Today’s Confession: The Old Dishes in the Oven Trick
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.
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.
***Giveaway***
Enter for a chance to win 1 box of each of 5 flavors of Power of Fruit bars. All you have to do is tell me in the comments what kitchen gadget I should splurge on while shopping for new spatulas. For more info on this product and contest rules click here.
You must be a US resident aged 18 or over. Contest Ends Wednesday August 10th 2011 at 9 am EST.
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED – WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY
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96 Responses to Today’s Confession: The Old Dishes in the Oven Trick
About jamie geller
Jamie Geller is a bestselling author of the wildly successful QUICK & KOSHER cookbook...
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I recommend http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=10164214, a french fry cutter. I use it for potatoes on occasion but also for dicing cucumber for Israeli salad or zucchini sticks for stir-fry.
It is a small price to pay for a convenience in the kitchen.
I love spiders – those wiry, bamboo handled, scoopers. I have an extra large one and a medium one. I love them. I also have a really cool zester that I love because it gives me large, fragrant strips of zest instead of little bits.
The nu-wave cooker. It cooks frozen meat. Its an as seen on tv product that really works!
Chef’n Sleekstor Scoop Colander – especially since it is heat resistant to 650 so it will be safe in the oven in case you forget it in there.
http://store.kitchenclique.com/col-542.html
a very versatile saucemaker – Roma Sauce Maker
http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=203470955&pnr=W22&siteID=pRPFz5BR_ws-1Z.riU7shyWFS5jhO39gHA&cm_mmc=ls-_-SkyMall-_-pRPFz5BR/ws-_-banner
and a very cool timer – Orka Electronic Sand Timer
http://www.amazon.com/Orka-Electronic-Sand-Timer-Orange/dp/B000RYPKW2/ref=sr_1_47?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1291048780&sr=1-47
I adore my measuring cups! http://www.oxo.com/p-507-3-piece-angled-measuring-cup-set.aspx if you don’t already have them give these a try. you can see measurements from the side or top and they are easy clean, comfortable to hold and microwave and dishwasher safe. I also adore http://www.oxo.com/p-649-11-whisk.aspx
Cuisinart ICE-50BC Supreme Ice Cream Maker
The ULTIMATE Splurge – It’s a Fully automatic 1-1/2-quart frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream maker. It has a commercial-style compressor freezer – so prefreezing is not required! Ahhh, my dream machine!
http://www.cuisinartwebstore.com/detail/CUI+ICE-50BC
I think you should get a Zoku Pops maker !! Perfect for these hot summer days. (:
http://www.zokuhome.com/
Good luck gadget splurging!
On the theme of spatulas: The BeaterBlade is a super cool Kitchen Aid attachment that scrapes the sides while mixing so you don’t have to dirty your spatula unless you’re scraping in to get those last drops of batter!
Or y’know, you can get a pasta machine…mmm.
a pineapple corer – slicer. It’s fun to create rings that look like they’re from the can in one fell swoop!
I am looking for a bench scraper myself like Rachel Ray always uses http://www.rachaelraystore.com/Product/detail/Rachael-Ray-Nylon-Tools-6-5-in-Bench-Scrape-Blue/133278
I know I want one of these Curly Fry Cutters that can be used on a variety of veggies and fruits: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17498495&RN=1150&
Do you have to ask really? The Hindy Chopper – aka The Vidalia Onion Chopper…super speedy, easy to clean, a must when making large quantities of anything. Get the name brand, and by an extra one for Pesach. Love ya! (P.S. I have a desk with pocket doors that close on Shabbat – hmmm…where did all my messy papers go??)
http://www.amazon.com/Vidalia-Chop-Wizard-VOWR-2/dp/B000I6JZWA
Oooh splurge on a keurig coffee maker, then you can make everyonem their own individual cup, so fun!!!
