Shun's santoku knife on caramelized onion tart. Photo: Alex Van Buren
Knives. Outside of the full-time food dork world, people -- even foodies -- don't tend to talk about them much.
They have a bad association as, um, dull conversational topics: There's the unwelcome knife salesman banging on the door, or that eternal infomercial ("Only $39.95 in three easy installments!"). I owned a sub-par knife for years, until a friend trained at a local culinary institute basically took it away from me.
I've been shopping ever since with an eagle eye for sales. The santoku style caught my attention for its multiuse blade (note the indentations, which purportedly help keep food from sticking) and stylish look. And when I grabbed a Shun in hand at a local shop -- its base has a slight teardrop shape, perfectly suited to that soft nub between thumb and index finger -- I fell in love.
My daughter is addicted to Dirty Jobs, a Discovery Channel show in which the host tries out the filthiest, nastiest jobs in the country. Watching him work his way through a septic system or clean gum off a sidewalk, it's hard to imagine worse tasks than the ones that he regularly undertakes. However, in a recent move, Japan and Kit Kat seem to have figured out an innovative new way to lower the bar on horrifyingly bad employment.
Kit Kat's new Human Vending Machines combine the best elements of convenience foods, automatic vending, and slavery in one brutally delicious, schadenfreude-laden package. Basically a snack machine with a human being trapped inside, the machines put a personal face on candy vending transactions. Users put in their money, make their choice, and ask the man inside to send out the chocolate. The vendor, in turn, smiles at the customer, grabs the candy, and drops it into a slot.
There is no word yet on whether, underneath their smiles, the anonymous vendors are dying inside, asking themselves what series of bad choices led them to become nameless cogs in a snack-distribution empire. Similarly, one has to wonder if any of the vendors has found himself on a weekend-long alcoholic bender after selling a candy bar to his former prom date, a slickly-attired professional who pretended that she didn't recognize him.
I have a plan to can, freeze and otherwise preserve a whole lot of food next summer and fall. I realize that there's still some time to go until I'm ready to start stewing, chopping, pickling and jamming, but I've already started to think in terms of equipment. I've got my eye on a couple of different models of pressure canners and I've been stockpiling jars (much to my fiance's chagrin).
I have a goal to can 35-40 quarts of tomatoes and as I ponder the logistics of such an undertaking, I start to consider different helpers. I already have a food mill, which will be helpful when it comes to sauce. However it can be slow going and so when I spotted this European Tomato Press, I began to wonder if it wouldn't be a helpful gadget to possess. I don't want to plunk 35 bucks for something that will just end up on the Goodwill pile, so I'm turning to you guys, the helpful and informed Slashfood readers.
Do any of you have experience with this tool? Do you love it or hate it? Also, if you're the type who does a lot of canning each summer and fall, do you have any particularly helpful tips that you've learned over the years (I've canned lots of jams and butters over the years, but nothing else)?
Williams-Sonoma: Friends and Family Event Saturday December 20th through Wednesday December 24th Williams-Sonoma is having a Friends and Family Event at retail stores only. We will offer 20% off all merchandise in the store. See stores for details and visit www.williams-sonoma.com to find a location near you.
Pottery Barn: Spend $100 and get $20 back Friday, December 19th through Sunday, December 21st spend $100 at a Pottery Barn store and get a $20 gift card that can be used from 12/26/2008 – 01/31/2009. See store for details and visit www.potterybarn.com to find a location near you.
Know of a super kitchen-centric holiday sale? Share it in the comments below.
FINGERFOOD Party Plates are sure to be a smash this holiday season - a tiny, little smash.
The Party Plates are actually small platters affixed to rings which, as you can see, you can wear while you hold your drink.
These are perfect for hors d'oeuvres (and hand-feeding your cats, and dinner parties thrown by Barbie). My only concern is that they look a little unwieldy, like you might have to master the art of the FINGERFOOD Party Plate, certainly before attempting it while drinking.
Ten reusable plates are just $9.95 from The Spoon Sisters, and they actually recommend bringing your own to a party as a "conversation starter." That would require a level of bravery I don't have, but I would think it fun to pass these out to guests at a party of my own!
