OK where to start.....
Jun 11th 2015, 5:07 pm
#271
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: OK where to start.....
OK another question, what sort of meals do you cook in the heat of the summer, I am guessing that most people do not want to slave over a hot stove in 90+ degree heat. I know that is one of my issues. I don't like cooking when it is hot. Do you just stick to dishes like pasta and rice which require little amount of cooking?
The process of induction causes the pan (which must be iron or steel) to get hot without heat having received heat from the stove. ..... The surface of the stove, bizarrely, gets hot only because it has a hot pan sitting on it. It takes a little while to get used to seeing a boiling or sizzling pan on a stove top while feeling almost no heat radiating from the eye/burner. An induction gives you the controlability of gas with the ease of clean-up of a glass-top electric stove - in fact while the pan is being used, if it boils over or spits fat you can lift the pan and take a damp cloth and wipe the stove top without even turning off the eye!
Jun 11th 2015, 5:10 pm
#272
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: OK where to start.....
A decent takeaway pizza on offer runs about $12 (plus tax) for 12" here ($18 undiscounted, plus tax), so about the same @ $1.50/£1. Sometimes you can get an add-on "two-topping" pizza for about $5-$6 more.
Last edited by Pulaski; Jun 11th 2015 at 5:12 pm.
Jun 11th 2015, 5:11 pm
#273
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 136
Re: OK where to start.....
You need an induction stove (cooker). The process of induction causes the pan (which must be iron or steel) to get hot without heat having received heat from the stove. ..... The surface of the stove, bizarrely, gets hot only because it has a hot pan sitting on it. It takes a little while to get used to seeing a boiling or sizzling pan on a stove top while feeling almost no heat radiating from the eye/burner. An induction gives you the controlability of gas with the ease of clean-up of a glass-top electric stove - in fact while the pan is being used, if it boils over or spits fat you can lift the pan and take a damp cloth and wipe the stove top without even turning off the eye!
The process of induction causes the pan (which must be iron or steel) to get hot without heat having received heat from the stove. ..... The surface of the stove, bizarrely, gets hot only because it has a hot pan sitting on it. It takes a little while to get used to seeing a boiling or sizzling pan on a stove top while feeling almost no heat radiating from the eye/burner. An induction gives you the controlability of gas with the ease of clean-up of a glass-top electric stove - in fact while the pan is being used, if it boils over or spits fat you can lift the pan and take a damp cloth and wipe the stove top without even turning off the eye!Like this idea a lot.
Jun 11th 2015, 5:13 pm
#274
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 136
Re: OK where to start.....
really all the sites and word of mouth say it is cheaper, oh well. I can dream. Hopefully the larger variety of fresh produce I can go back to cleaner eating (well as much a possible as very difficult to live on organic all the time)
Jun 11th 2015, 5:14 pm
#275
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: OK where to start.....
BBQ - grilled meat/fish marinaded or with a sauce. Steamed veggies Potatoes cubed cook very nicely on the bbq.
friday nights tend to be "Rudy's BBQ" night. Takeaway..yummy.
Stockhall, when it's really hot...like the last couple of days (about 95 f yesterday) we're all inside with the airconditioning going and set to 75F anyway.
Our local HEBs are good for quorn stuff and tempeh is really popular too.
And there's always Trader Joes and Wholefoods. But not near Pflugerville! Just as well, I can spend $100 in those places and still have nothing for dinner....but lots of yummy things to add to it!
friday nights tend to be "Rudy's BBQ" night. Takeaway..yummy.
Stockhall, when it's really hot...like the last couple of days (about 95 f yesterday) we're all inside with the airconditioning going and set to 75F anyway.
Our local HEBs are good for quorn stuff and tempeh is really popular too.
And there's always Trader Joes and Wholefoods. But not near Pflugerville! Just as well, I can spend $100 in those places and still have nothing for dinner....but lots of yummy things to add to it!
Jun 11th 2015, 5:15 pm
#276
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Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Was Virginia, now Yorkshire.
Posts: 2,333
Re: OK where to start.....
the other thing to bear in mind is that ingredients don't always behave the same way as they do in the UK. Flour is one - I had to do a bit of experimenting to get my baking to turn out the same way as in the UK, and I think a lot was due to the gluten/water content/grading/fineness of the flour. Self raising flour seemed to be quite rare in the US, you have to use plain and then experiment with raising agents, and which one you chose will depend on the acidity of what you are cooking.
You had good advice further up thread, and that is to treat the US as as foreign a culture to the UK as somewhere in the Far East or South America, and then you will be mentally prepared for the differences and pleasantly surprised by the similarities and the bits you find easy. I went thinking I was prepared based on lots of American TV and movies and business trips. There were lots of minor things that I tripped over that were trivial on their own. But after about 3 months I had a bit of a meltdown when all the seemingly trivial and minor things had built up to a huge frustration. Was OK once I got it all out of my system. :-)
You had good advice further up thread, and that is to treat the US as as foreign a culture to the UK as somewhere in the Far East or South America, and then you will be mentally prepared for the differences and pleasantly surprised by the similarities and the bits you find easy. I went thinking I was prepared based on lots of American TV and movies and business trips. There were lots of minor things that I tripped over that were trivial on their own. But after about 3 months I had a bit of a meltdown when all the seemingly trivial and minor things had built up to a huge frustration. Was OK once I got it all out of my system. :-)
Jun 11th 2015, 5:15 pm
#277
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: OK where to start.....
