Welcome to our biweekly roundup of our favorite things. We’ll only ever recommend things that we personally have tried and enjoyed.
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Deep thoughts: When (if) you make bacon, do you make it on the stovetop? I was talking about it the other day with a friend, who exclaimed, “You fry your bacon on the stovetop? That’s so impressive!” Am I an overachiever? Please discuss. – Kate
1. Dexter-Russell Bread Knife
We had a photo shoot (for Bittman’s! Yes!) last week, and our photographer brought this bread knife. I haven’t been in person, but I tried Jim’s knife and am debating an upgrade from my trusty old bread knife. It’s not a necessary purchase, but this knife is that good. Feels great in the hand, and I love the slight curve. Plus: It’s $20. – Kate
2. Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro
True confession: I mostly bought this air fryer so I could avoid preheating my entire apartment when I need to bake or roast something. It’s been an unusually warm winter here in Southern California, and using the oven for any period of time makes my house uncomfortably warm.
But here’s the kicker: I’ve had my Joule for a few weeks now, and my standard oven hasn’t been on once. I’ve reheated leftovers, toasted bagels, baked a cake—it does it all. I’m looking forward to using the “proof” function next time I make a batch of bread. I didn’t think I’d use the Joule app as much as I have, but it has lots of recipes for inspiration, and the Autopilot function automatically adjusts functions, timing, and temperatures for getting the best flavor out of your ingredients. I put in a slab of pork belly, hit Autopilot, and it went from a 450°F air fryer, to roasting at 250°F, and finished on broil to crisp the skin—and all I had to do was hit “start”. – Holly
3. Heartland Masala: An Indian Cookbook from an American Kitchen
A beautiful and joyful cookbook, written by a mother-son duo. The illustrations, the commentary, the easy family rapport, and, of course, the recipes—it’s such a nice book to look through and cook from. Some things I’m looking forward to making: Narkol Cholar Daal (Split and Hulled Chickpeas with Coconut), Aloo Tamatar (Potato with Tomato and Fennel), and Masala Brussels Sprouts. And yes, there’s meat, too! I could go on. We’re having the authors, Jyoti and Auyon Mukharji, on the podcast soon—can’t wait! – Kate
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