WEEKLY WHEATIES #2433
Kitchen Tech, Google, Stocks, Food
In this newsletter:
Post: Cooking Smarter, Not Harder: A Tech-Savvy Culinary Journey
In Case You Missed It: Google Updates
In Case You Missed It: Tech Stocks
Pick of the Week: Cooking and Food Picks
Featured Product: Wireless Computer Mice
Cooking Smarter, Not Harder: A Tech-Savvy Culinary Journey
In case you didn’t know, I was born and raised in south Louisiana. What that also means is I’m arguably surrounded by some of the best food in the nation, if not the world. When I travel and talk to new friends and acquaintances, the topic of food and cooking always comes up. Most have heard about our food and culture and the unwritten rule that everyone down here knows how to cook. Except I’ve come up with my own rule I share:
In South Louisiana, you either know how to cook, or you know someone who knows how to cook.
And growing up with my mom cooking the way she did, I never needed to learn myself. Thanks, Mom! Upon getting married, I took my hand in trying to cook more and more often, though, as I actually enjoy cooking (and eating) great food. This isn’t meant to be a how-to-cook post, so I’ll just say if you do want to learn, a lot of my training came from YouTube, some from American’s Test Kitchen, and random cookbooks we were gifted or purchased. But I think I can thank my mom, my aunt, and lessons from Chef Jeremy Coco for the core of what I am able to cook.
If you know me well, my dad says I always work harder to get out of work. Meaning - in my terms, I’m always trying to automate things and work smart (viewed as lazy sometimes), not hard. The working harder part is more mentally taxing than physically, but yes, Dad, it does take longer up front sometimes. With cooking, I’m definitely a lazy chef and looking to streamline things as best I can. That said, I also utilize technology in the kitchen whenever I am able and want to share what and how I use certain things. So, in no particular order…
Amazon Alexa | Google Home | Apple HomePod
Whichever environment you find yourself in, each of these home assistant-type devices provides some of the same commands to make cooking easier. To be fair and as unbiased as I can, I’ve tried all of them and have ended up using the Alexa Show as my assitant of choice. The HomePod doesn’t currently offer a screen on their device, and the Google Home I had just didn’t seem to work as well as Alexa does – for me. I know everyone’s situation is different, so your mileage may vary. I also tried an iPad and Siri, but that had a trove of other issues.
The biggest thing with these assistants is timers. Siri and other phone assistants (at least in the past) have had difficulty with multiple timers, modifying currently running timers, or naming those timers. These assistants do really well and can show multiple timers on the screens, too.
Another common command I utilize is conversions when going from cups to grams to ounces to table/teaspoons, and more. Yes, I have had a printed chart. Yes, I’ve seen the video of the teaspoon house (ironically, I can’t find it as of posting). Yes, I know many of the measuring cups show the conversions. Yes, I know there are 8 ounces in a cup. It gets a bit tricky when dealing with halves, quarters, and point values, though.
The kicker here is these commands can be given pretty easily, are very quick and responsive, and you can talk with your hands full. It is by far the best tech tool in the kitchen, hands down (and pun intended).
Recipe App
The second most popular tech tool I use has to be my recipe app of choice – Paprika. I’ve talked about it in the past as a Pick of the Week. I try to store all of my recipes here and love how the ingredients and directions are listed separately but side-by-side. The ingredients can be ticked off as they’ve been used, and the directions can be marked to show what step you’re on. It also has a desktop, mobile, and tablet app – allowing you to add or view a recipe from any device. If you’re still looking for an app to store your recipes, this is the one you want!
Shopping List App
Something that has helped me when cooking is to make sure I always start with the recipe and gather all needed ingredients before even turning on the stove (also known as mise en place, so I have now learned). There have been more times than I’d like to admit when I started cooking something to realize I didn’t have everything I needed. And I’m not a good enough chef to pivot and turn it into something else all the time, so that can be aggravating on multiple fronts. Not only am I able to eat what I wanted to eat, but I may have wasted time and other necessary groceries!
