FEATURES include:

• EXTRA LARGE 3-LB. FOOD CAPACITY (4 LITERS OIL) Ample space allows food to fry evenly and completely, for delicious results every time. Its generous capacity makes the Dual Zone deep fryer perfect for meals – and families – of all sizes.
• EASY CLEAN OIL DRAIN SYSTEM Forget worrying about messy, hot oil. This ingenious system makes draining and recycling cooking oil safe and easy. Simply open the door on the front of the unit and drain oil through the tube into a storage container.
• DIGITAL TIMER Allows you to accurately set and monitor cooking time, for perfectly fried food.
• DIGITAL ADJUSTABLE THERMOSTAT Lets you easily set the temperature, giving you the flexibility to fry foods just the way you like them.
• ADJUSTABLE THERMOSTAT WITH INDICATOR LIGHT Handy control allows you to set frying temperature, giving you the flexibility to fry foods just the way you like them.
• REMOVABLE PARTS Make cleanup quick and effortless. The bowl, frying basket and lid are all dishwasher-safe.
• DUAL ZONE TECHNOLOGY The “cool zone” located beneath the heating element, prevents food from burning. This unique technology reduces odor and keeps oil clean, for tasty fried food every time.
• PERMANENT MESH FILTER Located inside the stainless steel lid, the permanent filter prevents the release of oil vapors and odors into your kitchen.
• VIEWING WINDOW Allows you to safely and easily view the entire frying process.
• REMOVABLE HEATING ELEMENT Allows for quick and easy cleanup, and it’s in direct contact with the food for fast and crispy results.
• COOL-TOUCH REMOVABLE HANDLE Lets you lift or lower the frying basket for safe operation.
• DETACHABLE CORD WITH PATENTED CONDENSATION SHIELD For safer operation, the magnetic cord easily detaches from the fryer if accidentally pulled. This unique safety feature is designed with a patented condensation shield to prevent dripping onto the cord connection.

To learn more visit:
DeLonghi 3-lb. Esclusivo Deep Fryer, Stainless Steel

If you want a real cooking challenge, go from cooking for a large family, to cooking for one
or two!  Most recipes make 4 to 6 servings, which is just too much for one or two people. Here are a few tips, including a chart to reduce ingredients that will make cooking for fewer people a lot easier, without an abundance of leftovers!

One of the first things to think about is that smaller portions require smaller tools; you won’t really need a large crock-pot for a meal for one or two. Remember also that large casserole dishes, cake pans etc. are too large, they allow for too much evaporation.

There are many scaled down baking dishes available, as well as crock-pots, electric skillets, coffee pots, and toaster ovens, choose a pan that is slightly larger than the amount you will be cooking.

If you are like me, you love biscuits, there are many frozen biscuits on the market, and all  you need do is take out one or two. If you like your own biscuits, just make a batch and freeze them on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper, when they are frozen, put in a freezer bag. When you want biscuits, take out the number you want and bake them.
Cooking times may also need to be adjusted; a good instant-read thermometer is
invaluable for this.

Remember reducing your ingredients is invaluable when you only want to make a certain amount. Reduce smart!

Making meals and being a cook is two different things. For years, I used to slavishly follow recipes but then I realized that isn’t what cooking is about. The culinary arts is knowing about blending ingredients and using different cooking methods. I still collect recipes but I can do my own experimenting. If I don’t have ingredients, I know how to adapt with substitutes.

There are a set of ingredients that you should never run out of. These are the ones that form the basis of the culinary arts you favor, whether they be cuisine from Mexico, Italy, Spain, China or wherever. For example, if you like cooking Indian food, you should never be without garam masala, the blend of spices we all know as curry.

Learning by trial and error is a great teacher. You will make mistakes but it doesn’t matter if you learn from them. If you prefer a more structured approach to the culinary arts, there are cookery classes available. I would like to go on one of those cookery vacations, perhaps to Italy. You combine a sightseeing vacation with learning cooking skills.

I guess there is no excuse for not learning how to cook these days. There has never been so many cookery books and articles in magazines. Today is the culture of the celebrity chef and there is an entire TV channel dedicated to the subject of food. We’re told however, that a lot of us are watching the programs etc.,  but we’re actually cooking less. Everyone is busy working and many people have stopped making meals from scratch. The culinary arts are being neglected in kitchens devoted to ready meals and processed food. To add to the problem, schools are not teaching the next generation about nutrition and how to cook proper meals.

Being from the UK, I’m aware that British food has a bad reputation. It’s true that we did tend to over boil vegetables and everything was a bit unadventurous. In my country’s defense, I think that situation has much improved. The influence of the culinary arts from other countries and our desire to eat at restaurants more has educated us at last.  I think the state of the British food scene has never been better. In addition to embracing the food from other lands, we recognize the culinary arts of our own traditions. We have some great dishes from the English regions, Scotland and Ireland too. We have simply re-learned how to present them properly.