Posted on 08/31/2016 4:32:52 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
A while back, someone asked if we had ever done a thread on kitchen gadgets; and I got to thinking that maybe it was time to do another one.
First, one of the most useful items I've ever found for slicing home-made loaves of bread in nice, even slices: the Mountain Woods Fiddle Bow Bread Knife. I found mine at the thrift store, but you can still get them on Amazon. The blade remains very sharp, and my husband also likes it for getting thick slices from big tomatoes. Note that they come in right- or left-handed styles, and choose accordingly:
Another item I found in the thrift store, and which you may have to find on Ebay or Etsy now, is a vintage Tupperware celery crisper. I'm no scientist, so I can't say exactly how this works, but when moisture precipitates out of the celery, it falls through the perforated false bottom and collects there. The celery stays high and dry, and doesn't go limp and brown. I guess it just keeps the moisture away, and the airtight container keeps air out. I'm honestly not sure if you're actually supposed to drain it out now and then; but I didn't think of doing that the one time I've used this so far, and several weeks later my celery was still as crisp as new. My guess is that you do drain it, and the next time I use it, I'll do that:
Since the 1930s there has been a little restaurant in Silver Spring, Maryland called 'Mrs. K's Toll House'. I first ate there for a friend's bridesmaid luncheon in the early 1980s; and that was also the first time I experienced 'spiralized vegetables'. The salad they served consisted of several spiralized vegetables in bowls on a sort of 'tree' server, which also held little bowls of various dressings. I thought it was such an inviting way to get refreshing, raw veggies down one, including some that may not have been tried before - I think they actually had spiralized Daikon, even back then, and Mrs. K's was ahead of her time.
My husband receives the Cooks Illustrated email newsletter, and a while back they featured the Paderno Spiral Vegetable Slicer. Being both a gadget-guy and a veggie guy he had to have it, and is very pleased with it. It has three different blades, for ribbons and strings, and four suction cups to hold the machine solidly while you work. If you're into the 'sprial veggie fad', you'll like this a lot, There are several versions, depending on how many different 'cuts' you want to be able to do:
https://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ
Lastly, something I bought just because it's pretty. I think I've mentioned before that I have a 'fetish' for pretty/clever containers of any kind, and I fell in love with these vintage reproduction Kilner canning jars. They come in several sizes, and can be used for actual canning, refrigerator pickling, or just holding staples on your counter in an attractive way:
-JT
Wow, do you have a restaurant? (That egg cooker looks nice; my old plastic Chicken-shaped one is giving out...)
Mine is the Appalachian Bread Knife.
Works great, I love it, made left and right handed too. My sister has one,. left handed, she got me a right handed one a couple of years ago. Juts used it this morning, made some bread a couple of days ago.
also, this Tupperware Pastry Rolling Sheet is handy as it can be, I use it all the time,. Keeps the counter from getting messed up and works great to roll out pizza dough.
One of the best inventions I can remember is the electric crock pot. Most people have probably gotten so accustomed to relying on it they never even think about how great it is to have. I use mine to make Chili and pizza sauce, potato soup, the rare occasion I want a stew...I used a cast iron dutch oven for years, still do sometimes, especially in winter when I want to cook chili on the wood burning stove.
Also I just found some great bread pans. I’ve been using Fire King vintage glass ones for years, love em, but I found some extra long metal pans, I’ve never seen this size before, as long as the loaf of bread you get at the store but not as wide. Made of metal, the same Ecko brand as the cookie sheets and brownie pans I’ve been using for 40 years.
And of course, can’t forget my knife sharpener. I can’t stand a dull knife, I even keep my pocket knife sharp enough to shave or near to it. Nothing does a better job than the Spyderco Triangle sharpener. I fcan’t believe how expensive they are these says, my first one was $15, the one my sister got me a few years ago for christmas was around 20, can’t touch it for that now but it’s the best sharpener I’ve ever seen. I gave up my Arkansas stone long ago, but still have them and use them now and then, but for other things like wood chisels.
https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker/dp/B004HIZKHE
My uncle and I found it at a state fair in Houston in the 70’s, bought one on the spot we were so impressed. He dropped it and broke it a couple of times, so my sister found me one years later. It’s still intact, and works better than anything I’ve ever seen. easy to clean too, scrub it with some cleanser. It will make a semi sharp knife shave in about 30 seconds. Takes a minute or two to get a really dull knife up to par.
