Cooks' Questions on Equipment

Q: I really want to make angel food cake, but don't have the correct ring tin. Where could I buy one?

Happily, you are in luck as Cheltenham Kitchener sell them and they do mail order. Their contact details are: 4 Queen's Circus, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1RX; tel: 01242 235688; fax: 01242 239639; website: www.cheltenham-kitchener.co.uk.

Q: I would like to buy a set of balancing scales and while I can find the scales and a set of weights (John Lewis), I would really like some heavier weights - can you suggest an alternative supplier?

The Weylux scales which Delia uses are available from Cucina Direct which you can access via our website by clicking on cookware on the left hand side of the homepage, and then click on cook's favourites and scroll down. We hope this helps. There are some ideas for buffet style lunches if you click here. Or you could try our best barbecue ideas by clicking here. Alternatively you could try Delia's menu for June, just click here to click here.
Delia has also written a chapter about Parties and Gatherings in her new book How To Cook Book Three. These recipes are currently not on the site, you can buy this book by clicking on books on the left hand side of the homepage of the site, and then clicking on ‘click here for volumes of Delia’ to view Delia’s books.

Q: When making Yorkshire puddings how can I prevent the base of the puddings from burning and sticking to the tin?

I feel that the tin is probably the cause of the problem rather than the Yorkshire pudding . It should be a solid non-stick tin, so that it can be heated to the high temperature necessary to make a good Yorkshire pudding. A good-quality tin is the Mermaid (9 x 11 inch/23 x 28 cm) which is available from major department stores or by mail order from Lakeland Plastics (01539 488100) or Hogarth and Dwyer (01483 456250).

Q: It is my ambition to make the perfect omelette. What is the best type of pan for me to use?

After years of testing omelette pans I have discovered a little gem: the humble, unglamorous but utterly reliable British-made, heavy-gauge aluminium pan.

Q: I recently bought an Aga and would like to know how to get the most from it. Can you recommend a good cookbook?

There are many excellent Aga cookbooks available. Books For Cooks stock a variety – they have a mail-order facility and will advise you of availability of books over the telephone. They are based at 4 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 1NN (020 7221 1992). Or check our Specialist Food Shop Directory for a similar bookshop in your area. Although many recipes can happily be adjusted, most home-baking recipes do need to be cooked as recommended by the manufacturers of the Aga. Positioning of the shelves and the use of the Aga plain shelf are very important factors.

Q: Is there a correct way to chop fresh herbs, and what are the best tools to use?

The best tools for this are a good-sized sharp knife and a wooden chopping board – so that you chop rather than squash the herbs. Spread the herbs out on the board then rest the knife blade horizontally on the board at the edge furthest away from you. Hold the pointed end between the finger and thumb of one hand to steady it, take the handle in your other hand and make sharp cutting movements, swinging the handle towards you as you chop – so that the blade swivels in a fan-shape across the herbs – and back again. Chives are an exception as it's far easier to snip them with kitchen scissors. Also it is said that basil should be torn rather than chopped to retain all the fragrant oils.

Q: I'm treating myself to a set of new saucepans and I love copper pans – what would you recommend?

I have a wonderful-looking set of copper pans hanging on the wall of my kitchen, but over the many years since I started cooking, I've found many better alternatives and have to say, no one saucepan can answer every type of need. The brass handles on copper pans become very hot and it's so easy to forget to put on oven gloves. The thin lining in these pans also wears down quickly, exposing the copper underneath, which could affect the food cooked in it.

Q: Help! I don't have a pestle and mortar and I've tried crushing spices with a metal spoon, but I just end up chasing them around! How else can I get the job done?

If you don't have a pestle and mortar, you can always use the end of a rolling pin in a small bowl to crush whole peppercorns and spices. However, if you love spicy food you will find it worth your while to buy a pestle and mortar – it is not an expensive piece of equipment.

Q: My neighbour keeps telling me it's not safe to use aluminium pans. Is this true?

I've always known that heavy-gauge aluminium is the very best conductor of heat in cooking , and now, thankfully, it's been declared safe. I have done my homework and discovered that, like most health scares, this one is unproven

Q: Is there a difference between a flameproof and an ovenproof dish, or are they just the same thing?

A flameproof dish is one that will go over direct heat. Indeed there are many dishes available that are ovenproof, but not flameproof. These are meant only for inside ovens and are not to be used over a direct flame or subjected to sudden changes of temperature. A sudden change to the temperature could cause the dish to shatter.

Q: Many of your recipes call for tablespoons of various ingredients and my cutlery set does not include any. Are they still available?

A flameproof dish is one that will go over direct heat. Indeed there are many dishes available that are ovenproof, but not flameproof. These are meant only for inside ovens and are not to be used over a direct flame or subjected to sudden changes of temperature. A sudden change to the temperature could cause the dish to shatter

Q: I'm in the process of having a new kitchen fitted but I am stuck as to what type of oven to have. What would you suggest?

I would be happy to recommend Creda, who were so helpful during the filming of the How to Cook series. There is so much to choose from nowadays and I did cover 'oven dilemmas' during the first series. At home, I currently use a mixture of halogen hobs, conventional electric ovens – large and small – and my Aga, which I couldn't do without. I'm afraid appliances are a very personal purchase. You can contact Creda UK Ltd at Blythe Bridge, Stoke on Trent ST11 9LJ (01782 388388).

