In this top 10 list, Chef Francisco shares his tips for 5 pieces of must-have equipment and 5 spices that should have a place in every home kitchen.

And come back tomorrow… Chef Francisco will be sharing his homemade shrimp ceviche recipe, perfect for a hot summer day!

Equipment

5. Cast iron skillet: Though true cast iron skillets are harder and harder to come by, Chef Francisco swears by his cast iron, saying that it outperforms any other skillet for most stove-top tasks. Don’t balk at the price: a cast iron skillet will last a lifetime if cared for properly.

4. Mortar & pestle: You may have a spice grinder or a food processor, but some dishes require the fine grind that you can only achieve with a mortar and pestle, known in Spanish as a molcajete. Most kitchen supply stores sell mortar and pestles at a reasonable price; if you can’t find one, though, check Amazon or Ebay. Chef Francisco prefers the granite over the marble version.

3. Bamboo steamer:

If you don’t invest in any other item on this list, buy a bamboo steamer. It’s cheap, for one thing, it will save you lots of time in the kitchen, and it will help you turn out healthy, delicious dishes. The bamboo steamer sits atop a boiling pot of water and can cook vegetables, chicken, and fish quickly and thoroughly. For fast, tasty poultry or fish, line the bottom of the steamer with thin slices of grapefruit, orange, or lime; the meat will absorb the citrus flavor. Chef Francisco buys his bamboo steamers at Pearl River in New York City, but they are also available online.

2. Microplane grater: Chef Francisco uses this handheld grater to produce zest, chocolate shavings, and grated ginger and garlic in record time. Lightweight and easy to use, this is another inexpensive investment that will make your food-prep more pleasurable.

1. Clay pot. While the clay pot has been used by other cultures for centuries, its use is still fairly limited in the U.S. Chef Francisco promises that once you try the clay pot, it won’t be your last time. Incredibly diverse in its uses– you can bake bread, roast meats or vegetables, cook beans, and even make desserts in it–the clay pot is an almost-foolproof piece of cooking equipment, whether you use it for slow cooking (ideal) or quick cooking.

Spices

5. Nigerian cayenne: You probably know cayenne and maybe even have this slightly dusty, musky spice in your cabinet. Nigerian cayenne, however, has a distinct flavor and adds depth and stability to heavier poultry and meat dishes.

4. Star Anise:

You may have anise in ground form, but star anise (so named because the seed pod is in the shape of a star) is fun to use for soups because it packs its usual fennel-esque punch and makes a nice visual impression floating around in each serving bowl.

3. Garam masala: Essential to many Indian dishes, garam masala is a blend of coriander, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, caraway, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. While you can make it yourself, a homemade blend will be unlikely to have the same depth and complexity as a blend made of the whole spices roasted and then ground to a fine powder.

2. Bay leaves: Often dismissed as a “boring” spice cabinet space-waster, Chef Francisco uses bay leaves to flavor soups, rice, and beans. Be sure to buy good bay leaves… they make all the difference!

1. Berbere: This African spice blend, also referred to as the African masala, is comprised of red chilies, fenugreek, ginger, pepper, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom, and ajowan. It can be difficult to find–not the least reason being that the spice goes by other names, including pere pere and peri peri–but Chef Francisco’s favorite blend is made by Seasoned Pioneers.

Do you have any of the equipment or spices on Chef Francisco’s list? What else would you recommend? Share your comments below.

Bamboo steamer photo: Lianne Kang (creative commons)
Star anise photo: canelaycomino (creative commons)

Many people who travel want to blend in to experience local culture as authentically as possible.

Try these five tips on your next trip:

5) Do not wear your backpack on your chest. It’s called a backpack for a reason. Of all the ridiculous advice given to travelers, the “backpack in the front” maxim is perhaps the worst because nothing spells T-O-U-R-I-S-T more than someone whose backpack isn’t where it’s supposed to be.

This tip is equally applicable to every other type of gear that’s been marketed to protect your money, your passport, and other valuables. The more you’re fumbling around in that money belt hidden inside your pants or struggling to remember which pocket is the real one and which is the false one, the more you draw unwanted attention to yourself.

Instead, try using the same strategy you use at home: common sense.

