MY FAVOURITE KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Hello Everyone,

How are things with you today?  Where is the sunshine?

Google Image

Whilst America is experiencing a heatwave, here in England we have almost forgotten what the sun looks like as we have the opposite weather to America.  We are experiencing rain, which just seems to keep falling from the skies and is causing flooding in many parts of the country and apparently the rain is going to continue for a further two weeks!

Can you tell I'm from England.....yes we do talk about the weather a lot!

What did you do over the weekend?  I watched a wonderful film "The Best  Exotic Marigold Hotel" with Maggie Smith,  Judy Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel and a raft of other fabulous actors.

I really enjoyed this film, I must say my favourite  of the year so far. The film is based on the book "These Foolish Things" written by Deborah Moggach, which I haven't read, but will be adding it to my list of "things to read".

I've thought long and hard about my favourite kitchen equipment and this is the list of things I have settled on, some of the items may surprise you and others may not.

 I thought I would start with the item I use the most.

MY SMALL KNIFE

Look  how well used this knife is. It doesn't have to be new to be useful!
You may see lots of marks on the unit surface these are natural as the material is split bamboo!
The surface is clean!

I love my little knife, it's plain and simple and  isn't a brand name, but it's sharp and easy to use.  I use this knife for peeling potatoes, well any vegetables really.  I can thinly peel a potato very quickly.....as taught to me by Phyllis many years ago.  Phyllis still uses her own little knife at the age of 81 years.

JAPANESE RASPER

This wonderful Japanese rasper was sent to me by my daughter when she lived in Japan and it is fabulous.   It is now the only way that I grate garlic.....garlic crushers are consigned to the drawer. It isn't like a normal grater which has perforated holes, whatever is grated remains on the surface and is turned into a fine paste.  This is useful so that you don't bite on a lump of garlic which hasn't been chopped properly.

MICRO PLANE

Micro plane....yes I could grate garlic, but I use the micro plane for grating lemon or  orange zest for cakes.  It is also perfect for grating Parmesan and other hard cheeses as it delivers a fine texture.

MEYER SAUCEPANS
Bella Cuisine
Stainless Steel Cookware

Meyer Saucepans.....these I cannot recommend highly enough.  The design has moved on since I purchased mine (15 or so years ago), but I love these pans because as the advert says they are guaranteed for a lifetime.  They are very expensive, but you will never have to buy another set of saucepans, so in the long run these pans will save you money.

MASON CASH MIXING BOWL

Mason Cash can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century. These mixing bowls come in a variety of sizes.  I love this bowl,  as it is easy to place in the crook of your arm when mixing.  For me there is nothing  as relaxing as making a cake using this bowl. The mixing is done in silence without the noise of machines and on those days when all I want is peace and quiet this is the bowl I use.

FOOD PROCESSOR

 

This piece of machinery is always in use.   I use mine to make coleslaw, chopping onions when I want to get the job done quickly.  Fabulous for blitzing tomatoes and on busy days when I don't want to spend time making pastry by hand, it does the job in minutes.

KitchenAid

Sorry, I should have hidden the lead before taking the photograph....I'm still learning!

  I believe this design has changed very little since the 1930's. There are a wonderful range of colours to choose from. This is another piece of expensive equipment, but one you will use over and over again.  Leave it on your  work surface, don't put it in the cupboard, because if you can see it you will use it.  All my appliances are either on view on the kitchen work surface, or are placed on open shelves for ease of access.

WHITTARD'S MILK AEROLATTE



I love all things coffee, but I like nothing better than enjoying a cappuccino in the morning and this little piece of equipment I love, love, love!

The Whittards Aerolatte is a marvellous little gizmo which I have used for years.  I use  it to whip small amounts of warm milk to create that wonderful foamy milk on top of a cappuccino! If you don't want to spend a fortune on an expensive cappuccino maker, I promise you this does the trick.

AND FINALLY

MY CAFETIERE

Now technically, this is not a piece of kitchen equipment, but I had to add this to my list as it is something I use everyday and is perfect for making a single cup of coffee. I bought this cafetiere in Starbucks and use it everyday.... and yes sometimes in conjunction with the Whittards Aerolatte.....and  not forgetting the sprinkling of chocolate!

I hope you have enjoyed my list of favourite pieces of kitchen equipment.  What are your favourites, is it something given to you by your mother or grandmother or something you love and have used for years.  I'd love to hear.

NEXT SUNDAY

I have had a request to make a vegetarian dish, so I am going to make stuffed peppers which I know you will love.  Enjoy the rest of your week and I will see you on Sunday.

Best Wishes,

Daphne xxx