New pans arrived today - what to make 1st? New to SS - cooking/learning experiment?

Question

Hi everyone! F/u on my 1st post (link below) looking for my 1st SS pans. Finally decided on Cuisinart MCP. It was hard to make a decision due to variety of factors, most important one being the fact that it's ME and I had a hard time deciding! Also got a lot of advice reviews just can't give, so thanks guys! 
Not sure how heavy it will feel when cooking full of food or if I can manage that in the long run ... Or the inevitable cleanup and the SS learning curve - which I am partially (meaning 99.9%) nervous about ...

BB&B price matched Amazon, cheaper than 20% off. I ended up getting 12 pc set ($215) & 5.5 qt casserole pan ($53) to use as my saute/braizer/everyday/one-pot thingy. I now most likely own stuff I don't need (only because the set came w things I did need for less (due to price-matching - compared w same or other brands that were recommended) than a-la-carte. I didn't realize the steamer would only fit in the 3 qt or how big that makes it to store!) I've only used the kind that goes inside, the crappy cheap ones that fold. The lids aren't able to turn upside down for stacking but aside from having a tiny apt and need to figure out storage ... they seem cool.

Before I use them, should I season them? What is better before I start so that they will be easy enough to cook on and keep clean?

Then - what to cook first? Any suggestions for my 1st SS experiment w cooking? (Not eggs! I think I will wait before I test the waters!) 
Thanks, I look forward to hearing your suggestions.

Answer

For cleaning, "deglaze" the pan with a cup or so of room temperature or so water and scrape up the big chunks while the pan cools, then I put a squirt of dish soap and fill up with water and let it soak while we eat (and do the bed time routine for the kiddos). 90% of the time it cleans up with just a soapy dish cloth, and if things are more stubborn I keep one of those dollar store sugar shakers full of baking soda which I sprinkle over stubborn spots and apply elbow grease.

For storage, pans I don't use frequently get placed in pillow cases and stashed throughout the house. Easier to wash the pillow case than the pan after it's been sitting a bit. 

The pitting: Don't worry about it. My AC is over 5 years old and doing just fine. Season your food as you see fit, cook at medium heat and have fun! I suggest cooking over medium heat while learning, and then turning up the heat as you feel more comfortable.

Answer

To keep it simple, how about soup and a grilled cheese? That is two pieces down!

Answer

-i, vanessa:*-

 Congratulations! Many years of fun cooking in the MCP. 

You can "season" if you want, but it's probably only important for a frypan. And even then, it's most helpful for a pan that will be dedicated to cooking eggs. The process and result isn't as profound as with CS or CI,m and to get the full benefit, you will need to redo it regularly. Only you can decide if it's worth it.

Along these lines, though, if you're new to SS, you might want to spend some time playing with the Leidenfrost/Mercury Ball preheating technique. Get a feel for a general time to preheat before testing with water, and then understand that the mercury ball effect comes *after* the water sizzles away. If/once you dial this in, it will save you a lot of trouble in both cooking and cleaning. The cooks in many test kitchens keep a small glass of water and a spoon next to the range just to know when the time is right to add the oil.

If/once you master this, I suggest that you jump right into proteins. Here, the trick on SS is to understand that the meat will release on it's own when it is ready, and be patient until it does. You may find that to make this happen consistent with fully cooking the piece(s) to your liking with one flip, you need to experiment with your heat settings. Most people tend to use too much heat, and then panic when the protein doesn't release quickly. Buy a bunch of cheap pork, and experiment. The worst that will happen is your dog or cat will get fat.

As far as pitting goes, it is mostly a random phenomenon, so don't worry too much. Yes, don't add undissolved salt to an empty pan, and stir right away to dissolve. Also, try to avoid cooking in a pan that was scoured immediately beforehand--you want to let the abraded metal "passivate" a little while (minutes) before exposing it to salt. 

Aloha,
Kaleo

Answer

Hi Vanessa,

Make a list of favorite dishes that you've made and like, and prepare them with the new cookware again and again until you are satisfied. Then move on to the next dish.

When I switched to induction, some dishes worked out perfectly the first time. Others took me as much as a year to get right.

Ray

Answer

I’d say to cook something you really love that aligns with whatever looks good in the store. If I were following my own advice I’d go for a sort of end of winter riff since summer produce isn’t really taking off yet. Braising some short ribs is always a hit. Or some simple pork chops floured, salted, and peppered, browned in a little oil and butter, seasoned with some fresh sage and then finished with a quick pan sauce made by a glug of white wine, a quick reduction, and a knob of butter, accompanied by either steamed broccoli or Brussels sprouted browned gently and then braised in a little stock. Don’t worry about the learning curve for the pans. They are terrific pans and very resilient and sturdy. Congratulations.

Answer

We order groceries online at Wal-Mart. But they're having "issues" so still just surving on leftovers. I realized Cinco de Mayo is Sunday and (despite looking more like Casper,) I love Mexican. (Sans cheese of course).

I did figure out the Liedenfrost effect, at least I think, so I'll report back on how our Mexican food turns out. Such as chicken fajitas w veggies, taco salad w ground beef and prob a soup. 

Plus we're having friends over so I'll find time to shop in between ... just having had an interview and now job shadowing has made me pretty busy lately with learning new things in the office AND the kitchen!

Btw does anyone actually make over - medium eggs in a ss skillet? If you need to wait for protein to release, how do you flip them? Or would I need much more oil than I think? Or maybe that's a general rule w SS?

Answer

Thats so awesome, also just restocked my own pans and pots at https://www.chefsworld.dk/ 

Maybe you should try making a gumbo dish :) Taking all of your new gear in action almost. I prefer chicken gumbo with veggies and especially mushrooms :)

Happy cooking :D

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