Q: Do you have any tips for weighing out sticky, messy ingredients such as syrup?

Weigh a cup or small basin on the scales when it's empty, then pour the honey, syrup or treacle straight into it, remembering to deduct the original weight of the container

Q: When oven temperatures are given in your recipes you do not state whether it's conventional or fan. Is there no difference in the temperature used or should it be lower for a fan oven? I am always dubious about lowering the temperature for my fan oven, even when the recipe states it. Incidentally, I think the site is fantastic.

Delia talks about fan ovens within the Equipment section of the site. Click here for more information. However, she does stress the need to refer to your oven manufacturer's instructions – it is not possible to give 'general' information about fan-oven temperature conversions.

Q: I need a new frying pan, but I'm not sure whether to buy a non-stick or a stainless-steel one. What can you recommend?

The market is inundated with pots and pans, all shapes and sizes and colours of the rainbow. But they represent a big investment, so it is difficult to know what to choose. Some personal preference comes into this, and often what a person is used to is what he or she likes best. It's probably fair to say that no particular type of pan can answer every type of need. Delia has several different sorts herself, but she does recommend the SKK frying pan, which is a good solid pan and you can use metal cooking implements with it without damaging the surface. It is available from Divertimenti (www.divertimenti.co.uk). She also likes the aluminium frying pans made by Lune – these are available from Divertimenti as well and also from Lakeland (tel 01539 488100; www.lakelandlimited.com).

Q: How should stainless-steel frying pans be cleaned to prevent food sticking?

Delia is not a fan of stainless-steel pans – she thinks food always sticks to them! She prefers to cook in heavy-gauge aluminium. However, when you buy a new frying pan of any kind, it's important to season it – all you do is fill the base of the pan with about ½ inch (1 cm) of any old cooking oil (something lurking in the back of the cupboard, past its use-by date would be ideal). Make sure the sides and the whole surface of the pan are well oiled, then just put it on the lowest heat possible for about eight hours. Do keep an eye on it, don't go out and leave it, and check from time to time that the oil is barely warm. The best frying pan is a well-used one, so what this is doing is the equivalent of about six months of cooking. You can use the pan for any kind of frying; in fact, the more you use it the better it will be. After use, wash it in mildly soapy hot water with a dish cloth. Dry it and then rub a little oil round the inside surface.

Q: I cook from a couple of Australian cookery books, which give measurements in cups ? do you know what this converts to in UK weights and volumes?

Delia is, as you may know, a huge advocate of weighing and measuring and her recipes are rigourously tested accordingly. We have had a number of requests for information on cup measurements but, for this information to be included in Delia's conversion tables, all of the recipes would have to be re-tested to make sure these conversions work – a mammoth task, we think you'll agree!However, we have managed to find the following Australian cup conversions for you:
1 cup flour = 140g
1 cup sugar, crystal/caster = 225g
1 cup brown sugar , firmly packed = 170g
1 cup icing sugar, sifted = 170g
1 cup butter = 225g
1 cup honey, golden syrup, treacle = 370g
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs = 55g
1 cup packaged dry breadcrumbs = 140g
1 cup crushed biscuit crumbs = 110g
1 cup rice, uncooked = 200g
1 cup dried fruit = 170g
1 cup nuts, chopped = 110g
1 cup desiccated coconut = 85g
Liquids
1 cup is approx. equal to 250ml
Please note that we have not tested any of these conversions ourselves.

Q: Can I use the SKK range on ceramic hob?

The SKK pans are appropriate for a ceramic hob.

Q: I think that Delia used a Kitchenaid electric hand mixer on TV. Where can I buy this make?  Also, I already have several SKK pans but with glass lids ? Where can I buy non-breakable lids for these?

Delia loves to cook with SKK pans which are heavy gauge aluminium pans with Titanium non-stick surfaces, which are forty times harder than stainless steel. These are available from Cucina Direct, just click on cookware option on the shop menu to the left of the screen, then click on tools of the trade, this will take you through to the Cucina Direct website. Click on cooks' favourites and scroll down to the SKK pans. They have a selection of frying pans that range in depth and diameter, and you can buy the lids separately. These pans are expensive, but one purchase is for life, so cheaper than a long line of dismal failures.
With regards to the other aluminium pans these are available from Mermaid: 0121 507 8844, or email: sales@mermaidcookware.com, quoting Delia Online for all your enquiries.
The KitchenAid hand mixers are stocked by:
T.N. Cook
Close House Farm,
Otley Road,
Skipton.
BD23 6DR
Tel:01756 792491.

Q: After watching your latest series I wonder how I ever coped without an electric handwhisk! I am so impressed with your Kitchenaid whisk but am having great difficulty in purchasing one. Can you help?
The KitchenAid hand mixers are stocked by:
T.N. Cook
Close House Farm,
Otley Road,
Skipton.
BD23 6DR
Tel:01756 792491.

Q: Please help!! I am trying to find out where to buy a nutmeg grater like the one Delia uses with the compartment to hold the nutmegs inside.

The nutmeg grater that you are referring to can be purchased from Divertimenti. Click here to view the details of the store.