Cutting boards are a standard item in most kitchens and are available in several materials, with the most popular being plastic and wood. We own and use assorted cutting boards in several materials. Wooden cutting boards appear to be the material of choice for the TV celebrity chefs. We have all watched them chopping, slicing and dicing on their large wooden chopping boards and with a quick sweep and a wipe with a dishcloth, they clean the board and move on to the next step of the recipe.

We were delighted to have the opportunity to use the Rösle Wooden Cutting/Carving Board and to learn more about using wooden cutting boards.If you love your knives, then wood is the best choice as it does not dull the knife blade. That could be one of the reasons why the TV chefs use wooden cutting boards.

Wooden cutting boards are harder to clean as they are not dishwasher safe –  the wood can dry out and split. It is recommended to hand wash the boards with warm soapy water, avoid submerging, and to dry them with a clean cloth or paper towel. They should be stored standing up so the air can circulate – damp boards encourage bacteria growth.  Actually, storing cutting boards of any material standing up is a standard practice in commercial food establishments.

With so much current emphasis on food contamination, it was a concern to us because wooden boards can have cuts (from the knife) which can harbor bacteria growth. We remember our mothers cleaning their wooden cutting boards with water diluted with bleach. Also recommended is wiping them with full–strength white vinegar after each use. We consulted one of our favorite food guru websites, Martha Stewart.com, and are sharing her sage advice on how she keeps her wooden cutting boards clean:   "Wooden cutting boards require special treatment if they are to last and stay free of food-borne bacteria. Every few weeks, sprinkle a generous portion of coarse salt over the board's surface, and rub it with the cut side of a lemon half. Afterward, rinse the board well with hot water, then dry completely with a clean kitchen towel."

Wooden cutting boards can require seasoning with oil but this is unnecessary with the Rösle. Last, and the most important to us, is cross–contamination of food. We do not use our wooden cutting boards for cutting raw poultry or fish – we use separately marked plastic boards for each. That brings us to the feature of the Rösle Wooden Cutting/Carving Board that is our favorite. The Cutting and Carving Board includes a plastic cutting mat that fits over the top of the board and can be used for cutting raw meat, poultry, or fish items. It has a non–stick underside that allows usage on any surface, is dishwasher safe, and its cutting surface will not dull knives.

Rösle has been producing professional cooking tools and kitchen utensils for the professional chef and home cook since 1888. We have used and reviewed several of them and have been pleased with their performance. Some features of the Rösle Cutting and Carving Board include:

•  Sturdy board holds up to daily chopping and carving and is beautifully designed for serving.
•  The four non-slip rubber feet keep the board in place while in use.
•  The durable board is made from laminated layers of beech wood.
•  The included flexible cutting mat is made of antibacterial, food-safe material.
•  Warranty: Lifetime guarantee.

The cutting board is available in two sizes, 13.8–inches and 17.7–inches. The 17.7–inch model is available with or without the all–around juice collection groove. We tested the model, #1510, with the all–around groove. The boards are pricey but if properly maintained, will last for years. A KosherEye "gift yourself, gift others" suggestion.

For more information on the cutting boards, visit RosleUSA.com.

January 25, 2012

mokk ▪▪▪ a® Coffee

The Charm of Europe

Karen Glavimans is an American coffee lover who was determined to bring Europe’s finest coffees home and has now “charmed” the hearts and coffee palates of coffee lovers everywhere. To acquire the recipes, she followed her dreams to the tiniest villages in Europe including the south of Italy, a coastal town in Sweden, and the Bourgogne region in rural France.

Her adventure began while traveling in Sweden with some friends. They stopped at a café and she fell in love with the “exquisite coffee flavor”.  She lingered in that café until the proprietors shared its origin, a very small local roaster. “I searched for him, spoke with him and fortunately for me, he loved my ideas!  He agreed to work with me and Café Svenska was born. Something inside compelled me to go on, although it may have just been the caffeine….”

Her journey continued to Italy. She arrived in Naples in February 2008. There she met Angelo, the son of the owner of a small family coffee roasting facility located in a village about an hour outside of Naples. By June, the recipe for Café Italia was hers!

And then on to Puligny–Montrachet, in the Burgundy region of France. She was going to meet with an elderly roaster whom she had heard about. His recipes had been passed down through generations. “Entering his very small shop (which looked like something out of a Harry Potter movie) I explained that I had tried his coffee and found this particular one lovely. Would he consider selling me the recipe?“  In early 2009 Café Svenska, Café Italia, and Café France, had their official launch in the US market.