No kitchen should be lacking a citrus press! I received one as a present last Chanukah because I was always complaining about how hard it was to squeeze lemons with my trusty reamer, and didn’t have room for another appliance. Mine looks just like the one below, painted yellow metal, and works like a wonder, whether it’s for 10 lemons (lemon chicken) or 1 lemon (guacamole). Love love love! Don’t know how I got along this far without it!
http://dailyjuicer.com/two-types-of-lemon-juicer-which-one-should-i-buy/
This is a good one, splurge on a keurig coffee maker, then you can make everyonem their own individual cup, so fun!!!
A mini-chopper that I purchased 23 years ago to grind my own fleishig baby food. Now I use it to chop onions, garlic and my own matza meal by grinding matzas.
The onion chopper…Progressive. Great for onions as well as Israeli salad. And they have great customer service. Just replaced a broken part, no charge.
My absolutely favorite utensil is the small spatula from Pampered Chef: http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=16763&words=2622%20Mini-Serving%20Spatula
I have several of them for Fleishigs and for Pesach, and I’m going to need to order some for Milchigs as well! They are so versatile and useful for cutting and serving everything from kugels to pastries to gefilte fish, and they look pretty on the table as well.
If you can’t decide what you want or need you can get teh 15 piece set of tools that will for sure come in handy. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/Product.asp?SKU=13876150
I would love to have it!
Right now, the kitchen gadget I’d most like to have is the Berkey Water Filtration System…so I think you should get one for yourself!
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=481494&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results
is also amazing to have 3 different sizes of measuring cups which you can stack and store!
I love anything that Pampered Chef puts out. They have a new catalog and I could just go through and buy 2 all those nifty little gadgets. Maybe even 3 of some so I have parve gadgets as well.
A waffle maker!
Le Creuset used to make silicone spatulas that were dishwasher safe. I checked on the web site, and the spatulas are now designed to come apart. I’m not sure this is good (hello! who wants to dig through cookie batter for a spatula?) so I don’t have a spatula to recommend. However, I’m a big fan of a rice cooker. You can steam all kinds of veggies in it (and yes, rice), and it’s pre-programmed, so once you have it going, you don’t have to worry about it until it beeps (great for shabbos)
and oxo mango cutter, and i have “cooked” dirty dishes from shabbos on a sunday more than once too.
A plane is great for grating fresh ginger and citrus zest and saves your fingers.
I am entering the fruit freezee giveway.
I think while shopping for a spatula you should splurge and get a new vegetable peeler. I use mine daily and have a back up one just in case something would happen. I love my peeler!!!
I had such an awful time finding a pepper grinder I liked. Most I had broke or were really hard to turn and/or load. I finally found one that works great. It is easy to load, turns easily and has not broken.
Jamie Oliver pop-up pepper mill
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F50TBE
Brita has a new sleek water pitcher, I think you should splurge on that and get some spatulas from the dollar store! Visit us at http://www.cuzinlogic.com
This is something no one mentioned-an apple peeler/corer/slicer the best invention ever! Suctions onto your counter and makes baking well a slice of pie!!http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=229&categoryCode=CE
I think everyone should have an immersion blender. I use it for veggie soup all the time
Norpro Nonstick Mini Tortilla Bowl Makers, Set of 2
Makes very fun salad bowls or dip bowls from store bought tacos. Whenever I serve it I look super fancy!
One of my little life-saver in the kitchen is a sturdy, well made, hand held, garlic press! I love it. Make tiny little slivers of garlic that are so much nicer than clumpy cut ones. I even think that they taste better and give out more flavor and it is certainly easier than all that slicing. I also love my old fashioned had held metal lemon juicer seeder! It is shaped kinda like a small bowl with holes in it and a handle and you pot half a lemon or lime in there, press the top over it and no more seeds plus lots of juice. These two items are pretty simple yet I use them on almost a daily basis and they are great to have around.
A mini ice cream scooper. It is amazing to use when baking cookies. Instead of having to use to spoons or your fingers you use the scooper and tra la you have perfectly shaped balls which turn into beautiful cookies!
i love my oxo salad spinner!
I would definitely say a BATTER DISPENSER. It makes a world of a difference when making muffins, especially mini muffins. You just fill it with your batter and squeeze out a little bit at a time over the muffin tin. It saves you all the work of spooning out a million times and without the mess!
