Ahh, Christmas dinner. Such high expectations for the home cook, and yet getting all that food cooked to perfection, and hot onto the table at just the right moment is a dance that even some professional chefs struggle with. That’s why I went in search of technology that can help manage this mega meal and let you find time to enjoy a cocktail yourself too. I shared these gadgets on Global News Morning and AM 770 radio.
How to cook a perfect turkey: try Weber iGrill2
How to cook a perfect turkey: try Weber iGrill2To cook the perfect bird, you need to properly manage temperature and for that a wireless thermometer is a handy gadget to have in the kitchen. I recently got a Weber iGrill2. This app enabled thermometer lets you use up to 4 different temperature probes (and two are included in the kit) to keep tabs on the meat (or even to monitor both the breast and the legs) so you don’t over or undercook it. You can also use it to check your oven temperature for accuracy and you can set timers too.
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For perfect stuffing: grow your own herbs with Click & Grow Smart Garden
Fresh herbs can’t be beat, but living in the great white north, as we do, makes it tough to enjoy fresh herbs year round (that don’t cost an arm and a leg). The Click and Grow Smart Garden is a reusable system of pods that lets you grow herbs, lettuce even tomatoes or peppers right on your kitchen counter. The watering and the lights are all automatic. Pick up some of the pre-planted and pre-fertilized seed pods (or make your own), pop them into the garden, and they’ll sprout within a week. In just two to three weeks you’ll have fresh food.
Choose sage, thyme and rosemary for the perfect stuffing flavours that will make Christmas dinner perfect. Intrigued? Read my full review of the Click and Grow Smart Garden here.
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Perfect vegetables (and dessert!) with Anova Nano sous vide machine
Sous vide uses a precisely controlled water bath to cook food to within half a degree of its perfect temperature. Just wrap your food in a ziplock, vacuum pack bag or Mason jar and immerse it into the bath for an extended period. The Anova does the rest. It heats the water and holds it at the exact temperature needed, so it’s impossible to overcook things. You can monitor and control the cook using an app or get recipe ideas.
You can also pre-cook your vegetables and then just bring them back to temperature right before dinner.
For some holiday fun, you can make egg nog, infused vodka (hints of cinnamon and star anise, anyone?) you can also use it to cook the Christmas pudding or sticky toffee pudding, make custards or even sous vide egg bites for Christmas morning. This gadget is a game changer for cooks who tend to over or undercook their food.
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