"kitchen tools" news and stories

It looks like a ninja weapon. Or maybe something out of Ty Pennington's tool box. This contraption, a sturdy handle with what looks like a piese of chicken wire pulled tautly across it, is a cake leveler. The adjustable-height wire is the part the does the cutting of regular layers into unltra-thin layers, or across the top of any part of a cake that may have "domed" up in the baking process.

I mean really, you didn't think all those individual layers in that gorgeous, impossibly tall layer cakes came out that way, did you?

Cake levelers run under $5 and are available at any cake/candy or kitchen supply store.

It is still a concept that is being developed, but when the idea is fully realized, I would love to have one of these transparent toasters, you know, to sit right alongside my Hello Kitty toaster that makes Hello Kitty Pop-tarts.

The idea is based on transparent heating glass which currently does not get hot enough to toast bread, but will some day soon, so that you can watch your bread being toasted and snag it out of there before it gets too dark!

[via: ThisNext]

If you haven't already seen your local market transform into a haunted castle and pumpkins falling all over themselves in giant displays, well, you must not be living in the US. Halloween is upon us, and technically, it's still September.

Nonetheless, I fell in love with these adorable pumpkin-shaped cakes, which are turned out of a mini pumpkin pan from Williams-Sonoma, and had a burning desire to bake pumpkin bread this instant. Whatever cake or bread batter you put in there comes out looking like the top (or bottom) half of a pumpkin. You can decorate and serve just the halves, or put two together to make a whole pumpkin.

However, I did realize, of course, that if you were to buy this pan just to make mini pumpkins, that would be a waste of $32. Why not get the mini brownie bundt pan instead and use it every season? They are the exact same product.

Oh, those tricky product marketers at Williams-Sonoma! They almost had us!

You probably don't think much about what you use to peel your vegetables, but the Seattle Times puts vegetable peelers to the test, taking into account the lumps and bumps of different vegetabless surfaces. The recipes are for fruits and vegetables that will put your peeler to use: Fall Galette, Winter Mash, Seedy Potatoes, and Roasted Carrots with Citrus.

We've already mentioned that resaurants are pulling spinach from their menus, but the Times also answers some questions from readers about E.coli and other leafy greens.

With Rosh Hashana starting at sundown on Friday, the staff digs into their archives and offers a recipe for a honey confection caled Teyglakh.

In drinks, the Wine Adviser could rattle off names of Washington Wineries for Merlot, but the one that sets the standard is Abeja Winery. Fremont Oktoberfest kicks off this weekend, offering over 70 microbrews on tap.

Obviously, we have the refrigerator to keep our foods nicely stored at a chilly 42 degrees or so. However, if you're a grazer like me, you might be opening that refrigerator every hour throughout the day just to grab a nectarine.

Industrial designer Klara Zavadilova has Coool, a food cover which keep fruits and pastry fresh, protected, and easily accessible during the day. The base plate contains a mild cooling system that sets the temperature inside the domed cover from a control. According to the product description, "The cooling system is CFC-free and free from polluting cooling liquids. An additional ventilator inside the cooling chamber ensures that the cold is distributed optimally inside the cover."

[via: Yanko Design]