Monday, April 16, 2012

En passant (5) . . . Kitchen Utensils

I have way too many kitchen gadgets. Lots of them sound good, but don't do much, and I never throw away the useless ones and end up wasting space. But some really do earn a place in the kitchen. Here are a few.

Danish Whisk


I learned of this device from my favorite food blogger, Clotilde. It's good for batters and doughs, especially those, like bread doughs, that are a bit difficult to plow through with a wooden spoon. This is not a necessity -- your hands can do equally well -- but a nice convenience. Available from King Arthur Flour for $14.95.

Parrot's Beak Paring Knife


When I bought a set of inexpensive Victorinox paring knives, this one was included. I didn't understand what it was for and didn't use it until recently. What a revelation. You have total control over the knife and can cut slices of soft or medium-hard products (e.g. cheese, small vegetables) with great ease and precision. I feel like Jacques Pépin when I use it. Available all over for about $10.

Lemon Squeezer


Some people don't like this device, but I use mine all the time, for lemons and limes. It gets all the available juice out of the fruit without the seeds. What's more, you can use it to produce exact measurements, by weight or by tea- or tablespoon. Don't get the lime one (too small) or the orange one (too big and there are other solutions for oranges). Available all over for under $10.

Bobby Jay

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