4) Take cues from the locals. Do women hold their purses tight to their sides? Do people wear shorts, flip flops, or sneakers in the street?

Spend a few minutes doing close observation of local culture and adjust your own behavior accordingly.

3) Do not read a map in the street. Everyone needs to stop to get his or her bearings once in awhile and there’s nothing wrong with that. But do not map-read in the street. Instead, step into a cafe, sit down and sip a coffee, and take a few minutes to gather your thoughts and reorient yourself.

For some great tips about getting reoriented, check out Jacob Bielanski’s article, “How to Find Your Way When You’re Lost.”

2) Carry yourself with confidence… and humility. We travel to get out of our own environment and element, yet this same quality that we seek in our travels also provokes some of our deepest anxieties. Fear and discomfort cause us to act in ways that might not be normal, either for us or the culture we’re visiting.

We may, for instance, become boisterous or loud in an effort to help ourselves feel in greater control of our situation. If this is the case, stop and do a check-in with yourself. Acknowledge your anxieties, get them under control, and carry yourself just as you would at home. Being yourself is a good rule of thumb no matter where you are in the world.

1) Realize that if you’re a tourist, you’re a tourist. I know, I know. You’re saying, “But you’re giving me advice how NOT to look like a tourist!” True, but no matter what lengths you go to in an effort to blend in, there are many occasions when you will stick out for what you are: a tourist.

That’s ok. Use this fact to your advantage. If people ask where you’re from, tell them. Use their curiosity–and yours–to strike up a conversation. Ask questions. Use the curiosity of the traveler to inform your interactions with others. Remember why you’re on the journey.

What are your travel tips? Share your ideas in the comments.

Tourists are coming photo: Le Fromagier Extraordinaire (creative commons)
Tourists photo: ale2000 (creative commons)
Map photo: liefdoen (creative commons)
Child skipping photo: Lola Akinmade (creative commons) *For more of Lola’s amazing photos, please visit her website, www.lolaakinmade.com.

We’re turning the corner from June to July soon, which means it’s peak of the season for some of summer’s greatest fruits and vegetables. The corn is at its sweetest and juiciest and greens of all sorts radiate vivid lushness.

Whether you’re a devoted foodie and home cook or a budding, bumbling amateur in the kitchen, there are at least five compelling reasons to shop, cook, and eat fresh:

5) Cooking fresh is actually easier. Many people believe–incorrectly– that cooking with fresh foods is somehow harder than cooking with canned or packaged ingredients. The reason may be that most fresh foods don’t come with instructions. Cooking with fresh foods is actually easier and faster, though, than cooking with packaged foods. Besides, there are lots of recipes online.

First of all, think about how much time you spend just opening and eventually discarding the packages in which processed foods are sold. Huge time waster! Fresh food takes very little effort to get from market to table. With fresh ears of corn, for example, you can just pop the ears–leaves and all–into the oven (350^F) and 20 minutes later you’re enjoying the tastiest roasted corn you’ve ever had. If you’re having company and want to impress them, pull the leaves back (but not off) and tie them together with one extra leaf.

Vegetables are just as easy. Wash, cut, and toss some broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and eggplant with olive oil and spices; place in an oven pan and roast. This is much easier than thawing out vegetables or opening up cans!

4) Shopping fresh produces much less inorganic waste. Sure, you can recycle plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and cardboard boxes in many cities, but what about all that plastic wrap? 60% of the 30 million tons of garbage produced in each developed country every year is packaging waste. (Seen those plastic-wrapped apples and oranges at airports?!). When you buy fresh, you’re almost always buying zero packaging. The waste that is produced is organic (leaves, cores, seeds, etc.), and can be composted… even in the city!

Counter-top composters are great for disposing of fruit and vegetable waste, producing soil that can be used for planting (donate the soil to a local school if you can’t use it). They’re also cheap. Models start at $8.00 USD . They’re not messy and because they have carbon filters, don’t produce bad odors.

3) Shopping fresh means you actually develop relationships with people. Whether you shop at a local farmer’s market or participate in a community-supported agriculture (CSA) fresh vegetable and fruit delivery program, shopping fresh will almost always result in striking up friendships with other folks… from the farmer who planted and harvested the food you’re about to eat to the community organizer behind the scenes who makes markets and CSAs possible. These people will get to know you and will be happy to teach you more about fresh food. They also tend to have the unfailing ability to keep your preferences in mind. If you can say that about your local big-box grocery store, let us know.

