Yes, the electric mixer is great for the occasional cake or
whipped potatoes. You can’t make a
decent frozen margarita without a sturdy blender, and the food processor is
wonderful for slicing a ton of onions or shredding cabbage for cole slaw, but
for day-to-day meal preparations?
Three drawers in our kitchen are devoted to small hand implements, and
two magnetic knife strips hold knives of every shape, but here’s what I find
myself reaching for at least once or twice a day:
Tomato knives with their long slender, serrated blades hold
their cutting edges for years. Our
first one was so useful that we bought two more so that there would always be a
clean one on the rack. I use them
not only for tomatoes, but for slicing peaches, pears, avocados and any other
soft fruit that squishes out of shape with more conventional (and duller)
knives. I slice bagels and bread
with them and anything dense like fruitcake. They can neatly divide a BLT
without letting everything slide out from the slices of toast.
I discovered culinary scissors a few years back and they’re
better than nut crackers for opening up lobster claws or for cutting the tail
into equal halves, but these little short-bladed scissors are perfect for
mincing herbs, cutting dried fruit into my morning cereal, trimming that tough
membrane from citrus fruits, or shredding raw bacon or prosciutto for various
dishes.
Could I cook without them? Of course I could.
I did for years. But like
many small things (from kittens to grandbabies), they make life just a little
more pleasant. What are your
favorite small tools?
