Posted on 05/14/2015 3:43:34 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
This week we're starting with: Implements, Strange and Wonderful!
I'm a sucker for 'gadgets' related to cooking and serving food - I have wonderful tools that I've never even used yet, and acquired quite a few 'Like on TV' failures that went immediately to the trash or to Goodwill. I now have every possible sort of sandwich toaster, for instance - including a couple of the old 'Toast Tite' ones; and yes, I bought that Hamilton Beach breakfast sandwich machine, and the ubiquitous red Quesadilla maker - both of which actually work very well, and get a lot of use!
I thought that for fun this week, I'd run through some of the things I've acquired, and ask you about your favorite tools.
1. A couple of years ago, my husband gave me one of the Jalapeno grilling racks, for Christmas. It's a tray with holes in it of different sizes that props-up your stuffed jalapenos for grilling or just baking in the oven.
Here's the Grillpro version, and their recipe:
http://www.grillpro.com/m/recipes.php?type=4&recipe=1
There are many recipes out there for different stuffings; the first time I used the rack, I used Cheddar cheese, but to save time I just carved a 'plug' to fit the jalapeno. That didn't work - the cheese melted down too much. So if you're using anything like Cheddar or Jack cheese, you need to grate it and really pack the stuffing in.
(My Grillpro came with a corer; but make sure you get all the seeds and ribs out, if you're serving jalapenos to 'heat-wimps'. These peppers are very inconsistent when it comes to the Scoville scale; I've bought some that were almost as mild as bell peppers; and others that nearly incapacitated me ;-)
If you don't have a rack, and/or just want to do these in the oven, the following recipe turns out very well; I've tried these on a foil-covered sheet, and on a wire rack; they actually came out best on the foil, but you have to grease it well:
http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-wrapped-stuffed-jalapeno-peppers-152465
2. I was in the local ethnic store recently, and saw a gadget that looked like an elaborately-carved pestle of some sort. I had no idea what it was supposed to do, but was delighted to learn that it is used like a kind of 'whisk' to froth beverages, especially Mexican hot chocolate. Here's Lisa Fain, the 'Homesick Texan' on the 'molinillo':
http://www.homesicktexan.com/2006/12/mexican-hot-chocolate-and-molinillo.html
I will probably never use this for its intended purpose - more than once, anyway; I whip up my 'Abuelita' hot chocolate with a wire whisk. But at less than $5 for a whimsical purchase, it sure looks pretty in the kitchen :-)
3. Occasionally on a weekend, we do a lot of casseroles or soups to freeze and make weeknight meals easier. I prefer to steam vegetables that are going into a casserole, and my problem has always been that I didn't have a steamer set-up that was quite large enough to steam the big bags of vegetables that we buy for these mega-casserole projects. I recently found this, and it's wonderful:
http://importfood.com/stacked_steamer.html
The holes in the racks are kind of large, so it wouldn't work for things like peas and corn; but for broccoli, cauliflower, carrots - larger things - it works very well, gives you two tiers to work with, and you can do a lot else with it.
4. My passion for cooking implements sometimes becomes entangled with my fetish for 'containers' of any type. Show me a bento box, a clever jewelry box, or one of those wonderfully crafted wooden tool chests, and I'm in Heaven. (I've sometimes bought things I have no use for, just because I liked the container they came in. Go figure.)
In that vein, I've been a fool for 'tiffins'. I've got the pretty Thai type:
http://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Tier-Tiffin-Carrier-Lunch/dp/B0084Z18KO
And I have a couple of these vintage American ones:
https://img0.etsystatic.com/052/1/6761086/il_570xN.664860286_snnh.jpg
These are great for carrying cold or room temperature things to a big party or picnic. (And if you don't do parties or picnics, they're great for storing craft supplies - as one of mine is doing.)
5. Last but certainly not least is something I had wanted for ages, but only bought when I saw it at the thrift store for a great price and looking pristine: the old Farberware Open Hearth Rotisserie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cd_jTivLRM
I've never used this, because I need some parts - not least of which is a modern grounded plug!
I bought it because I thought it would be a great conversation piece for a holiday party - and everyone who remembered it said that it roasted meat wonderfully. Someday, I'll get it going!
-JT
For store bought pizza or home made this pizza pizzaz really does a good job. I was sceptical, but now sold. The only drawback is that you are limited to about about a 10 - 12 inch size pizza. Good for two people.
“Where’s the dill and garlic?”
I promise the next time I have fish, I will make the “doorgunner69 recipe” and add the dill and garlic. :)
I save my bacon drippings because we get locally smoked and cut bacon from a really good source. This might sound odd but I let the drippings cool and then put them in an ice cube tray. After they freeze I put them in a quart size zip loc freezer bag. VERY handy when cooking something and you want a bit of bacon grease, especially hash browns.
