Great Grillers

Memorial Day beckons the beginning of the grilling season. There are many wonderful accessories to help you create the best grilled entrees for your friends and families including the FYRKAT grill by Bodum which also boasts coordinating Grill Tools in coordinating colors for US $19.95 each and a BISTRO Sauce Pot for US $19.95 which is a great way to store your favorite BBQ sauce, marinade or glaze. A notable sauce to add to your grill side is the Lava Hot variety by Two Fat Guys Gourmet Sauces, which is a gluten and fat free sauce that provides a wonderful dose of heat to your favorite meats. Other notable products for summer grilling include Firewire, a flexible grilling skewer that allows you to thread your favorite kabob, marinate it in a plastic bag and place it on the grill. The Firewire is a 100% flexible stainless steel skewer resists rust, is dishwasher safe and lasts a lifetime. You will never go back to wooden skewers ever again! A set of two skewers retails for US $12 and is available at http://www.amazon.com/. Rosle has created a lovely set of steak and meat thermometers that are color coded for ease of use. Each thermometer has two functions, one for frying steak and the other for roasting meats including chicken, beef, lamb or pork. The units can be used at the grill, in the frying pan or in the oven and are dishwasher safe. If you are planning to add seafood to your lineup, Staub has a 2 quart cast iron mussel pot perfect for steaming your favorite mussels or other seafood and shellfish. The unit includes a handy stainless steel strainer and is designed to allow for easy tilting and is freezer and dishwasher safe and can be used in an oven up to 500 degrees. Made in France the unit retails for US $109.95 and is available at select retailers including Sur La Table. Grilling will never be complete without the perfect burgers. Sliders have soared in popularity over the past couple of years, and Nordic Ware has a perfect Slider Burger pan to help you create these little gems. The slider burgers grill pan is made of heavy cast aluminum with a nonstick coating. The unit can make up to 7 burgers at one time and includes a searing plate to provide grill marks. In addition, the hand press provides the user with perfectly formed burgers that fit into each cavity. The unit is sold in the US for $38. For more info on grilling contact us at cooklikejackie@gmail.com.

New and Notable: Portable All-Clad Induction Burner

In early April, The New York Times published an article examining the pros and cons of induction cooking. For those looking to integrate induction cooking into their homes, induction ranges that are easier to use and more affordable are available through Viking, GE, Samsung and Kenmore. All-Clad, a leader in innovative and iconic cookware recently introduced a portable induction burner which boasts precise temperature controls, safety and easy cleanup. The unit can serve as an extra burner or hot plate or for dramatic effect, used table side to create wonderful dishes to order. The burner can be used with all magnetic cookware that has a flat base and can accomodate diameters of 6"-12" inclduing the All-Clad stainless and copper core cookware lines. With a stainless steel body that includes a ceramic glass cooking surface, the burner provides heat ranges from 1-10 or extra low to high. It also features menu options that correspond to specific cooking functions including like a "melt" function in addition to a timer and a residual heat indicator. Fans of greener cookware will be glad to know that the unit uses nearly 90% of the energy produced which is far higher than 40% with gas cooking and 55% with electric units resulting in cook times of nearly twice that of other units. Sold exclusively at Sur La Table stores the unit retails for US $799.95. Cook Like Jackie readers can use our Sur La Table banner on our blog to place an order directly through their website. For more information on induction cooking please e-mail cooklikejackie@gmail.com.

New and Notable - Takeya Flash Chill Iced Tea Maker

Cook Like Jackie readers may have been feeling that I have been a little heavy on the tea items, but that is only because this area is exploding. Not only are there great loose tea varieties available and wonderful tea shops to explore, but there are a host of new products on the market that will provide you with maximum tea enjoyment. New and notable is the Takeya Flash Chill Iced Tea Maker, a two-part brewing system that allows you to make up to 66 ounces of your favorite loose or bagged tea at one time. The system comes with two cylindrical AcraGlass food safe and BPA-free pitchers that can be easily integrated into any casual dining environment. When I initially looked at the product, I thought that using two pieces would perhaps be too cumbersome especially for someone like me who is already heavy on the kitchen gear. However after using the system for several days, I came to appreciate the design and the usefulness that the two pitchers provide. The smaller pitcher houses a removable rotating infuser which can steep up to 8 teaspoons of your favorite tea. While you are brewing your tea in the smaller pitcher, ice can be added to the larger pitcher. After steeping, you can simply pour your brewed tea over the ice and turn the lid to seal it in place. If you choose to do so, the smaller pitcher can now be used to brew a backup batch that can replenish your tea when needed. The lids are one of the most remarkable aspects of the tea system because they are designed to be airtight. Each lid has direction labels on the top to help you to lock them in place, and thin slits on each side which when the placed in the proper position, allow for easy pouring. The handle is easy to grip and my was in the avocado/olive color scheme. Other lid color options include orange, blue, white and black. The parts are lightweight yet sturdy, dishwasher safe and the aggravation of having two pieces is easily overlooked when you realize that you can create a backup container which makes refreshing your larger jug a breeze. I would have liked to see a more substantial infuser that contained a heavier plastic or even stainless steel on the basket. I also felt that the mesh part of the infuser is soft and fine, which will keep tea leaves out of the water, but the mesh is a bit flimsy. Fragrant or colored teas may stain the infuser with repeated use, so be sure to clean that part frequently and allow it to dry properly. Overall, this is a great product, especially for iced tea aficionados. The set retails for US $39.95 and is available at many retailers including http://www.amazon.com/. For more information on making the most of your iced tea e-mail cooklikejackie@gmail.com. FTC Disclaimer - Sample product was provided for this review.

Viking Grill Giveaway!

Facebook users can enter to win a free 30" grill from Viking Corporation by selecting the "Win a Grill" tab on the Viking Corporation Facebook page! Enter to win today! For more information e-mail cooklikejackie@gmail.com.