2) Eating fresh makes you more conscious of the seasons. Try this experiment: between now and late August, buy fresh corn once a week. Each time you eat it, note the difference in taste. As the season peaks and then progresses towards its end, your awareness of flavor profiles will expand dramatically.

1) Shopping fresh stimulates the local economy. When you shop at a farmer’s market or participate in a CSA, you’re supporting your own community’s economy. You also become much more aware about the practices that local farmers use with respect to their employees… which is more than you can say for those grapes from Chile.

Do you cook fresh? What are your reasons? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Corn photo: smcgee (creative commons)
Onion photo: gregkendallball (creative commons)
Compost photo: dkhlucy (creative commons)
Local economy photo: Fabbio (creative commons)

So you’ve recently moved to NYC or you’re soon planning to join the other 8 million people who call this little patch of land home.

The only problem?

You have no job.

This top 10 list offers jobs that are are plentiful, pay well (and often in cash), and require minimal professional (and often, academic) experience. They’re not Wall-Street grade, but they’re perfect for the free spirit who’s interested in making a little cash while still preserving his or her freedom from the corporate grind.

10. Flyering: New York City businesses are in a constant, desperate fight to get themselves noticed and to stand out from the competition. Practically every corner is commandeered by flyer folks, paid by the hour or by the day to hand out papers or postcards announcing the latest gym membership deal, manicure/pedicure/brow wax combo, or parking garage offer. Though certainly not the most prestigious of jobs, it’s one that plenty of immigrants, college students, and folks in a pinch have successfully used to scrape up the rent money.

9. Promo Rep: Like flyering, but with a twist (which is sometimes good & sometimes not), promo reps hustle on street corners, but are paid by bigger companies and non-profits to peddle products or solicit donations. These gigs range considerably in terms of their fun factor and their rates of compensation, but the good news is, these jobs are always available and most of them are short-term.

8. Bike messenger: Love your bike? Don’t mind rushing all day? Then a bike messenger job, also in plentiful supply, is right up your alley. It pays well and satisfies the need for speed. If you’re not a master of two wheels (see video), though, bypass this job, for NYC is no place for the amateur bike messenger.

7. Mover/Errand Person: Don’t listen to the gripes people have about cars in NYC: If you have a car, it’s your golden egg in this city, and if you have a truck, well, you’ll have more work than you can handle. This is a particularly lucrative job at the beginning and end of the month, the times when people move. Even if you’re not up for some heavy lifting, you can easily gain work as an errand person. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to pay perfect strangers to drive them to the airport, to IKEA out in New Jersey or, now, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, or just to the grocery store. One reason is the fact that most NYC car rental agencies do not accept debit cards; the car companies’ loss, however, is your gain.

6. Personal Assistant: Busy people from all walks of life and all types of professions are constantly seeking reliable, courteous, and able personal assistants to help them organize everything from their schedules to their finances. I’ve held two personal assistant jobs in the city–one for a Broadway producer and one for a psychiatrist–and had tasks as diverse as making bank deposits, cooking meals, arranging travel plans, and chauffering my boss in a Jaguar. The personal assistant job is great because it tends to be extremely flexible, you can negotiate the possibility of working from home on some tasks, and you can often meet people who may advance your future professional career in important ways. Perks of this job also tend to be nice; people busy making big money aren’t always busy living fun lives, so they’ll occasionally toss freebies your way. I’ve enjoyed theatre tickets, restaurant reservations, and bottles of wine as bonuses.

5. Dog walker: Sounds easy enough, right? While this job pays among the best on this list, it’s also fiercely competitive and harder than you might think. The other obvious drawback of this job is poop scooping. Don’t be tempted to leave it behind; NYC levies a $250 fine for poop and run bandits.

4. Researcher: As a hub of intellectual production and a repository of archival material on thousands of different subjects, writers and scholars from the world over are always in search of researchers who can gather on the ground information in NYC, either through interviews, document searches, or other sources. I’ve been hired to sketch the bathroom of a Brooklyn courthouse to ensure that its portrayal in a novel was accurate. And yes, I was paid for it!

