Tag: Cookbooks

Does everybody have those foods or dishes that, as a child, you were convinced you hated—but in your adulthood, you’ve come to find that you actually enjoy? For me, a grilled pork chop is at the top of that list. I can vividly remember the childhood heartbreak of realizing that my dad had the grill fired up for a pork chop dinner. Noooo. To me, they were dry, flavorless, and tough to chew. Sorry, Pops…but no, thank you.

Listen, I am not here to throw my dad’s cooking under the bus (after all, he has taught me so many things), but it wasn’t until culinary school that I truly understood the beauty of a simply-grilled pork chop. When I learned that we were making pork chops at school that day, I was immediately filled with dread, because I knew it was a cut of meat that I wasn’t excited about. However, the results were nothing like what I remembered—instead, the chops were juicy, super flavorful, and tender as could be. What had I been missing all this time?!

Allrecipes

Living in a small apartment often involves choosing appliances that pack in a lot of options and value instead of always trying the latest trendy gadgets. It’s a matter of utilizing what is sometimes nonexistent counter space in the most productive matter.

But every so often, trends and space-saving gadgets merge in a perfect combination, and that’s what happened when I got my first air fryer.

I am said person — one of many out there, though — who lives in a small studio apartment with a tiny kitchen. However, in my case, I am attempting to do so while writing about food and cooking as my job.

That means I spend a lot of time prepping and cooking — sometimes batches, sometimes small portions — in a kitchen kind of designed for someone who hardly needed to use it at all. It’s a kitchen where, if one wants to use their slow cooker, they’d have to put their toaster on the floor because there’s no room for both to exist simultaneously. Enter, then, the air fryer.

The reason I fell in love with the air fryer at first glance was its incredible functionality. It can be used to make classic air fryer recipes, like those fries or wings that it is best known for, sure. But as someone who doesn’t currently own a microwave or toaster – it’s also great for reheating that pizza or last night’s dinner leftovers. In fact, it can be used to do essentially anything the oven can do but in a compact, easy to clean, and often faster and simpler way.

In short, I’m hooked. In fact, I’m so hooked that I cook live on my Instagram nearly daily with new discoveries of the endless possibilities of cooking with an air fryer. From lobster tails to stuffed peppers, it’s happened.

But now a few years into using the air fryer as my primary kitchen appliance, I’ve absolutely developed some best practices and tips that can save new air fryer cookers a lot of time. So with the help of some air fryer experts I know and my own experience, here are some ways to get the most out of your own air fryers. It’s not just for wings!

Allrecipes