Sign up here for the Charter Issue of Milk Street Kitchen. I predict it’s going to be really, REALLY good! I signed up a few weeks ago and have not received ONE piece of spam e-mail. :)
http://www.milkstreetkitchen.com/charter-signup-form/
Husband saw me looking at that knife sharpener; probably going shopping soon ;-)
-JT
These are the replacement gaskets that fit the 5 Liter Bormioli Jar I mentioned above:
Link: https://amzn.com/B014I0BYD4
Where is it? Sounds like a great thing to be addicted to!
Serrated knife...heaven...and then some.
I gotta go; Cook’s Country (America’s Test Kitchen) is on in 15 minutes!
Time for a glass of wine and time to settle in. :)
Look to your local/state PBS station for programing.
It’s a great show and if you can snag their cookbooks, you’ll be in Heaven!
Our local public channel carries America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country re-runs every Saturday; a lot of the stations probably do.
-JT
After slicing my fingers a little too often, I broke down and got a set of butcher’s gloves. They’re made from a fine-mesh chain mail, and are especially handy when using the meat slicer!!!
Already posted then remembered one of the best items in the kitchen.
Boiled egg timer. My sister has one she’s had for about 30 years, drop it in the water with your eggs, you get perfect eggs every time. I Just went through 5 pages of ebay results, they don’t who the old style we have, here’s one of the newer ones.
It only takes once to drive the ‘keep yer fingers up’ lesson home. I almost bought a used commercial slicer from the Hobart dealer in Toledo long ago. $250, but I was in a hurry and it sold before I got back there next time. Know lots of folks got bit by those, too, but I didn’t using/working on them. Go figure, eh? Heh!
No, I don’t have a restaurant, but back when I was 19 years old, I was the head chef (well, only chef...) of the Sternwheeler Restaurant on the Reuben E. Lee, a floating restaurant in Newport Harbor, Newport Beach, CA.
John Wayne used to eat there, and I cooked him one of his last steak dinners. He gave me a $5 tip and told me that was the best damn steak he had had in years. I was too flabbergasted to do more than stutter thanks back at him.
Sadly, it is no longer there...
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/restaurant-70570-newport-reuben.html
http://www.octhen.com/2005/03/reuben-e-lee.htm
“Husband saw me looking at that knife sharpener; probably going shopping soon ;-)”
Hehe, it’s definitely worth getting, I’m not crazy ab0otu the new price.
Just checked ebay, nothing cheaper there, somebodywants 22 bucks for just the base.
Also, the vee slot in the handle is for scissors, that works great too.
The ceramic rods are held at the proper 22½° angle for a knife blade, the scissor sharpener I think is 10°. Mine is an older model, I’ve had it at least 15 years, ceramic rods are still in perfect shape after that many years of use. As long as you don’t break them, it will last a lifetime plus some. Use it dry, no oil or water, and you can put pressure on the knife, don’t have to scrape across it lightly as you do with an Arkansas stone. Still have to be careful, but the brass rods that fit in the hole in the handle do help protect fingers if you slip. Mine just has the white ceramic rods, I think the gray ones are diamond impregnated if I remember correctly.
Kohl's online 29.99.
Those are excellent things! I first saw a butcher in a store wearing them, and later saw them used with small animals in a vet facility. I need some for my husband, who is knife-accident prone ;-)
I’ve seen that. Stop tempting me!
They would be great for Christmas gifts of little treats.
-JT
That is such a nice experience and story to tell!
-JT
Gonna give up the recipe?
My thoughts exactly——a marvelous gift.
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