18 Tips to Improve Your Holiday Prep and Cooking Times

The holidays are just about here and it's time to start planning for your big family and friend meals. It does not matter if you are a master chef or are new, cooking for the holidays is a big deal and can take a lot of time. Here are 18 tips that can improve your times. Some are super simple and easy, others are a little more advance and require certain features in appliances. By knowing these helpful tips, you can cut down your prep and cook times and spend more time mingling with family and friends.

Easy Cooking Tips

1. Plan ahead and read the directions before starting

It is always a good rule of thumb to be prepared before cooking. Make sure to have a plan of what you want to make and make sure you have all the ingredients before you even start to cook. Make your shopping list one week in advance and  add to it as you remember last minute things. Remember to also read the directions before starting so you know what's coming up next.

2. Prep food ahead of time

You can prep your fruits and veggies a few days in advance. Start by cutting them and storing them in air tight containers.

3. Cut food in smaller pieces

While you are cutting your produce during prep times think about size. The smaller the pieces, the less time it will take t

o cook all the way.

4. Use in-season ingredients

Buy in season produce and meats to save you money at the grocery store. The foods that are in season will have the best taste with less prepping or cooking effort.

5. Don't  peel your produce

Save time by not peeling your produce. Eating the skin in fruits and veggies can save you time, but will also keep more nutrients in the food making it more healthier to eat. Just make sure to wash your produce well. This can be done with carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, apples, oranges, pears, and more.

6. Make more for leftovers

While you're cooking for today's meal, you might as well cook for tomorrows meal too. Don't be ashamed, double your recopies so that you have plenty for leftovers. You can even use some of your scraps for soups and leftovers can be used to make sandwiches and other meals. You can even freeze some of the food and save it for a few weeks later.

7. Clean as you go

While you are waiting for your food to cook for the next step, take those extra minutes to clean dishes and cooking areas. Fill your sink with hot and soapy water. You can have some of your pots and pans soak saving you time after you eat your meal.

8. Pre-set the table

You can have your dining room table set a few days or even a couple of weeks in advance. This will get you in the holiday spirit ahead of time and make your room more festive. By doing this, you can have more time to chat with loved ones when they visit you.

Pro Cooking Tips

9. Shopping list

A pro tips is to have your shopping list by sections and then have it in order of where it is in the grocery store.

10. Memorize your favorite recipes

Pro cooks don't use recipes very often. You can save tons of time by memorizing your favorite ones.

11. Don't try new recipes for big gatherings

Be comfortable with what you are making and do not try something brand new for the big feast. You can try something new, but in advance. Practice making something new a few weeks or months in advance. This way you can tweak things so that you can perfect them for the big day.

12. Grow your own kitchen herbs

Fresh herbs can really give your food a more fresh taste and add flavor. Herbs like parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano, and savory are simple plants that can grow in your kitchen or garden. This will save you time at the grocery store.

13. Pre-mix your favorite spice combos

Make your own spice combos that you use all year round. Store them in spice jars and store them in a cool place. This can help you save time and money throughout the year.

14. Preheating for turkey and other big meats

Before you turn on your oven for big meats and roasts, have your oven pre-heat at a higher temperature like 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven is ready, put your meat in the oven and then turn your oven down to the right temperature such as 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Because your turkey is cold when putting in your oven, you can actually shock your oven with the coldness and loose the correct temperature making the cooking process longer. By doing this trick, you can start cooking at the correct temperature at the very beginning.

15. Skip carving at the table

It might be your family tradition to have the head of the house carve the turkey at the table before everyone eats. Skip this step and do it in the kitchen. You can be more strategic about your carving and you won't have to worry about knocking anything over at the table or making a big mess.

16. Cook with an Induction Cooktop or Range

Induction cooking heats a pan that is magnetic directly . The technology of heating the metal at a microscopic level can actually make your cooking times 50% faster. Induction also allows you to have more control with your temperatures reducing the risk of over or under cooking. The technology allows you to have cooking more consistent and have the same results every time. The smooth surface is also very easy to clean and you do not have to worry about cleaning cooked-on spills.