Oh, the pineapple. What a majestic fruit. On the outside, it looks like something you probably shouldn't eat, but the inside is -- well, you know. Delicious and totally unique.
Love pineapple but hate the mess of hacking one up to get at the succulent fruit? I have a solution! And no, it's not a pineapple cross-bred with a yam, or a dish towel, or anything. It's the Vacu Vin Pineapple Slicer.
The Vacu Vin Pineapple Slicer cuts your pineapple into rings and leaves the shell intact. Click through the gallery to watch how it takes you from solid fruit to slices and the perfect booze-vessel. And then buy one for $9.95 on amazon.com.
Great news! Here's a kitchen gadget everyone can afford. Your popcorn just got way more awesome.
The Nordic Ware Microwave Corn Popper comes highly recommended by my very practical friend Shannon, who reports that it's really fast, doesn't need oil, and is a snap to clean. Sounds good to me!
This thing is $8.99 from The Kitchen Store, and microwave and dishwasher safe. You just put in the corn, put it in the microwave, and perfect, fluffy popcorn comes out. It's a stroke of Nordic genius.
I only wish it were pretty, so I could pass it off as a holiday gift. Guess I'll just have to get one for myself!
Over the last few years, interest in home brewing has been steadily growing. That great for the beer fans out there, but what's the wine drinker to do when they catch the DIY bug? Up until now, they haven't had many options. However the WinePod is hoping to change all that by allowing regular people to make wine right in their own homes.
WinePod is the first-ever personal winery. It is a self–contained, computer–controlled unit that allows the amateur wine maker to create up to four cases of wine per fermentation (and up to 12 fermentations a year). The company provides the grapes, as well as all the tools you'll need to cask and bottle your vino. You get software to install on your computer that will walk you through the process and will assist you in avoiding any potential pitfalls.
It's a pricey gadget, starting at $4,499, but for the right wine enthusiast, it could be the perfect holiday gift.
I understand the allure of an efficient kitchen only clogged with tools one absolutely needs. I get it. Most things can be done with a few basic tools. Yeah, I know. But unless I go psycho and decide to slice by hand, no knife is going to give me crinkle cut fries.
Just look at them. There's something immensely comforting and mouth-salivating about the crinkle cut, especially if its on a pile of fries fresh out of the oil and dusted with salt and pepper. The crinkle cut offers an air of professional talent and can make even the quickest frites look all the more carefully cut. A smooth fry is no match for the dark peaks and lighter ridges of the crinkle, like the grill marks we all love to make.
Even on the side of practicality, it makes sense. Those crinkle suckers are powerful, sliding through taters like there's no resistance at all. Once I picked up one of my own, I wished I'd had it all those years when I had crappy knives and tried to cut through tough, unwielding potatoes. Now, it's my go-to tool for taters, giving a little visual flair that makes this stomach all the happier. Don't you agree?
I have used spoons for many things over the years, including lottery tickets and painting (don't ask, it's not worth it).
There are a lot of things you can do with a good spoon, like one of these sexy little 1920 numbers from Horchow (at right). I like these spoons. Maybe I'll get them, and do the following 8 things with my old ones. Does anyone have $550.00 I can borrow?
Here are 8 non-traditional things you can do with an old spoon:
You may remember the first Teastick we reviewed in 2005. You know, if you're that cool and read blogs back then. Well, three years is a long time in Teastick development. Have a look at what's new - at right, the Teastick Gems.
Do they remind anyone else of Barbie shoes? Seriously, that's all I can think of when I look at them. But they're not Barbie shoes, they're not; they make tea.
"Teastick Gems are now made with Eastman Tritan™, a revolutionary new material that is FDA-approved, taste-free and with absolutely no Bisphenol-A!"
I have no idea what Bisphenol-A is, but I feel sort of excited that these don't contain it. I looked up what else is made with Eastman Tritan™ but a Google image search brought me a lumber rack, a synthesizer, and an impressive deer. So, let's assume this is a very new type of plastic.
In any case, Teasticks can go in the dishwasher and are obviously a very handy tea-making shape. The Teastick Gems' semi-clear design allow you to watch your tea pearls unfold and make a perfect 10-14 oz. cup of tea. Perfect for a tea lover's holiday stocking!
