Now that the cooler weather has taken hold, I am spending more time in the kitchen. Simmering scents of stocks, soups, and stews constantly fill the room. Cooking means planning, planning means prep work, and prep work means finding the right tool for the job. Looking for a thingamabob the other day, I opened a drawer and noticed there were well over 40 items in it. Mind you, this wasn’t the proverbial junk drawer that everyone seems to have. No, this is our treasure trove that contains gadgets. Handy dandy, whiz bang chef’s little helpers.
I spied a baster, cheese grater, apple corer, potato grater, mortar & pestle, melon baller, pierogi press, rolling pins, julienne device, zester, micro plane, meat probe, loose leaf tea steeper, Mr. Whizzer, pastry brushes, cake icer, cake carver, cake server, can opener, pizza cutters, steel skewers, jar opener, nested funnels, strawberry huller, nutcracker, ice cream scooper, herb scissors, mini juicer, thermometer, egg slicer, garlic press, and a few other doodads that I can’t identify by name or function.
Where did all these things come from? How long have we had them? And how many of them do we actually need or use? Although this drawer was cleaned out and organized just six months ago, maybe it’s time for another sweep. I mean there is a pierogi press taking up room in there. Why do I have it? I must have purchased it on a whim long ago in an attempt to make a more perfect pierogi. But if my memory serves me well, I recall the dough sticking to the plastic press and having to dust it with more flour which made the pierogies heavy and too doughy. Ugh! And on top of that, the fun part of making pierogies is folding them and pinching their edges together with your fingers creating little crescent moons. Time for it to go? Maybe. What about the silver nutcracker that has accompanied us on at least eight moves? When in the last 30 years have we cracked open a nut? And the strawberry huller. How hard is it to carve a little hole into the top of a strawberry with a knife and why do it in the first place? What can you possibly fit into a hollowed strawberry?
Despite these items, there are some invaluable tools lying in wait anytime I open the drawer, ready to perform at a moment’s notice. These I refer to as our kitchen GOATs or Gadgets Of All Time. Here are my Top Five, based on function, ease of use, and cleanability.
Number 5: Apple Corer. I make apple chips often and the first step in the process is to remove the core and seeds. This little helper is lightweight, and its jagged teeth do all the heavy lifting. I simply stab it into the top of an apple and with one quick flick of the wrist – bye-bye core!
Number 4: Pizza Cutters. I wish we made homemade pizzas more often, but when we do the cutters come in handy. At last count, we had five. Do we need that many? Yes, especially when we have folks over to join in the fun. Simple to operate, all you have to do is pick one up and slide it across the pie to create shareable slices. Fantastico!
Number 3: Egg Slicer. Hard boiled eggs are an addition to many of my salads, so the slicer stays. I like how this device can cut an egg horizontally, vertically or both. I just have to place the unshelled egg on the concave surface, pull the wire top down, and empty the contents into a bowl. Voila! Same size pieces, with no yolky mess!
Number 2: Mini Juicer. Whoever invented this gem should get a gold star! Maybe a couple. Such a small, basic, do one job and do it right thingamajig! Standing only four and half inches tall, the plastic base has measuring lines on it, from 1 to 6 teaspoons on one side and from 5 to 30 milliliters on the other. The domed top that is pressed down onto it, fits like a glove and easily comes apart. And the way it works, is well, outstanding! While twisting the halved fruit around the top, the juice fills the container, and lets you know when its time to stop or twist more! I make homemade mayo and salad dressings on a regular basis, so this tool is ideal when I need a fresh squeeze of citrusy goodness.
And now for my top choice…it is one I named after a friend.
From my journal: January 14, 2012, Newbury Park, California
“Nina really listens…saw one in CVS the other day, just $1.49…I use it all the time!”
Drum roll please…my Number 1 pick is….
The Jar Opener aka The Nina! Of all the gadgets in our kitchen the one I am most happy to see is this one, bar none. Five inches in diameter, it is a thin white piece of plastic shaped like a flower with a hole at the top for hanging. My grip isn’t what it used to be, but ever since I’ve been gifted The Nina by Nina, I never have to worry. Placing it on a jar of olives, cashew butter, or mustard and giving it one good turn…any, and I mean any lid comes off with ease! No more rapping a jar lid on the counter or running warm water over the top or having to find a strong pair of hands. Though a bit worn and discolored, it still works like a charm. In my humble opinion, no kitchen is complete without one.
Maybe our array of collected kitchen helpers needs to be reassessed, pared down, and reorganized, but for now I’ll leave our drawer and its contents be. Instead, I’ll put my energy into baking, chopping, deglazing, filleting, macerating, parboiling, quadrilling, rendering, stir-frying, tempering, whisking and zesting mouth watering ingredients in my newly discovered and family favorite recipes, all the while knowing, when needed, the GOATs in our kitchen, are ready and willing to lend a hand!
A Journal Journey 