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Practical |
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Cooking Little is a kitchen shopping and tips blog for urban dwellers and anyone who cooks in a small kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, we feature diversions such as culinary travel spots, classes and tasting events. |
Recently in Practical Category Light My Fire, the makers of the Grilliput and it's trusty side kick the Fire Bowl, knew the intuitive design and light weight would make backpackers drool, but apartment dwellers? Sure. The Grilliput is built to last and to travel -- made of stainless steel and weighing a smidge over a pound. It's nothing to store and the compact footprint is right for a petite balcony. You can pretend it's a chiminea! Away from home it slips into a bag for the park, a hike, or even for a last minute weekend rental. A warning -- this dreamy micro grill set up is not well suited to the "look out below" fire escape BBQ scene. (REI, Target and Amazon carry the Grilliput, but Think Geek has the sweetest deal. Or check your local camping store.) $28.98 for the set AT THINK GEEK Practical
 Chefs have their own styles and they outfit their kitchen to what suits them. This impetuous kitchen tool, the Flavour Shaker, suits Jamie Oliver's style and attitudes about cooking and entertaining perfectly. He favors energetic displays, getting it done and keeping the fun going. Home cooks live their cooking styles too, but the Flavour Shaker may not pass the test for everyone. Those married to the tradition of the mortal and pestle may find this item too cheeky. We gave it a go and saw enough benefits, particularly for small kitchen cooks, to think it has merit. It's saves wattage because you power it; though it can be as loud as an electric grinder. To have a good time with the Flavour Shaker it is important to read the directions. (Shocking, yes.) A few tips will keep you straight. Tips such as making sure it is closed and don't over fill it. At first you might think that it is pear shaped to fit smartly in the hand. That seems true enough, because it does. Ah, but there's more method in the design than just an ergonomic fit. If you invert the shaker so the small side is facing down you can take the grind smaller. Our testing included coriander seeds, star anise, black peppercorn, fenugreek, fresh garlic. and chili flakes. The chili flakes were the only spice that needed more than 20 shakes. And a quick thwap to garlic with the flat of a chef's knife before putting it in the Flavour Shaker may help it get an even crush started. (Or maybe leave the garlic to the press.) Our salad dressing experiment was a beautifully emulsified concoction of fresh oregano, Maldon Salt, black peppercorns, olive oil, pomegranate syrup and balsamic vinegar. As soon as the temperature rises, we move on to how well the Flavour Shake works for the quickie Mojito -- muddle in the shaker and finish in the glass. Comes with spoon for scooping out rustic pesto, spice pastes and rubs. Or shake and pour dressings, marinades sauces and slurries directly into pots, pans or onto food. $29.99 AT AMAZON Practical
 Small kitchens mean making choices. Special shaped pans are just not that necessary. The heart shaped cake, though, is pretty easy to manage without the fancy pan. If you have both a square and round cake pan, try here for instructions. Basically, you cut the round cake in half and position them on two adjacent sides of the square cake. Then you have to give it up for the person using a a tube cake pan. Me? I'd probably just go at a round cake with a knife, a quick v cut at the top and a little off both sides. The bonus of this way is you have snack before you begin to frost the cake. If a two-layer cake is your goal, this approach could still work with two round cake layers. Or a sheet pan could work if you wanted to go completely freehand for a two layer cake. In either case a parchment or cardboard heart make work as a guide. Frosting and berries can hide any imperfections. And let's face it, if you go to the trouble of making someone a cake and they can't get past it's unique qualities, well then, they are just not your Valentine and it's best you found out now. Practical
This desert is sensual and fancy yet it is really just milk, sugar and patience. Three or four hours of stirring seemed like too much effort when one could buy Dulce de Leche on almost any block in the city. Well, the need for thrift and some short cut instructions from Dan has changed things. Keep in mind his recipe is experimental and it may not work for larger batches. (maybe a larger pot will keep his technique intact if you double the dulce.) Use it at will on ice cream, fruit or as a cookie filling. Dan like his as caramel chews. Practical
 After considerable hoopla about the Whole Foods value tour, I did my own research. Sure, the organic house brands are a way to save, but the frozen case is full of good value. These tasty mini-quiches could easily be mistaken for handmade. The flavors are spinach, mushroom and three cheese.They cost somewhere between -- "Homemade is cheaper" and "Caterers? Not this year." under $6.00 AT WHOLE FOODS Practical
 Adored by bakers! There's no stopping and starting their standing mixer to scrape the bowl, the blade does it automatically. The Beater Blade+ is a blade and spatula in one. There are four models to work with top standing mixers -- KitchenAid®, Cuisinart(TM), Viking®, and DeLonghi® from $24.95 AT COOKING.COM Practical
 Ubiquitous Urban Shelving On Sale It seems every urbanite has considered or owned Metro Shelving at one time or another. It’s multi-talented, good looking and easy to move. The same piece might triple your counter space in one apartment and trick out your office or the kid’s room in another. Back in the day, though, it never went on sale. Now Metro Shelving is 25% off. 25% off AT THE CONTAINER STORE Practical
 Singles, couples and those with micro-kitchens might want to pass on this item, unless freezing green market bounty is your thing. But for families who are juggling schedules and different palates this is a frugal and healthy kitchen tool. $173.97 AT FOODSAVER Practical
READ MORE ON It's Time To Vacuum.