To make sure that doesn’t happen next time, use a shopping list app of your choice. Since we typically have Walmart delivered or picked up, I actually like to use the Walmart App as a shopping list for groceries. Even if you don’t purchase all groceries from there, you can use it to make your shopping list as they typically have most things you would want or need – minus specific brands. You could also use a To-Do type of app mentioned in Weekly Wheaties #2414. My current To-Do app to use for this is Microsoft To Do.
Alternatively, you could use an app that holds recipes, suggests meals to cook, gives ingredients, and connects with delivery services (like Walmart) all in one location. I haven’t used it long enough to completely suggest it, but many people have suggested it to me. It’s called eMeals. If you sign up using my referral link, you can get a 1-month free trial. Technically, it shows as 2-weeks, but when you cancel, they will add another 2-weeks.
Immersion Circulator
My last favorite piece of tech to use when cooking – at least certain foods – is an immersion circulator. This style of cooking is known as sous vide, and it cooks food at a lower temperature for a longer period of time to help retain moisture. These allow you to be a bit lazy, help make sure the food is cooked to the right temperature for safety, and most food can then be finished on the stovetop inside without requiring a grill.
There are many brands if you do a search, but friends of mine and I have had good luck with the InkBirk options. Another popular and well-known brand is Anova. This can also be useful if your kitchen or home has limited room for other equipment, or it’s too hot or cold to cook outside. The downside is it does require a last step or two in finishing and could require preparation a few hours or a day before.
Lagniappe Products
Typically used to place in the meat while on the grill, but can also be used if your oven doesn’t have the option
Remember, meat shouldn’t be consumed unless it reaches a given temperature
These can be placed inside the pantry, wine cooler, fridge, or freezer and have a longer-lasting battery
Used more for spaces rather than specific items while cooking like the Bluetooth thermometer above
Used to monitor temperature when out of town or during storms if the power goes out
Remotely turn devices off, or set a schedule (coffee machines maybe?)
Help measure ingredients by weight instead of volume
The new smart oven I would love to get one day – let’s say I’ll purchase one and start a cooking channel when I have 1,000 paid subscribers
If you really want to go all out…
What other tech are you using in the kitchen?
ICYMI: Google Updates
After over four years in the works, Google lost an antitrust case over search. A federal US judge ruled they had an illegal monopoly in two areas: search and text advertising. With so many findings (both factual and legal) discussed throughout this case, The Verge put together all the spiciest parts of the ruling. This includes one of Apple’s vice presidents stating that Google was the only real choice (for search) for most Fortune 500 companies. Funny enough, Google still paid Apple $20 billion to be the default search on their devices. There was also a study conducted by Google that showed that if Google made the search engine worse, people would still stay.
Google also announced that a TV streamer would replace Google Chromecast. It will cost $99 and aim to compete with other Google TV devices, the Apple TV, and Amazon’s Fire lineup. As influencers on TikTok and Pinterest begin to talk about it, you may start seeing them push followers over to Amazon due to the new deal allowing purchasing from within the apps.
ICYMI: Tech Stocks
In the biggest daily drop in nearly two years, it appears roughly $2 trillion was wiped from the market last week. This included drops in the Magnificent 7, too - a group of seven high-performing and influential stocks in the technology sector. This includes Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. If you’re familiar with the meme of one person’s actions dictating a more significant shift somewhere else, perhaps we can blame this on that one guy from Reddit who bought $700K of Intel stock from his inheritance. Reddit also had its stock fall, which came after a Q2 loss of $10 million. This is possibly a reason they are considering more ads and paywalled content.
POTW: Cooking and Food Picks
Keeping in theme with today’s post topic, how about some links to go along with cooking?
Featured Product
If you’re in the market for a new computer mouse, I have three options for you. First up is the tried and true, budget-friendly, Logitech M705. If you want something more travel-friendly but not to be used as a daily driver (or where precision is needed), consider the Microsoft Surface Arc Mouse. Lastly, if you want the most ergonomic design available, check out the Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse.
