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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

EatingWell Wednesday - Kitchen Tools

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Did you notice the survey on the upper right column? Please take 20 seconds to answer and come on back......Go ahead, I will wait. Okay, now that you are back: I was trying to work on some chocolate pancakes for the post today and opened my huge kitchen gadget drawers (you know, the one that always starts off neat and then you have to slam it closed each time) and took a look at everything in there. Good grief, what percentage of the items do I actually use on a regular basis? I have been thinking about it and will do a podcast on my favorites soon but in the meantime, one of the food editors from EatingWell is sharing her favorites:

From the EatingWell blog (By Jessie Price):
Here are my top five favorite kitchen tools right now:


Onion Goggles: OK. Let’s just get this out on the table. Onion goggles are absurd-looking. Don’t believe me? Here’s a picture of assistant editor Hilary Meyer sporting the goggles in the EatingWell Test Kitchen: But if you’re not too vain, I highly recommend investing in a pair of these babies. My mom gave me a set that I now keep in my top kitchen drawer (the spot for all my most-used tools). I love them because you can chop onions endlessly without shedding a tear. Try them out when you’re prepping sweet onions for Jumbo Prawns & Balsamic Orange Onions.

Cherry Pitter: The ladies in the EatingWell Test Kitchen heckled me endlessly when I insisted that we recommend a cherry pitter. But I have spent an inordinate amount of time pitting cherries manually (my mom has a tree) and it is a real bore! If you have grand plans for this recipe for Cherry Pie, you might want to get one of these. You can get large pitters with a hopper and manual feed to make faster work of the project. You can find them at surlatable.com, chefscatalog.com or amazon.com.

Ice Cream Maker: Any fruit can be made into a delicious frozen treat if you have one of these. (I’m planning to make this Strawberry Sherbet after I go berry picking this weekend.) And ice cream makers are really reasonably priced and easy to use. In the Test Kitchen we use a Cuisinart ($49.95). There is no need to add salt and ice—just fill the frozen bowl with your favorite creamy mixture, turn on the motor and in about 30 minutes, you’ll have a custom-made frozen treat ready to enjoy.

Kitchen Shears: Yes, you probably have scissors in the kitchen, but do you have a really good pair? Top-quality kitchen shears are amazing! Try them to cut up a chicken, snip the spikes off an artichoke or take them out to the garden and trim herbs or, my personal favorite, okra. When shopping for shears, look for sturdy construction and stainless-steel blades, a pair that feels comfortable in your hand and, maybe most important, that can be taken apart for thorough cleaning. I love the ones from Cutco (but I’m biased because I happened to sell Cutco knives while in high school).

Citrus Juicer: I know you can live without this tool—after all, it’s certainly possible to cut a lemon or lime in half and then just squeeze it with your hand. But I have to tell you that I use this tool almost every single night when I’m making dinner. (I love citrus, especially for salad dressings.) You just cut your lemon or lime in half, pop it into the juicer, close it and squeeze. It saves your hands and arms from getting too worn out. And when you’re squeezing a big batch of citrus juice (margaritas, anyone?) that’s a serious concern.

Now tell me, what are your favorites and why? Yes, tell me and maybe, just maybe you will be randomly selected to win a cookbook. Which one? You get to choose either 'Second Helpings from Union Square Cafe' or 'Essential Guide to Cake Decorating'. Want to earn extra chances? Here is how:

Earn 2 extra entries for each one below:
*Tweet about this giveaway, including this link. (Be sure to include @savorthethyme)
*Join the Savor The Thyme Facebook group
*Post about this giveaway on your Facebook wall, including this link (be sure to 'friend' me so I see it)
*Post about this giveaway on your blog, including this link (leave me a comment so I know)
*Start following me/this blog (over on the right hand column)

Open until midnight Thursday, June 11th; winner to be annouced Friday, June 12th

31 comments:

Mary Bergfeld said...

These gals must operate on a different plane than I do. Assuming knives don't fall into the gadget category, my choices are a garlic press, a microplane zester, an ice cream scoop, a vegetable peeler and an apple corer.

Anonymous said...

Cool Onion Goggles!

Ms. Sanders said...