17. Cook with a Convection Oven

A convection oven has a fan and exhaust system inside. The fan helps blow the hot air and vent it back out throughout the oven. Because the hot air is getting pushed throughout, your food will cook more evenly and more quickly. You can cook food up to 25% faster than a traditional oven. Because there is new air coming into the oven, it caramelizes the sugars on top faster making the outside brown perfectly when roasting while still keeping the inside nice an moist.

18.  Make Cleaning up easy with your Dishwasher

Once you are done eating your feast, you and your guests will want to relax. One of the big things that you can do before starting to cook is making sure that your dishwasher is empty and ready for the dishes. Have a quiet dishwasher so that after the feast you can run it during your gathering. Your guests will be amazed that it's so quiet, but also it will save you time after the party. You can also do a quick cycle before dessert or use disposal plates for dessert so you don't have to run two different dishwasher cycles.

From Our Oven to Yours: How to Marinate Meats for Grilling

There is nothing I enjoy more than a well marinated, well cooked piece of meat. Marinating before grilling may seem like a daunting task, but know what kinds of marinades for different types of meat will speed up the process and result in better tasting food.

Beef

Beef done right is a rich with tons of flavor, melting in your mouth – no matter the quality of cut. The best way to achieve this tenderness is the perfect marinade and slow cooking. Beef marinades should add to the natural flavor of the meat, while keeping it moist during grilling.

Try this recipe-

Prep 15 min

• 1/3 cup of soy sauce
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic

Cook to your likes.

Chicken

When it’s good it’s good! When it’s bad it’s as rubbery and dry as gum. Although it is easy to overcook, chicken is a staple in most diets thanks to its nutritional value and excellent taste. You don’t have to worry about dry chicken if you marinade it to perfection.

Try this recipe-

          Prep Time 15 in

• ¹⁄₄ cup cider vinegar
• 3  tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 3  cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1   lime, juiced
• ¹⁄₂  lemon, juiced
• ¹⁄₂ cup brown sugar
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
• 6  tablespoons olive oil
• ground black pepper
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Pork

Just like Chicken this white meat can dry out very quickly when cooked too long. A good marinade will solve this issue and add lots of extra flavor.

Try this recipe-

          Prep time 25 min

• 2 large pork chops
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mesquite-flavored seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook until golden brown on both sides.

How to Install a Range Safely & Properly!

Dustin is here to show you how to install a range in these 5 simple steps.

This is a great video to DIY installing your own range. Please be careful when doing this yourself. Use gloves and have a friend help you.




1. Install the 4-prong cord. We recommend using the 4-prong rather than a 3-prong so that you have a ground wire. Match the different cords with the same cords on the range.

2. Install the anti tip brackets. This is a required safety feature that keeps the range from tipping over. This is helpful if someone leans on the range. These brackets would help them from having the range fall on them.

3. Place the range in the location. We recommend using straps so that you do not scratch the floor and to give you support. Once it is in the spot, make sure that someone helps you plug it in before sliding the range completely into the spot.

4. Level the range to the countertop. Pull the warming drawer out and adjust the back feet first so that the range is at the same height level as the countertops.

5. Place the warming drawer back into the range. You should be all set for using your range.

If you have any questions or need help, please let us know.

A Great Cooking Option for the Holidays- Samsung Range Review

 It’s that time of year again where we all move our cooking back indoors and cooking for tons of people.  With the Holidays coming up, you might be considering a new oven for your kitchen.

 Today I would like to introduce to you the Samsung NX58H9500WS.

 Thinking out the cooktop this is a game changer for very big meals. This unit features a Hi-Performance 5-Burner Cook-top. This allows you to cook your food on top with flexibility with how fast you would like to cook things and the convenience of cooking over-sized pots and pans with the oval burner. With 18,000 BTUs you can get a rapid boil. This range also includes a cast-iron griddle, Wok Ring, and a 22k BTU Tri-Ring burner.   There are also grate indicator marks to help you place your pots and pans in the perfect spot to get the best cooking performance.

