Top recommendation: air fryer. No hassle: traditional filo pastry roller
If you had asked me a month ago, I would have given a different answer. Because now we have an air fryer, the Ninja. I was neutral about the idea and was on the verge of being negative. You don't need anything new in your kitchen. But then someone explained that this is a more efficient oven with a powerful fan. Our oven is so big that it takes hours to heat up, so sometimes I don't turn it on.
Air fryers have changed my life. It takes less time to heat up, uses less energy, and you can put the basket in the dishwasher. We have to adapt and do things differently, especially when it comes to baking. There have definitely been some flops because things start up differently because the fans are much more powerful, but it's a fun work in progress. The chocolate cake ended up being more of a pudding, but it was still delicious.
A few years ago, I learned how to make phyllo pastry in Greece and was so excited. We had always intended to make it so we bought a traditional phyllo pastry roller. We drove it home through HM Customs and thought, “Where shall I store it?” The only place we could think of was the broom cupboard. And that's when we realized we basically bought a broomstick. I've used it once to reach high places, but the number of times I've made pastries with it is significantly zero.
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Jose Pizarro
Chef Patron of Jose and Pizarro in London and The Swan Inn in Surrey
