Hey food nerd fam! We’re turning the blog over to #anovafoodnerd Aly Romero today to let her gush about why she loves cooking with her Anova Precision Cooker, and why she thinks it’s the best Mother’s Day gift of 2018.
“Mom, what’s for dinner?”. Anyone else get this question on the way to school drop off in the morning? Instead of being annoyed by it at 8 a.m., I find it endearing because it’s a daily reminder of the common love we share of cooking and being in the kitchen together as a family. If I can instill this in our kids, I will consider it a great success as a mom…of course, only time will tell.
"It's a circus sometimes."
That being said, I know it’s not an easy task to get healthy, delicious meals on the table every night for the family. We have 3 kids, ranging in age from a Freshman in high school to a 2nd grader. With all of the homework, sports, projects, carpooling, a husband who travels for work…it’s a circus sometimes, I’m not going to lie.
To me, it is really important that with all of that, we eat together whenever possible. Sometimes we eat super early and sometimes it’s 8:30 p.m. It’s by no means a perfect system, but it gives us a chance to sit together and talk each night, so it works for us. Sometimes my husband jokes “Let me know when breakfast is ready!”….ha ha, funny guy, right? We’ve been married 17 years and his humor makes me laugh daily.
"It’s like having a chef in your own kitchen."
It was Christmas 2015 and I opened the gift that would change a lot of my cooking routine. My brother and sister-in-law who are big time foodies in their own right, gave me an Anova Precision Cooker. I opened the box, looked at it and thought “What the heck is this?” My sister-in-law Lisa had received one as a gift also and knowing my love and passion for cooking, they gifted one to me.
I had heard of sous vide cooking, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was or how to use it. I have always loved cook ahead type meals and things I can prepare during the day while our kids are at school or before company comes over for dinner on the weekends. It just makes life so much easier and I can enjoy time with them instead of being stressed out. This is where the Anova Precision Cooker became a game changer for me. After years of using a crock pot for set it and forget it meals, I now had a way to cook a protein for a range of 1-4 hours without affecting the outcome or overcooking it. It’s like having a chef in your own kitchen who’s just waiting for you to give the green light and boom, it’s ready…amazing! And? It's on sale right NOW!
"It’s the best steak we’ve ever had."
When I first tried it out, I couldn’t believe how easy it was. I took some steaks, seasoned them, sealed them in a ziploc freezer bag, dropped the bags in the pre-heated water to the desired doneness of our steaks, which for us is about 132°F. I took them out after I don’t know, an hour or two (didn’t matter), patted them completely dry, heated up a skillet and gave them a quick sear for 2 minutes each side. Then I moved them to a cutting board to rest while I finished the rest of the dinner and they were a perfect medium rare. I have been an avid home chef for 15 years and I can honestly say, it’s the best steak we’ve ever had. After a few of these steaks, we decided it was actually a better meal and less expensive than a restaurant….why go out, right?
From there, I moved on to trying chicken, lamb, eggs, salmon, pork, lobster tails, hamburgers…you name it! Each different protein was set to the appropriate temperature on my Anova, which is typically a little before the doneness you are looking for so that it can be seared afterward (where appropriate) to bring it just to the perfect temperature without overcooking it, ever! It was so easy, I was hooked!
"It’s a great feeling to be a superstar chef for your family."
It has been 2-1/2 years and I still use my Anova at least once or twice a week. I don’t find it to be a gimmicky kitchen gadget, it’s definitely here to stay…in fact many restaurant chefs use sous vide technology as well. I believe it may actually evolve and grow in the future with so much cooking technology and innovation on the horizon. The awesome thing is, it’s amazing to get restaurant-quality results in your own home and if you’re a busy mom like me, it’s a great feeling to be a superstar chef for your family & friends without a ton of extra effort….I love it!
You can follow my #anovafoodnerd journeys on Instagram @alyromero, on Twitter @AlyR, and at my blog alyseleganteats.com, and be sure to grab your new Anova Precision Cooker, on sale now!