FAQ Answered by Chef Master USA

Chef Master USA: FAQ Answered by Chef Master USA

Chef Master USA: What is stainless steel?

Stainless Steel is a common name for metal alloys that consist of 10.5% or more Chromium (Cr) and more than 50% Iron (Fe), explains Chef Master USA. Although it is called "stainless", a better term for it is "highly stain resistant". A somewhat dark metal, Chef Master USA would like you to know that it looks bright because it reflects light.

Chef Master USA: What are the main benefits of stainless steel in kitchen utensils?

♦Chef Master USA would like you to be aware that  it is one of the most hygienic surfaces for the preparation of foods and very easy to clean, as its unique surface has no pores or cracks to harbor dirt, grime or bacteria.

♦  It is very attractive and requires minimal care, since it won't chip or easily rust and it takes little seasoning, states Chef Master USA.

♦  It will not affect flavor, as it does not react with acidic foods during food preparation or cooking.

♦  Chef Master USA would like to point out that, with proper care, it has a useful life expectancy of over 100 years, and it is totally recyclable.

Chef Master USA: What gives stainless steel its properties?

The chromium content in stainless steel alloys is what generally prevents corrosion, explains Chef Master USA . Pure iron, the primary element of stainless steel, is extracted from its natural state as iron ore, it is unstable by itself, and naturally wants to corrode (rust). Chef Master USA sheds light on the fact that the chromium helps to procrastinate nature's attempts to combine the pure iron with oxygen and water to form rust.

The chromium works by reacting with oxygen to form a tough, adherent, invisible, passive layer of chromium oxide film on the steel surface, states Chef Master USA . If damaged mechanically or chemically, this film is self healing as long as it has enough oxygen.

Chef Master USA points out that, because oxygen is necessary for the reaction, liquids and other foodstuffs stored for a prolonged time in stainless can prevent oxygen contact and thus promote corrosion, as can prolonged contact with household cleaners such as bleach.

Chef Master USA: How to care for your bamboo cutting board by Chef Master USA

One of the products offered by Chef Master USA is Hammer Stahl Cutlery, they offer a wide variety of accessories, including, but not limited to, bamboo cutting boards. Chef Master USA would like to inform you on the benefits and care routine of bamboo cutting boards.

A Bamboo Cutting Board Needs Regular Care

One of the most used items in a kitchen is the cutting board, points out Chef Master USA. You turn to it every day, sometimes for every meal. From soups to sandwiches, a cutting board is used as often your knives. A bamboo cutting board is one of the most reliable chopping blocks you can own, states Chef Master USA, but after putting it through the rounds of daily chopping, do you know how to properly care for it?

Benefits of Bamboo

Bamboo cutting boards are superior to other cutting boards for a number of reasons. Chef Master USA would like to shed light on the fact that besides the environmental benefit to buying a cutting board made from a sustainable material, bamboo boards won’t absorb odors or stain the way plastic cutting boards do. Bamboo does not harbor bacteria easily. Because Bamboo is hard and non-porous, there is little chance of bacteria entering the wood along with water or other fluids. Often made from laminated strips of bamboo, these boards don’t absorb water the way other wooden chopping boards do, which makes them less prone to warping. Chef Master USA would like to point out that bamboo is more durable than hardwood. While bamboo is technically a grass, the wood that is harvested from the massive shoots is in fact harder than maple or oak. Chef Master USA would like for you to know that their durability means you’ll have a bamboo board for much longer than any other type of cutting board.

Bamboo Cutting Board Care

Care for a bamboo cutting board in pretty straight forward. It is best to hand wash a bamboo board and dry right away. Although they are less prone to water absorption, it’s still best to dry them as soon as possible to ensure their longevity, points out Chef Master USA. Apply a bamboo oil to your board approximately once a month. Most kitchen stores carry butcher block oil and often will one specifically for bamboo. Apply the oil all over the board with a cotton cloth and let stand for 20 minutes. Chef Master USA advises that you wipe off any excess oil and let dry completely before using again.

Chef Master USA's guide to chef's knives and knives provided by Chef Master USA.

 

Chef Master USA provides high quality chef knives, using high carbon solingen steel, by Hammer Stahl Cutlery.