We sampled mokk ▪▪▪ a® beans by grinding them, and tasting all three blends. Not only did we think that the coffees were excellent, fresh and rich, but we loved the idea of the international and regional origins of the recipes. As we sipped, our imaginations traveled to enjoying a cup of coffee one cool morning in a bustling Paris café, drinking an espresso on the bustling streets of Rome, and savoring a steaming cup of coffee in the early morning while sitting at an outdoor table in Stockholm. Yes, we’ve actually done all three, and enjoyed revisiting these experiences quietly sitting at the breakfast table in our kitchens! We prepared our samples of Café Svenska and Café France in a drip coffee maker. We chose a French Press for Café Italia.

Café Svenska: “Medium roast, smooth, fragrant. The blend of beans in Café Svenska gives it a full, vibrant, smooth body, a fragrant aroma and a hint of chocolate. It is so smooth it demands cup after cup.”

Café France: “The blend of beans in Café France gives it a floral aroma and a flavor that has wonderful chocolaty undertones, rich body and a satin–smooth finish. A blend of five different beans sourced from plantations in Africa, India, and Central America.” The recipe for this French roast comes from the Bourgogne region in Central France. la joie de vivre, roasted with the art of perfection.

Café Italia; “Strong and elegant, …a perfect wake-up call, or dessert cup. ..a creamy texture and a flavor burst that’s fruity, sweet, with traces of chocolate, and hidden in the mix, a touch of almond.”

For more details about mokk ▪▪▪ a® coffees, and some recipes using mokk ▪▪▪ a® coffees visit mokka.com. Available at speciality retail locations and Whole Foods Market. 
12-ounce bags sell for about $8.99; bulk bags available as well.

January 23, 2012

Superb American Craftmanship

When John Ulam founded All–Clad Metalcrafters over 40 years ago, he tapped his skills as a metallurgist to utilize his knowledge of the unique properties and benefits of various metals. He created bonded cookware, which embodied simple, classic design, and proved to perform beyond the capabilities of any single-metal cookware. In this process of perfecting layered-metal bonding, a legacy was born, a benchmark for professional bonded cookware.

At each stage of the manufacturing process, every piece of All–Clad bonded cookware is hand–inspected to ensure that it maintains All–Clad quality standards. This detailed scrutiny slows the production process, but guarantees that every piece of bonded cookware that leaves the Canonsburg, Pennsylvania based mill, preserves the reputation and standards that precede it.

This company prides itself in their creed that quality always takes precedence over convenience; the metals are formulated for optimal cooking performance; not for ease of manufacturing. They are manufactured to the most stringent environmental standards. “Virtually every ounce of unused material is recovered and recycled, down to the metal dust generated during the sanding process. “

After cooking with All–Clad in our kitchens, we conclude that this brand, although a splurge, is an essential and worthwhile kitchen investment. The signature stay–cool handle is cast from solid stainless steel, ergonomically–designed for comfort during long cooking sessions. Rivets are formed from high–-yield–strength stainless steel, and treated to remove trace elements of iron that could otherwise cause corrosion. The finished tri–ply bonded cookware product is meant to offer a lifetime of service. 
And, if used according to instructions, it is guaranteed for a lifetime, and slated to be a kitchen heirloom.

We fried Hanukkah Latkes in our 12–inch All–Clad non–stick fry pan. The oil heated evenly, the latkes browned beautifully and how easy it was to clean. Next, we tested Eggrolls using just 1/3–inch of oil.  Once again, we had the same even heating results. There was no puddling or burned oil; no scorched egg roll skins. Next came pan fried breaded boneless Chicken Schnitzel. What a pleasure. And then, the real test of fry pan, making scrambled eggs, absolutely no sticking. It wasa breeze! We also fried up a batch of home fried potatoes, yumm!  As you can see, we are using our pan for fleish (meat), but now that we love it so much, we need to invest in an All–Clad for dairy.

This fry pan is easy to clean, a feature we look for on all of our kitchen cookware. We gently used a soft soapy nylon scrubber on the cooled pan, and then also put it in the dishwasher. (We put everything in the dishwasher!)

So dear foodies, chefs, home cooks and passionate kitchen hobbyists, how can you resist. We can’t. A KosherEye gift yourself or gift others selection.

Read more about All-Clad.com.  

The All–Clad Stainless Steel 12–inch Non–Stick Fry Pan is available on Amazon.com.

January 18, 2012