Tag Archives: kitchen tools

Double Duty Kitchen Tools

While I really enjoy browsing through Williams-Sonoma and looking at all of the lovely gadgets, gizmos, molds, pans and speciality items, the truth is that most basic kitchen tools and accessories will do the job of all of these fancy items. Do you really need a mallet to tenderize meat, a food grinder specifically for nuts or even cookie cutters? You might be surprised how common kitchen tools that you may already have can do the work of several other gadgets. Take a look at what your tools can do and save both money and space in your kitchen. Ice … Continue reading →

More Cleaning Tips For Pots and Pans

Pots and pans take quite a beating in their lifetimes, but they are not battered. They are made to either withstand the heat or get out of the kitchen, as that old saying goes. Their home is your kitchen, and you as cooks and kitchen curator, must do your part to preserve them by keeping them as clean as possible. How, you ask? Well, here are some tips to consider, that is, if you dare to read on, stand up and…scour! Saving Scorched Pans While this mission may not be as patriotic as saving Private Ryan, for example, it is … Continue reading →

Cleaning Stubborn Pots and Pans

Probably the biggest contest in your kitchen will be keeping those pots and pans of yours clean. This is no easy task, and if you don’t believe me, just ask your pots. Chances are, they are just as unhappy with the way they look as you are and could stand a makeover. Consider these tips. In the long run, they will appreciate you a lot more. Pots in Particular To remove stubborn food residue from non-aluminum pots pour in a small amount of bleach and add some hot water. Let the solution sit in the pot at least 3 to … Continue reading →

Knives For The Kitchen: How Sharp!

If you are in the market for knives for your kitchen, one important rule of thumb is to go for quality and not quantity. A really efficient kitchen only needs a few: a four-inch parer, an eight-inch chef’s knife (also known as a French or cook’s knife) and a long serrated-edged bread slicer. Always keep them sharp and they will never let you down. It is also much safer, as with a duller knife one must exert greater pressure in order to use it. This in turn increases the possibility of julienned fingers and possibly toes, if your aim is … Continue reading →

Measuring Cups: A Formidable Past

Whoever was the clever fellow or gal who thought up the idea of a measuring cup anyway? What happened if the user could neither read, nor subtract (much less add) and how did that affect their baking? No one may ever know the answer to the latter question, but the Babylonian civilization was the earliest on record to implement a unit for weight. (There were no diet organizations back then; only weight measures. Ah, modern civilization!) According to archaeological records, the Babylonian mina, which weighs about 23 ounces, is the earliest weight measurement known to man. Many ancient wall carvings … Continue reading →