Today I thought I would talk about my favorite kitchen items. These are the items that I use weekly if not daily. They are tools that make prepping for a meal or dessert funner. Yes, I said funner, get over it. We artsy fartsy creative types like to make up words. Embrace it. Some of these serve no other purpose other than they are cute and colorful. Like me. (wink-wink)
My two favorite stores to shop for kitchen items are hands down, Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table (pronounced sir la tahb.) It's French for sexy man sitting at a table. Ha! You wish. That's not what it means. It actually means On The Table. Anyway, it's a favorite store of mine. I wonder what they were doing "on the table" when they came up with that name...but I digress.
There are also a handful of online stores that I like to frequent. Amazon is probably the main one because I can get virtually any brand there and shipping is free. I will provide links to the items below so that you can look into adding some of these fine products to your kitchen.
Well, now seems as good a time as any to share why I chose these 27 items, how I use them and where you can get them. Let's get busy.
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| My Favorite Tovolo Products |
Invest in a zester. For normal run of the mill zesting I'll use a Microplane grater, but for something prettier, or more substantial I use this to flavor my teas by adding the zest to simple syrups to infuse some citrus flavor- the ideas are endless. You can even sugar the zest and make pretty decorations on a cake. Or you can tie a bunch of them together as a garnish on your Osso Bucco dish like I did in Culinary School. The piggy scraper is just too cute not to have. I have lots of other scrapers, but they're boring. Pigs make things more fun. Sometimes I even oink when I'm using one. TSM thinks I need therapy. Whatev's...
Everyone should have a good set of solid, quality tongs in their arsenal. From grilling, to turning chicken breasts in a saute pan, to grabbing things from your little Fry Daddy fryer, you will wonder why you went so long before buying a pair. Once I asked TSM if he'd sat in some sugar because he had a SWEET looking hiney, and I pinched him with these tongs. Gotta keep things spicy my friends. Don't worry, no TSM's were injured in the making of this blog- the tips are silicone.
Stainless steel bowl- perfect for tempering chocolate over a double boiler, or for whipping cream for desserts, or making Hollandaise, or chilling cookie dough.
Mini spatulas- the cute orange ones in the upper right hand side- are great for getting the last drop of product out of small cans, or for small meal preps like a scrambled egg, or getting condiments out of jars. Also, they're ADORABLE and you can never have too many adorable mini spatulas/scrapers in your kitchen. I especially like them for spreading tuna or egg salad sandwich on the sammich's I make TSM for lunch.
Next:
My first favorite item in this second set is the cutting board with a silicone grippy edge made by Pampered Chef. This board is reversible with a well for catching meat juices on one side, and flat on the other. It is made of durable polypropylene. This cutting board is the only cutting board I've used going on 5 years now. I own 4 of them. One for poultry, one for red meats one for fruits and veggies and one for fish. They stay put, don't dull my knives, and unlike wooden or glass cutting boards, this one doesn't grate on your nerves like a giant fingernail on the chalkboard of life.
The second item is something I have 4 of because I come up with so many ideas- or partial ideas I don't want to forget. It is a recipe journal. If you like to create dishes that call for a little bit of this and a little bit of that and then find that people ask for your recipe and you're all like , "Um, I'm just a simple starving, gastronomic genius that can create Michelin Star type dishes, I don't measure anything"... well, this journal can come to the rescue. Just keep track of ideas and what you add as you're creating your next culinary masterpiece. And stop being so narcissistic. (wink)
Once you own your own spice jars and something to stick them on you'll wonder what took you so long to invest in this next kitchen tool. I LOVE these and although I don't have as many as I'd like, this is on my Christmas list. I like to buy my spices from a local spice merchant and put them in my own jars. I currently have an entire cabinet and a plastic storage bin full of dried spices and herbs and specialty salts and peppers. I have an addiction. I'd seek help, but this addiction is part of what makes me so fabulous. And you don't wanna see me when I'm not fabulous. It's not pretty folks. Not.Pretty.At.All!
Silicon pot grippies- 'Nuff said. They don't take up as much room as the fabric kind, they're thick so the heat won't seep through your cotton hot pad holder and burn your digits, and they're easier to wash and store. BUY THESE! In fact buy 4.
Collapsible silicone measuring cups. I actually bought these for culinary school because my stainless ones too up too much room in my knife kit. I love them. I use them all the time. Especially when I'm traveling and know I'll need to bring a set with em. Easy to clean, store and best of all, they're very heat resistant.
Bamboo Salt Pig. I use sea salt and Kosher salt and I need a place to store it. I bought this exact Bamboo Salt Pig from a local high-end grocery store and I love it. I originally got the same one Alton Brown uses on his show, Good Eats, but I didnt' like it at all. It was hard to clean, got dirty quickly, and the lid was always falling on me. I gave it to my step dad.