The oven provides more features that can help with cooking for the holidays. The True-Convection oven offers the most consistent oven temperatures throughout which helps make your food cook more evenly and makes every bite tastier. The internal meat probe helps ensure the proper internal temperature for your Holiday Roast or Turkey.  The oven is brightly lit with halogen lighting so it is always easy to monitor the status of your baked goods. The guiding light controls have a digital display that makes it easy to follow step-by-step instructions on how to cook certain foods and program your favorite recipes. The oven’s size is 5.8 cu ft which is large enough to handle that bigger turkey at the store or cook multiple big dishes at once. At the bottom, this range has a warming drawer. You can keep some foods in here until everything is ready to eat at dinner time.

Come see us today at one of our 17 locations, we can show you this convection range and many more like it to compliment your Holiday Cooking Season.

We hope to see you soon.

Chocolate Truffle Tarts

Every week I bring you a video recipe and this week I'm in the Jenn-Air kitchen at Contract Appliance to share my favorite dessert, Chocolate Truffle Tart. Don't be intimidated by fresh pie dough, watch my video for tips on how to make, roll and fill pie dough. With a little practice you might find that making pies and tarts to be your go-to dessert.

• 1 Cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 large egg yolk

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees and position an oven rack in the center.

To prepare tart shell: On a lightly floured work surface; roll out the dough until 1/8 inch thick. Using a large spatula, place into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing slightly to cover the bottoms and sides. Trim the dough to be flush with the rim and chill for 10 minutes.

Cover shell with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights blind-bake in the oven until pale golden brown, about 15 minutes, and allow to cool.

To prepare tart filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and milk and place on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and let stand until melted, about 5 minutes. Using a whisk, stir until smooth.

In a small bowl, whisk in the egg with the egg yolk and then whisk in 1/2 cup of the chocolate cream. Thoroughly whisk this custard mixture into the chocolate cream in the saucepan.

Transfer the filling into the prepared tart shell and bake until set around the rim but still slightly jiggles in the center, about 30 minutes.

PIE DOUGH
It’s as easy as 3 2 1

• 3 - Part Flour
• 2 - Part Butter
• 1 - Part Water

This technique is based on a ratio of twice as much flour as fat by weight. The fat is rubbed into flour to create a loose mixture that is then bound using a small amount of ice water, rolled out, then shaped and placed to create the top or bottom of a tart or pie. Using butter adds flavor while using lard ensures optimum texture.

Have a cooking or baking question? Leave it in the comments section and Chef Mark will get back to you!

Save Energy this Summer with These 13 Appliance Tips

With the weather getting hotter during summer, it can “shock” you when you receive your electricity bill. There are a few things that you can do to make sure your appliances are running efficiently to save you money and energy consumption.

1. Make sure to have ENERGY STAR- rated appliances. These devices are ranked by the U.S. Department of Energy as using less energy than the standard amount. ENERGY Star-rated appliances use about 20% less energy and can save you more than $270 in your energy costs.

Refrigerators:

2. Make sure not to overload the amount of groceries in your refrigerator. Having tons of items in your refrigerator will require more energy to keep it cool.

3. Don’t keep your refrigerator door open for a long period of time. Also make sure to not open your door repeatedly in a short period of time.  Opening the door will cause the cool air inside to escape and makes the refrigerator motor work harder.

4. Keep your refrigerator temperature in between 32- 40 degrees F. Your freezer temperature should be set between 30-0 degrees F.

Washing Machines:

5. Using cold water when doing most of your washes can save you money and still have your cloths perfectly cleaned.

6. Just like dishwashers, you should make sure that you run full loads because most washers will use the same amount of electricity.

7. Have a front-load washing machine. Front-load washing machines use two-thirds less water than top-load washing machines, reducing electricity and water.

Drying Machines:

8. Selecting to have a faster spin cycle can help reduce less time to dry your cloths.

9. When the weather is hot, you can dry some of your cloths outside on a clothesline or a drying rack to save energy costs.

