Category: Culinary Arts

7 Best Air Fryers of 2022 For All the Fun Without all the Fat

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Basketball styles: Probably the original style of air fryers, basket-style refers to the basket that pulls in and out of the unit like a drawer. They’ve been improved over the years to have a larger capacity and great usefulness outside of cooking only one serving. They’re also more compact and portable than other styles of air fryers.

Dual-basket style: Take a basket-style air fryer and add a second basket, and you’ll have your dual-basket air fryer. They double the utility of any model, and you can simultaneously cook food at different temperatures and for different lengths of time without disturbing the other. They are larger in size but that extra usefulness can make or break which model you purchase.

Air fryer toaster ovens: These are essentially shrunken-down ovens for use on your kitchen counter. They are infinitely transportable and can do everything from bake, roast, dehydrate and broil.

A Note on the “Healthiness” of Air Fryers

Just because a brownie is cooked in an air fryer, it doesn’t make it healthier. Same goes for those frozen French fries. The real benefit of air frying is the ability to control the total fat that is absorbed by any food compared to pan frying or deep frying. If those items were previously fried and then heated up again, their fat content hasn’t changed. Fat is necessary for a healthy diet. Air fryers are way less intimidating than a vat of bubbling hot oil but what you put into them has as much to do with what you get out of them.

What to Consider Before Buying an Air Fryer

While there are a ton of options when it comes to air fryers, there are also some great ways to narrow down your choices. Do you have small counters and want something that is easy to operate? That’s a check mark towards a basket style air fryer. Is your top priority making larger portions of food with lots of fun accessories? Then try out the toaster oven model. Prices vary significantly but you can always choose a model and wait for it to go on sale. Or borrow one from a friend to see which functions are the most helpful.

How We Tested

There were three components to this process. One, how well does the air fryer work? Two, how easy is the model to operate. And three, how easy is it to clean? The whole point of an air fryer is that it evenly cooks, browns and crisps food. If your fries don’t have that crunchy outer crust then what’s the point? We looked at how each of the air fryers did with frozen, store-bought French fries, homemade taquitos and bone-in chicken wings. We tested a whole and portioned chicken for the rotisserie model. The best air fryers consistently cook food quickly and evenly, and have powerful heating elements that mimic a traditional oven.

Now that air fryers have improved functions, it’s pretty standard for them to come with a vast selection of preset temperature settings and an automatic pause function for when the basket is opened when the fryer is in use. Cleaning is very important and being able to disassemble and reassemble them easily is very important. Just like with other cooking devices, cleaning them while freshly used is much easier than waiting a few hours. How noisy the model is matters as well and was a helpful category to examine.

The Best Overall Air Fryer: Philips Premium Air Fryer XXL

Phillips Premium XXL digital airfryer

Capacity: 4.1 quarts
Dimensions: 13.95 x 13.8 x 12 inches
wash: Air fryer basket and tray are dishwasher safe. Clean models with a damp cloth.

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Cooking at the Cove: A bunch of brunches

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Egg-in-a-frame with ricotta is just one brunch idea to get you through the winter. Karen Schneider / For the Forecaster

Brunch is my favorite meal when it comes to entertaining during this time of year. I think that 11 o’clock or so in the morning is a great hour to greet the company in the winter months. Everyone is fresh and fun, there are hours of daylight ahead, and you’re not expected to serve a roast and mashed potatoes and offer cake or pie. You can relax, enjoy some brunch food, get in a walk together and no one has to drive home in the dark. Unless of course, you’re so fun to be around that your company stays forever.

We’ll address that in another column titled “Midnight Snacks.”

When my children were little and we had a clutch of hens, we often had eggs and toast at meal time – it didn’t matter which meal. Eggs nestled into a hole punched from liberally buttered bread then fried to perfection in a skillet was aptly named “eggs-in-a-frame” by my youngest daughter, Shannon.

Today, I present to you a grown-up version of that delicacy. Your guests (or family) can help you put these together. Just keep a close eye on the eggs once they’re in the oven as the baking time will really depend on how you like your eggs cooked and how crunchy you want your toast to be.

During the last few minutes of baking time, I sometimes add rolls of thin ham to the baking dish. They go nicely with these toast fillings.
Apples for breakfast came to me via my friend, Mary, a former co-worker. I haven’t seen her in a while, but whenever I make this delicious treat, I think of her with much fondness. This is another one of those dishes that can be served for any meal. It’s great with maple syrup and a side of sliced ​​ham or bacon.

Usually, I consume a lot of smoothies during the week and this is a favorite. Belt one back to tide you over until your guests arrive or make enough to share. I often use cooled green tea to aid in blending and get the consistency just right if needed, but you can use coconut water or juice as well.

Here’s to many companionable, cozy brunches ahead!

Eggs-in-a-frame with ricotta

4 large slices of rustic bread, sliced ​​1-inch thick

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 cup ricotta cheese

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon thyme

4 large eggs at room temperature

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved

Thin ham rolls, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut out about a 1 1/2 inch hole in each slice of bread and reserve the bread rounds. Brush olive oil on all the bread on both sides. Arrange slices and rounds in a parchment-lined baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until toasted, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix ricotta with salt, pepper and thyme. Spread onto toasted bread and drizzle with olive oil.