A bench knife- aka a pastry scraper. This tool is a multi-tasker. You can scrap up dough, or use it to scoop up veggies, cut dough, smooth frosting on a cake, the possibilities are endless and you should buy two of them.
Glass prep bowls. Make sure they are sturdy and tempered. My favorites happen to be from Pampered Chef. I don't like all of the Pampered Chef products but they got it right when it comes to their glass kitchen bowls. Anything glass from Pampered Chef is a good, quality investment.
Multiple kinds of nesting bowls for serving and prep work. I also have a bowl addiction. Between the bacon addiction, the spices addiction and my bowl addiction I could keep a LOT of 12-step groups in business for quite some time. I love colorful bowls. I even have one dedicated to using as a garbage bowl while I prep. And by the way, I was using a garbage bowl LONG before Rachael Ray hit the scene. I probably invented it and was totally robbed of royalties and fame. Now I'm sad. Great.
And last but not least:
A Silpat- arguably the best thing ever invented. It works like parchment but won't brown, burn get brittle, and best of all it saves a few trees because you don't have to toss it after 1 or 2 uses. Nothing sticks to this Silpat mat. NOTHING. You can even use this to roll out pie crusts and cookie doughs. Then just give it a wash, dry it and transfer it to a cookie sheet or baking pan. I store mine rolled up inside an empty paper towel tube. This thing does attract fuzzies and pet hair, so that's why I store mine rolled up.
Stirsby's. The most amazing spatula, wooden spoon, and scraper in one. And if you're into that sort of thing, use it to spank your hubby's toosh while enjoying happy nekked time in the bedroom. Just sanitize it in boiling water afterwards if you do...and don't tell me about it you kinky hornball.
A kitchen scale. I actually own the one in the picture below. It was very affordable and of the 3 scales I've owned I like this one the best. I got it at Target.
A honing tool. This is to hone your knives. It is NOT a sharpener. Those so called sharpeners that knife companies push on consumers are nothing more than a honing tool. But they make you think they will sharpen your knife so you'll buy one. As you use your knife the edge starts to feather. This is undetectable to the naked eye. A honing tool helps to realign the deformed edge. It doesn't remove metal from the blade like sharpening does, it just realigns it. You should hone your knife before and after each use, and even in between large projects.
Colored nesting serving and prep bowls. These bowls are my favorite. I got them at Williams Sonoma. I use them for everything- making potato salad, making brownie batter or cookie dough and one of them is even being used as a water dish for the dogs down in our family room. Spazzhat and Little Girl give them 4 paws up!
I love knives like John Locke from LOST loves knives. When I hold a knife I turn into that creepy, almost naked little Hobbit that's all "Fatal Attraction" over some gold ring. I just lose myself when I'm chopping, dicing, slicing. I love my knives and my favorite brand hands down is Shun.
These knives are Lorena Bobbet's favorite kind of knife: SHARP! They are freaky sharp right out of the box. You look at this knife and it will slice you. The best part is that it's so sharp you won't know you've been cut until you see blood. I've nicked myself a few times with these knives, but not nearly as badly as I've sliced myself with less superior knives. Respect a sharp knife and you won't get hurt. Freak out over it and you'll lose a finger tip or two.
Groovy recipe card holder with magnet- better known as a Recipe Rock. The best product I've seen for putting a recipe card or printed recipe near you without worrying about spilling on it, or getting it dirty. The next best idea is to clip your recipe to a dress pant hanger and hang it over the knob of the cabinet closest to where you're cooking. But a hanger in your kitchen looks ghetto and my alter ego, Shaniqua doesn't do ghetto.
This about sums up my first installment of my favorite kitchen things. I hope you've learned some things and I trust you've found a few items that you either currently have in your kitchen, or that are on your wish list. If you have a question about any of the products I shared with you today, I'm more than happy to answer them, just shoot me an email. I'll cite a list of links below so you can look these items up in your free time and maybe even buy some!
Happy Shopping!
List of shops that sell the products I shared with you today:
Pampered Chef (for the prep bowls and cutting board)
Recipe Journal
Magnetized Spice Rack with spices- (just replace with your own spices so you know they're fresh)
Silicone Pan Grippy's (aka pinch grips)
Collapsible Measuring Cups
Round Bamboo Salt Pig/Box
Stainless Steel Bench Knife/scraper
Miscellaneous bowls- It varies. I get some from Kohl's, Williams Sonoma, Target, Sur La Table, and other local kitchen stores.
Silpat Baking Mat
Stirsby
Escali digital scale
Colorful Nestled Bowls (Williams Sonoma)
Shun knives
Recipe Rock
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