I can't imagine cooking without my:
microplane zester (used for cheese, chocolate, garlic, nutmeg, ginger, etc.),

melon baller (used for coring apples/pears, scooping out yams for double stuffed potatoes, and hollowing out tomatoes for stuffed tomatoes),

push-out measuring cup (used for sticky ingredients like honey and peanut butter)

mario batali prep bowls (used for measuring ingredients and prepping nearly all recipes)

OXO digital scale with pull-out display (used for weighing all baking ingredients as well as portioning meats, cheeses, etc.)

chow and chatter said...

those googles are too funny he he

Anonymous said...

I would love to have citrus juicers. When I was registering I thought they were kind of useless because you can just squeeze with your hands, but now having done that a million times, I'm over it. Bring on the juicers!

Of the tools I *do* have, I love my microplane and food processor. They both just speed things up!

funkEpunkEmonkE said...

Google the DEMY

lisa is cooking said...

I have to tell you, I love my cherry pitter! I have the Oxo with the splash guard. I actually enjoy pitting cherries.

Sippity Sup said...

My most essential kitchen item is boring I know, but it is my trusted chefs knife. I love this baby! So it is hard to if it is not considered a gadget...but I have to pick it anyway! I already follow you on google (2 points please!) I will follow you on facebook (2 points please) I will tweet about this post (2 points please) and I will add a notice about it on SippitySup on Saturday...GREG

Kelli said...

I love my cherry pitter - Thanks for reminding me - I have not used my in - it seems like forever..it is especially great when your 5 yr. old can eat 10 cherries in a minute

Donna-FFW said...

My garlic press, my measuring spoons, my microplane zester, instant read thermometer, peek a boo apron.. kidding on the last one.

Donna-FFW said...

Follow you already:) Thanks for the chance.

Robyn said...

contact lenses also work well in place of onion goggles!

Daily Spud said...

Gosh, I acquired so many kitchen gadgets on my recent trip to the States (including a cherry pitter) that I don't think I even have room left to put them into the gadgets drawer!

Still, my one of my favourite items in the kitchen is one that I had already and wouldn't be without, which is a good, heat resistant spatula.

TheFitnessFreak said...

Thanks for sharing your "secret weapons"! I love my Cuisinart too, especially now that it's summer(for us CA's):)~

Barbara Bakes said...

I love my immersion blender and it's attachments.

Maria said...

My Kitchen Aid is my ultimate favorite, but I also love my Microplane! Great giveaway! Thanks!

Maria said...

I follow you too:)

Elle said...

My favorite gadget is my microplane zester. Use it all the time. :)

Elle said...

Tweeted. :)

http://twitter.com/elleskitchen/status/2118661640

Elle said...

Second twitter entry.

http://twitter.com/elleskitchen/status/2118661640

Thanks!

Angry Asian said...

i adore my avocado peeler. it's not like i eat avocados everyday! next is my kitchen aid mixer that i've named Bella.

RJ Flamingo said...

Definitely my immersion blender w/attachments; OXO harp veggie peeler; santoku knife; Epicurean cutting board; and Ove-Glove (and the oven rack puller-outer!).

Totally following you! Drop by, sometime!

Jamie said...

Kitchen gadgets, you say? I do most things by hand even though I have been begging for an apple gadget/peeler/corer for ages.

Love my peeler, cherry pitter, hand mixers, tiny robot for grinding. It is really all I have although I covet many things.

Will link back and mention this fab cookbook give-away on both FB and Twitter.

Anonymous said...

Microplane, tomato corer, cherry (and olive) pitter, channel knife, metal skewers, silpats, meat thermometer with remote clip-on reader, kitchen calculator that does fractions and conversions.....

Hmmm, is that all??

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. Bamboo spoons, a mini whip, thermometer, melon baller (so many uses besides fruit--cookie dough, stuffing mini potatoes, devilled eggs, etc), and my veggie/rice steamer--use it almost every night for a quick, healthy side. Will follow on FB but you'll have to add me. ;)And I'll tweet you. ;)

L

Aik said...

Citrus juicers! Hmm...Am I too late?

Aik said...

I'm a new follower! #1

Aik said...

I'm a new follower! #2

Aik said...

Tweeted #1

http://twitter.com/aikychien/status/2127996979

Aik said...

Tweeted #2

http://twitter.com/aikychien/status/2127996979

aikychien at yahoo dot com

Esme said...

I love my ice-cream maker-I could use a citrus juicer-goggles-naw

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