Young Bear's Blog

There are so many different types of cookware out there now, so for this post I decided to write about three of the most common and what the pros and cons are of each. The three pans you see below are stainless steel, non stick, and cast iron. All are about the same size but perform differently, cost differently, and last differently. When buying cookware, heat conduction (how well the cookware holds onto the heat after food is added), heat distribution (how well the heat spreads throughout the pan), cleaning, and price are important factors to consider. Stainless steel Pros: Good heat conduction and distribution. They're great for cooking just about anything but avoid cooking delicate foods such as eggs and fish, chances are they will stick and get torn up. Most can be safely cooked over any heat including in the oven and broiler, but be sure to read the information provided in the packing to know for sure. They can also last a very long time is taken care of properly....

“Knock it off, Napoleon! Make yourself a dang quesadilla!” A quesadilla is the perfect thing to make if you're hungry and need something quick and easy. Here's how I like to make mine. Ingredients 1 flour tortilla Shredded cheese Salt  Cookware 10inch Nonstick pan Directions  Heat your pan over medium low-medium heat for at least five minutes. Lay tortilla down flat in pan, add cheese, and fold over. Allow the bottom of the quesadilla to toast and the cheese to melt. Flip over once you're satisfied with how toasty the bottom is. Allow the other side to toast until satisfied and serve. Add salt at the end if you'd like. This whole process only takes a matter of minutes and I always find it satisfying. 

They say the classics never go out of style, this meal is one of the many examples of why. I myself don't really go for sweeter break meals such as waffles or French toast. For me, this is really hard to beat.  Ingredients   I package of bacon  2 eggs  Several Yukon Gold potatoes Freshly chopped rosemary Freshly chopped parsley  Cookware   Large baking sheet 12 inch pan 6 inch pan (non stick) Directions   Bacon Preheat oven to 350 Spread foil over a baking sheet. Place strips of bacon onto a baking sheet, as many as you can fit. Place into oven on center rack and cook for 30 minutes or until bacon reaches your desired doneness. Be sure to rotate or spin the baking sheet around halfway through the cooking time for even cooking. Once cooked, remove from over and place strips on a plate covered with a couple layers of paper towels to absorb the excess grease. Potatoes   Refer to my Cajun spiced potatoe...

As someone whose engaged to a vegetarian and does a vast majority of the cooking, I try to make a good amount of our meals vegetarian so that we can both enjoy them and I can save time and money. I really enjoy this meal because it's delicious, filling, and includes a meat substitute that everyone I know who's tried it seems to really like.   Cookware  10 inch cast iron pan 2 quart sauce pan 5 quart glass baking dish  4 quart pot (Various other options will work just fine.)  Ingredients Cornbread (Vegetarian modified) 1 box of Trader Joe's Cornbread Mix 1/2 banana 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup almond milk Vegetarian Chili  2 cans of Trader Joe's Vegetarian Chili 1 package of Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo Olive oil Shredded Cheese Cajun Spiced Potato Wedges Gold potatoes "Slap Ya Mama" Cajun Seasoning Olive oil Baking soda Directions Preheat oven to 350F.  Cajun Spiced Potato Wedges Cut several po...

Are you in the mood to grill but is the rain or the fact that you don't have a fancy stove with a built in grill preventing you from satisfying your craving? Well there is another way. All you need is a grill pan and they can be used right on your stove top. Here's how I like to use mine.  1.) Pour some oil in the pan and use a basting or pastry brush to evenly coat the inside of the pan. 2.) Place the pan on a large stove top and set the heat to medium/medium high. 3.) Once the pan starts to smoke, food in the pan with the top of the food pointing towards 10 o'clock.  (Be sure to not move the food for at least a couple minutes to allow to grill marks to establish.) 4.) After a couple minutes or once first grill marks have established, turn the food so that the top is facing towards 2 o'clock. Let cook for another couple minutes or until second grill marks establish.  (This creates the the diamond shaped grill marks.) 5.) Fli...

I've wanted to make this dish ever since I saw the 2015 movie "Chef". It looked so simple yet so delicious and that's what Italian cooking is all about, taking a handful of fresh ingredients and combining them to make something amazing. Cookware 10 inch pan Ingredients (serves 2) Olive Oil (enough to fill 1/4 of pan) Sliced garlic (several cloves) Freshly chopped parsley (small bowl's worth) 1/2 lemon (juiced) Red pepper flakes (2 pinches) Freshly cracked black pepper (5 cracks) Salt (2 generous pinches) Linguine (small handful)  Place pan on stove over med-low heat. Allow pan to heat for at least 5 minutes. Add oil to pan along with sliced garlic. Stir to make sure that that garlic slices don't stick together. Add red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt. Once garlic is toasted but not burnt, remove from heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente, strain, and add to the pan. Add lemon juice, choppe...