Eating better

No, this isn't about the dietary habits, but cooking. A while back, we made some changes to our cooking habits that immeasurably improved the quality of our dinners. They were:
1. Better cookware
2. Fresh meat
3. A better grill

Number one came first, but is more involved, so I'll explain 2 & 3 first. We stopped defrosting, instead stopping by the store a couple of times a week to buy fresh. This may be the smallest impact, but it does make things easier to make. As for the better grill--they last for quite a while, and a quality grill will definitely make you want to grill more. We had a cheaper Charbroil for a while, and didn't use it that much. Then we found a good deal on craigslist for a Weber Silver, and now we grill often. It also helps that we have a better idea of what we're doing, but the better quality is definitely noticeable.

As for the cookware... I grew up with non-stick and regular old stainless steel. Never really tried anything fancy, but when I did, meals turned out... ok. if that. So when our cheap, college, non-stick cookware was finally done, I started researching cookware. Coming across a special for Calphalon at amazon and wanting more information about anodized aluminum, I came across this tutorial at egullet.com that is more detail than you would expect about what to look for in cookware.

This opened my eyes a bit in terms of food preparation, why our dinners were ok, but nothing special. If you're looking to sear or brown meat, it's basically impossible for non-stick to do that, as the teflon creates a layer that essentially steams items. And from what I've learned in the last two years, a good sear is key. It develops the fond and allows a cook to deglaze (adding liquid to a hot pan), which is always a fun for the instant poof of steam and the resulting sizzle.
But getting back to the actual cookware, a key part of cooking well (particularly frying or sauteeing) is to have a pan that can hold heat and transmit it to the food without losing temperature. Sounds obvious, I know, but the thermal properties of cheap non-stick and stainless steel make that nearly impossible.

So the lesson learned: thick aluminum disc, thick anodized aluminum, thick copper, or thick cast iron is the way to go. And nonstick is NG (ng=no good). It's good for eggs and that's about it.

IMO.