Foodmomiac

Greediness in the Kitchen

A few years ago, I had a problem. If I wanted something for my kitchen, I'd find a way to get it. My cookbook collection grew exponentially, and for every gift occasion, I'd add a small appliance. I got my dream blender, a mandoline (that I'm still afraid to use), a pasta maker, a meat grinder, multiple Le Creusets, a fondue set and a spaetzle maker. This would have continued on indefinitely, but we embarked on a VERY LONG house selling odyssey, so I had to stop adding items to my kitchen.

We finally sold the house, but for the past nine months, we've been in a small(ish) apartment, and I just haven't had room for STUFF.

But now, we are preparing to move to our new house, and I'm just salivating at the small appliances I can now start requesting (I have a hard time buying these things for myself. It's stupid.).

On my wish list:

- The KitchenAid ice cream making attachment (pictured above)
- A new Lean Mean Grilling Machine (the drunk nanny borrowed ours and never returned it, and I love using it for paninis)
- A rectangular roasting pan with high handles (like this one)
- A V-Rack for roasting
- A Silpat baking sheet
- Silicone oven mitts that go higher on my arm than the ones I currently own
- Lots and lots of pretty flour sack towels
- A milk frother (I lost ours)
- A small nonstick skillet (we have a giant one that fits about 6 eggs - overkill!)

I think I'll stop now, because Michael just told me that I'm obscene. :-)

Kitchen Tool of the Week - Whirley Pop

Tonight Dylie and I had a sleepover party. We used to do this every Friday, but then Max was born, and with our co-sleeping, multiple night wakings and general exhaustion, we had to put the tradition on hold (poor Dylie!). We started up again a few weeks ago.

Sleepover parties at our house consist of a movie and freshly popped porcorn. Tonight's feature was Bambi 2 - cute. We made popcorn in our Whirley Pop - I love this thing. It's old-fashioned, it works perfectly every time, and it's fun.

We used a blue kernel popcorn that came as part of a gourmet pack and topped it with freshly melted butter and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt. It was delicious. And my big girl is currently sleeping curled up against me - that's delicious too (even more than the popcorn).

Kitchen Tool of the Week - Le Creuset

                  

The above two cooking implements are without a doubt my two favorites in the kitchen. The big round one on the right has been a part of my kitchen for almost 10 years now. The smaller casserole (called a braiser at some stores) was a Christmas present from my mother-in-law.

I've been doing so much braising in this blog that I thought it was high time I chatted a bit about my equipment. I love, love, love Le Creuset. This pots weight a frickin' ton. I have, no joke, injured my back while removing the big one from the oven. But, there is nothing like it for cooking a big pot of soup, or chili, or for making my brisket.

The little guy (which is actually quite heavy in its own right) is a very welcome addition to my cabinet. I love it! It is the perfect size for braised vegetables, or braised chicken.

Le Creuset items clean beautifully. If food is stuck, just soak for an hour or two with some water and soap and everything will come off effortlessly.

Growing up, my mom had (and still has) a brown Le Creuset pot. Maybe that's why I feel so emotional about these pots. Every awesome meal from childhood (chili, minestrone, brisket) was made in the brown Le Creuset. I love tradition.

Kitchen Tool of the Week - Potato Ricer

I love my Potato Ricer. I love it so much that for this week, "Ingredient of the Week" has turned into "Kitchen Tool of the Week." You can get new Potato Ricers at any kitchen supply store, but I found mine (for $5) at a yard sale in Vermont about 10 years ago. It works perfectly, so I haven't seen any need to upgrade, but I'm sure the new ones work just as well.

Potato ricers make the fluffiest mashed potatoes imaginable. Tonight, Dylan peeled a few Russets and we boiled them until they were tender. I then drained them in a colander, and pressed them through my ricer back into the pot. Don't they look just like rice?

To turn riced potatoes into mashed potatoes, you just add some liquid. I added half a stick of butter and some skim milk. I also added salt.

The mashed potatoes were accompanied by Peppered Maple Turkey Breast. This turned out very well and was incredibly easy. Leftovers will make an awesome sandwich tomorrow for either myself or Dylan. I would have had leftovers for both of us, but my father-in-law joined us for dinner. I was glad - I'll take company over leftovers any time. 

Here is a photo of the plated dinner:

Yes, we had peas once again. Dylan pulled them out of the freezer, and I didn't dare argue with a four-year-old who is actually requesting a vegetable.

Lauren said she wanted to see what I would make with squash, beets and goat cheese. Stay tuned for tomorrow night's dinner to find out!

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