Читать книгу The Batch Lady - Suzanne Mulholland - Страница 21
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As you work through the recipes in this book, you will see that there are certain tools that are used time and again to speed up the batching process. In truth, there are only a couple of things that are really essential, but it is worth investing if you are going to be adopting this way of cooking.
MEASURING CUPS
Cups are a brilliant time-saver as they save all the time spent painstakingly weighing your ingredients. Instead, you can simply scoop the ingredients into the right-sized cup and pop it straight into your dish. I have listed cup measurements first in all of my recipes (though there are of course gram measurements, too), to try and get you into this way of thinking. It’s important to be aware that 1 cup is a standard measurement, so don’t just grab the mug that you make your morning coffee in! What you really need is a set of large measuring spoons in cup sizes. They are available from my website (details here) and other retailers. For more information on using cups, see here.
FREEZER BAGS
Freezer bags are great space savers, as you can freeze everything flat and thus get more in. They also prevent freezer burn as you can take all the excess air out of the bag before sealing. Lastly, they help food defrost quicker as they are thin and flat, so you don’t end up with a huge block to defrost as you would do using a tub. Most brands are now washable and reusable so no need to feel bad about using too much plastic!
MARKER PENS
Great for writing on your bags and won’t rub off in the freezer, so you never end up with a UFO (Unidentified Frozen Object!) Ensure you label everything as it all looks the same once frozen.
TWO LARGE COOKING POTS
‘Go big or go home’ is a saying that comes to mind. You will need some large pots and, if you’re going to invest in anything for batching, I’d say good, stainless steel pots that can go from your stove top to oven should be at the top of your list!
TWO LARGE BOWLS
Much like the pots, these are good to have, and will be used throughout most of these recipes.
GLASS DISHES WITH PLASTIC LIDS
I cannot recommend these highly enough, they transition from freezer to oven perfectly – just take the lid off and pop it straight in the oven. They also look good so you can put them in the middle of the table and serve your meals straight from the dish. I use these when I am batching fish pies, enchiladas, pasta bakes etc. I recommend Pyrex dishes as the best for freezing.
Finally, the following kitchen items are always good to have on hand: knifes, chopping boards, foil, Tupperware, scissors. If you get into batching and are using freezer bags a lot, then I would also recommend a set of ‘baggy holders’ that help hold your bags open. These are available from my website and other online retailers.
