Food

Easy IKEA Duktig Microwave Upgrade, With Lights and Sound

Leave a comment

The IKEA Duktig play kitchen is an incredibly popular toy for kids… and for good reason. What child doesn’t want to pretend to cook just like mom or dad? This “make-believe” set comes with a realistic sink, a stove that lights up just like a real electric cooktop, and drawers and ovens that look like a real cabinet cubby and an oven.

However, one part of this playset is a bit lacking… the microwave at the top. Absent are any of the fun buttons, lights, sounds, or moving parts that draw kids to a real appliance. What IKEA includes is just a door with a window, which is frankly kind of lame. I know kids like to pretend, but they REALLY have to use their imaginations here, because a buttonless door is not very realistic at all.

Luckily, it’s easy to upgrade the IKEA Duktig with a realistic toy microwave that fits perfectly, and with very minimal adjustments (anyone can do it easily). To amp up the cooking fun for your little one, simply take off the original door and hinges (or don’t install them if you’re building new), then slide in the Casdon DeLonghi Microwave, which beeps and lights up when you press the interactive buttons. It even has a working turntable that spins around, just like the real deal.

The Casdon DeLonghi Microwave is a replica of a classic-looking Italian model, the “Infinito.” The door opens and latches shut just like a real microwave, and when you press the start button, the thing springs into action… with all the fun and none of the risk of your child actually cooking something they shouldn’t.

No screws or even tape are needed for this modification, you can just slide the toy in and the microwave will just stay put due to the perfect fit. The microwave is available on Amazon and at the time of this writing, could ship to you within two days (if you’re in the US and have a Prime membership).

Affiliate link: Casdon Toy DeLonghi Infinito Microwave

Food

The fastest way to make fresh whipped cream: Make a small batch in 30 seconds!

Have you ever wanted to make a small amount of whipped cream for your coffee, pie, fruit, or honey toast, but don’t want to go through the mess of making a huge batch or buy a can of artificial stuff? Well, I have a solution for you that I use almost every day : use a handheld milk frother!

A handheld milk frother is a battery-powered gadget that looks like a mini whisk. It can whip air into liquids and create a light and fluffy texture. You can use it to make frothy coffee in seconds, and you can also use it to make whipped cream in less than a minute.

All you need is some heavy whipping cream, maple syrup, and any small cup. Here are the steps:

  1. Pour about 2 tablespoons of cold whipping cream into a cup You can adjust the amount depending on how much whipped cream you want, but don’t fill the cup more than halfway.
  2. If you want to sweeten your whipped cream, add small dash of maple syrup. Some people use powdered sugar, but maple syrup is perfect for this (there’s nothing to dissolve into your cream) and it adds a delicious flavor to your whipped cream.
  3. Start using the handheld milk frother to whip the cream for about 10 seconds on low, then gradually work it up a faster speed as the mixture stiffens to your desired consistency. Make sure you get the liquid at the bottom of the cup.
  4. That’s about it. Add your fresh whipped cream to whatever you want!

Pro tip: Sometimes I add hot chocolate powder to my cream to create a very quick and simple mousse.

You can make whipped cream whenever you want with this easy method. It’s perfect for when you only need a small amount or when you want to impress your guests with homemade whipped cream.

Some tips and tricks:

  • Make sure your whipping cream is very cold before you whip it. It will whip faster and better that way.
  • Use a small and deep container to whip the cream. You want to submerge the whisk end of your milk frother before you start it, or you risk splattering cream everywhere.
  • Avoid using a ceramic cup. The frother might scratch the finish on the bottom. I usually make whipped cream in a small stainless steel cup (for kids) or a small juice cup made of glass.
  • Some models have a larger coil, which allows you to whip your cream faster. The model I use has a double coil, which works great.

Buy a handheld USB milk frother

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned how to make whipped cream with a milk frother. If you try this method, let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

Food

Cooking with a heat gun: Searing meat, roasting marshmallows with super-hot air

What if I told you a household tool could be used to sear all kinds of food — including steaks — indoors, with no smoke, and no chemical odors?

From sous vide steak, to chicken skin, to marshmallows, I’ve been using a powerful tool that puts out super-hot air to cook all sorts of foods. And when I say power tool, literally this kitchen gadget was originally designed for industrial purposes.

Learn more about cooking in the kitchen with heat guns!

Food

Published in the Austin-American Statesman!

