By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
The tools and utensils we use for cooking are just as important as the foods we select. High quality natural cookware and utensils enhance the flavor, taste and appearance of food and help transform daily cooking into an art.” ((The Quick and Natural Macrobiotic Cookbook by Aveline Kushi and Wendy Esko).
“Cookware” refers to all the utensils and implements we use for cooking and serving food and drink – pots, pans, kettles, pressure cookers, steamers, kettles. Natural materials such as wood, glass, ceramic or earthenware are best as they do not interact with the food. Metals such as stainless steel, cast iron (like our regular paryok or wok) or enamel-coated steel are next best. Plastic, Teflon and other synthetic materials and aluminum and asbestos are best avoided.
Below are recommended basic cookware and dining ware for your beloved family:
POTS AND PANS & OTHER COOKWARE:
Traditional pottery is the best cookware. It is made from clay and is the world’s oldest and most natural cookware – our traditional “banga”. We are lucky in Mountain Province because we have the pottery industry in Bila, Bauko. The claypot acts like the modern pressure cooker– it requires little liquid and the pot’s heavy lid keeps nutrients from escaping with the steam. And even of you put off the flame, the food continues to boil for more time than other pots. So it is energy-saving aside from enhancing the taste of food! Many people agree that food cooked in claypots are the tastiest. Types of pottery are earthenware, stoneware, terra-cotta, porcelain and china. Stoneware is fired at twice the temperature of earthenware, absorbs more heat and retains fewer odors than other types of pottery. Pottery that is glazed in the inside but not the outside gives the best heat absorption. Note, however, that some glazed pottery are made for purely decorative purposes and has a poisonous glaze so before you buy, make sure the glaze is designed for cooking. Some vessels need to be soaked in water prior to use while others do not. Avoid soap and detergents when washing pottery. Just soak briefly in warm water and scrub with a vegetable brush.
Cookware made from glass, ceramic or high-quality stainless steel and cast iron are next best. Cast iron – our indispensable “paryok” and rice pots- is handy for sautéing/stir-frying and frying. Cast iron, like steel, is a mixture of many metals. But be sure to season it before using and don’t soak and don’t use scouring pads to clean it. To season, coat it inside and out with vegetable oil and then heat in a warm oven for at least an hour. Repeat a few times.
“Aluminum, non-stick and plastic-coated pots are not recommended. Aluminum scratches easily and is absorbed into foods and this can cause a variety of health problems. Non-stick surfaces also scratch easily and tiny fragments occasionally break off. Plastic-coated cookware is chemically processed and changes the taste and quality of foods.” (The Quick and Natural Macrobiotic Cookbook by Aveline Kushi and Wendy Esko). Example of plastic coated pot is teflon.
KNIVES
Sharp knives are essential in the kitchen. Stainless-steel, carbon-steel and high-grade carbon-steel varieties are available. The high-grade carbon-steel variety is recommended as it does not rust easily and holds a sharp edge longer than the others and will last many years. Wash carbon-steel knives in soapy water and dry immediately. Coating the blade with a little oil after drying will prevent rusting. Store knives in a rack rather than together in a drawer to avoid dulling.
OTHER UTENSILS
Wood is best for serving food and cooking implements. They won’t scratch the surface of pots and pans and bowls, don’t leave a metallic taste in the food, conduct less heat than metal and are beautiful. But make sure they are not varnished. “Ungot” is a traditional eating and drinking utensil in our villages. I am happy that some couples give wooden spoons/ladles and other natural kitchen and dining ware as tokens during weddings. But then we will also need to plant more trees for our woodcarvers.
Aside from wood, other recommended materials for our eating utensils are earthenware (ceramic, china, etc), glass and stainless steel. Avoid plastic as much as possible.
CUTTING BOARDS
Wooden boards (from quality hardwood) are preferable to plastic or synthetic. Cutting boards used to prepare vegetables should not be used to prepare fish or meat or other animal food. Meat and fish contain bacteria that will contaminate your vegetables so keep a separate board for each. A wood cutting board, however, needs to be seasoned as follows: First rub sesame or any vegetable oil on the surface. Let the board absorb the oil for several hours and wipe dry. Repeat every month or so to prevent the board from absorbing the juices from foods and from warping or buckling.
To clean your board, simply wipe with a clean damp cloth or sponge after each use. Don’t immerse in water and don’t use soap as this is easily absorbed in the wood and would alter the flavor of the foods. You will notice that using even a tiny amount of detergent will leave its odor and taste in your wooden utensils.
VEGETABLE BRUSHES
What we usually do is to peel the camote or carrot. Peeling, however, removes essential nutrients so it’s better to just brush. Small brushes made from natural materials like coconut fiber are excellent for cleaning root vegetables and other items without bruising their skins. These can also be used for cleaning pots and pans. Use what is available in your community.
FLAME DEFLECTOR
This is a lightweight metal pad with wooden handle. This is used under cooking pots to distribute heat evenly, allowing foods to cook evenly and reducing the chance of burning. These are available in big supermarkets. Avoid asbestos flame deflectors. HAPPY COOKING!**
