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Tools

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Sha Ra Ku Mono

I love my new toy, I love my new toy, I love my new toy! Michael sent me a Sha Ra Ku Mono vegetable knife for my birthday, and it slices like a dream. A razor-sharp, bling-charged dream. Designed by the same person who created the Global line (of which I have a chef’s knife, also a gift from Michael, however did he know?), and available only in Seattle. Ah, Seattle ...

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Gearlist, Summer 2007

Some people mark their seasons by the change in the weather or calendar. More dependable for me is the inevitable acquisition of new toys. My gearlist below, and happy, happy summer!

iPhone
No, I didn’t stand in an endless line of people to own it. And I admit to making fun of people who did. I resisted when Chris said he bought one. And when Michael decided not to wait until the second-gen version. I was fine until Patrick handed his new toy to me at the beginning of a plane ride from Chicago to Richmond. And, lo, it was extraordinary! We used his iPhone the next morning to locate the nearest Apple Store to our hotel, called to confirm their stock, and in 22 minutes (20 to get to the store, two to plug the phone into my laptop and configure the lovely machine), my phone/PDA/camera/web surfing/portable media experience were transformed. I love this phone so much I may even answer when people call.

Trek 520
It’s definitely not the ultimate driving machine, but it’s a helluva ride. Nimble and the best-fitted bike I own (courtesy of Evanston’s Turin Bike staff). Part of my smart, sustainable summer is to bike and walk to everything, as much as possible and practical. My Trek makes it fun.

Cross Medium Porous Point
I’ve given up on fountain pens. They are lovely. But for a left-handed writer who travels regularly they are an untenable vice. All of the stained shirts, inked-up hands. No more! If I close my eyes, my new porous point pen almost feels like a fountain pen. And never having to lick a dried-up nib again, priceless.

LaCoste Polos
I was in grade school when these first became popular, and back then my parents had neither the money nor the wont to indulge in trendy clothing for their kids (who could blame them?). Thankfully, they’re back, and I’ve got a Gold card. I like these shirts because they’re loose in the chest and arm (good, because thanks to Nate my biceps have gotten bigger), loose in the body (good, because thanks to Ketel One, my waist hasn’t gotten smaller), and shorter than RL polos by two inches (good, because at 5’6”, everyone’s taller than me). I’ve got them in eight colors ... and counting.

Vita-Mix
I hear that the engine is so powerful it can make hot soup in 10 minutes. But honestly, that’s what cooktops are for. However, these make a mean frozen margarita. And now, they also come in black. 

Saturday, April 07, 2007

My New Espresso Maker

“You mean it’s not just me?”
“No, not at all. A lot of other people have gone through the same thing.”
“That’s wonderful, I thought I was the only one.”
“Rest assured, you’re not.”
“And I was feeling so stupid, so wrong.”
“Stop blaming yourself, it’s not your fault.”
“So what do I do now?”
“Come back.”
“But after all this time, isn’t it too late?”
“Not at all, that’s why I’m here.”
“Even after four years? After all the others?”
“Even now. It’s not too late.”

Kitchen therapy, Williams-Sonoma style. Turns out that my leaky Kitchenaid Pro-line really was defective--all four of them. Gasket problem in the manufacturing of each machine. And Williams-Sonoma stopped carrying them on their floor. And Scott, the salesperson I spoke to yesterday, told me that he wouldn’t ever recommend them to people, even though Kitchenaid says that the problem was fixed. I told him that I felt bad bringing the thing back, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He apologized for making me go through the hassle.

So, after four years and four replacements--and sans receipt that I accidentally threw out when I was culling my pile of recipes and clippings--I brought my espresso maker back for a full trade-in.

I had the choices narrowed down to two opposite ends of the caffeine continuum: the La Pavoni Europiccola lever press and the Nespresso Cube. The La Pavoni was pure culinary bling--shiny chrome, classic design, totally manual production, and preferred by espresso purists (as well as by Germans and architects, according to Scott). The Cube, state-of-the-art no-hassle production, with an array little capsules that resemble foil-wrapped chocolate. I thought about this decision all night, even dreamt about it. And I chose ...

