People have actually said to me that they envy how organized and clean my kitchen looks. And they figure that I’m naturally neat and proper, always putting everything in its place.
It’s an illusion, people. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a camera trick – my kitchen really does look that way, most of the time – I have decided to come clean. This will make us both feel a whole lot better.
Let’s go back to my first apartment in Far Rockaway. When I would do a lot of Shabbos entertaining and the dishwasher would be packed to the brim, I would shove all my dirty dishes into the oven. Hey, it got them out of sight, and I could still use the countertops and sink. Deep down, I was probably hoping for some kind of miracle: when we would open that oven door after Shabbos, the dishes would be sparkling clean! (It never happened. I learned that an oven will never, ever transform into a dishwasher.) Anyway, as you’ve probably guessed by now, there was many a Sunday when I would turn on the oven to preheat it and – what’s that funny smell? Ah, the aroma of dirty dishes at 375°!
Well, now I’m all grown up and moved into a house with such a fancy shmancy kitchen that I have a nice-sized dishwasher, extra deep sinks and a section of my countertop where I can stack things and still have the workspace I need throughout Shabbos. No need to use the oven for storage. So in the last 4+ years we have lived in this house, I haven’t indulged in the Sunday morning dirty dish cook-off.
Until now.
Last Shabbos I hosted Yaffa, a person I love and to whom I will be forever indebted (‘cuz she introduced me to Hubby). She came to spend the entire Shabbos with us, along with her hubby and five of her (seven) kids. I really wanted to do it up right and make some special things. Maybe I went a bit overboard and maybe I procrastinated a little — okay a lot – so I was working up to the very last minute.
There I was, just minutes before candle-lighting, with a ton of pots and pans and dirty spatulas and mixing spoons. I don’t want to load up my dishwasher, because I’ll need that for all the dirty Shabbos dishes. Panic sets in. I must get those pots out of sight! Then I remember and thank G-d for the OVEN trick. I hurriedly load all the stuff in the oven, close the door, and voila — a clean kitchen! Just how I like it; no mess, no stress.
So went on with my life.
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Two days later I have a house full of people: we are shooting new episodes of my cooking show and I am preheating my oven for the first episode.
I start to look for my spatula for the first dish. I cannot find a single spatula (Hello — I have 3!), and I’m missing other key utensils. Then people start sniffing. Uh, Jamie, what’s that funny smell?
Déjà vu! After 4 years, the meaning of that strange odor comes back to me and I race to the oven. Folks, let me tell you that burning plastic has a tang all its own. I found my spatula — split in half and melting onto the cookie sheet and dripping down my sauté pan and onto my oven grates. I cheerfully announced that ruining a half dozen cooking utensils in one fell swoop is a great reason to stock up on the newest stuff.
And that is how I came to be in the market for new spatulas, and plan to buy myself a whole lot of great new gadgets I may never use. Listen, one cannot question the deep workings of fate. I think I was due for a kitchen upgrade anyway.
Whoa Baby – I am ready to break the bank with all these great recommendations. A few of the basics I have in my pantry but I am so not into gadgets so am prob not as well stocked as you’d think. Thanks for all the ideas and links and Rachel thanks for letting me know I am not alone – at least my melting spatula didn’t require the assistance of the Spring Valley FD. I am probably going to go out a buy (like now!) a spider – idea courtesy of Jacqueline Strand – I always wanted one and affordable, so thanks for the reminder. Honorable mention also goes to my Aunt Rachel – glad I could make you laugh! AND THE WINNER IS… (chosen at random, but man did she have alot of great ideas!!!) ETKA!!!!! So excited for you! Check your email so you can get details on how to claim your prize. Not to worry folks there are more great contests here!
I would say a sandwich maker.
Get yourself a top line chopper. It makes all food preparation that much simpler. Thank you for the opportunity to win.
Splurge on a bread maker, you’ll probably luv it
Our favorite is the garlic crusher – we have two, one for milchigs and one for fleishigs!
splurge on a juicer!
You should splurge on a food processor.
I highly recommend a Marshall rotary ricer. Very nice!
How about a fancy new mixer? Thanks for the chance
Definitely splurge on an old fashioned egg beater. It’s saved me SO much time
I make sure all my friends have a good set of liquid measures and dry measures. I still find it fun to explain to them why you can’t use either or when baking. 🙂
How about those aluminum pie crust savers? The ones that cover the pie while it’s baking so the crust doesn’t burn. I have two of them and I can’t imagine life without them!
chipper101[at]hotmail[dot]com
A watermelon baller! Seriously.
I would recommend splurging on a blender.
supaflychikenpi2 AT gmail DOT com
Get the heftiest spatula you can find. I’ve broken so many spatulas, I’ve got a spatula graveyard. I keep buying the cheap ones, because for the most part I figure I don’t need something big and bad. But then I end up breaking all of them and have to keep the poor severed heads just so I have something to flip my eggs. (The eggs don’t break them. It’s the Morning After Brownies than snap them like twigs)
In any case, I’d say you need to buy a stainless steel flipper. You’ll wish you had if you don’t.
