In my kitchen in October, my only new item is a skillet. It was on special sale during Amazon Prime Days, and I was also using up a $10 credit that was only good during the 2-day promotion.
New stuff is small consolation for the current status of the world and the dread with which we wait for next Tuesday and its possible long aftermath. Will we re-elect an incompetent, corrupt, and self-serving President and Senate? Will we perpetuate an administration whose policies have caused large numbers of people to become sick and impoverished? Will more and more members of our society become jobless, homeless, bereaved, isolated, without hope? Will another 4 years enable these demagogues to deprive several million Americans of health care insurance? To destroy the environment? To intensify inequality and racism? To encourage and abet domestic terrorists more than it already has done?
Let me keep my mind away from the immediate future and the long-term future. Let me cook. Here is my new toy, with some pictures of how I am using it. Maybe it's becoming my favorite pan.
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| New 10" non-stick skillet, replacing one that got sticky. |
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First in the skillet: I made black beans to go in a tortilla casserole.
The casserole -- beans, tortillas, cheese, & salsa -- baked in the oven. |
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Leftover tortilla casserole becomes skillet beans & eggs for lunch.
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Toasting quinoa for pilaf in the new skillet. (Recipe here.)
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Steaming the quinoa while making sweet potato and red lentil curry
in one of my other skillets. |
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Curry, quinoa, and yogurt with cucumber.
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Heating the new skillet for some sourdough pancakes.
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A good surface for a nice big pancake!
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Salmon croquettes: another job for the skillet. (Recipe here.)
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| The croquettes with yogurt sauce and baked potatoes. |
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Omelet with vegetables and cheese.
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Frying delicata squash for pasta casserole.
In the other pan is a Béchamel sauce. |
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Browning onions for pumpkin-tomato soup.
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Toasting oats for a breakfast bowl.
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Breakfast bowl: yogurt, dried apples, oats, maple syrup.
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Finally: even bread can use the new skillet. For a Japanese Milk Bread,
the first step is cooking a starter mixture of flour, milk, and water.
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| Len's loaves, ready to bake. |
A few skillet fry-ups that didn't get into the photos were brown flour for brown gravy (I don't think I could make brown flour except in a working no-stick skillet) and croutons for a panzanella salad of my own devising. I’m having lots of fun with this new kitchen item. And I'm sharing this post with Sherry's once-a-month kitchen event, "In My Kitchen" where bloggers share new items and ideas from their kitchens.
This post and all photos © 2020 mae sander. To see what Sherry has in her kitchen along with links to many other bloggers' posts go to:
A few skillet fry-ups that didn't get into the photos were brown flour for brown gravy (I don't think I could make brown flour except in a working no-stick skillet) and croutons for a panzanella salad of my own devising. I’m having lots of fun with this new kitchen item. And I'm sharing this post with Sherry's once-a-month kitchen event, "In My Kitchen" where bloggers share new items and ideas from their kitchens. 