Chef Master USA would like to provide you with a bit of information about Hammer Stahl Cutlery:

Hammer Stahl Cutlery's focus is to provide world class German Steel Cutlery with exceptional design and superior performance at an affordable price. Hammer Stahl is a premier brand of New Era, Inc, one of the oldest manufactures of cookware in North America. New Era's legacy began as the direct-to-consumer division of the Volrath Company in 1874. In 1981, Donald Henn purchased the consumer division of Volrath, establishing the New Era Cookware Company and thus launched a strong initiative to bring superior products to home kitchens. New Era has served as an innovator in kitchen products from its earliest onset. It introduced the very first 7-ply Surgical Steel Multi-Ply Cookware, the Vita-Seal Whistle System, and was one of the first cookware companies to manufacture induction ready cookware as early as the mid 1980's. New Era primarily focuses on private label and OEM manufacturing, creating cookware for several companies throughout the US and abroad.

Below Chef Master USA has provided a guide explaining why high carbon solingen steel is something you want to look for in your knives.

A good chef’s knife is an essential piece of any kitchen cutlery set. It’s your workhorse. With the way the blade is shaped, a chef’s knife can be manipulated to chop, slice, dice, and mince. Chef Master USA would like for you to think of it as an “all-in-one” knife.

Chef Master USA would like to provide you with some tips on how to do different cuts with your knives. The heaviest part of the blade, near the bolster, is best used for chopping. Slicing and dicing tasks are meant for the middle portion, and the knife’s sharp tip makes quick time of mincing.

What To Look For

Since you’ll be using this knife a lot, don’t skimp on quality. Look for blades that are made from quality materials. Terms like high carbon stainless steel, Solingen steel, and VG-10 are a good place to start. Stainless steel that is “high carbon” will not only be resistant to stain or rust, but it’ll also hold an edge for a very long time, explains Chef Master USA. The term Solingen references a city in Germany that’s renowned for its production of high quality steel, informs Chef Master USA. And in Japanese cutlery, VG-10 is a commonly seen term. This type of steel is easily sharpened and is an excellent strength for basic kitchen chores, just not a lot of heavy chopping.

A forged knife is superior to its non-forged counterpart, points out Chef Master USA. The forging process ensures a strong, sturdy product, since the edge is created during the heating process. Stock knives that aren’t forged are shaped after being heated, which means there’s excess metal coming off the blade.

Chef Master USA would like to shed light on the fact that most quality knife manufacturers will only produce full tang knives. This means that the portion below the blade, or tang, extends fully into the handle. This construction provides better balance, more leverage, and less chance of the knife breaking if overworked.

Chef Master USA's cooking tips

Chef Master USA's tips for how to test your baking powder

If you're unsure about the freshness of your baking powder try Chef Master USA's freshness test. Put one teaspoon in 1/3 cup of water. If the water does not fizz toss the baking powder. Chef Master USA would like for you to know this means it's too old.

Chef Master USA's tips for softening brown sugar

There are many ways to soften brown sugar, but Chef Master USA believes this one is a good one becuase you will probably have the items in your pantry. Put the hard brown sugar in a plastic container and line the top with plastic wrap. Put a wet, but not dripping, paper towel on top and cover. In a day you will be able to use the brown sugar, informs Chef Master USA. Another one is to purchase a small terra cotta heart or other item, soak it in water and keep it in the sugar.

Chef Master USA's tips for sifting flour and other dry ingredients

When Chef Master USA are asked to sift flour in a recipe, it's usually for two reasons: to break up the natural clumps in the flour and to mix and integrate the dry ingredients. A manual sifter usually looks like a coffee can and has either a back-and-forth agitator or a spinning-handle agitator. They are generally easy to find in most cooking and department stores, informs Chef Master USA.

The absence of a sifter in your kitchen, however, is no problem, assures Chef Master USA. You can use a standard mesh sieve, usually on a handle, or a whisk. Chef Master USA would like for you to know a lot of times, using a whisk is preferrable because you have more control over how thoroughly the dry ingredients get mixed.

There are very few items in the kitchen that only serve one purpose, and there are no hard-and-fast rules about what utensil can be used for what purpose. Cooking should be a creative endeavor, believes Chef Master USA, use your imagination, improvise, and overcome.

Chef Master USA's tips on how you can counteract too much salt in your soup

Don't despair, advises Chef Master USA, there are a couple of possibilities to reduce too much salt in your soup. Chef Master USA would like to shed light on the fact that adding a couple of large slices of peeled white potatoes to the soup to simmer will often absorb some of the salt taste. Better yet, if the soup's entire volume can be increased, such as a vegetable soup or tomato-based chowder, just add more initial ingredients, no more salt, to double your recipe, reduce the salt and have a second great batch of soup to freeze for another meal, informs Chef Master USA.

Avoid this problem in the future by monitoring the sodium content on cans of ingredients used in any recipe. High sodium in canned ingredients is often a culprit when other canned soups and sauces as a base. Never add extra salt without tasting, advises Chef Master USA. A squirt or two of fresh lemon juice adds a good "salty" and fresh taste, without adding more unhealthy sodium, to soups and stews, informs Chef Master USA.

