Kitchen Gizmos I Actually Use

There are tons of kitchen gizmos out there, and plenty of them are crap. I'm not kidding. Utter crap. Egg crackers (can't crack an egg?), garlic presses, electric can openers (really?), bread machines (automatically make supermarket style bread at home? I don't get it). I've spent much of my cooking life avoiding these things, but at 42 years old I've managed to collect a few gizmos that have proven useful... to me, at least. Living in a NYC apartment where storage and counter space are limited means I have to be ruthless about which ones make the cut. But it's surprising how many I have. It's almost embarrassing to admit how dependent I've become on the following:

Gaggia espresso machine & burr grinder: I finally buckled on this one when I managed to get the machine at a garage sale price. Too good a deal to pass up. I tried using both cheap coffee and a whirling blade grinder, but neither worked with it. The thing was sensitive enough to tell when I was trying to cut corners, and rewarded my efforts with lousy shots. Had to up my game, shelling out the bucks for the burr grinder and good coffee. The result? Espresso as good as a coffee shop at home, for about one-third the cost. Tough to argue with for a household that drinks eight shots a day, minimum. Quite a step up after years of drinking Cafe Bustelo made in an aluminum Bialetti machine. Yes, I've tried the Nespresso rig. It's good - easy and foolproof. But my Gaggia blows its doors off (when fed Counter Culture espresso), in spite of taking up quite a bit of counter real estate along with the burr grinder. Plus the idea of throwing away a plastic capsule after each shot I pull seems wasteful, and I can't stand that.

Pressure cooker: (AKA the WWII microwave). For 20 years I avoided this one, in spite of endorsements from friends and grandmothers who knew what they were talking about. Useless for braising, but fantastic for soups, curries and stews. (Even roasts, though they'll never turn out the same way as they would in the oven). Any long-simmering dish can be made in one-third the time or less in one of these things. It doesn't work miracles, but it allows one to casually make dishes on a weeknight that otherwise would require the kind of time most people only have on a weekend. I'm a convert, using the thing twice a week, sometimes more. Mine is gigantic, as I was advised: You can make a small meal in a big pressure cooker, but you can't make a large meal in a small one. I've cooked for 12 with it, even though most of the time I'm making dinner for two. Today's models have safety valves built into them, so you're not going to replicate those stories you've heard about blowing the lid off and hot food spraying everywhere.

Rice cooker: I'm happy to own the cheapest, meanest example of a rice cooker possible. The kind that was popular in Japan a generation ago, at least. The one that goes for under $25. I love it. Whenever I'm cooking Chinese I can let the rice cook itself while I prep and cook all the dishes. It does a good enough job that I use it for other times I need rice, including Latino and South Asian meals. Only useful if you eat white rice often. I do. Unapologetically.

Electric Griddle/Sandwich press: It's supposed to be an electric grill as well. I wouldn't know; I just use it to make panini and other pressed sandwiches. Pretty much only in the summer, but that's enough to justify the space the thing takes up. If you have a source for good bread and good stuff to put in it this thing allows one to make fancy sandwiches much cheaper (and better, once you figure out what you're doing) than going out for them. Current fave: coppa ham and cheese (Pawlet, from Vermont) on ciabatta bread. Pure indulgence, I know, but affordable indulgence. (My favorite kind).

Immersion blender: I've lived with one of these and without. With is better. It's good for smooth soups and pasta sauces, and if you get one with a powerful enough motor it can also be your food processor and blender. My wife bought one like that, in spite of our inability to find a good reason to give Wolfgang Puck's empire a penny. (His name is on it). Got it from overstock.com. I have no idea how it'll hold up under heavy use, but it takes less space than having an immersion blender, food processor and blender. So far it does all of those functions, in spite of its attachments seeming a little flimsy. Its motor is very powerful. And it was cheaper than replacing the food processor when it died.

Spice grinder: It's an old whirling blade coffee grinder dedicated to spices. Buying whole spices means they last longer. Grinding them as needed only takes a minute, and results in better flavor. Coming up with your own blends is fun. (Amazing how much coriander I go through doing that). I'd recommend this to anyone.

Kitchen radio: Laugh if you like, but my Tivoli Model Two brings me more pleasure in the kitchen than any other gadget. I like good sound in the kitchen. (A sound engineer friend swears by an old KLH, and the Tivoli is just the modern riff on that concept). And it has a small footprint. When radio programming fails me I just plug in a computer or mp3 player and I'm good to go. Can't cook without music. I love this thing.

What about other gizmos? Slow cookers (crock pots) make sense, in spite of most recipes for them sharing a determination to undermine their respectability. They're not for me, but I completely understand where their fans are coming from. If I worked a 9 to 5 job I'd probably have one. What else? I'm not nearly enough of a geek to get a sous vide setup (yet), but I can't argue with its cleverness or usefulness. I loathe microwave ovens, but they are useful for reheating leftovers and thawing frozen blocks of food (and not else, in my opinion). I have yet to throw mine away, although its days are numbered. Also, I'm married to a woman who happens to be a very good baker, and she's fond of her red Kitchen Aid mixer. I've never touched the thing, but it looks good and she gets use out of it. She's even using it to grind grain and roll oats. Currently we're without a toaster (or toaster-oven), which means our oven broiler gets used very inefficiently every now and then. We're not the kind of people who need toasted bread to start the day. If we were, the microwave would already be gone, and there'd be a toaster-oven in its place. If we had more room I'd get a salad spinner, too, because those things are useful. Just can't fit it in. Life in the Big City.

