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!

I love my food and have quite eclectic tastes. I like Indian, Chinese, Spanish and Mexican cuisine. However, my favorite is Italian cooking. Italian restaurants are the best. They have the friendliest waiters and the best atmosphere. As well as eating out, I like to experiment with Italian cooking myself, with varying degrees of success!

I imagine that the everyday food of the Italians and the restaurant dishes we are all familiar with are somewhat different. I’d like to go to Tuscany and be invited into the home of an ordinary family. I bet the meals would be incredible. I think Peasant cooking is the term. That’s not an insult, it just means cooking with fresh ingredients and blending them well. No need for fancy sauces. Sometimes, a hunk of freshly baked bread, a slice of Gorgonzola cheese and a good wine can be the finest meal in the world.

There are specialist cooking vacations available, where you can go somewhere lovely and be taught how to cook by an expert. I’d love to do an Italian cooking one and come home able to make the perfect spaghetti sauce. Every Italian family is supposed to have a secret recipe for the sauce and pass it on to the next generation or take it to their grave.

Perhaps I am romanticising Italian coking a little. I know that the frantic lifestyle of people, especially in cities, is having an effect on the cooking traditions of different countries. It’s reported that the younger generation of French women, who have careers, don’t have the same interest in cooking. I hope that this doesn’t affect Italian cooking too badly, and they don’t succumb to microwaved ready meals like the rest of us.

Many people think that Italian food amounts to pizza and pasta. Whilst these are popular, there is so much more variety to Italian cooking than that and regional differences add to the enjoyment. Italians, I was surprised to learn, eat pasta as a starter and not as a main course. You don’t need a lot of elaborate tools to cook Italian, but a good cheese grater is a boon as is a pasta making machine if you intend to have delicious home made. When you’re cooking pasta or rice, aim for al dente, there’s nothing worse than soggy lumps.

I like the little antipasti starters. The ingredients are often preserved meats such as salami or prosciutto and seafood like mussels and prawns. Throw in some figs and melons and it’s delicious. Italian cooking contains many soup recipes and they are often thick and nutritious. Leftovers can be used, even pasta. Stews are also very popular and my favorite main course is Roman Beef Stew, made with beef and bacon cooked in red wine.

I have a herb garden and I like to grow the herbs that are used regularly in Italian cooking, namely oregano, rosemary, basil and marjoram. I make my own salad dressings and I buy Italian bread whenever I can. All I need then is some sunshine and I can pretend I’m in an Italian courtyard.