10. Place your washing machine in a room that is warmer than a cold location like a cold basement. The warmer air going into the dryer will use less energy to heat the air up.

Dishwashers:

11. Make sure to load your dishwasher fully for each cycle. Most dishwashers use the same amount of electricity and hot water for each load whether it’s a full load or half of a load.

Ovens or ranges:

12. Don’t open your oven door frequently to check on your food. The temperature can drop about 25-30 degrees and requires more energy to regenerate the set temperature.

13. Use glass baking dishes as much as possible. Glass retains heat better than other materials. This can cook your food faster and you can even decrease the oven temperature.

What other things do you do to consume less energy in your home? Leave it in the comments section.

Chef Mark - Summer Butternut Squash Salad

Learn how to make a simple and healthy recipe for dinners and lunches. Butternut Squash Salad is a great summer option that will make you want more. This is a super simple meal that your friends and family will want to try. Go ahead and cook with Chef Mark today!

All About Connected Kitchens

Connected kitchens and homes offer convenience and peace of mind. Using your phone as a remote control for your appliances, you are able to control and monitor your wifi-connected appliances from anywhere, using software that allows the machines to talk to each other. 

To get started with connected kitchens, we recommend having your refrigerator be the first connected kitchen item to add to your home. Here are a few things that you can do with your connected refrigerator:

• View items that are currently stocked in your refrigerator via your phone.
•  Stay organized by checking off items that you may need for recipes.
• Have the convenience of buying groceries online straight from your refrigerator LCD panel.
• Leave sticky notes electronically on your refrigerator and connect them to your phone.

Use your mobile phone and other connected devices to:

• Preheat your oven while you're heading home from work
• Schedule hot water to turn on for your coffee
• Set your washing machine to spin
• Keep your clothes wrinkle-free with an extended tumble feature app
•  Automatically order fabric softener
•  Place an order of dog food before your current batch runs out

Have peace of mind and get alerts when not at home though different apps:

• If you left your oven on
• The dishwasher sprung a leak
• The refrigerator door was left open
• An ingredient is expiring or running low 

Some wifi connected devices and apps to partner with your connected appliances:

• Amazon Echo
• Amazon Alexa
• Amazon Dash Replenishment
• Google Home

What Connected Appliance are you most excited about?

It's Pizza Time!

National Pizza Day in the U.S.A is on February 9^th.  We challenge you to make your own pizza this year in your kitchen. Here are a couple of facts and tips that can help you make your pizza night deliciously exciting!

4 Fun Facts About Pizza

• On average, 93% of American’s eat pizza at least once a month.
• Americans eat 46 pizza slices per year.
• 17% of restaurants in the U.S. are pizzerias.
• The first pizza in the United States was sold in 1905 at a place called Lombardi’s.

3 Kitchen tips for Pizza Lovers

The average temperatures of ovens in pizza restaurants are set between 700 and 800 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature is greater because they cook at greater volumes and to make the pizzas cook faster. Unfortunately, the average oven in a home kitchen cannot reach that high of a temperature. We recommend setting your oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit when cooking your own pizza.

We suggest using a duel fuel range because the electric oven allows you to set your temperature and keep the heat consistent throughout the oven. This can allow your pizza to be cooked perfectly throughout the whole pizza with an evenly brown crust and tasty melted cheese.

If you make and store your pizza regularly, we recommend having a 4 door French door refrigerator. The Smart Divider is a great feature that makes easier access to things like pizza pies. You can also control the temperature of the Smart Divider. You can either set it as storage for leftover pizza at a refrigerator temperature or you can have it as a place to keep your frozen pizzas handy with freezing temperatures.

Are you ready to test your cooking skills?  We challenge you to make your favorite pizza pie! Submit a photograph of your pizza masterpiece or tell us what toppings you used in the comments section.

GE Cafe PRO Style Dual Fuel Range- Walk through

In this video, Scott takes you through the benefits and features of one of our favorite ranges, the GE Café Freestanding Range (C2S985SETSS). This range/stove showcases restaurant inspired styles with its robust commercial handles and straight edges plus combining sought after features. 

