FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Kitchen gizmos worth having
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
If I had to make do, I could pretty much run the kitchen start to finish with three knives, a pair of tongs, a couple of good-quality wooden spoons and an olive-wood spatula that I use for everything. But what fun would that be? New tools to a foodie are like shoes to a fashionista — never too many.
Today I want to profile three newish tools that are well-thought-out ideas. I think all three have staying power.
The first is not new but still isn't used widely, so it gets the most puzzled looks when I haul it out. It's a torturous-looking device called a ricer, used to create lump-free, fluffy and sensuous mashed potatoes and other mashed vegetables. Mine is a heavy-duty metal one, but they make lightweight molded plastic ones now that are less expensive and easier to hold. This thing makes the best mashed potatoes. Period. Taste 'em once and you'll never go back to a masher.
Next is a family of instruments that swept through the professional culinary world like a tidal wave a couple of years back, but are just making their way into home kitchens. The Microplane graters are a food-friendly version of the carpenter's rasp. (The idea actually came from chefs who were using rasps in the kitchen for everything from lemon peel to nutmeg.) Microplane is a brand name of Grace Manufacturing, an Arkansas firm that specializes in carpentry tools made from tough stainless-steel alloy. Their secret, they say, is perfectly formed cutting teeth.
The hand-held graters are ultra-sharp, rust-resistant, take very little effort to use and will cut through most anything. Different versions have different sizes of holes and teeth, with a range from ultra-fine to thickish. Keeping your nails and knuckles away from the razor-like blades can be a challenge, but the results are worth the risk.
Finally, this last tool came across my desk a few months ago, and I was so unimpressed I gave it away, thinking my tool drawer was already too full. Then I used one and had to buy my own: It's what happens when a spatula marries a pair of tongs. There's a version that's getting a lot of paid time on TV and turns from a spatula thing into a whisk-like thing, but one that grabs. It's got a plastic handle and looks kind of flimsy. I prefer the hardy, no-nonsense Kuhn Rikon version. It's perfect for turning delicate fish or patties during frying, or for picking foods up without bruising them.
