THE CHEF SPEAKS

This month, I'm going to be talking about Kitchen Toys - all the great gadgets that we have in our kitchens to make our lives easier. Sometimes, they're incredibly useful and sometimes, they're just so darned fun to play with. In reality, anything in your kitchen should have more than one purpose. The Food Network's Alton Brown says there is only room in your kitchen for one unique tasker - the fire extinguisher. While I agree (to a certain extent), there are some things that make cooking in a home kitchen much easier.

I'm not going to go into the everyday, mundane kitchen items. Everyone knows you need things like spatulas, stirring spoons and whisks. I'm going to delve into more unique items. I have broken them down into four categories - the "must haves", the "would be nice to have", the "specialty items" and the "don't waste your money." Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not going to turn to dust and blow away if I didn't have my kitchen toys. They are indulgences, designed to make cooking more fun. And if it's less work and more fun, logic dictates that it's more likely to get done. No?

Our first category is the "Must Haves." In my opinion, these are things that every decent home kitchen should have. They don't need to be 14kt gold, purchased at Tiffany's, but they should be functional. First of all, you need a pizza cutter. Great for the obvious, they also work well when cutting puff pastry and other things. Next, a micro-plane grater will not only grate hard cheeses, it's perfect for getting just the right amount of zest off a citrus fruit without getting to the bitter white pith. It also works well for grating nutmeg (please don't tell me you buy nutmeg already grated?). You also are going to want a food processor, whether it be one of the mini numbers or a full-sized one, they are great for making pesto, pureeing potatoes, grinding breadcrumbs, and many other things. The more attachments it has, the more useful (and expensive) it is.

Other must haves include a meat mallet. They are great not just for pounding meats, but for crushing nuts, grinding crackers for a crust, or just generally taking out a frustrating day on a loved one. (okay, maybe not the last one). Also, for taking foods out of hot water or oil, a spider is another essential.

The final must have is an instant read thermometer. I prefer the digital versions as they are much easier to read, but some chefs swear by the analog models. These are essential so you know when meats and other things are properly cooked. Some people test it by cutting it open and visually checking the inside. When was the last time you went to a restaurant, ordered a steak and it arrived with a large cut in the middle. Probe thermometers allow you to figure out doneness without having to ruin your presentation.

The next category is "Would be nice to have." These are great tools that make life in the kitchen much easier, but are not essential. If you had to choose just one of these, it would be a stand mixer. I have the 6 quart Kitchen Aid model and it is so versatile - it whips, beats, mixes and makes dough. And with attachments, I can grind meat, make pasta, and many other things. I'm sure Alton Brown would agree - this is definitely NOT a unique tasker.

Another nice item is an ice cream maker. You can actually get them as attachments to Kitchen Aid Mixers or stand-alone models. The less expensive versions employ a bowl that sits in the freezer. When you are ready to make ice cream, simple assemble the system and pour your mix into it. The bowl spins against the mixer (or vice versa in some models) and constantly keeps the ice cream moving until it hardens. If you like ice creams or sorbets, you really should have one of these. Also, if you drink a lot of juice (or cook with it), a juicer is a nice item to have. They range from a "reamer" (a small, screw-like wooden tool) to plastic models mounted on glass jars to electric models that do the turning for you to full sized unit that will juice anything from asparagus to zucchini. Now, unless you like unusual juices, such as carrot, I don't recommend spending what is required for the latter unit. I have a small, electric unit with a turning screw and a pourable pitcher to collect the juice. I find it's more than adequate. Finally, I recommend a spice grinder. Spices are much more fragrant and potent if you buy them whole and grind them yourself. The easiest way - buy a second coffee grinder. The same mechanism that grinds your coffee beans is perfect for spices. Just make sure you don't get them confused (unless you like Szechuan peppercorn flavored coffee...) Another great cooking tool that I love, especially when you are cooking for one or two, is a toaster oven. They require less energy and create less heat than a full-sized oven. Mine is even large enough to cook a medium frozen pizza. (Yes, I do occasionally resort to frozen pizzas. You think I make gourmet meals every night?)

The next category, "specialty items" depend on your culinary tastes. If you like pasta, you need a pasta maker. You can get a stand-alone crank unit or an attachment for your stand mixer that does all the cranking for you. Once your dough is made, these will roll out the dough, then cut to different shapes. If you work all day and want a nice warm meal waiting for you (and can't afford a personal chef), a slow cooker is the way to go. You do all the prep the night before. Before you head for work, you take the basin out of the fridge, pop it into the cooker and turn it on. When you get home, you have a beautiful stew or soup or whatever you want waiting for you. They even have cookbooks out there just for slow cookers. (Incidentally, if you can afford a personal chef, call me!) The last specialty item that I will discuss is a creme brulee torch. This is REALLY specialized with one purpose - caramelizing sugar. It doesn't have to be creme brulee, however. It works equally well for meringue or, in one of my favorite techniques, to caramelize the sugar that's been sprinkled over halved bananas.

Finally, in the "Don't waste your money" category, there are several. A rice cooker. You're going to spend money on something you can do just as well with a pot and a burner. Now, if you eat rice EVERY NIGHT, I say, knock yourself out. But if you don't, don't waste your money. The next item, I am guilty of purchasing. I thought it would be neat: a Cherry pitter. Don't waste your money. It's a pain, it's slow and it's really messy. If you bake cherry pies for a living, okay. But a knife can do the same thing. The last one I saw at the store the other day really made me laugh. It was a Margarita blender with a pour spout attached to it. Really? Are we becoming that lazy that we can't pour our margaritas anymore? A regular blender is much cheaper and much easier to clean.

So know that we've talked about these great toys, where do you get them? If you're looking for designer, high-end toys and budget is not a problem, you can't go wrong with Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table. If, like most people, budget is a problem, this is what I recommend. For the appliances (food processor, toaster oven, etc...), I would try places like Target. Alternately, wait until you get a 20% off coupon in the mail from Bed, Bath and Beyond. At 20% off, their prices are actually comparable. For everything else, there are two restaurant supply stores that I like. One is on McDowell around 32nd Street and is called Standard Restaurant Supply. The other, on the west side of town at 35th Avenue and Northern is called Alida Restaurant Supply. Both of these huge stores have everything you could possibly need to open a restaurant (or equip your home kitchen). Many things, however, are a little too large for a home kitchen, but with their huge selection, I'm certain you'll find what you are looking for. They may be a bit of a drive, but you'll be glad you did it.

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