So do you believe we're in a recession? Retailers sure seem to, especially specialty retailers. In the kitchenware store, the season's usual large bundles of roasting pans and pie plates, while still available, are being supplemented by smaller displays of beckoning trinkets for inexpensive shopping fixes. If one is a classic movie fan, one remembers Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffanys -- wherein, broke but shopping, they consider a platinum dream from a CrackerJack box as well as a silver telephone dialer. More practical (and, at around thirteen bucks, more economical) is the Microplane Multi-Citrus Tool, and I have to admit that I have succumbed.
As most slashfoodies know, zest is the outer skin of a citrus fruit, used as a flavoring agent in everything from sauces to baked goods, as well as a garnish. The zest contains a high concentration of the oil of the citrus fruit, which contributes a highly concentrated burst of both flavor and aroma. As experienced eaters know, there is no substitute for fresh zest -- a lemon pound cake, for example, will simply taste better if you add fresh zest. As experienced zesters know, the challenge while zesting is to get just that outer layer of skin without getting any of the white pith that separates the flesh of the fruit from the skin.
Sometime early last month, I went out to Linvilla Orchards in Media, PA with a friend to pick apples. I came home with an overflowing half bushel box, awash in good intentions. However, life got in the way and I let the apples sit for longer than I would have liked. They got a bit mealy as the sugars turned to starch and so the only treatment for them was to turn them into applesauce and apple butter (two things I love, so I wasn't particularly sad).
Years ago, when I first started making applesauce, I would labor over the apples, peeling, coring and chopping them into fine pieces. These days, my technique is a little more slapdash. I do still core the apples and I chop the quarters into smaller bits. But I skip the peeling part altogether, which saves an amazing amount of time and hand cramping.
Instead, I cook the apples down (with lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and lemon zest) with the peels still attached. When I'm able to mash an apple piece with the back of a wooden spoon, I take the whole mess off the stove and run the apples through a Foley Food Mill. It purees the apples into a nice, even sauce that still has some good mouth feel and gets rid of the peels at the same time. It's really easy to boot. If you make a lot of applesauce (or stewed tomatoes or peaches) this tool will become an invaluable addition to your kitchen gadgetry.
It has been my experience that you can never really have too many measuring cups. I have several sets of graduated, stacking measures, as well as some sturdy, old glass Pyrex ones that belonged to my great-grandmother. I love having multiples, because it means that I can pop them into the dishwasher after a baking project, instead of having to handwash after each round of baking (because you know that when you have just one set, you're going to need them before you get a chance to run the dishwasher).
I've always had a policy of keeping my measuring cups fairly simple, feeling like it was important to favor utility over aesthetics. However, wandering around the Home section of Anthropologie yesterday after work, I totally abandoned that position when I spotted these Matryoshka Measuring Cups*. As opposed to standard wooden stacking dolls, these are made of china and each top and bottom is sized to hold a different standard measure. They are charming, combining usefulness with whimsical design. It took everything I had not to buy them right then and there.
FINGERFOOD Party Plates are sure to be a smash this holiday season - a tiny, little smash.
Oh, the pineapple. What a majestic fruit. On the outside, it looks like something you probably shouldn't eat, but the inside is -- well, you know. Delicious and totally unique. 
Great news! Here's a kitchen gadget everyone can afford. Your popcorn just got way more awesome.
Over the last few years, interest in home brewing has been steadily growing. That great for the beer fans out there, but what's the wine drinker to do when they catch the DIY bug? Up until now, they haven't had many options. However the WinePod is hoping to change all that by allowing regular people to make wine right in their own homes. 
Ah the spoon. So basic, yet so versatile.
You may remember 
It has been my experience that you can never really have too many measuring cups. I have several sets of graduated, stacking measures, as well as some sturdy, old glass Pyrex ones that belonged to my great-grandmother. I love having multiples, because it means that I can pop them into the dishwasher after a baking project, instead of having to handwash after each round of baking (because you know that when you have just one set, you're going to need them before you get a chance to run the dishwasher). 
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
