The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages by Loren Cordain Read Free Book Online Page B

utensils, appliances, and paraphernalia that will make Paleo preparation and cooking a breeze. However, just as you purged your kitchen of food items, you must also eliminate certain non-Paleo utensils.
     
    First, get rid of all pots, pans, vessels, and cookie sheets that have an aluminum surface. If aluminum touches the food during cooking, preparation, or dining, pitch these utensils. When you cook in aluminum pots or pans, small amounts of aluminum leach into your food and eventually find their way into your body, which is not a good thing. Although we don’t completely understand how aluminum adversely affects human health and well-being, a number of studies suggest that it may impair the intestinal barrier, thereby promoting chronic low-level inflammation. Aluminum also seems to preferentially bind to nerve tissue and the brain. Whether it impairs cognition or nerve function is still unclear. We recommend that you replace all of your aluminum pots, pans, and cooking vessels with either stainless steel or Pyrex. It will be money well spent.
     
    Along these same lines, do yourself a favor and replace your plastic water bottles, storage jugs, or plastic containers with stainless steel or glass (not aluminum). Besides polluting the world, plastic containers frequently contain BPA (bisphenol A), dioxins, and phthalates, which can leach into the liquids or foods that are stored in the containers. These chemicals may adversely affect your health and well-being in numerous ways.
     
    One of the most indispensable items in a well-stocked Paleo kitchen is good cutlery. High-quality stainless steel knives can save you hours in cutting, chopping, and preparation time. If you don’t already own first-rate cutlery, consider it a lifetime investment for your health and that of your family. Look for high-quality stainless steel knife sets that retain their edge, with sufficient knives to allow you the freedom to chop, cut, slice, or core any Paleo food.
     
    ESSENTIALS
     
    • 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup
    • 4-quart stainless steel saucepan
    • Stainless steel steaming basket
    • 6-quart stainless steel stockpot
    • 12-inch cast iron skillet
    • Garlic press
    • Glass or ceramic baking dishes
    • Set of quality chef’s knives
    • Food processor, small (3-cup)
    • Food thermometer
    • Fruit and vegetable peeler
    • Set of stainless steel measuring spoons
    • Ceramic, glass, or stainless steel mixing bowls: small, medium, and large
    • Spatulas
    • Wooden spoons
    • Two wooden cutting boards: one for raw meats, poultry, and fish and another for fruits and vegetables
    • Blender
    • Wire whisk
     
    OPTIONAL (helpful and fun)
     
    • Citrus juicer
    • Digital food scale
    • Kitchen mixer with meat grinder attachment
    • Large food processor
    • Mortar and pestle
    • Mandoline food slicer
    • Dehydrator, or food dryer
    • Nut grinder
     

Cooking Temperatures
     
    If you find yourself a bit worried about eating or serving raw or undercooked meat, poultry, or fish, a food thermometer works wonders. Use the following chart as your guideline.
     
    USDA RECOMMENDED SAFE MINIMUM
INTERNAL TEMPERATURES
     

     
Dish
Recommended Internal Temperature (˚F)
Steaks and roasts
145
Fish
145
Pork
160
Ground beef
160
Egg dishes
160
Chicken breasts
165
Whole poultry
165
     
     
    All ovens vary, so use your food thermometer as the final decision maker when you’re following our recipes. As you become familiar with your oven or grill, try to develop a sense of the time required to safely cook meat and fish. Some of our recipes include instructions to “tent” before serving. Tenting is a method of stopping food from browning too quickly in the oven. It is typically used in cooking a turkey but can also be employed with almost any dish that is cooked in the oven. It’s sort of like putting a makeshift lid of aluminum foil over a food dish that doesn’t otherwise have one. Tenting allows foods to continue cooking at cooler