First off, you should get the spatulas on the ring….Here is the link:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/search/results.html?activeTab=products&words=spatulas&cm_sp=OnsiteSearch-_-GlobalNav-_-Button&type-ahead-viewset=ecom
For a splurge, there is much you can buy, but my favorite is (though I don’t actually have one)
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cuisinart-supreme-electric-ice-cream-maker/?cm_src=rel
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Chef-Spatule-Pelton-Spatula/dp/B00004SZ6Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1312406130&sr=1-2
its the master chef spatula. its great multiuse. I use mine every day. please enter me for the frozen treat thanks!
Ok – so someone else identified my favorite utensil however I will add more to it. My favorite would be different sized ice cream scoops. Not only is it great for ice cream and cookies, but it’s wonderful to make meat balls (you can make them appetizer sized or main course sized depending on which scoop you use). You can also use the mini one for cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon or anything else that you need a specific round size for. You can get them through Pampered Chef, Bed Bath and Beyond, William Sonoma or any place that sells alot of gadgets! PS — I also love my egg slicer/dicer for making egg salad, and guacamole. I also slice firm tomatoes through it. I got this one at Bed Bath and Beyond. Happy Gadgeting!
Oh, Jamie. I laughed at that one! Did I know when we came for Shabbos in FR that you did that??
I couldn’t live without my silicone “spoonulas”. They are spatulas with curved ends – I think David bought them from Williams and Sonoma. LOVE them. And you.
A Jack LaLanne Juicer!
The Cuisinart Grind ‘N Brew! Plus some Dunkin Donuts coffee. It makes my day, every day!
I consider it a splurge since you can make rice in a regular pot, but a good rice maker is wonderful! You just put in the rice and water and it does the work for you! The rice comes out perfect and fluffy every time!
while you are shopping for “heat proof” spatulas, pick up a fish spatula for those delicate filets. . .dale
A mandaline.
I recommend an immersion blender. It is great for mixing, blending, chopping, whipping. A very versatile item.
You should get a ZOKU ice pop maker ~ I just bought one and we are having so much fun freezing pureed fruit
Kuhn rikon garlic press. It’s easy to use, easy to clean and has a lifetime warranty.
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
You can never have enough steamer baskets!
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!
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
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
A garlic peeler!! It would save me hours in the kitchen…
the slotted spatula from rachel ray leans on the pot
you should get a frozen fruit soft serve processor. sounds delicious! http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20110622/frozen-fruit-soft-serve-processor/
pasta machine! homemade pasta is actually really easy
MAYBE A NEW MIXER
You should definitely splurge on a OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Flexible Turner
*Thanks* for the giveaway!
A slotted spatula is great to leave the grease behind in the pan.
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!
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!)
measureing cups
Whatever gadget I have, I’m sure you have. But I love my cheese grater (oxo).
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
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!
Immersion blender!
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!
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.
Make your own ice pop molds. Yay apple juice ice pops!
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
A ninja blender, it crushes ice like no other!
I would suggest a grill pan
caryn9802 at yahoo dot com
Jamie…splurge on a Tagine cooker…make some Moroccan Tagines…yum!
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!
A veggie scrubber
Shaunda.Eppes at gmail dot com
I don’t know what they’re called, but the nonstick pans that are used to grill vegetables… seriously, those are incredible.
A new whisk.
I think you should splurge on copost bin! :]
ekieuuu@gmail.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.
I would recommend splurging on a blender.
supaflychikenpi2 AT gmail DOT com
A watermelon baller! Seriously.
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
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.
Definitely splurge on an old fashioned egg beater. It’s saved me SO much time
How about a fancy new mixer? Thanks for the chance
I highly recommend a Marshall rotary ricer. Very nice!
You should splurge on a food processor.
splurge on a juicer!
Our favorite is the garlic crusher – we have two, one for milchigs and one for fleishigs!
Splurge on a bread maker, you’ll probably luv it
Get yourself a top line chopper. It makes all food preparation that much simpler. Thank you for the opportunity to win.
I would say a sandwich maker.
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!