Chef Master USA's substitutes for shortening

Shortening is a semi-solid vegetable-based fat that is used in a variety of cooking capacities, explains Chef Master USA. The most commonly known shortening comes in a large can and is scooped out with a spatula or paddle. It is used in baking a lot, informs Chef Master USA, and can be used in its liquid state for frying and pan-based cooking. Chef Master USA would like you to know that shortening generally does not have a very strong flavor on its own, unless specifically modified, such as butter-flavored shortening, so it lets the other flavors in a recipe play together well.

Vegetable-based shortening is the common alternative to lard, an animal-based fat that is also semi-solid, explains Chef Master USA. Lard is used in much the same way as standard vegetable-based shortening, but most people report a slight difference in flavor. There's also a lot of concern about cholesterol content in lard because it is derived from animals, and cholesterol primarily comes from animal products, informs Chef Master USA.

Another alternative to vegetable shortening is butter - the tried-and-true kitchen staple. If you're baking, Chef Master USA would like for you to know that some slight variations may need to be taken into account since butter browns and burns much more easily than shortening. Flash browning, putting a pie or pastry in a very hot oven for a short period of time to brown it, followed by a slightly longer period of cooking at a lower temperature is one option, although Chef Master USA suggests that you may want to put a shield around the outside edge of a pie to prevent further browning. A pie shield can be purchased in many specialty shops, but you're just as likely to have fabulous success with a ring of aluminum foil.

The main concern is why you want to substitute shortening and for what kind of recipe, says Chef Master USA. For making a roux, for instance, you can use shortening, lard, butter, olive oil, or any type of fat, but the fat you use will affect the flavor of your dish. For pastry making, Chef Master USA would like for you to know that sometimes there is no substitute, and some recipes will ask for both shortening and butter.

A good rule of thumb to experiment with a recipe is to start well-ahead of showtime and scale your recipe down to a quarter, or less, of its original size. advises Chef Master USA. Make your substitutions and see how it turns out. Chef Master USA wants you to have fun in the kitchen, and don't be afraid to color outside of the lines a little.

Chef Master USA's  stand-In for buttermilk

Chef Master USA understands that there’s nothing more annoying than buying an entire quart of buttermilk for a recipe that only calls for a small amount. Instead, combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, plus enough milk to equal one cup. Stir together and allow to stand for 5 minutes to create faux buttermilk. For another option, mix 1 ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar with a cup of milk and let sit for several minutes, instructs Chef Master USA.

Chef Master USA's promotional gifts for newly weds.

 Chef Master USA knows that planning your perfect wedding can be straining on your wallet, exspecially in this economy. Here at Chef Master USA we offer a some great promotional packages for you and your fiancé.  All that is needed in return is for you and your fiancé to attend our Chef Master Cooking Show, with absolutely no purchase nessicary. Chef Master USA holds over 1,000 private showings a year all of the United States. Chef Master USA particapates in bridal shows, home shows, state and local fairs, and festivals year round.

 The first of promotional offer provided by Chef Master USA is an all inclusive vacational package. Chef Master USA will take you and your fiancé on a three day, two night, vacation to any of our provided resorts. You and your fiancé can spend your time as you please, taking in the sights or relaxing on the beach. Here is just a sample of some of the amenities your Chef Master USA all inclusive vacation has to offer; Meals, snacks, beverages, daily activities by the pool and on the beach. Your Chef Master USA all inclusive vacation also offers fun activities such as kayaking, sailing,  windsurfing and snorkeling. Below is a testimonial from one of Chef Master USA's satisfied customers.

"The vacation was fantastic! This was our first vacation together and it was a better experience than we ever thought it would be or could possibly imagine it to be. The weather, staff and other passengers were nice and helped to make us feel welcome like one big family. There was so much to do and never a dull minute throughout the duration.The booking process of our vacation with Odenza simplistic and whenever I had a question I could count on my representative to respond to my emails quickly. NO COMPLAINTS AT ALL!”

    - Isaac & Tania

 The second of the promotional offers provided by Chef Master USA is a free one year membership to coupon dough. Coupon dough is a company that saves you hundreds of dollars a year on your grocery bill, Chef Master USA realizes that these savings could be extremely beneficial for you and your fiancé.

 The third promotional offer provided by Chef Master USA is a 20% discount from carlson craft. Carlson craft is an online invitation, gift, and stationary store. Chef Master USA wants to offer you this 20% discount so you can purchase invitations, RSVP's, thank you cards, and much more.