Copper Cookware Culinary Creations of a Professional Chef

I love cooking. Hear me right, hon, when I have a long, hard day, I love to just come home, and start working on something in the kitchen. It’s my way to unwind. Cakes, pastries, sweets… steaks, fish, potatoes…. macaroni pasta salads with ricotta, the best marinated shrimp shishkabobs, gourmet retro tacos… I love making it all. My family certainly seems to love my cooking.

One of the things I’ve found when meeting new friends is complaints about how they wish they were as good a cook as I. Hogwash! It’s not so much the cook, as it is the cookware. Throw away that $50 cheap cookware set, hon! A good copper cookware set can do wonders for the apprentice chef. Copper cookware comes with a lining of stainless steel, silver, nickel or tin. Don’t use metal utensils to prevent scratching, unless the lining is stainless steel (even then, I wouldn’t give your two year old a fork to scratch off the eggs!). Stainless steel is the most robust and is the only lining that never needs to be replaced, but is the least conductive. In my oh so humble opinion, lined copper is really great for general cookware of all sorts: I have a full set of casseroles, saute pans, saucepans, skillets, roasting pans, all made of lined copper cookware. Also poachers, fondue pots and gratin dishes.

I’ve also found that these are very easy to care for. The lining will not need polishing. Otherwise you can take care of it just as regular copper cookware in general.

I should probably mention that a lining material for copper cookware prevents reactions with acidic foods, but effectively negates the egg rising properties, so if you want to beat egg whites, your best choice is unlined copper bowls. If you want to know more about copper cookware cooking, check out Kristalla’s copper cookware blog. They work wonders, and compared to any other kind of mixing bowl (ie. plastic, ceramic, glass), give you the creamiest, fluffiest eggy sauces!