A new whisk.
I don’t know what they’re called, but the nonstick pans that are used to grill vegetables… seriously, those are incredible.
A veggie scrubber
Shaunda.Eppes at gmail dot com
I agree with the make your own ice pop molds. They have huge ones in lakewood that are great for smoothie pops!
Also, the milk frother for fun coffee drinks at home. Great for making things a little fancier quickly.
I have my own melted-a-cutting-board story up at ima2seven from storing dishes in the oven!
Jamie…splurge on a Tagine cooker…make some Moroccan Tagines…yum!
I would suggest a grill pan
caryn9802 at yahoo dot com
A ninja blender, it crushes ice like no other!
I love my kitchen shears from clauss , they separate into two pieces fr ez washing. I’m also in love with my oxo kitchen tools
Make your own ice pop molds. Yay apple juice ice pops!
Do you have a melon baller? I use mine every day for removing the seeds from apples or pears, hallowing out zucchini to stuff, etc.
I’d love one of those Aerolatte hots so I could warm hot cocoa in my otherwise meat kitchen. A cheese grater can be great for all kinds of things including chocolate. You can grate it on cakes, ice cream, tiramisu… I miss my garlic press, too. Oh, I just bought new knives and got the Bodem Bistro Universal knife block for my b-day. It’s great if you have a small set of mis-matched knives. It takes up very little space, and you can keep whatever you want in it, like scissors or your honing steel.
No kitchen should be without an Aerolatte IMHO http://www.aerolatte.com/ Now that I have one, I don’t know how I ever lived without it. Get one! You’ll love it!
Immersion blender!
A set of nesting Zak! bowls… they’re practically indestructible, and look so *nice*!
A Go-to knife. That’s the super-sharp, conveniently-sheathed, Mommy-only knife that cuts through all those frustrating chicken bits in a flash.
Actually – come to think of it – just buy a good pair of kitchen shears for chicken, instead. Saves having to wash a cutting board.
Immersion blender. Can’t imagine how any cook lives without it. A kitchen basic! Investing in one that has extra-powerful setting options is worth it, too.
I could say my avocado-cutter, my cheese-grater, my garlic press or my nifty counter-scrubber thingy, but honestly, I never use them. I use my pizza wheel more than any two of those combined, frankly.
My choice? Splurge on a nice, sturdy spice rack with a host of clear, pretty spice bottles. Fill them with your collection, then display them in gradating color, from intense saffron to deepest sage by way of vivid parsley. Art and Flavor in one fell swoop!
I think you ought to buy the magnetic nesting measuring spoons and cups from Crate and Barrel. If you use stainless steel mixing bowls, they stick right onto the rim of the bowl. Enjoy
Whatever gadget I have, I’m sure you have. But I love my cheese grater (oxo).
measureing cups
I love the “ol’ oven trick”…that’s how I ended up with my new oven! (after melting 3 PLASTIC cutting boards and having the fire department at my house!)
Definitely get a microplane! Depending on whether you keep it parve or use it for meat or dairy, you can use it for grating all kinds of citrus zest, grating whole nutmegs, grating chocolate, grating cheese, grating garlic and numerous other uses that you will discover. When you replace your spatulas make sure that the new ones are made of silicone. You don’t have to worry about them melting this way!
A slotted spatula is great to leave the grease behind in the pan.
You should definitely splurge on a OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Flexible Turner 🙂 *Thanks* for the giveaway!
MAYBE A NEW MIXER
pasta machine! homemade pasta is actually really easy
you should get a frozen fruit soft serve processor. sounds delicious! http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20110622/frozen-fruit-soft-serve-processor/
the slotted spatula from rachel ray leans on the pot
A garlic peeler!! It would save me hours in the kitchen…
I definitely recommend the new Manual Food Processor from The Pampered Chef! It’s awesome! Chop onions, broccoli, etc…. Make salsas, pesto, dips, even egg salad! While you’re on the website, check out the Silicone Scrapers! They are heat safe to 650 degrees so they won’t melt in the oven!
http://www.pamperedchef.biz/susanwarshay
I myself have just invested in a cherry-pitter and let me tell you: it changed my life! Ok- maybe not my whole life– But preparing my daughters’ lunch suddenly doesn’t take 20 minutes just pitting cherries! You can use it for pitting olives too.
http://store.kitchenclique.com/1071449.html
Hmmmmm, that’s a hard one because there are so many wonderful gadgets out there. I guess I would say, splurge on a food processer!
You can never have enough steamer baskets!
I’m wondering what type of spatula you need? slotted, stainless steel, silicone, large, small, for jars, extra wide?? how about: Le Creuset ~
http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/24134-le-creuset-7-piece-utensil-set.aspx