The post Small Kitchen Appliances to Expand Your Cooking Arsenal appeared first on Presidential Towers Blog.
]]>
We know there are a lot of residents who want to learn to be better cooks or chefs-in-the-making in their Chicago apartments, but they don't know where to start. One thing that you can do to spark your imagination in the kitchen is to add a few of the right tools. Here are some suggestions for some space-saving appliances that will add a lot of versatility to your cooking routine.
Small Kitchen Appliances to Expand Your Cooking Arsenal
- Stand Mixer: If you enjoy baking, a stand mixer is a must-have addition for your kitchen. This tool makes it easier to whip up a broad range of foods, from cookie dough to mashed potatoes. You can make your own bread dough or homemade pizza dough with one of these. Modern stand mixers are also very stylish, so you should be able to find one that matches your kitchen decor nicely.
- Slow Cooker: These are great for people who don't have a lot of free time for cooking, but who still want to prepare delicious home-cooked meals. Toss the ingredients in, turn it on and forget about it for a few hours until the meal is ready. With a slow cooker, you can prepare a nice family roast, soups, stews, enchilada fillings and more. When it's not in use, a slow cooker is also small enough to tuck away inside a kitchen cabinet.
- Vegetable Chopper: The thing about a vegetable chopper is that it will definitely help you add more vegetables to your diet. They're so fun to use that simply owning one will remind you to pick up more vegetables at the store.
- Expandable Oven Rack: These are fantastic when you're preparing a big feast. For just a few dollars, an extra oven rack allows you to nearly double the cooking surface inside your oven, to prepare multiple dishes at once. It also folds flat when you're not using it, so it's great for saving space.
Those are just a few suggestions to bring you closer to dreams of being an amateur chef. And as a reminder, we still have floor plans available as we head into the New Year. If you know anyone hunting for Chicago, IL apartments right now, tell them to call our leasing office at (866) 273-0973.
The post Small Kitchen Appliances to Expand Your Cooking Arsenal appeared first on Presidential Towers Blog.
]]>The post Creating Your Signature Culinary Dish appeared first on Presidential Towers Blog.
]]>
Many chefs will feature a signature dish inspired by personal preferences and created as an original offering at their restaurants. Many times a signature dish will become closely associated with a particular chef or restaurant and eventually take a place among cookbooks once the secret recipe is revealed. You can create your own signature culinary dish with just a little imagination and experimentation.
Here are four things to consider when crafting a culinary masterpiece.
Your Signature Culinary Dish
1. Choose a Type of Cuisine
Start with your favorite, go-to cuisine; Southern, Italian, Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Home Style, or Street Food. Whatever pleases your personal palette and the area of cooking where you have the most experience is a great place to start. Another option is to do a variation of an existing dish. Many people create signature Mac and Cheese, burgers, soups, and casseroles.
2. Add Personal Touches
Your signature dish should have a distinct personal touch that is evident in the flavor, presentation, and textures. You may even start with an existing recipe and start swapping out high-calorie items for those that are low in fat, but still favorable. Consider the person that first substituted fish for ground beef in tacos. Today, fish tacos topped with coleslaw instead of lettuce and tomato are a favorite food truck offering throughout the country.
3. Herb and Spice Combinations
This is the fun part when making a signature dish — creating a one-of-a-kind flavor that is unmistakably your own. Attempt to combine great herb and spice pairings when creating a new dish that will bear your personal touch and add a distinct flavor to your dish. Herb and spice combinations start with a predominant herb combined with spices to imbue a certain taste (sweet, tangy, spicy, etc) and paired with the right base foods — chicken, pork, stews, soups.
- Sweet or spicy
- Sour and sweet
- Savory or creamy
- Sweet and tangy
- Bitter savory
4. Authentic Presentation
Finish off your signature dish with a unique presentation which could be serving a casserole in a bread bowl, using certain garnishes, crisping the top of your dish using the broiler, a creative drizzling of a secret sauce, or stacking food items to create an edible structure.
The gourmet kitchens in our apartments in Chicago, IL are the perfect place to create a signature food dish that you can serve when entertaining family and friends in your spacious apartment. Presidential Towers' units include renovated kitchens with an espresso cabinetry option, granite countertops, upgraded appliances, and wood-inspired flooring.
The post Creating Your Signature Culinary Dish appeared first on Presidential Towers Blog.
]]>The post How to Make Homemade Pet Treats appeared first on Presidential Towers Blog.
]]>
Here at Presidential Towers, we know that your pet is part of your family. If you're feeling a little crafty here are two pet treat recipes you can make in your own kitchen!
Quick & Easy Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Most pooches love peanut butter. Be sure, however, to steer clear of peanut butter that contains xylitol. This common sugar-replacement sweetener can be harmful to our four-legged friends.
Beyond peanut butter, you just need some eggs and a few cups of flour and water. You can shape your treats into various sizes if you have cookie cutters on hand. Otherwise, just use the open end of a cup to produce proportionate treats.
Chicken Dog Treats
If peanut butter just won't do it for your dog, you might want to switch to a meatier protein. This recipe enables you to bring chicken and rice into the mix with only a few other elements including ingredients your pet will be most interested in. If your pooch has allergies, opt for alternative meats like bison, quail, or venison. You might even want to experiment with different types of fish like salmon.
DIY Frozen Apple Dog Treats
Soon, the temperatures will kick it into high gear in the Windy City, and your pup will need some extra mechanisms to help him cool off. Forego store-bought dog ice cream in favor of these homemade frozen apple treats that are rich in fiber and flavor.
Presidential Towers is proud to be a pet-friendly apartment community in Chicago, but that's not all we have to offer. Check out our list of outstanding amenities!
The post How to Make Homemade Pet Treats appeared first on Presidential Towers Blog.
]]>