Liberating women, one pan at a time
Young girls of my generation shared a wish list: a college degree, educated husband, nice home, children, good matching dinnerware, and a set of non-stick cookware, which no dream kitchen was complete without.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Teflon for food processing equipment in 1960 revolutionized the way food was cooked and presented and subsequently, influenced how women everywhere thought and felt about their roles in the household.
With the FDA approval, Tefal, known as T-fal in the U.S., began selling its pans in the United States. Other manufacturers soon joined the market, and the world embraced the invention which liberated women from the drudgery of sooty scorched frying pans and the embarrassment of burnt, inedible meals. Teflon glamorized kitchen work.
I finally found—and married—my Prince Charming in 1976. Like most brides of the era, I treasured the wedding gifts of non-stick pans only to discover later that not all had real Teflon. There were copycats mostly were made of very thin aluminum, which warped out of shape after several months. The imitations had surfaces that scratched easily, leaving strips of non-stick coating that stuck to fried food or mixed in with sauces.
The lone survivor after several years of use was a Tefal covered pan I had used to make everything from omelets to stews. It was thick but much lighter than cast iron, and unlike the cheapies, its coating did not peel off over the years. That taught me a veryvaluable lesson: when choosing pots and pans, consider them as valuable investments and decide on quality, not price.
TODAY’S NON-STICK CHAMPS
In the years following the discovery and commercial application of Teflon, improvements have been made on non-stick cookware. I learned all about it a few days ago from a trio of creative kitchen experts who demonstrated how life—and cooking—could be made more enjoyable by state-ofthe-art Tefal pans.
Gourmet dishes were prepared with ease by renowned culinary ambassadors—Tefal resident Chef Deejay Santos, Chef Portia Baluyut of Rustic Mornings by Isabelo, and Chef Miko Aspiras of Le Petit Soufflé—who shared how anyone can put together a winning party drom appetizers to desserts in half the time and without the stress, thanks to cookware that can be cleaned using only kitchen towels or tissues.
Chef Deejay started with Beef and veggie wrap, inspired by a popular Vietnamese snack but using beef instead of chicken and thin angel hair pasta in lieu of Asian noodles. Napped with a spicy sauce, the rolls were substantial enough for a light summer meal. He followed this up with mole poblano quesadilla enhanced by spicy Mexican chocolate sauce and melted cheese, a recipe that showed off the Tefal pans’ versatility and adaptability to all types of recipes, from stir-fries to toasting tortillas. Television celebrity chef Portia captivated the media crowd with the delicious, creamy prawn and chorizo risoni which turned out to be the biggest hit of the day. By using risoni instead of rice, Chef Portia produced a Paella-type masterpiece that was ready in minutes and without need for any special equipment. The finishing touches of basil, parmesan, and cherry tomatoes were gentle reminders that we were eating Italian pasta and not Spanish paella.
UNIQUE INTERACTIVE PANS
Dessert chef Miko Aspiras of Le Petit Soufflé showcases used Tefal Titanium Expertise Cookware, built to endure extreme heat and use, while masterfully taking on even the most delicate of dishes. That afternoon’s chocolate crepe with cream cheese and summer berry compote, excellently demonstrated the pan’s unique interactive feature: it gave instructions to the chef!
When the crepe batter was ready, Chef Miko placed the Tefal pan on the induction stove and waited for the surface of the pan to turn red, a signal that the pan had reached the perfect temperature for the delicate crepes.
As a frugal homemaker, I am comforted by the assurance that Tefal Titanium technology was developed to resist 12 years of intensive usage, which explains why it is the cookware chosen by most popular TV chefs.
The lone survivor after several years of use was a Tefal covered pan I had used to make everything from omelets to stews.