While most of our articles are published online, from time to time articles written by one of the TastingBuds appears in print. We’ve done interviews before and even appeared on TV, but we haven’t had a full feature in another publication … until now. Recently Peter’s enthusiasm for the convenience of air fryers spilled over into a three-page story for the local newspaper, The Austin American-Statesman.

Learn more about our article in the Austin American-Statesman

Food

Meat substitute, green jackfruit can replace shredded pork, but how does it taste?

1 Comment

I’ve enjoyed the intensely sweet, slightly stinky taste of ripened jackfruit for decades, as it’s a popular fruit (which sort of looks like a rough, armored watermelon with spikes) in Asian cuisine. If you’ve never had the sweet version of the fruit before, it tastes like a cross between a very ripe mango and a pineapple, but slightly stinkier. Some people compare its flavor to Juicy Fruit gum. And if you are familiar with durian, it’s like a much less pungent version of that fragrant fruit.

But recently, the unripened version of the fruit, green jackfruit (sometimes called young jackfruit), has been touted as a miracle food that might replace meat in some instances. Intrigued, I had to give it a try. So I popped into Trader Joes (one of my regular grocery stops) to buy a 20-ounce can of “green jackfruit in brine” for $2. When I opened the can, I was greeted by triangular pieces of fleshy fruit fiber that looked a bit like pineapple wedges.

Find out if you should try green jackfruit!

Food

Do Air Fryers work? What is an Air Fryer? A GoWise Air Fryer Review + FAQ

First things first… What is an air fryer? And why are celebrities like Oprah recommending them to their millions of followers? Here’s why:

An air fryer, like the GoWISE USA 8-in-1 Electric Air Fryer is a programmable, very-easy-to-clean convection oven appliance that uses a fan to blow hot air around food evenly, which helps you quickly make food very crispy, without using tons of oil (hence the name air fryer).

In other words: An air fryer is an appliance the size of a rice cooker that lets you make perfect fries, tater tots, and hash browns faster than you can drive to Sonic or McDonalds.

Learn if an air fryer is worth it

Austin, Food

Austin Food you can Enjoy Anywhere (no matter where you live)

Austin is a great destination for foodies. There’s an abundance of great BBQ, Mexican food, hip restaurants and cafes, food trucks, and bars in the capital Texas. But what if you don’t live close enough to try out the best places to eat in the ATX?

No worries… Even if you’re nowhere close, you can still get a taste some of the delicious foods Austin has to offer from the comfort your very own home, no matter where you live in the US.

Find out how to order Austin foods anywhere in the US!

Austin, Drinks, Food

Great Restaurants and Bars on South Lamar: Walkable Austin Nightlife

1 Comment

Austin, Texas has seen incredible growth over the last decade, in both the number of new residents and new businesses opening their doors. In particular, the area on South Lamar within walking distance of the Alamo Drafthouse has seen an explosion of hip bars and restaurants. I’ve witnessed this first hand, since moving to the neighborhood in 2009 and seeing something new and exciting pop up every couple of months.

Now with so many things to eat and drink on South Lamar, you no longer have to go downtown to 6th street, the warehouse district, or Rainey Street to get your nightlife fix. If you want a low-key night out, you can park once on South Lamar, then walk to more than a dozen restaurants and bars within 2 blocks of each other. What’s better, all of the parking is free and you don’t have to deal with huge crowds.

Discover great food and drink on South Lamar in Austin, Texas!

Gadgets, Reviews

Magic Bullet NutriBullet Blender/Mixer – Long Term Review

The NutriBullet has been a key part of my kitchen gadget collection for the past year.

Eating a nutritious breakfast in the morning can be challenging at times, especially when you are trying to wrangle 2 young kids out the door in time for school. I originally purchased a NutriBullet blender in January of 2016 to help me with my resolution to eat “healthy” every morning. What I discovered throughout the year is that the NutriBullet is an indispensable part of any well stocked kitchen.

Continue reading about the Nutribullet

Food, Recipes

Best Pressure Cooker Recipes: Instant Pot Favorites

So you have your hands on a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot, but aren’t quite sure what dish you should make next? An electronic pressure cooker is an extremely versatile kitchen appliance equally capable of roasting meats, making delicious stews, making perfect rice, or even baking breads.

And because a pressure cooker can speed cooking times greatly when compared to a standard slow cooker, you can put a huge number of delicious, healthy meals on the table in no time. Ready to get started? Below is a list of our favorite tried-and-true pressure cooker recipes that we’ve made several times in the past.

Chicken adobo made in the Instant Pot pressure cooker

Discover more than a dozen pressure cooker recipes!

Discovering food together with friends, one delicious bite at a time