Break an egg into the hole of each toast and season with salt. Bake until egg whites are set, about 10 minutes. Garnish with Parmesan, toasted rounds and ham.

Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundy’s Harbor. You can reach her at [email protected]

Yield: 4 servings

Apples for breakfast

1/4 cup butter

5 tart apples, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup raisins

6 tablespoons of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups of orange juice

1 cup flour

3/4 teaspoons salt

Toppings:

3 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet and sauté apple slices, nuts, raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring often until the apples start to soften, about 6 minutes. Spoon into a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a bowl, combine eggs, orange juice, flour and salt with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour over apples.

For the topping, combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Yield: 8 servings

Get-up-and-go smoothies

2 frozen bananas

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 orange, tangerine, or 2 clementines, sectioned

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon green juice powder

1 teaspoon of chia seeds

Green tea or other liquids

Chop bananas and oranges then combine all ingredients in a blender, processing until smooth and adding enough liquid to assist with blending.

Yield: 2 (8 ounce) servings

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How a chef cooks the deer he hunts, from pot roast sliders to venison koobideh [Q&A, recipes] | Food

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With experience in fine dining kitchens as well as kitchens like the family-owned Greenfield Restaurant in Lancaster, the executive chef of events at TFB Catering in Lititz has made cooking his life.

However, Rafe Hottenstein also loves the outdoors. In the corner of his work kitchen in Lititz, you can usually find his camo Crocs and a First Lite camo “Bear Grease” ball cap. As a new father, he prioritizes time with his young family. But he still carves out time to pursue pheasants, wild turkey and, of course, deer.

So, what does a trained chef like Hottenstein, who makes inspired dishes for work, make when he’s not working? Turns out he cooks dishes just as elevated at home, too. If you’ve got the desire to step up your venison game for the dinner table, here is how Hottenstein prepares deer from his hunts, including a few of his favorite recipes — and what keeps him going back for seconds.

Want to learn more about preparing veison? See our guide to different types of cuts here.

What do you like about wild venison as an ingredient?

It’s obviously fun to hunt, be outdoors and enjoy nature, but I especially like killing and processing my own deer. I like to provide for my family and have readily available meat throughout the year. When you cook venison or game meat that you killed yourself, you have a story to tell every time you eat meat that makes a meal 100 times tastier.

Venison dishes also give a “wow” factor, meaning it takes a humble meatball, meatloaf or burger and puts a fun twist or spin on it. It turns spaghetti into a delicious hearty venison Bolognese or meat burger turns into venison smash burgers.

It’s also incredibly versatile. The entire deer can be used from neck to ribs to shanks and heart. You can make sausage that you can eat for breakfast, tacos that you can eat for lunch with venison bologna sandwiches or a hearty stew that you can have for dinner.




Rafe Hottenstein

Rafe Hottenstein.




What is your favorite venison dish to prepare?

The koobideh, or “meat on a skewer,” is a tough one to beat. It’s so much fun to make, and magic always happens when you put meat on a stick. Another one that is a family favorite is venison smash burgers. Another dish that I can think of is our friend Tony made a braised venison neck at archery camp a few weeks back that was unreal. The neck meat isn’t just for grinding — it’s definitely a great braising cut. Never underestimate the power of braised venison over top of good mashed potatoes. Also, don’t leave the heart in the gut pile. Respect the animal, take it home, grill it and make tacos.

What advice would you give home cooks working with venison?

Do what you know and don’t be afraid. If you like roasting vegetables, roast them and serve with venison steaks. If you like making pizzas, turn the grind into venison meatballs and put them on a pizza. Use your favorite barbecue seasoning, use your grill, use your oven, use your cast iron. If you hunted it and killed it, it will taste delicious.

MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST

By Rafe Hottenstein.

Cut of meat used: shoulders, shank or neck.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb butter
  • 4 to 5 lbs shoulder roast
  • 1 pack dry beef au jus mix
  • 1 pack of dry ranch mix
  • 1 small jar pepperoncini

Directions:

My mouth is watering just thinking about the flavor of this recipe. Over some delicious mashed potatoes, this is a great one-pot meal, or, my personal favorite, you can make these into sliders with some potato buns and pepper jack cheese.

The recipe and technique is simple: Add all the ingredients into your slow cooker and let it cook until it’s tender and enjoy. You can shred the meat as finely as you’d like or leave it in large chunks. If you want to go the extra mile before cooking, you can season the meat with your favorite barbecue spice, sear it on the stove and get some nice color, then put it in the pot with the rest of the ingredients.

SOUS VIDE AND GRILLED BACK STRAPS

By Rafe Hottenstein.

Cut of meat used: loin (back straps), or tenderloin or steaks.

Directions:

This technique uses a “sous vide machine” or a “circulator,” which sounds fancy. They are both the same thing — nothing more than a wand that sits in water and regulates the temperature of the water as it moves the water around, thus the “circulator”.

I like to season the meat with salt and pepper and place the loins into a bag with some fresh herbs. Thyme, rosemary, oregano — anything that grows in the

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