3. Subway Busker: Got a musical talent? Can you wow people with your dance moves? Then join the long line of distinguished buskers of the NYC subway system, who both charm and annoy tourists and residents alike.

2. Street Busker:

Got a fear of rats and roaches? Then go above ground and try out your busking skills. NYC is famous for its unusual hustling acts. Three of the most original ones are the guy with a sign outside Yankee Stadium that says “Why lie? I need a beer”; the guy on 42nd Street who holds a sign saying “Tell me off for $2″

; and the famous Naked Guitar Guy of Times Square, who’s not only attracted lots of cash in the band of his tighty whiteys; he’s also trademarked himself and has sued M&Ms for a cowboy advertisement. If successful, he just might become the richest street busker in human history.

1. Extra of All Trades: Businesses in the city are always looking for last-minute pinch hitters, people who can step up to the plate quickly to fill in for someone who didn’t show up for a job. Caterers are especially good for this type of job, though there are many others as well.

Listings for these jobs, and many other unusual gigs, can be found on the NYC craigslist page.

Beer Photo: alan(ator) (creative commons)
Tell Me Off Photo: kasia.kazmierska

Okay. So you’re an expert when it comes to visiting New York City. You know about half-price theatre tickets from TKTS. You’re hip to all the city’s free summer concerts, movies, and sports activities. You even know about the cheap hot dogs at Gray’s Papaya.

But the travel dollar just isn’t stretching as far as it was this time last year and you need to save a few more bucks. Print out this pocket-friendly guide to NYC on the Cheap… you’ll see some new sites and have a great time, all without breaking the bank.

*First things first: Buy an unlimited Metrocard. Whether you’re around for a day, a week, or a month, the unlimited Metrocard is the best bang for your transportation buck. Each single ride on the subway or bus is $2. Each taxi ride starts with a base rate of $2.50. An unlimited card, by comparison, will save you lots of money. Use your debit or credit card in the station to purchase an unlimited Metrocard from a kiosk.

*Skip the typical sites. That trip to the top of the Empire State Building will set you back at least $18.00. Plus, the lines are long and you’re not even guaranteed that the view will be great once you get to the top. Avoid the touristy sites, which are overhyped and overpriced, and explore less frequented sites.

*Do due diligence regarding activities for the budget traveler. In addition to the tips on this list, many New York City newspapers and magazines have cheap and free listings in their events section. The New York Times, for instance, prints a weekly Spare Times column, full of low-cost activities and all the information you need to find & enjoy them.

*Remember: Samples are your friends. New York City grocery stores love to give out samples. Cruise through a Whole Foods any afternoon and you can likely make your own tasting menu–from appetizers to desserts–by snagging a sample from each department: charcuterie to chocolate, here I come!

*Pick up promos: New York City is every marketer’s holy grail, and there’s no end to the branding stunts staged in the city. Though I typically recommend avoiding Times Square at all costs, it is the crossroads for shamelessly creative product-pushers who are happy to press everything from a bottle of juice to a personal hygiene product into your greedy little hands.

*Still hungry? Can you wait til 4 PM?: Remember those pricey sandwiches you were drooling over at Amy’s Bread? Their Chelsea Market outpost sells sandwiches half-price after 4 PM. Wander through the other food vendors in the Market for similar afternoon savings (cookies 1/2 price at Eleni’s after 6 PM).

*Need to use the Internet?: Avoid overpriced Internet cafes and drop by one of the city’s Apple stores or Tekserve on 23rd Street. The stores are so accustomed to drop-in Internet users that you’re unlikely to be disturbed, but if you are, ask a smart question about the Macbook, won’t you?

*Need a live music fix at a low price?: Check out Ben Sisario’s great article, “Cheap Seats,” which was featured in The New York Times back in December.

*Need MORE tips? I can hardly imagine it, but if you do, drop by my favorite bookstore, Strand and snag yourself an NYC guidebook. The best and most useful guide? NFT (Not For Tourists), of course!

Do you have any tips to add to this list? Share your ideas in the comments!

Photo: James Seattle (creative commons)