Dietitians share favorite kitchen tools

Q: What kitchen tools or appliances do dietitians like to use in their kitchens?
A: Working in the grocery store, supermarket dietitians get to learn about new food products all the time. And many enjoy spending time in the kitchen experimenting with these foods or making a new recipe.

So the Hy-Vee dietitians in the Quad-City area were asked which kitchen tools or appliances are their favorites. Here are their answers:

• Garlic chopper. I love my little garlic chopper that I bought about a month ago. I would always buy the chopped garlic in a jar, but now I use fresh because the chopper makes it so easy! Kim Denman, Bettendorf.

• Slow cooker. We typically think of using this appliance during the cold winter months, but it can be used year-round for a quick meal. Beth Freehill, Clinton.

• Sharp chef’s knife. My favorite kitchen utensil is my sharp chef’s knife. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to cut up a dense sweet potato or chop up a ton of vegetables with a dull, small knife. Having my sharp chef’s knife makes working in the kitchen much easier and faster! Lauren Furgiuele, West Kimberly Road, Davenport.

• Julienne peeler. I have a julienne peeler that I love. I use it on squash to make “noodles” for hot or cold pasta dishes. It’s just a fun new way to eat the same old veggies! Nina Struss, Milan.

• Mandoline slicer. I have a mandoline slicer, which I use frequently. It works really well with slicing potatoes as fries or chips, but I have also used it on zucchini, bell peppers, onions and even apples to make apple chips in my oven. It is not the most high-tech and nicest mandoline, but it definitely saves me time, making it easy to use veggies in any meal. Heather Wright, Locust Street and Rockingham Road stores, Davenport.

• Silicone utensils. These spoons and spatulas are amazing because they hold up to high heat, won’t scratch nonstick cookware, won’t gather food residue and wash easily in the dishwasher. Chrissy Watters, Rock Island.

• Microplane zester. I like to use this tool to add lemon or lime zest to my recipes for a savory citrus flavor without the bitter pith underneath the peel. The microplane zester is also an easy way to mince garlic or ginger for your recipes. Sandy Gebhart, Moline.

• Food processor. I always use my food processor to chop or puree vegetables to save time while prepping for meals. I love to use it for grating cheese and making dips, hummus or even fresh pesto. Alyssa Doerr, East Kimberly Road, Davenport.

Source: qctimes.com

Cook Smarter, Faster & Healthier with these Kitchen Gadgets

You may want to cook and eat healthier, but to actually do it is another thing altogether. With the right tools however, you are more likely to prepare wholesome meals and drinks.

Just like stocking your kitchen with healthy food is important, so is stocking the kitchen with the right tools and gadgets.

Here are recommendations for 10 gadgets and tools, starting under $20, that make it easy to cook smarter, faster and eat healthier (prices approximate).