The Café Dual Fuel Range includes:
• Electric Convection Oven with temperature probe
• Five gas burners with 2 power burners in front 
• Fifth burner can be converted to a griddle
• Two independent ovens with even temperature throughout



Stop by one of our stores to learn even more about this range oven and others. Find the perfect range before the new year.

Create Your Own Professional-Quality Kitchen!

Have you ever wondered how professional chefs set up their own kitchens at home? Certainly they’re the experts, since they spent a large part of their days cooking, prepping and cleaning up kitchens on the job. Here are a few tips to give your home kitchen the pro chef treatment- without breaking the bank!

Open up- Most professional chefs love open-plan kitchens as a great way to entertain and cook at the same time. Instead of spending their dinner parties sequestered in a walled-off kitchen, this way chefs can interact with their guests, have fun, and even show off a bit as they prepare amazing meals when company comes over.

Pay attention to the “kitchen work triangle”- This refers to the small area comprised of the refrigerator, prep area and stove/oven area. These three important locations are commonly found near one another in a typical kitchen layout- a chef doesn’t want to have to go all the way from one end of the kitchen to another as she is working. Though large kitchens with tons of counter space are becoming quite popular in modern home layouts, chefs don’t necessarily need or even want all that space, and prefer to keep a tight work space, with one designated zone for each part of the cooking process.

   Group your utensils- Worry less about what looks nice and more about what works well. Functionality beats form when it comes to kitchen utensils, and chefs recommend putting all the utensils you use most into a container on the spot on your counter where you do the most cooking. Of course, design and practicality can have a happy medium- look for fun, cool-looking containers that go with the personality of your kitchen and serve their purpose.

Buy good cooking implements- It’s tempting to go for the bargain items that may not work as well, but come at a lower price. However, chefs recommend that you buy high-quality, highly-recommended cookware, utensils and appliances which will not only work better but last longer, saving you money in the long run.

Is your kitchen chef-worthy? Tell us about your setup in the comments below.

Kitchen Trends for 2016

Transform Your Kitchen for 2016

A new year deserves a fresh new start. Why not give your kitchen a facelift by following some of these hot trends?

Invest in Smartglass-Creo’s new line of Smartglass bakeware is both beautiful and functional, not to mention versatile! Smartglass is microwave-, dishwasher-, oven-, fridge and freezer-safe, so it can be used for storage, cooking, baking- you name it. Available at most retail stores. Prices vary.

Custom Backsplash Tiles- In just one minute, you can digitally create your own tile design using Fireclay Tile’s Color-It! Tool. (https://www.fireclaytile.com/color-it/)  With over 100 options to choose from, you can make a unique statement in your kitchen without breaking the bank.

Rose Gold Rush- As you may have noticed in recent months, rose gold accents are starting to show up in electronic gadgets and hardware. The trend extends to appliances, where rose gold, as well as brass and copper, are beginning to emerge as popular finishes for cutlery, like the Skandia Forte 13-pc. Knife block set (pictured, $129.99 at Kohl’s), and other kitchen staples such as the iconic Kitchen-Aid mixer. ($599.95, Williams-Sonoma)

Full Steam (Ovens) Ahead!- One of the biggest things you will be hearing about this year in kitchen trends is the steam oven. This appliance gives cooks the ability to cook healthier meals while also intensifying flavor and reducing cooking times, all by using the benefit of steam. So far the only brand to offer steam and convection oven options is Thermador, who has three different steam oven designs to choose from this year.

Tech Integration- Because technology has such a presence in our daily lives, it only makes sense that kitchen design options are beginning to allow for the integration of tech in the most important room of the house. Many cabinets are beginning to include space for docking stations for smartphones and tablets, and it is possible to create a custom cabinet with a tablet rack over the range hood, so as to provide a spot for the device that is starting to replace cookbooks.

Are you planning to get your kitchen on point for the new year? Please share your design ideas below.

