KitchenCUE

Top 10 Tools for Your Kitchen

Spring is the season of new beginnings and the perfect opportunity to consider those things that clutter our lives and those that give us inspiration to be healthy, happy and fulfilled.

 

In the kitchen, simplicity is the name of game.  While distractions abound, with all the fabulous new gadgets we feel like we can’t live without, here is my list of tools that have vast functionality and really do make our life easier.

 

It goes without saying that a sharp chefs knife, a high quality sauté pan for those fresh, easy one-pan meals and a cutting board that won’t dull your knife are absolutely essential and at the top of the list.  With these basics handled, here are a few more supporting players that will round out the fundamental needs.

 

Mesh strainer – salvage your kitchen gaffes such as eggshells in crepe batter and curdled custard; produce soups with a luscious, silky texture; drain pasta and chopped tomatoes; sift dry ingredients and the list goes on and on.  A strainer makes you look good, even when you’re not quite feeling it!

Sharpening steel – use it every time you grab your knife to hone the edge and cut with less effort.  You will be amazed at the difference it makes and every KitchenCUE DVD contains a “how to” video on using a steel.

Small bowls for mise en place – meaning “everything in its place”, they allow you to get organized and work clean.

Serrated knife –Use this knife to cut citrus fruits, tomatoes and other acidic ingredients which will otherwise dull the edge of your chefs knife.

Heat resistant spatula – combines the flexibility of a traditional rubber spatula with the heat-resistant qualities of a metal kitchen utensil.  Use in temperatures up to 500 degrees without the fear of melting plastic into your food or damaging the bottom of your pots and pans.

Parchment paper – certainly not essential but it absolutely makes clean up, and thus your life, easier!  Use it anytime you put a sheet pan in the oven; baking cookies, making croutons, toasting nuts, etc. 

Peeler – always needed, have one that works…well!

 

Take a look at what is causing your drawers to overflow, and simplify it all.  Every tool needs to pull its weight.  Make this the beginning of peace, health and joy in your kitchen!

 

Focusing on the clever and simple guidelines of Michael Pollan’s new book Food Rules, Chef Shellie Kark will inspire the "enlightened mindset" and demonstrate new cooking strategies that will make you feel better, eat healthier and help you live a more sustainable life. Week 1: Rule #25 Eat Your Colors! Visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/kitchencue for more information on the event!

Oven Dried Tomatoes

I woke up to a blanket of snow yesterday, Wednesday April 7th.  The sun came out in the afternoon and it all melted away but it feels like it has been a long winter.  I am in the planning stages of planting my urban garden plot and very excited about the possibilities, but we are still months away from the tomato harvest.  Every year, around this time, my desperation for those warm, right off the vine tomatoes becomes overwhelming and I am tempted to buy a hothouse version, even though I know I will be disappointed. 

I don't think highly of the Roma tomato that, week in and week out blankets the grocery store produce sections, but with a little skill and love, I can get them to taste, well, good...actually!  Oven drying a tomato intensifies its flavor and can turn something that is VERY average into something worthy of your plate! 

They are great in all kinds of salads, from pasta to spinach and they do well atop a crostini, brushed with olive oil and rubbed with garlic.  It gets me one step closer to summer, even in the dead of winter.  It's a trick that works and I think you'll like it so give it a try and let me know!  

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Wash the Roma tomatoes well to remove any wax.  Core the tomatoes and cut them in half from the North Pole to the South Pole.  Place them, cut side up, on a rack that is fitted onto a sheet pan or cookie sheet.

Drizzle the tomato halves with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Place in the preheated oven and roast for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of your tomatoes, until they just beginning to shrivel.  Turn the oven temperature down to 200 degrees.  Continue to let the tomatoes dry out in the oven until they are the texture you desire.  I usually let them go another hour and a half to two hours, again depending on their size.

I like the flavors to be concentrated and the texture to be slightly wet and tender.   If you prefer a more leathery texture, keep them in the oven longer. You can turn the oven off and let them sit in the warmth overnight or remove them once they are done. 

Eat a few while they are warm and put the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they will last for a week.  If you completely cover them with olive oil you can extend their life.  Mine never last that long...