Cheapest I've seen is $1000 at Ikea. It's on my "wants" list and suspect it will move up to "need" list in this heat...
Jun 11th 2015, 5:17 pm
#278
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 136
Re: OK where to start.....
BBQ - grilled meat/fish marinaded or with a sauce. Steamed veggies Potatoes cubed cook very nicely on the bbq.
friday nights tend to be "Rudy's BBQ" night. Takeaway..yummy.
Stockhall, when it's really hot...like the last couple of days (about 95 f yesterday) we're all inside with the airconditioning going and set to 75F anyway.
Our local HEBs are good for quorn stuff and tempeh is really popular too.
And there's always Trader Joes and Wholefoods. But not near Pflugerville! Just as well, I can spend $100 in those places and still have nothing for dinner....but lots of yummy things to add to it!
friday nights tend to be "Rudy's BBQ" night. Takeaway..yummy.
Stockhall, when it's really hot...like the last couple of days (about 95 f yesterday) we're all inside with the airconditioning going and set to 75F anyway.
Our local HEBs are good for quorn stuff and tempeh is really popular too.
And there's always Trader Joes and Wholefoods. But not near Pflugerville! Just as well, I can spend $100 in those places and still have nothing for dinner....but lots of yummy things to add to it!
The only fish kids have is tinned Tuna
I am the same in Holland and barratt, could spend a small fortune on googies, seriously addicted to their liquorice.
Jun 11th 2015, 5:17 pm
#279
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 136
Re: OK where to start.....
been looking into Cheese Enchiladas, and OMG they sound nom nom
Jun 11th 2015, 5:19 pm
#280
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: OK where to start.....
the other thing to bear in mind is that ingredients don't always behave the same way as they do in the UK. Flour is one - I had to do a bit of experimenting to get my baking to turn out the same way as in the UK, and I think a lot was due to the gluten/water content/grading/fineness of the flour. Self raising flour seemed to be quite rare in the US, you have to use plain and then experiment with raising agents, and which one you chose will depend on the acidity of what you are cooking.
Butter!!!!
US butter has water added to it. I buy only kerrygold/lurpak or president.
Jun 11th 2015, 5:19 pm
#281
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: OK where to start.....
You'll be lucky to find an ordinary house with one, as they are pricy, though the prices are falling fast. Four years ago they were around $2,300, last year I picked up one for $1,700. I heard (from PetiteFrancaise) that Ikea sells one for less. For comparison a basic stove costs about $600, a more fancy one around $800-$1,000. I expect price of induction stoves to converge with the price of higher mid-range stoves in another 2-3 years.
Jun 11th 2015, 5:20 pm
#282
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 136
Re: OK where to start.....
ok. Thought it may limit my massive list. That sounds like a resonable cost, the cheapest electric cooker here now is over the £200 mark, so paying £600 odd for a cooker that saves us from madness seems to be worth it
Jun 11th 2015, 5:23 pm
#283
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 136
Re: OK where to start.....
the other thing to bear in mind is that ingredients don't always behave the same way as they do in the UK. Flour is one - I had to do a bit of experimenting to get my baking to turn out the same way as in the UK, and I think a lot was due to the gluten/water content/grading/fineness of the flour. Self raising flour seemed to be quite rare in the US, you have to use plain and then experiment with raising agents, and which one you chose will depend on the acidity of what you are cooking.
You had good advice further up thread, and that is to treat the US as as foreign a culture to the UK as somewhere in the Far East or South America, and then you will be mentally prepared for the differences and pleasantly surprised by the similarities and the bits you find easy. I went thinking I was prepared based on lots of American TV and movies and business trips. There were lots of minor things that I tripped over that were trivial on their own. But after about 3 months I had a bit of a meltdown when all the seemingly trivial and minor things had built up to a huge frustration. Was OK once I got it all out of my system. :-)
You had good advice further up thread, and that is to treat the US as as foreign a culture to the UK as somewhere in the Far East or South America, and then you will be mentally prepared for the differences and pleasantly surprised by the similarities and the bits you find easy. I went thinking I was prepared based on lots of American TV and movies and business trips. There were lots of minor things that I tripped over that were trivial on their own. But after about 3 months I had a bit of a meltdown when all the seemingly trivial and minor things had built up to a huge frustration. Was OK once I got it all out of my system. :-)
Last edited by stockhall; Jun 11th 2015 at 5:25 pm. Reason: forgot to reply fully
Jun 11th 2015, 5:24 pm
#284
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 136
Re: OK where to start.....
You'll be lucky to find an ordinary house with one, as they are pricy, though the prices are falling fast. Four years ago they were around $2,300, last year I picked up one for $1,700. I heard (from PetiteFrancaise) that Ikea sells one for less. For comparison a basic stove costs about $600, a more fancy one around $800-$1,000. I expect price of induction stoves to converge with the price of higher mid-range stoves in another 2-3 years.
hubby is a bargain hunter refuses to pay full amount. will have a browse later
