Favorite Things - July 27

I have made no secret of my fondness for cooking, and of losing myself in the kitchen for long periods at a time. But, I also have an abject weakness for stores specializing in kitchen equipment. In Paris, we stumbled upon an incredible shop, well established, and filled to the brim with an array of gadgets beyond our wildest imaginations. We could easily have wasted a week in there, gawking at the range of wooden utensils and exclaiming over the sheen of the copper pots and pans. In the end, thwarted by luggage allowances, we contented ourselves with a small purchase of just a crepe batter spreader and crepe flipper. We had spent the previous week in Normandy, marveling over the adroit skills of the crepe makers, and hoped that once home and armed with the proper tools, we too could effortlessly turn out the perfectly paper-thin and crisp-edged crepes. We are still building our skills.

Sadly, we are not able to indulge ourselves with a weekly trip to Paris, so once back in Toronto I made friends with Williams-Sonoma. What an accommodating friendship it turned out to be.

Easily, one of my favorite things about Williams-Sonoma is the selection of silicone spatulas. The handles are a wonderfully smooth wood, and the silicone comes in a fun range of seasonal colours. This pretty lemongrass green for instance, is delightful. And... these can be personalised! What a fabulous shower gift personalised spatulas would be.



But just look at all these other wonderful items that no one ever knew they needed or wanted!

From left to right are: a mango pitter; an avocado pitter and slicer, and; a fruit muddler.
Ok, I didn't know what a fruit muddler was for either. It works similar to a pestle, but is designed to crush fruit while in the glass. It releases the oils from the rind, while extracting the juice from within, to provide maximum citrus flavour. Perfect for refreshing summertime drinks.


From left to right here are: a whipped cream whipper (I used to use one of these when I worked years ago at Second Cup, and have always longed for one!!); garden creatures pancake molds, and; a corn zipper.

Obviously, the dream kitchen that resides in my head is full of drawer space. Until such time, I am forced to practice restraint while wetting the Williams-Sonoma catalogue with my drool. (Don't even get me started on the dishes!!!)