Recently in In the Kitchen Category

At this time of year when gift giving is at it's peak, I thought I'd share with you a few of my favourite things that have found their way into my kitchen this year.

 M-CUPS



This set of 6 dry-measure cups nests neatly just like traditional Russian matryoshkas. They accurately measure 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4 and 1 full cup, and they're built from heavy-duty, food-safe, long-life engineering plastics. M-Cups are useful, easy to store, and quite charming, so why not doll up your kitchen with a little Russian folklore?
 

Maggie from Eat Boutique contacted me last week asking if I would interested in participating in Fridge Friday. If truth be told, I have never been asked to divulge information about the contents of my fridge before. As you can appreciate I was a little hesitant about the request because my fridge is a private affair. But Maggie is one of those lovely, genuine souls that I find difficult saying 'NO' to - so I agreed!

Below is the list of questions that Maggie emailed me and my subsequent answers. The images below are images of my 'actual' fridge. Those of you who know me well can vouch that this in fact is my fridge.

Over the years I have easily tried over half a dozen different mashers and have never found a mashing device that I was completely happy with - until I got myself a Smood. Designed by those wonderful people at Dreamfarm, the Smood is one of those clever, ingenuous gadgets that should have been invented decades ago as it gives you perfectly smooth mash in seconds.

Most mashers either have large holes that don't make your mash smooth so you have to repeatedly pound away in the hope that you will eventually get smooth mash. Or alternatively you have mashers with small holes that don't allow the potato to freely pass through so you end up with squashed potato instead of smooth, fluffy, mashed potatoes.

I think I have found the essential accessory for the eco conscious caffeine drinker and it's called a cupcooley. The cupcooley is to the café latte drinker what the stubby holder is for the quintessential beer drinking male (or female if you are so inclined) - a practical necessity. Hence, this reusable silicone cup cosy has the reverse function of a stubby holder in that it protects the coffee drinker from the often scolding hot contents of your take away cup.

What I like about this nifty little gadget is that it's reusable. Just stop for a moment and think - if you're getting a take away coffee every day that's a heck of a lot of cardboard you are also taking away with you. By choosing to reuse the cupcooley in place of the countless number of cardboard sleeves you are doing your little bit to help the environment by reducing the amount of landfill.





The cupcooley is inexpensive and comes in reuse green, fusion pink and coffee brown. It fits all standard takeaway cups, keeps your hands cool and is slip resistant. The cupcooley is compact enough to be stored in a bag, jacket pocket, handbag or car console. Most importantly it's reusable and dishwasher safe.

I love poached eggs but I am pretty crap at getting them perfect. So the other day I got myself a nifty little Poachpod and could not be happier. The Poachpod is a flexible silicone cooking gadget for poaching eggs. All you need to do is crack your eggs into the nonstick pods and then float them in a pot of boiling water like a 'lily pad on a pond'. When the eggs are cooked you then flip the pod inside out and voila - perfectly domed-shaped poached eggs every time!





The Poachpod is dishwasher and microwave safe, made from FDA food safe silicone, heat resistant to 357°C/675°F and flexible. The pods are reasonably priced and for just AUD$20 you get two cute pods, one dark green and one light green.

I can't believe after all the campaigning that I still get asked if I want a plastic bag even though it's completely obvious that I have an eco-friendly shopping bag hanging over my shoulder. Hoover and Fussy both know that plastic bags are taboo, so if they are out shopping with me and I get asked for plastic they both bellow back in unison - 'say NO to plastic'! Yes there are times when I find their loud antics amusing.

I recently picked up a couple of eco-friendly E String Bags and have been quite impressed with how sturdy these bags are as they can hold up to 14kg. They are also reasonably priced  and come in a wide range of bright colours, so coordinating your string bag with your outfit is not going to be a problem.



When not in use the string bags can fit easily into a pocket, handbag or the glove box of your car. The other added bonus is that E string Bags is an Australian owned, family run company and they supply their eco-friendly bags anywhere in the world. These bags don't cost the earth and at just $3.35 AUD, $2.48 USD and £1.79 GBP you can afford to grab one in every colour.

Just in case you haven't figured it out already - I *really* love kitchen gadgets! I like smart, sleek design that not only looks good but also has an everyday practical application to my life in the kitchen. I also like gadgets that don't require one to have a PHD in order to figure out how to use them. True genius (I think) is found where simplicity and expediency intersect.

