Is there anything more exciting than walking down the kitchen gadget wall at Williams-Sonoma? … Just me? Okay fine. I am admittedly a sucker for a brightly-colored avocado peeler, a strawberry-shaped strawberry huller, or a teeny-tiny wooden spoon. But do you (okay, I) really need these semi-impractical items? Definitely not. However, below I have listed the six seemingly-ridiculous gadgets that I use almost every time I cook!
Microplane: I find myself reaching for this grater just about daily. The blades are super-sharp and spaced close together, making a fine grate or zest, and can work a lot faster than a knife in many instances. My favorite uses are grating fresh garlic, zesting citrus and shaving chocolate for fancy garnishes!
Mini Spatula: I bought these mini spatulas in a moment of weakness while strolling through WS, but they actually turned out to be one of my most-used gadgets! I use these to get every last bit of peanut butter or sauce out of a jar and they can get in those hard-to-reach places in my blender and food processor. These really come in handy with several small tasks around the kitchen. You’ll be surprised how often you grab for them.
8” Whisk: Another mini item, but trust me. I use this about 10x more than my regular-sized whisk. This small whisk is perfect for whisking just a couple of eggs or emulsifying a quick salad dressing. Plus, it can fit in smaller bowls! I love whisking ingredients straight from a measuring cup so I don’t have to dirty another bowl. As someone without a dishwasher, this is priceless.
Garlic Peeler: If you’re a garlic lover, you need this. It may look like an $8 tube of silicone – and it is – but it peels off that pesky garlic paper in no time. Just place one or two cloves in the tube and roll it with your hand with slight pressure. Boom! Clean cloves.
Bench Scraper: Also known as a dough scraper, this tool is probably the most versatile gadget I have in my kitchen. It is intended for cutting, trimming and shaping doughs but its straight edge makes it perfect for scrapping caked-on mess from my cutting board or moving a large amount of chopped-up vegetables or herbs to a pan. A lot of scrapers also have rulers printed on them so they can be used to measure the thickness of your doughs.
Digital Thermometer: I don’t necessarily use a thermometer every time I cook, but it has come in handy enough to justify the $20. A thermometer is the only way you can really ensure that your food is cooked safely, especially when cooking meats like chicken. It has also come in handy when frying because I can make sure the oil is always at the correct temperature for that perfect crisp.
January: Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories from Sardinia and La Vita é Dolce: Italian-Inspire Desserts by Letitia Clark
Creamy risotto is my love language and I just confessed my love to this orange, saffron and mascarpone risotto (pg. 148, bitter honey). To quote an affluent woman I sold a blouse to after I said a restaurant had good risotto, “Of course it’s good. It’s heavy cream and carbs.” She also said she makes mac ‘n’ cheese for her kids but refuses to let her husband eat any. ANYWAY! This isn’t about her. It’s about risotto.
Since everyone around me has been getting sick, I have been staying home a lot these days. And what better way to waste time than to make a cake? The olive oil, rosemary and yoghurt cake (pg. 112, la vita e dolce) is moist and not too sweet, making it the perfect snacking cake. A slice of this with a cup of hot tea in the morning? Heaven. (Also, shoutout to my mom for buying me this cute plate at the Molly Brown House Musem!)
Snacking on sage didn’t necessarily appeal to me but the beer-battered fried sage (pg. 26, bitter honey) looked easy and I wanted to knock out one more recipe this week. These are certainly interesting and I did snack on them throughout the day, but I don’t see myself making these again.
Thanks for reading, sweeties! 🍎
I really enjoyed the run-down on the kitchen gadgets. I completely agree on the mini spatulas and mini whisk. I don't have those others. The only thing I would add is that darn Tupperware orange peeler contraption. I absolutely love that little guy.
PS That olive oil/rosemary cake sounds delish about now. Wish I had some with my morning tea in class... and YES, I would be eating it right in front of the students.