These light catching glasses make a colorful and stable stack thanks to the weighted bottoms. Don't under estimate the usefulness of color coded glasses on a small table. In hand blown glass from Mexico, the 4 glass set stacks to measure 20 inches high. set of four $60.00 AT UNCOMMONGOODS Practical
READ MORE ON Vertical Rainbow.
 If you have 16 inches of floor space to spare this is a neat and truly civilized way to store your cookware or bowls. No wrestling them out of their hiding places. If you happen to have floor space for the rack adjacent to your stove, here’s a tip: store a round cutting board under the pot on the shelf on the rack that is near your arm level. When you move the pot to the stove the cutting board acts as a small staging area. Or maybe it's simply a handy spot for the cook’s wine glass. Freestanding Enclume pot racks come in 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 tier models. $279.95 6-Tier AT COOKING.COM Practical
READ MORE ON Enclume Pot Racks.
 Three inches of shelf space can store six 5 oz. acrylic spice jars. If you are a stickler for keeping spices away from light, consider the stainless version or in the UK a recycled glass version. $17.95 AT WRAPABLES.COM Practical
READ MORE ON Spice Towers.
 When an elaborate meal requires more pots than available burners, try stacking. Flip the bottom pot lid and set the second pot on the inverted lid. If the lid doesn’t sit steady, a pie plate can be substituted for the inverted lid. SUBMIT YOUR OWN VERTICAL TIP HERE Practical
 The space saving nature of the Stelton carafe is easy missed with its heading turning design and easy going rocker spout that opens as your pour. But this vacuum jug holds a quart of liquid working on a spare 4.2 inch base. $89.00 AT VESSEL Practical
 1) Spin greens, 2) use stainless bowl as a salad bowl, 3) Fill with ice, then beer, wine or champagne, 4) Steady ears of corn on the “spin peak” in the bottom to cut kernels from the cob. Thanks for the inspiration, Elise, on that last one. $49.95 AT COOKING.COM Practical
READ MORE ON 4 Things to do with a Salad Spinner.
 Using tongs all day long is second nature to the pros. With a twisting lock function, 18/10 stainless steel and a hanging loop, these Cuisipro tongs are simple presentation of an indispensable utensil. $11.99 AT TARGET Practical
 Many fancy restaurant meals start or finish on a lowly pie plate. A home cook can do well to have stacks and stacks of pie plates, one of the most reached for items in a professional kitchen and they reach for it with tongs. $7.95 and up AT SUR LA TABLE Practical
READ MORE ON Pie Pan.
 What makes pureed soups in fine restaurants so velvety? Straining and generous amounts of butter and cream. In a small kitchen a mesh sieve smoothes out soups, sauces and more. $29.95 AT CRATE AND BARREL Practical
READ MORE ON Wire Sieve.
 They are unbreakable, elegant and feel comfy in the hand. Yep, that's a thumb rest, so you shouldn't tire from lazy afternoons of quaffing wine. Made of food/pharmaceutical safe PETG, so they are reusable and recyclable. $1.99 AT WALLY'S WORLD OF WINE Practical
 Talk of reducing the use of non-biodegradable disposable utensils is right behind the plastic bag ban. Get ready with a utensil roll. Chopsticks, spoon, fork and a napkin in a silk roll. $19.95 AT GLOBAL EXCHANGE Practical
 A Brilliant Small Kitchen Tactic A vegetarian, non-cooking friend wanted to eat better. He learned to “assemble” versus cook by mimicking Whole Foods prepared foods. He made versions of the dishes using the Whole Foods brands such as 365. Clever. organic savings AT WHOLE FOODS Practical
 Not that long ago carrying this lunch cube would have meant some good natured ribbing. Now, it says you are doing your green share by not literally brown-bagging it. Part of a new system by Klip-it, these are perfect for impromptu meals anywhere. $4.99 AT THE CONTAINER STORE Practical
What good is having a collection of your own bags to use at retail and grocery stores it you don’t have them when the whim to shop strikes? $9.95 AT REUSABLEBAGS.COM Practical
READ MORE ON Reisenthel – Mini Max Shopper with long handles.
It’s part straw, part filter. Tempered glass Wisdom Wands let you make fresh minimalist beverages home or on-the-go. Loose tea or ground coffee go in the cup or glass, add water and drink. $17.00 and up GREENHOME.COM |
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