits of this best when making chicken and rice, which cooks in the oven. The rice came out really tender and fluffy, and the chicken was extra juicy. Chicken and rice made in the Le Creuset was perfectly tasty as well, but the Staub had just a little extra oomph. I think you'd get the most out of the Staub if you regularly make long-simmering stews, soups, or braises that take advantage of the unique self-basting lid design. Both Staub and Le Creuset are equally durable, but Le Creuset has a better warranty. The bases of both pots are made with nearly indestructible cast iron, however, the enamel coatings can chip and wear over time and with heavy use. I tried to simulate reasonable wear and tear by banging a metal spoon against each pot over 100 times and slamming the lid down on the pots at least 10 times. There was no visible damage in either case. Still, neither the Le Creuset nor the Staub Dutch ovens come cheap, so we want to see any potential damage covered by a generous warranty. While both brands claim to come with lifetime warranties, Le Creuset's is much more generous and clear. Staub's warranty appears to only cover manufacturing defects and specifically says it does not cover normal wear and tear. By contrast, Le Creuset's warranty does cover normal wear and tear, which is what chips in the enamel usually fall under. In research for this guide, I also found many more people complaining about their Staub warranty claims being denied compared to Le Creuset. Both Dutch ovens are priced similarly and have equally devoted followings. The MSRPs for the Le Creuset and Staub Dutch ovens are $420 and $400, respectively. However, both can usually be found on sale for around $300. If price is your main consideration, you won't find a significant difference here. Both brands are also beloved by a vocal legion of fans. You'll often hear that home cooks prefer Le Creuset while commercial cooks prefer Staub, but I know plenty of professional chefs who love Le Creuset and vice versa. Of course, if you're going solely based on Instagram followers, Le Creuset has Staub beat at 1.2 million compared to 236,000 — but we don't put much weight behind social media followings. Instead, it really comes down to a personal preference for one design over the other, but both Dutch ovens are worthy of their loyal fan bases. Bottom line: Is Le Creuset or Staub better? Both brands make phenomenal Dutch ovens that are likely to be legacy pieces you can pass down for generations. However, the Le Creuset Dutch Oven's lighter interior, roomier cooking surface, and more generously sized handles are small but meaningful upgrades that we think make it the better choice for most people.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Food and Drinks You'll Always Find at Stanley Tucci's Holiday Table (Exclusive)
Stanley Tucci loves to taste extravagant and delicious cuisine, but when it comes to the staples on his family's holiday table, he keeps it basic. 'Wine and San Pellegrino,' Tucci, 64, exclusively tells Parade in celebration of his new National Geographic series' Sunday, May 18, premiere. 'We always make marinara sauce or Bolognese or eggplant parmesan. Lots of salads. Stuff like that. Really simple stuff.' In the upcoming five-episode, food-and-travel show, Tucci takes viewers on an Italian voyage to learn about the country's food, culture and history. Along his journey, he meets with several interesting locals, farmers and restaurateurs who share their own personal stories while feeding Tucci some of their finest dishes. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 During filming, Tucci flew back and forth from Italy to New York City so that he didn't go too long without seeing his wife, literary agent Felicity Blunt, and five children. Because of his long travel days, he became a master at packing perfect snacks for the long haul. 'Bring salami sandwiches and lots of like little snacky things, but not like sweet things, more savory things,' Tucci advises. 'Or if we make something, we'll make sandwiches. Maybe eggplant parmesan sandwiches, or something like that that you can bring with you, so you're not eating the sort of crappy food that you can often get in the airports and on an airplane.' Related: Tucci, who also serves as a producer on the show, was blown away by many things he tasted along the way, but now that he's back in the States, there's one dish he's still dreaming of. 'I really did love that Timballo that they made in Abruzzo,' Tucci says. 'I thought that was amazing.' Tucci in Italy premieres Sunday, May 18, on National Geographic.
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Pringles unveils TikTok inspired spicy new flavour
Also, scroll down to see how you can save money on your next supermarket shop Pringles has revealed its spicy new flavour – inspired by a Gen Z TikTok trend. The iconic snack brand has created a buzz on social media by selling tubes of the limited-edition offering since January, but left fans trying to guess what it might be by keeping the flavour a secret. Advertisement 1 Pringles has revealed its spicy new flavour – inspired by a Gen Z TikTok trend Credit: Facebook Fans flocked to social media to share their guesses, ranging from melted popcorn and wasabi BBQ to spaghetti Bolognese and pizza. But after four months of leaving them in the dark bosses have finally revealed the Mystery Flavour – Spicy Pickle. It comes after the flavour has seen an unlikely surge in popularity among younger people with a raft of videos posted under tags such as '#pickle' '#pickle challenge' or '#pickle trends' on social media. Among the trends to get millions of views is 'glickles' – where edible glitter is added to the juice in a jar, and the 'chickle' – a fried cheese-wrapped pickle. Advertisement Pringles flavour expert Martha O'Reilly said: 'All of our flavours are based on what's trending across Europe in food. 'And so TikTok was one of the inspirations for this because pickles are everywhere right now. 'Especially with Gen Z, we know that's where they're getting inspiration for the products that they're buying.' But Martha admitted the new flavour was a bit of a wildcard that they weren't expecting to work, but as soon as they tasted it, they knew it was the one. Advertisement She said: 'You want a flavour that's going to generate that conversation and be a little bit divisive well, so people don't necessarily know what it is straight off the bat. 'This flavour is quite complex. We have the spice, which comes from red chilli and jalapeno, and then we have, obviously, the pickles, so the fermented flavours in that. Shopping discounts - How to make savings and find the best bargains 'We also do have other taste elements, so we're looking at onion, tomato, paprika and garlic, which adds to that polarisation. 'People are guessing what the flavour is, but they can't get it.' Advertisement Nearly 6,000 guesses have been submitted by would-be snack detectives – with less than one per cent getting it right. Other popular incorrect suggestions included Chinese spice, spicy meatball and cheesy nachos. While some even thought it was Thai red curry, chicken fajita or chilli con carne. But one of the few to guess correctly will be in with the chance of winning a break to New York. Advertisement Martha O'Reilly, who was one of only 50 people in the world to know about the new flavour before its announcement, said: 'Probably one of the biggest challenges I've had this year is just keeping it under wraps.'