Chemical-Free Oven Cleaning

It’s getting to be that time of year again. The season of baked goods, family gatherings with large meals and festive parties is upon us, and that means that you will likely be using your oven a lot more than usual! Now is a great time to get your oven ready for cooking and baking, but what is the best way to get it clean? These days, nearly everyone has a self-cleaning oven, of course, but even after running the self-clean cycle, there is still the question of what to do with all that burnt, black gunk that has fallen onto the bottom. Also, there is the fact that the self-cleaning feature isn’t always the most practical method for cleaning out your oven, what with the way it can make a particularly dirty oven smoke, and produces that hideous burning smell. Why not skip it altogether in favor of something natural and, ultimately, easier? That’s right- our old friends baking soda and vinegar are back, and this time they are ready to make this oven-cleaning experience your best one yet!

What You Need:

Oven (obvious, but true)

Baking soda

Water

Dish cloth (preferably not a decorative one you like to display)

Plastic or silicone spatula

Spray bottle

White vinegar

Bathtub (for cleaning oven racks)

Powdered or liquid dish detergent (for cleaning oven racks)

What You Do:

1. Remove the oven racks and set aside
2. Make a paste of ½ cup baking soda and 2-3 tablespoons water. Paste should be spreadable consistency.
3. Spread paste all over inside of oven, avoiding the heating elements. Pay special attention to particularly greasy or dirty areas of the oven.
4. Let sit overnight, or at least 12 hours.
5. Clean oven racks while you’re waiting. This can be accomplished by soaking them in the bathtub overnight with ½ cup dishwasher detergent and then scrubbing with a non-abrasive scrub brush or sponge.
6. Wipe out oven with a damp dish cloth the following day. The spatula will come in handy to scrape off the paste if the damp dish cloth doesn’t get the hard-to-reach spots.
7. Spray with vinegar in a spray bottle to get rid of all the left-behind baking soda residue. The vinegar will make the baking soda foam a bit (hello, science project volcano lesson!)
8. Wipe out remaining vinegar/baking soda foam until all residue is gone.
9. Replace oven racks.

Enjoy the holidays with your shiny, clean oven! Not only will it save you from the embarrassment of pulling a turkey out of an oven filled with stinky black smoke, but it can also make the finished product taste better.

Self-Cleaning Before The Holiday Can Lead To Disaster!

As the holiday season approaches, everyone is making plans for friends and family to visit; this means large gatherings, meals, parties, etc. Basically, who ever is hosting that year is putting their house on display more during these holidays than any other time of the year. This much traffic in the house only means one thing to several home owners: TIME TO CLEAN!

Of course the rest of the house will be eyed top-to-bottom to be cleaned, fixed, adjusted, etc. But one single appliance, in one single room tends to get a lot of this attention during the holidays as it is the star of all these shenanigans - the all mighty oven. Unfortunately, it typically gets thought of to be cleaned last minute. As the month of November flies by and you get caught up in ensuring the cleanliness of the entire house; typically a day or two before the feast is when it finally comes to thought that maybe the oven should get cleaned. "Oh, well I have a self-cleaning oven," you might think. DON'T DO IT!

As convenient as the self-cleaning feature sounds in the moment of panic, it is a bad idea to use this feature the day right before the festivities. If you are going to use this feature, make sure  you use it a couple WEEKS before, and this is why...

Self cleaning ovens typically reach more than nearly triple the temperature during the cleaning process - this is very hard on your oven. Using the self-cleaning feature usually leads to some kind of oven complication, whether it be blowing a fuse, breaking the handle, or any other sort of damage. It is very common for something to break or go wrong, which means you will have to have time for repairs. People don't normally think about allowing time for repairs "because their ovens are too reliable and haven't had anything go wrong before", but if you break the oven before the day of the feast, you've got a huge problem on your hands.

My point is, if you're going to use the self-clean option, please make sure to do it several weeks before the event. Don't worry, if you forget, you can always look up homemade recipes that will be safe to use in your oven that will take care of the mess without creating a new problem. You  might have to use a little elbow grease, but that's a lot cheaper and way more convenient than purchasing a new oven or a service call.