Speaking of Dean & Deluca...lately I've been on a bit of a kitchen spending spree. Not only have I been going to the regular grocery store to buy basic things like eggs and milk to force myself to cook and eat at home, but I have been shopping for gourmet food stuff as well as kitchen utensils, gadgets, and equipment.
For the most part I have been loyal to...no one! Because I do a lot of the shopping online, I skip from Crate and Barrel for ice cream bowls to Dean & Deluca for pretty little things like spice tins to Williams-Sonoma for a pepper mill. I even found myself hoarding all those 20% and $5 off coupons to Bed, Bath and Beyond and getting Brita filters there. In other words, I have no favorite.
However, I know that many people do. At the very least, people have favorites for certain types of things, and might include small local stores. Where are your favorite places to shop?
Two memories come to mind: the endless hours of peeling and chopping potatoes at my job at a breakfast/lunch place. I must have cut 10 tons of potatoes over those years. The other memory is my mother peeling potatoes on holidays. She would pull the peeler towards her, instead of away like you're supposed to, but she never cut herself.
I thought of those times when looking at this: Tater Mitts (audio/video will start when you click). They're glove with a rough edge that peel potatoes easily. You just rub the potatoes with your gloves under running water and it takes the skin off. Extra bonus: your hands will look like an alien from Star Trek.
When I separate eggs, I do it manually in a way what most people would say is slightly risky - I crack the egg into two halves over a bowl, and pass the yolk back and forth while letting the whites drip into the bowl. The better way to do it manually, of course, is to sanitize your hands, crack the whole egg into a bowl, and lift the yolk out with your hand. To me, that's a little too messy.
I guess you could use -- uh -- technology, and give this ceramic egg separator a try. You crack the egg into the head, tilt to 45 degrees, and let the whites slip out of his nose. For some reason, if I used this thing, I don't think I'd ever eat an egg white omelet again.
So you dreamt about what you'd like to see in the kitchen of the future, right? Well, if it included being able to tell a machine to cook something without having to get up from in front of the tv, you don't have to wait for the future. You can do it now! I said now!
Daewoo's new microwave oven can hear me loud and clear. The countertop microwave oven has a brushed aluminum finish, and though it has a full keypad, it doesn't need it because this baby is voice-activated. It stores 40 commands and responds to anyone who speaks to it. Not only is it voice-activated, but it also has the ability to automatically determine the cooking time with 95% accuracy. Just hope that it's not popcorn in there the other 5% of the time (unless you're like me, who kind of likes the smell of burnt popcorn).
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!
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."
In a tiny apartment kitchen, space is almost as valuable as the ingredients and cooking tool themselves. A good way to save space is by investing in contraptions that fold or collapse for easy storage.
David Gu has designed the Cooking Audio Player, which is sort of misnomer since it doesn't cook anything, but is a storage container for garlic, onions, lemons, ginger, etc. However, it is audio, since it plays digital music that is streamed from any PC, home media centers, and portable media players set up with wireless transmission technology. It may seem somewhat frivolous, but let us turn to our hero and mentor Alton Brown, who pooh-poohs kitchen unitaskers. Storage and music? That's definitely a multi-tasker in my book.
Hey, we don't doubt that you are the consummate host or hostess at your party - greeting guests at the door with a cocktail, cooking, serving, clearing plates, chatting, and all done with utter grace. However, there might be times when you want to kick back for one second (just one, mind you), and let someone else do the work. Or some thing, that is.
These Rolling Serving Dishes from Fines' Makers (out of Israel) might help for that one second you have to retreat to the powder room. Sure, they don't serve themselves, but they sure will keep your guests entertained as they "take on and pass ti on." Besides, they're so adorably sleek and chic.
Full Belly doesn't ask the all important question regarding this kitchen gadget - WHY? Why on earth would anyone want to make hard boiled eggs square? Or at least 'edged' as results as displayed via this flickr set do not seem that successful.
It is a Chinese invention by the look of the packet but Full Belly has tracked down an online stockist. The Gadget Source has it listed for for $2.99.
With quite a few food blogging events coming up that focus on cold things (sweets in particular), an ice cream maker is a great thing to have in the kitchen. (Unless, of course, you want to do a rainbow jell-o mold). However, if you've got more than one person in your household, or heck, your tastebuds have a double-personality, you might need to do more than just one flavor. Enter, the double ice cream maker.
The Koolatron Double Ice Cream Maker makes two flavors at once in your freezer. It's available from Targat, and you'd think that a double ice cream maker would cost twice as much, but this one is only $16.99. Target also has a model made by a different manufacturer, the DuoTreat Ice Cream Maker, which is a few dollars more at $19.99.
This is so cool - a scale in which you can measure dry or wet ingredients, in both metric and standard, that are hard to weigh on a regular scale that has a flat surface. It's also very cool because you can tare the scale (set it back to zero) even when there are things already in the scale - so you can just add additional ingredients right into the container.
The scale is made by eva Solo and has only three parts - all of them are dishwasher safe. It is available online at Modern Motive for $72.95.
Magnetic spice racks are certainly not a brand, spanking new innovation in storage and space-saving, but MOCHA has made one in different colors. The beauty of it is that the small containers that have see-thru tops so instead of having labels that say "rosemary" and "tarragon," you can see all your pretty herbs and spices inside. Of course, that means you have to be able to identify all your herbs and spices by sight.
Each strip holds five containers and costs £13.99. As mentioned earlier by a commenter, it would be a great gift for a graduate, pre-filled with common spices.
Sometimes, cooking for one or two every night is just as much of a challenge as cooking for a large family of six. Whereas cooking for a large family requires savvy stretching of dollars and food, cooking for one or two requires the ability to cook in small quantities without wasting food. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't get creative with leftovers.
The micro rice cooker helps out by allowing you to cook a small amount of rice, and conveniently, too, since the ceramic pot goes in the microwave oven. Once the rice is cooked, you can eat straight from the bowl. It's certainly not any faster, since the uncooked rice still has to be washed/rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes before cooking. If you want speed, then just go for the pre-cooked ready packed rice available at Asian markets.
Have you ever stashed a Coke in the freezer, hoping to chill it quickly, then forgotten all about it, only to have it explode all over your frozen peas?
Ah, memories of peeling potatoes.
So you dreamt about what you'd like to see in the 
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.
You probably don't think much about what you use to peel your vegetables, but the Seattle Times 
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.
In a tiny apartment kitchen, space is almost as valuable as the ingredients and cooking tool themselves. A good way to save space is by investing in contraptions that fold or collapse for easy storage. 
Or rather, sing to your supper?
Hey, we don't doubt that you are the consummate host or hostess at your party - greeting guests at the door with a cocktail, cooking, serving, clearing plates, chatting, and all done with utter grace. However, there might be times when you want to kick back for one second (just one, mind you), and let someone else do the work. Or some thing, that is.
Full Belly
With quite a few food blogging events coming up that 
This is so cool - a 
Magnetic spice racks are certainly not a brand, spanking new innovation in storage and space-saving, but 
Sometimes, cooking for one or two every night is just as much of a challenge as cooking for a large family of six. Whereas cooking for a large family requires savvy stretching of dollars and food, cooking for one or two requires the ability to cook in small quantities without wasting food. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't get creative with leftovers.
A fraking amazing Battlestar Galactica cake
Iced Tea 101
Pierogies + cheese + onions + kraut = Parmageddon!
