Mr. Gadget

Gadgets can be a lot of help in the kitchen. A worthwhile investment, but only if utilized. Don't buy something that will sit in the draw or cabinet and never get used. I have boxes full of gadgets that were bought with great ambition but never or hardly ever becomes useful. Other gadgets do get used. Some more frequent than others. I will be discussing gadgets that I think are very helpful and those that don't seem to be.

The first kitchen helper that does get used often is the coffee grinder. This device has several uses, only one of which is grinding coffee. We have two in the house now, we did have five. One is specifically for grinding coffee. You don't want to use it for anything else or your coffee may taste funny. I've seen TV ads that show a gadget that does everything including grinding coffee. Don't use it for coffee. Use it for everything else. You can use one for savory spices and have another one for sweet spices. Several inexpensive coffee grinders can be put to good use in the kitchen.

The other coffee grinder we have is used for grinding spices. We do have a mortar and pestle and I have used it on occasion but using the grinder is fast and easy and you don't lose the occasional seed that gets ejected from the mortar. Whole seeds and peppercorns have much more flavor than buying them pre-ground. The coffee grinder will add more flavor to your dishes by utilizing fresher spices.

Other uses for this gadget are to fine-grind coarse cornmeal or other grains or to chop nuts. This means that you don't need to buy both coarse and fine grains or pre-chopped nuts. Also it is good for turning "sugar in the raw" into a powdered sugar for baking. So if you need to turn a dry something into a powder something for you culinary creation just pull out the coffee grinder and voila!

Snow is coming so bundle up and stay warm.

Bill