"tools" news and stories

Have you ever seen a beautiful loaf of artisan bread and wondered how the baker got those great slash marks? Well, they got it by using a tool called the lame (pronounced lahm). The lame creates that slash, or score, in the bread, which is also called an ear.

The lame probably originated in France, but it was quickly adopted by artisan bakers in the US. It creates a score on the top of the bread that even a very sharp knife can't achieve, which is due to the curve of the lame as well as it's razor edge. When the bread expands in the oven, the crust will split at some point, no matter what. Scoring the top not only creates an aesthetically pleasing look to the bread, it also allows the baker to control how and where the inevitable split will be.

The lame is used by holding it gently by the very end, and dragging it across the surface of the dough just before putting it into the oven. You need to use enough pressure to cut into the dough, but try not to go too deep. Also, the lame should be held at a slight angle to the dough to get a proper ear. Most doughs with a stiff enough consistency should get a good ear, but really wet doughs will not.

The best one I could find for a home baker was this lame from King Arthur Flour.com. It should stay sharp for quite some time, and it comes with the blade guard for more safety while you're not using it. Professional bakers have a lame which has a replaceable blade, while this version does not. At under $7, this lame could be a great asset to your tool kit if you're really serious about bread.

We all know that when it comes to baking, it's important to be exact in your measurements. There's a world of difference between a heaping teaspoon and a perfectly leveled one. Too much baking powder in your cookie batter will potentially result in bitter cookies and odd leavening. And while the old system of using a butter knife to level your measuring spoons does work, the lazy among us often skip this step, haphazardly leveling their spoons with a finger or a few well-placed taps.

However, salvation has arrived, in the form of Self-Leveling Measuring Spoons. These measures have a sliding lever that scrapes off the excess and ensures that you always have the exact amount of baking powder, soda or cinnamon. I have about ten sets of measuring spoons, so I'll probably skip this set for now. However, for the people who do a whole lot of precision baking, I can see how these would make a great addition to their array of tools.

What do you guys think? Ingenious or ridiculous?

[via Book of Joe]

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I am in heaven. First I find flame decals for my Kitchen Aid. Now I've found the best web site ever, at least in my opinion.

Pastry Chef Central has everything a pastry chef (or geek) could ever want!
The site is basically split up into two sections: tools and ingredients. The tools section has several categories each filled with wonderful, beautiful toys, I mean tools. The ingredients section doesn't have any sub-sections, but it doesn't need any as it's choc full of lovely and fantastic things necessary for all manner of delicious desserts.

There's a third section, actually. It's a resource area with recipes and an "Ask the Chef" link.

The site is great. It's easy to read and follow. It's neat and clean, as any pastry web site should be. Best of all, Pastry Chef Central has lots of pictures! Can you actually see me drooling? Does anyone have any other pastry/baking websites to share?

It's just a concept right now, but I am very much looking forward to the day when a very bad chicken pisses me off and I can just do a quick draw Dirty Harry-style, point and blow that bird to Kingdom Come. With oregano.

The Spice Gun has a trigger that, when pulled, compresses the air in the air bag. The handspike will push the bottom of the seasoning bottle to make the nozzle in the turntable retract and spray the seasoning. Sure, it seems like a lot of machine effort for something we normally do with our bare hands, but hey, what's the fun in that? There's a reason we love those giant flavor injector syringes, too.

[via: Engadget]

Chances are that if you're a Slashfoodie, your kitchen's drawers and cabinets are overflowing with gadgets, tools and equipment that you use all year already. However, for those of us who rely on a single chef's knife and a pair of chopsticks to do just about everything in the kitchen, there are some certain tools that you might want to pick up between now and the Big Day to help with the Thanksgiving preparations. Things like brining bags and flavor injectors aren't necessary, but they do enhance, and other things like turkey slings and fat separators aren't required, they're just nice to have to make roasting turkeys and making gravy easier.

The one thing I'm just not so sure about? The Stuffing Cage. Just the name alone...

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