[svadhisthana]

What is your favorite gadget? The one item that nobody needs but you absolutely love.

 

[mezzaluna]

I love my aluminum batti carni. A heavy pan would do, but I love it.

 

[kimmie]

Hi Mez,

What's a "batti carni"?

I have a small gadget for julienning green beans.

Also love my little garlic mandoline. It gives me nice paper thin slices on one side and the other side purées it.

 

[isa]

I love my mandoline and my food mill not sure if htey qualify as gadget though.


Kimmie I am curious where did you find a garlic mandoline??

 

[svadhisthana]

I would also love to know more about the garlic mandoline. I have a recipe for garlic "chips" that I want to try out on my mother ( she's a BIG fan of garlic anything). What is the source? How much? etc.

[ June 03, 2001: Message edited by: Svadhisthana ]

 

[mezzaluna]

A batti carne (spelling???) is what you use to flatten veal scallops, chicken breast, etc. I think carne/carni means meat. Batti may mean beat. I won't go there.....

 

[coolj]

I have my tomato shark, it's basically a miniature mellon baller, with a serrated scoop, used for coring tomatoes. I also have a mini garlic slicer, I got it at liquidation world for $0.99, it's pretty cool, although the coolest gadget I've ever seen in the kitchen, is the pocket blow torch, I would really like to get one of those.

[ June 03, 2001: Message edited by: coolJ ]

 

[kimmie]

Gotcha Mez!

Sisi and Svadhisthana,

I had to send someone on holidays in Texas to pick one up for me at Williams-Sonoma. But don't cry, I think I saw it at La Soupière...

[ June 03, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

 

[svadhisthana]

I found it here

 

[kimmie]

That's the one. Glad you found it.

In exchange, I want you to tell me how to do that "here" thing...pleaaaaaaaaaaaaase!!



[ June 03, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

 

[nancya]

You will have to pry my stick blender out of my cold dead fingers. Yes, I could use a whisk for most of the things I do with it, but I love my stick blender. Also love my vacuum sealer. Allows me to buy big hunks of good cheese [good, not great - unless I buy by mail I'm not going to get great here] and reseal it so that it stays fresh for months, which is a good thing for us home cooks. I also use it to preserve bulk yeast so that I only spen $3-4 per year on yeast.

 

[pooh]

I have a little battery powered milk frother, perfect for Capuccino.

It's like having a magic wand!

Hubby laughed at me when I bought it. Guess who's having the last laugh!

 

[svadhisthana]

Nancya,
I love my stick blender too. So much so that I no longer consider it a "gadget". I think every kitchen should have one.

Kimmie, I am going to two local gourmet kitchen supply stores and see if they have the garlic mandolin. Have you found any non-garlic related uses for it? I love to multitask my "toys"

 

[kimmie]

Yep! I also use it to purée ginger. Makes nice slices too on the reverse side.

Another thing I love is the "Great Grater" from Martha Stewart. Talk about multitasking, this thing grates cheese, chocolate, garlic, ginger, it's fantastic for zesting either an orange or a lemon or a lime. I paid way too much for it (canadian exchange and all) but it's a very versatile "toy".



[ June 04, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

 

[kylew]

My stock/soup/gumbo skimmer. I do not have the fine motor skills necessary to skim stock with a metal spoon or ladle.
Following the Path of Least Resistance....

PS Mezz, thank you for your restraint


[ June 04, 2001: Message edited by: KyleW ]

 

[chefjohnpaul]

A pie cooling rack. But, not for cooling crust or bread, the wire criss-cross pattern is perfect for pushing through avocados & hard boiled eggs for a perfect dice without making a mess with a chef's knife.

 

[svadhisthana]

Thanks Chef John Paul, that's a great tip.

 

[svadhisthana]

I bought a garlic madoline yesterday! $7.99 at bed bath and beyond Can't wait to use it.

 

[kimmie]

Svad,

Used your garlic mandolin yet? Two months have passed since your purchase...

 

[markdchef]

Spiral whisk for long narrow containers sold at Williams Sonoma. Looks very George Jetsen. Great for whipping in measuring cups. Love the tomato corer/strawberry corer too!