I have a bunch of food fanatic friends who like upscale cooking and the associated gadgets. A number of them started talking about Sous Vide cooking a couple years ago.
This is a process where you take your food item (usually a meat), seal it in a waterproof bag (or vacuum pack), and then put it in circulating water which the Sous Vide maintains at a very fixed temperature (variance under 1 degree I believe). Then you leave it in there for an extended time to get it exactly to the temperature you want (can’t beat convective heat transfer from circulating water). Once it has been in there long enough to attain thermal equilibrium, you take it out and brown the outside (in a pan or with a torch) and you are done.
This means if you want a steak perfectly medium rare, you sous vide it to 130F for 30-40 minutes, take it out, brown it quickly (so you don’t dump in extra heat) and you get your steak medium rare throughout. No uneven cooking or such.
So, in the interest of sowing a future Christmas present for myself, I bought one for my sister since the price has come down on them to rational from ‘Good Lord that’s steep!’.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GT753W8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
She put it to limited use, then decided to move and take very little with her, so she shipped it to me to use. I have been putting it to good use. I am particularly taken with how it does a pork chop. Traditionally I’ve always ended up with overdone dried out chops, and hence I’ve avoided them. With the sous vide, you can get them to an internal of 140F, pan fry them in some butter and you get a damned good, juicy pork chop. Best if you season it in advance before you do the immersion. The nice thing is that pork chops are only about $2/lb in bulk at Sams when even hamburger is around $4/lb these days.
Mind you, these are not cheap devices, and work best if you also have a vacuum sealer. However the results are really quite amazing.
Nice then! And being able to cook a lot of pieces at once is a great thing.
I have lots of bread knives - so is this one special and better than most?
It’ll be worth the price if so! I hate having a lovely whole wheat loaf (my WW turns out fluffier and lighter than my white breads, so figure!) flattened by cutting. Or having to have a thick slice because I can’t get a thinner one cut.
We believe that this knife was definitely worth the price. Even the kids can cut a uniform slice with this one.
I have a Kevlar glove I wear when using my mandolin. I’m with you. I watch the chefs on TV using them with no guards and going super fast, and it creeps me out.
Two “simple” but very useful gadgets I own and love. Potato ricer and food mill. Bought my daughter a food mill when she had her first baby. She raided all my old ice trays we hadn’t used since we bought the fridge with the ice maker. Then she would buy produce on sale or go to the farmers’ market and stock up on great fresh produce, cook large batches, run it through the food mill, and make her own baby food. She froze it in the ice trays, which made perfect serving sizes. Super healthy and economical!
Thanks for the recommendation.
Sounds yummy! Think I’ll try the OJ/maple syrup glaze this weekend!
Thanks!!!!!!!
Rad
Way back in ‘79, I bought a bacon rack for my new microwave. It was nothing but a plastic “grill” type tray so you laid the bacon flat and the grease would drip off below the grills. It was ok but I’d rather use a skillet.
This has been a very bad year on my small kitchen appliances so have had to buy new ones. Can’t stand the new microwave with the turn tray in the bottom but you can’t buy one without it. So much for the days of roasting a big turkey in it (one of the best turkeys ever). Not so impressed with the ice cream maker but it’s way better than the old one that required ice and rock salt. The new mandolin seems ok and easier than by hand or using an old cheese slicer. Haven’t tried out the new food processor but it has less parts taking up drawer space than the old one. The new coffee maker doesn’t automatically turn off so wastes electricity 24/7 but hubby bought that model despite me telling him to get the one that turned off. I’ve looked all year for a bread machine so will have to break down and order one. Not that I need one but then I can blame my bread failures on the machine. The new pizza slicer doesn’t have a good grip like the old one did. Funny thing, half my kitchen gadget draw disappeared - pizza slicer, apple corer, grandma’s big heavy butcher knife, etc. How the heck does a big butcher knife disappear? Can’t seem to find an apple corer without the slicer part so will have to get online and pay s&h for a $3 item.
My husband has been wanting one, and the item you linked to has a very good price! I will show it to him.
Thanks,
JT
Are the kevlar gloves easy to use, and can you ‘feel’ in them? I was thinking of a chain mail glove, like butchers use...
Canned tuna is expensive, too. Price it out. Half the can is nothing but water.
Bought a Faberware mandolin at wallyworld for $20 this week. Works well.
I have one of these; it makes slices of the same thickness:
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Fiddle-Bow-Knife-Right-handed/dp/B000J3L3EA
-JT
They are fairly thin and flexible. You don’t have complete “feel” but a decent amount. I think the biggest drawback is getting a perfect fit. They only come in SML sizes and not male and female, so finger length on mine is longer than my fingers are. That took a little getting used to.
Bet cautious of anything mango if you’re allergic to poison ivy. They’re cousins. After taking a bite, you don’t want your lips to look like you have some serious STD!
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