1. Oil mister: Olive and canola oils are good for the heart, but not for the waistline. One tablespoon of olive oil, for example, contains about 119 calories. Control the amount you use with this 11-ounce, steel-bodied pump and spray by Trudeau Corp. A no-clog nozzle makes it easy to spray lightly. $19.95.
2. Garlic press: Research shows that a garlic-rich diet appears to protect against heart disease and various cancers, including breast, prostate and colon. Made by Messermeister Cutlery, this garlic press takes the work out of peeling and crushing garlic. It crushes three to four cloves at a time and can be used without removing skin from garlic cloves. Includes an attached self-cleaner and a large soft-grip handle. For easy cleaning, it’s dishwasher-safe. $22.95.
3. Mandoline: The Kyocera Adjustable Ceramic Slicer is a “no set-up” mandoline with a ceramic blade that is razor sharp. The bright red mandolin makes slicing cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots and other healthful vegetables a snap. It’s safe and never requires replacing the blade. The easy-to-use turn dial on the back adjusts to four thicknesses. Includes a guard to protect fingers and hold the food in place. Corner notches fit the slicer on top of bowls. $29.95.
4. Chef knife: Chefs consider a sharp chef knife the most important tool in the kitchen. Nutritionists who advocate a plant-based diet agree. This 8-inch Messermeister Park Plaza Chef Knife with a curved blade is suited for 90 percent of your chopping and falls in the midprice range. The knife is triple-riveted and side cut from a single piece of stainless-steel alloy. Equally important, Park Plaza edges can be maintained with a hand-held sharpener at home. Made in Germany. $66.95.
5. Salad spinner: Leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses filled with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Make eating spinach, kale and other dark-green salads easy with this collapsible salad spinner. It takes up half the space of a regular salad spinner. Made by Progressive, the basket can be used as a colander and the spinner bowl as a salad bowl. $38.95.
6. Grater or zester: A little zest goes a long way toward punching up salads, stews and grilled seafood. Research shows that limonene, a compound found in lemon, orange and grapefruit peel, may also decrease cancer risk. The best way to release concentrated flavors and health properties in the fruit’s skin is with with the Microplane Premium Zester. Perfect for zesting citrus, grating hard cheeses, stomach-soothing ginger and nutmeg. $18.95.
7. Vegetable chopper: Make chopping veggies easy and quick with a Chef’n Veggichop. This hand-powered tool with stainless-steel blades can chop hearty foods in no time. Made by Fost, the bowl and blade are dishwasher-safe. Pull the cord and chop an onion in five to six pulls. The bowl can be used for serving, and a storage lid is included. Good for making guacamole, salsa and pesto or chopping nuts, hummus and herbs. $22.95.
8. Citrus juicer: Arizona remains a top citrus-producing state, and along with commercial groves, many of us grow these vitamin C-rich fruits in our yards. This Waring Pro Citrus Juicer handles any citrus fruit, from small limes to large grapefruit. With its pressure-activated reamer, the juicer is easy to operate. There’s a simple on/off toggle switch. And the juice bowl and reamer are easy to remove and dishwasher-safe. $99.95.

Alton Brown’s Gear for Your Kitchen

Alton Brown has smoked a salmon in a cardboard box, roasted a prime rib in a terracotta flower pot, cooked onion soup in an electric skillet, used a C-clamp as a nutcracker, and a binder clip to hold a probe thermometer in place.

While his machinations may border on the Rube Goldberg-esque, it is among Brown’s missions to present the best – and often the simplest – tool to get the job done.

Following an introduction that discusses a little bit of kitchen history and some advice on room layout and organization, the book is divided into 9 chapters:

1. Big Things with Plugs
2. Pots and Pans
3. Sharp Things
4. The Tool Box
5. Small Things with Plugs
6. Storage and Containment
7. It Came From the Hardware Store
8. Surfaces and
9. Safety and Sanitation.

“I think cooking is a lot of fun and I hate to see people not having fun doing it just because they don’t have the right tools–which is not to say they need the prettiest, best, most expensive tools. They just need the tools that are right for them.”

Such is the organizing principle of Alton Brown’s Gear for Your Kitchen by the selfsame Alton Brown, star of Food Network’s Good Eats as well as award-winning author of I’m Just Here for the Food. It’s an interesting, effective principle. It comes from a guy who serves pie with a four-dollar mortar trowel he picked up at the hardware store.

Brown’s opening challenge is a 60-day, four phase process of ridding your kitchen of all things unused and insignificant–easy on the surface, but tough in the doing. That leaves room for essential gear. And to help make those choices, Brown looks at pots and pans, sharp things (not just knives, but graters, mandolins, and cheese slicers, too), small things with plugs (as in small appliances–from food processors to coffee makers to deep fat fryers), kitchen tools unplugged (those items that fill drawers), storage and containment, and safety and sanitation.

If this were just an encyclopedia, what an unwholesome bore it would be. But Brown turns this relevant information into a romp. He’s talking about the tools he uses, after all, and has no fear of naming likes and dislikes–based on his own experience. He also includes unending side chatter about cutting corners, saving money, and actually putting good tools to work. You’ll find recipes throughout, and techniques, too. Like, how to bake a chicken in a flower pot.

If you wonder why you would even want to attempt it in the first place, Brown clues you in. Alton Brown’s Gear for Your Kitchen is about as guilt free as pleasure will ever get.