Most of my girlfriends love kitchen gadgets too. What does that say about the company I keep? Well I'd like to think that it says I'm in good company. So come birthdays, Christmas and house warmings you won't see me bearing flowers, chocolates or a token indoor palm tree for some inconspicuous corner. No I usually come bearing food in one arm and a much loved kitchen gadget in the other.

I think we are all very aware of the need to use separate chopping boards in the kitchen and are probably in possession of at least three chopping boards at any given time. The down side to this 'food & safety' rule would be 1. Storing your chopping boards and  2. Trying to remember which board is used for raw meat and which board is used for vegetables.



This week's find solves the problem in one sleek design move. Hence, the 'Index' chopping board  categorisation system by Joseph Joseph. This cleverly designed system is the answer to all your chopping board woes. The four colour coded chopping boards have illustrated tabs labelling which board should be used for which food type. And so blue is for fish, red is for raw meat, green is for vegetables and white is for cooked food. Made from dishwasher safe polypropylene, the tabs are staggered for visual ease and can be stored when not in use in the neat non-slip case. A must for all neurotic cooks who are obsessed with 'cross contamination'.

Always one to labour a point, I am still a little peeved about my crispy herb garden. Last weeks find was a good solution to store your herbs in both a practical and aesthetically pleasing kind of way. Yet still not 100% satisfied with this solution (as I want to grow my own herbs) I continued to search for an alternative answer and look at what I found. This clever little invention (Italian design of course) takes the fresh herb thing one step further, in that you can grow your own herbs inside the house away from the summers scorching heat or frosty snow if you live in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Herbal Hanging Garden made by one of my favorite design houses Legnoart is made of white ceramic. Hence, the colourful inserts are available in a range of cheerful colours adding that right amount of pizazz to that boring, dreary kitchen wall.


The Herbal Hanging Garden is also suitable for wall mounting and the metal support is available in single or multiple. So rather than just storing freshly cut herbs, the Legnoart Hanging Garden is designed to 'grow' your own parsley, basil and mint. This way you are ensured a constant supply of fresh herbs irrespective of the weather. You've got to love that!

I love cooking with fresh herbs, but due to the recent heatwave my poor herb garden has burnt to a crisp. As a result I have had to resort to buying fresh herbs from my local fruit and vegetable shop. Once home I then place my herbs in a glass of water or spare water pitcher. If I have several bunches of herbs (as I often do) I end up with several glasses of herbs, way too much clutter and not enough bench space.

This inadequate herb system came to a head the other day as I accidentally knocked the glass over that had parsley, mint and chives in it and ended up with green herb water all over my sourdough toast! Not happy and terribly ticked off I set off to find a solution to my current herb affliction.

And this is what I found the new Herb Stand designed by Jakob Heiberg for Normann Copenhagen. This cleverly designed stand keeps your herbs looking neat and tidy and the saucer ensures an even watering. I love simple, smart design and as fas as I'm concerned Jakob Heiberg has got to be as smart as they come.



The Herb Stand organises your herbs allowing you to gather herbs and scissors together in the one place thus making it easy for you to season your food. This clever yet functional design separates easily so that the parts can be used on their own or together. The Herb Stand is the perfect 'compact and stable' way to keep and use your herbs. And yes those funky green handled scissors come with it.

As it's summer here I have packed away all my heavy double enamelled cast iron ware as we tend to use the Barbeque more during the warmer months. I must have been unconsciously pining over my Le Chasseur because the other day I found myself on the Staub website and was completely gob smacked.  I know, why would I be looking at enamelware in the midst of a record breaking heatwave? But bear with me and follow my train of thought. Summer - seafood - mussels - Staub Mussel Pot in Royal Blue thank you!



I was sold on the concept and colour even before I read the fine print. Apparently this clever contraption has a stainless steel strainer that separates the mussels from the sauce so you can jump right in and dip chunks of crusty bread into the mussel juices before the pot has left the stove. Now that's what I call ingenious. Obviously a hungry person designed this clever pot.



Mussels are one of my most favourite things to eat irrespective of the weather and one of the easiest things to make. Don't be put off by those pesky looking beards. Just pop on a pair of kitchen gloves when your de-bearding the mussels and think happy thoughts. You don't have to have a Staub Mussel Pot to cook mussels, but I'm sure it would be far tastier and a lot more fun cooking mussels in a creamy Pernod sauce in this clever little pot.