News

Tools of the trade

By Laura Reiley, Times Food Critic
Published September 26, 2007

---

ADVERTISEMENT

So, you can whip up a hollandaise without fear of breaking it and you're contemplating beginning your own sourdough starter. Now is the time to assess your kitchen utensils and gadgets to determine how gracefully they will take you into the next stage of culinary expertise. Many of the following kitchen tools are available in grocery stores as well as at kitchen specialty stores such as Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens 'n Things. Troll the Web too, starting with www.williams-sonoma.com or www.crateandbarrel.com. Here are 10 essentials for getting serious in the kitchen.

SMALL RAMEKINS: Decorative ramekins are multipurpose gadgets. Great for a trio of dips for an hors d'oeuvre tray and indispensable for baked souffles or custards or for molding a rice timbale. Buy ramekins that are safe for freezer, oven and microwave.

STRAWBERRY HULLER: Not strictly for strawberry season, these little babies work like tweezers, effective for removing bones in a fillet of salmon or halibut. They also fashion a homey, crimped edge on pies or tarts and allow one to carefully place a garnish or finishing touch on a dish. 

KITCHEN SCALE: A good kitchen scale is an essential item for the dieter as well as the serious cook. A digital or spring scale (or a baker's balance that work by counterweights) allows one to weigh portions and determine cooking times. (Mushrooms and cheeses are listed strictly by weight in many recipes.) 

CHEESECLOTH: The loosely woven cotton comes on a roll and is cut to size. It can be used to drain yogurt, squeeze the liquid out of grated vegetables, drape over the Thanksgiving turkey to prevent excessive browning, or bundle a classic bouquet garni in a bubbling stock. Pieces can often be washed with dishwashing soap, air-dried and reused.

CAST IRON SKILLET: The steady, even heating of a well-seasoned skillet is a boon to all kinds of dishes. Tarte tatin, frittatas and potatoes Anna start on top of the stove and then go directly in the oven. With cast iron, you don't need to worry about wrecking the handle or finish of a pan. To remind yourself that the pan is hot after it comes out of the oven, drape a potholder over the handle.

PASTRY BRUSHES: Be sure to buy two: one for sweet things and one for savory. Paint the handles different colors so that the one with the faint scent of garlic is not used to brush glaze onto the fruit tart. Choose a flat boar bristle brush (plastic bristles shed and melt) to evenly cover pastry surface area and a long-handled round brush to baste ribs or chicken. To clean, wash with warm, soapy water and rinse well. 

PASTRY BAG AND TIPS: Plastic-lined canvas pastry bags can be improvised with a waxed paper cone or by fitting a pastry tip into a hole in a sealable plastic bag. A sturdy set of graduated plain and star-shaped metal tips are essential, though, for duchesse potatoes, cake decorating and canape garnishes. Leaf borders, inscriptions and icing flowers may require a more advanced set of cake-decorating tips. Look for complete kits at party supply stores.

MELON BALLER OR "PARISIENNE": Aside from the obvious, this tool works wonders when scraping seeds from zucchini or cucumber. Because the cutting edge is very sharp, it leaves a clean line in vegetables. Try it when removinggills from the underside of portobello mushrooms before grilling.

SQUEEZE BOTTLE: Like the kind used in salons for hair dye, a plastic squeeze bottle with a fine tip allows you to decoratively sauce a dessert plate with squiggles, strategically dress a salad, or add a dollop of guacamole to the hors d'oeuvres. Look for clear squeeze bottles at drug stores.

OFFSET SPATULA: This long, straight spatula has a crook in it up by the handle. It keeps your hand away from the heat when flipping flapjacks on the griddle and prevents an arm from accidentally grazing the surface of a cake during icing. Look for a broad, stainless steel blade with a full tang and triple rivets for added strength.

[Last modified September 25, 2007, 11:18:20]