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Kitchen Tips from The Kitchn
The Kitchn is one of my favorite food sites, in large part because it often comes up with some pretty nifty hacks. Here are a few that they've posted recently:
- Use your garlic press to juice key limes - I don't have a garlic press anymore. This is mostly because I prefer to handle garlic with a knife than a press, but I also don't like unitaskers. This tip gives a garlic press another purpose. If you can't come up with a couple more for it, I'm disappointed.
- Keep writing utensils in your kitchen - a permanent marker is good for labeling freezer bags. A dry-erase marker (or a permanent marker and a bit of masking tape) is better for reusable leftover containers. A pen and notebook are great for keeping recipe notes.
- How to plump up your raisins - This should also work with other dried fruit.
- Keep add-ins from sinking to the bottom of your baked goods - a simple trick (toss the stuff in flour) to keep your fruit, nuts, or whatever from sinking to the bottom or your muffins or cakes.
My grandfather's (in-law) kitchen is full of impressive machinery--I haven't seen the overwhelming need for half of the the stuff that he has. After working in kitchens for 15 years, I'm personally content with a good chef knife, a saute pan, soup pan, sauce pan, and a cutting board. This is, of course, excluding stuff for baking.
I like the idea of a more versatile garlic press, however: I once used mine to crush pomegranate seeds for a reduction I was making.
Kudos by the way, on the coffee maker beer post. I've told every one I know about it--admittedly, not a lot, but a few people are now on board to try it out.
I haven't bothered to get another garlic press after rekitchening. Bang on garlic with a knife and it goes just fine. I do occasionally peel it by hand and then chop it up into chunks with kitchen shears, though!
A fruit reamer, however, is awesome. Example:
http://www.surlatable.com/product/kitchen+&+bar+tools/specialty+tools/fr...
I mean, it only does one thing but man does it do it well. I am a big fan of daquiris made "old skool" with the juice of a lime, simple syrup and golden rum. This beats the pants off any other method of juicing.