Oh, and we have a kitchen thermometer, because my wife prefers her meat med-rare, over my tendency is to serve it bleu. Now we can debate which temperature constitutes the right level of done-ness, self always advocating a lower number, her having none of it.

Vinho Verde

This is a light, simple wine from Portugal meant to be drunk young. Low in alcohol (usually 10-11%), slightly effervescent, pale in color, light bodied and on the dry side (if less than completely dry) - it's more of a traditional wine than a fine wine, and often priced accordingly. Unfortunately, if you don't happen to live near a Portugese community (such as those in Newark, NJ or Rochester, NY) it can be hard to find. And when you do find it what you come across may clearly show you why it isn't considered a fine wine. Nice examples do exist, and at its best vinho verde is refreshing on its own and pairs well with simple, light summer food. The slight effervescence makes it easy to pair.

This summer I've been drinking Famega Vinho Verde. It's everything likeable about this style of wine, including cheap. It costs me $8 a bottle in NYC. Worth seeking out for the dog days of summer. Serve it good and cold before a meal, with a meal or as an afternoon tipple.

Life may be too short to drink bad wine, but cheap, simple wines have their place. Famega is such a wine, and it's place is at my summer table. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way; my wine shop blows through several cases a week of the stuff.

Gazpacho!

I'll be honest: up until recently I wasn't a fan of the stuff. I think I've figured out the reasons why. Serving size is one. Gazpacho is a bit intense for American super sized portions. It's best served in small bowls. It's really not a meal; it's a starter course, a snack or a side dish. I also have difficulty wrapping my head around the idea of a cold crunchy raw soup. That just doesn't work for me. It's served like a soup, but gazpacho is really a finely chopped salad in a liquid dressing. One that you happen to eat with a spoon. If I think about it this way it makes more sense to me.

And I enjoy it. I like is how it slows me down. I'm generally too quick of an eater. Breaking a meal into several courses works for me because it forces me to slow down a bit and really enjoy myself at the table. Few things slow me down like a bowl of gazpacho on a hot day. A small bowl takes me ten minutes to finish; it refuses to be wolfed down.

It's easy to make bad gazpacho - just use less than perfect veggies and you'll have it. The tomato is most important, but don't neglect the cucumber. Don't use gigantic watery waxed cucumbers, with their horrible giant seeds. Farm fresh kirbys, Persian cucumbers or (in a pinch) those greenhouse English seedless will do. I like red or yellow bell pepper instead of green. If you have a garden use your garden vegetables. If you don't get your ingredients from a farmer's market. Don't even bother making this with supermerket tomatoes or cucumbers. (You can get away with supermarket onion, garlic and bell pepper).

Where can you cheat? Not with chopping the veggies! Don't use a food processor. You want your gazpacho to have little nuggets of crunch, not end up all bruised somewhere along the way a puree. Grab your sharpest knife and chop the veggies into fine little pieces. It only takes a few minutes. A place to cut corners would be using tomato juice as part of the liquid. If your veggies are good a little commercial tomato juice won't undermine the result. The stuff is also pretty heavily salted, so it eliminates the need to add extra salt.

Then there's the matter of serving. It's popular to serve the liquid in individual bowls with each chopped ingredient in it's own bowl. Diners then add how much of each element they want to their own bowl. This is "correct" in that it's frequently served that way in Spain. It's a nice flourish, but I'd rather dispense with it for the improved result when all the flavors have a chance to marry for an hour or so in the fridge.

One more thing: there ought to be no such thing as leftover gazpacho. We're talking tomatoes, cucumber and onion in a salty vinegar based liquid. That will get nasty after a night in the fridge.

This recipe will make two medium sized bowls of gazpacho.

1 perfect ripe tomato, finely diced
1 cup cucumber, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
small clove garlic, minced
scant 1/4 tsp ground cumin (too much and it'll taste like salsa)
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup white vinegar
few drops hot sauce, to taste
drizzle of good olive oil, to finish

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Go light on the olive oil so your result isn't too rich. Chill in fridge for 20 min to an hour before serving.
Photo by Cynthia Lamb

Kimchi Noodles Redux

Kimchi comes in jars too big to use in a single meal. So here's another kimchi noodle dish, this time a cold salad with some chicken added to make it more of a meal. Traditionally soba would probably be the noodle of choice for this, but I used udon and it worked very well. I neglected the sesame seed garnish because I was out of sesame seeds. This dish has a level of spice that both burns and lingers, but it's nowhere near hot enough to make you cry. Unless you're a total wuss about hot food. Then it might. Regardless, this sharp and spicy noodle dish is great in hot weather.

This recipe will serve three or four.

1 lb bag fresh udon noodles, boiled and rinsed
meat from a chicken leg and thigh (or half a breast), cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs vinegar (white or rice wine)
1 carrot, grated
1 Tbs Asian hot sauce (such as Sriracha), or more to taste
1/2 cup kimchi
oil for frying

Fry the chicken in a pan. When it's nearly cooked add the soy sauce. Once it's cooked through cut the heat, drain off the liquid and set aside. In serving bowl mix together the sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, carrot and hot sauce until sugar is dissolved. Add noodles, kimchi and cooked chicken. Toss to evenly mix ingredients together.

This dish can sit covered in the fridge for a day; it might even be better on day two. Garnish with sesame seeds if you like.

Photo by Cynthia Lamb