... neither. Tony, the coffee guru I talked to this morning, steered me clear away from the La Pavoni, which was lovely but frankly according to him “a pain in the ass to use.” And the Nespresso Cube, for all of its convenience, locked you down to their capsules and their capsules only. I walked out of the store a sheepish new owner of the Jura F9, a compact little marvel that grinds your beans and brews your espresso or coffee or big gulp to your desired strength. It cleans itself (stopping just short of polishing its own chrome), alerts you when the tray for used grounds should be emptied, and prompts you when filters needs to be changed. It even has a customized aroma setting.

It was hard NOT to choose the La Pavoni or the Elektra lever-press, which was also available in the store. It just seemed wrong to me not to have that ritual of grinding, tamping, waiting until the most opportune moment to begin extracting and to slowly, surely, by strength of arm and dint of experience and metronomic patient pressure, produce a beautiful and rich and creamy demitasse of wakey.

Uncertain, no more. The machine simply rocks. And honey P. was so delighted with the simplicity of the new toy that I might even get lucky tonight. If my Kitchenaid was the Alpha Romeo of espresso makers, I liken this to an Audi. With the seat warmers. The romance of the classic lever-press machines--and the kind of person I envisioned I would be for being able to work one--was shiny and distracting. But the promise of a terrific and hassle-free cup of espresso is an even nicer reality to wake up to.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

The Alpha Romeo of Espresso Machines

“Oh, but when it drives, on the open road, it’s speedy bliss.”

I’ve often joked with my honey P. that we own the Alpha Romeo of espresso makers. Witness the Kitchenaid Pro Line KPES100PM. Dual boilers, a 15-bar water pump, twin temperature gauges, a Solenoid pressure valve, cup warmer, 67-ounce water reservoir, die-cast aluminum construction, and articulating frothing arm. And the “on” light--it’s blue (not a tacky green or garish red, but a cool electric blue).

Can it make espresso? Absolutely! Crema? like a velvet blanket on any icy lake (forgive the reference to cold). Does it leak? Like Scooter Libby…

I find it horribly ironic that if you follow the tamping instructions to the letter (the instruction manual, by the way, is one of the best I’ve seen), grind the coffee to almost-precise espresso fineness using the matching Kitchenaid Pro Line burr grinder, you’ll eventually tap the machine out. It’s taken me four machines (each defective one replaced without question by the good folks at Williams-Sonoma) to discover that the machine’s pressure system doesn’t deal too well with too much tamp, too fine a grind. So we’ve dialed back, babying it, wondering every morning as the rich brown liquid drips slowly slowly slowly into our demitasse cups whether we’ll be swabbing the counter and refilling the machine. I can’t bring myself to buy a new one (yet), but when I do, it will either be the uncomplicated Nespresso Cube or the classic La Pavoni Europiccola lever machine, each of which is owned by good friends who swear by them. And neither of which requires a mop.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Review of Calphalon II Rectangular Braising Pan

Like my friend Voltaire, I am an avid reader of blogs that cover all things cooking, eating and sharing of those things. I was happy to volunteer my contributions to this blog in the hope that some of my meanderings would be of interest to other foodies!

I have long been in search of a braising pan that would be worthy of purchase. Most of the ones I’ve considered in the past were too small or too shallow or too expensive for consideration. However, I found a terrific one recently that caused me to be willing to part with a portion of my Christmas loot. While perusing Cooking.com, I noticed they had a Calphalon II rectangular braiser on special at a closeout price (regular $199, on special for $79). After reading the very positive reviews, I decided to take a chance. I tried it for the first time yesterday and it performed like a dream.

The first positive thing that was very promising about this pan was it’s large, rectangular size. It is big enough for 2 chickens, two roasts or a small turkey, as well as plenty of veggies and braising liquids. It is a hard anodized non-stick braiser with a stainless steel, domed lid that performs well when braising and also allows plenty of room. One thing I was concerned about was whether or not I would be able to use it first on the stovetop to brown foods and deglaze before tucking it away in the oven. Again, no problems there. It performed exactly as promised.

My first trial of this cookware was for one of my favorite recipes from Molly Stevens’ book All About Braising. It is a Zinfandel Braised Pot Roast. Absolutely the perfect meal for a dreary, icy day in January.

I believe Cooking.com still has some of these for sale if anyone else wants a well-rated braising pan worth the cost. I feel certain it will become one of my most treasured kitchen tools. I am eager to try more great braising recipes. Have any you’d like to share?