Gadgets for the Kosher Cook

We recently posted a recipe for Zucchini Spaghetti that really is best made using a Julienne Peeler.  This kind of peeler has little rivets on the blade that allow it to cut the food into long thin, even strips.  Sure you can use a regular peeler and then cut it, but to get perfect uniformity and do it in seconds you need one of these peelers.  You can do so much more with it too, cut up carrots or cucumbers for salads or for sushi rolls into thin julienne pieces. The only question now is which one to buy?

This Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler is really well made being entirely from stainless steel. It feels nice and solid in your hand and quickly creates the most perfect julienne vegetables every time.

Jamie doesn’t leave home without her OXO Julienne Peeler. Light weight and easy to pack, even in your make up case if necessary. With the comfortable rubberized handles everyone has come to love OXO, this peeler makes life easier.

Whichever one you choose, you must make this Zucchini Spaghetti.

Do you use a julienne peeler? Which one is your favorite?

What kind of equipment do you need to get started with BBQ Smoking? There are a number of choices available at your local hardware mega-store. Each has pros and cons, but with practice, they can all provide good results.

The offset, barrel smoker (under $200) offers versatility and a huge space for cooking. A fire is built in a separate chamber, outside of the main cooking area and the hot smoke passes across the food in the cooking chamber and out via a chimney. If you build a fire in the main cooking chamber, you can also use this smoker as a charcoal grill. This kind of smoker requires a lot of babysitting to produce good results.

Electric smokers ($300 and up) are
shunned by professional pit-masters, but are much more practical for home cooks. Load the chamber with food, add wood to the smoker tray and turn it on. Temperatures are kept constant by a thermostat. The only two downsides are the price, and needing an electrical socket where you cook.

Propane smokers (under $200) are similar to electric smokers. A smoker tray holds the wood that will provide smoke, but instead of an electric heater, a propane burner is used. You won’t need an electrical socket, but you’ll be trading it for a propane
tank. Also, you need to control the temperature manually.

Bullet smokers (from $40 to $400) are an interesting breed. A charcoal fire is built at the bottom of the smoker and wood chips are thrown on to generate smoke. A water pan rests between the fire and the food, to temper the heat and add moisture.

A plain old kettle grill (about $100) can also be used for smoking, but you get the smallest amount of cooking space. Lit coals are placed on one side of the cooking chamber and the food is placed on the other side. Wood chips are tossed on the coals periodically. This setup works best for foods that require less cooking time, since maintaining low temperatures for long periods of time can be difficult.

If all you have is a gas grill, all is not lost. Turn on the burners on only one side of the grill and place the food over the un-lit side. You can use a foil packet of wood chips placed over the lit burners to generate the smoke you need.

Regardless of what you use to smoke your food, temperature control is key for consistent results. If your smoker has a thermostat, just set it and forget it. There are digital thermometers that allow you to place a probe inside your smoking chamber to monitor the temperature – more expensive models have remote readouts, so you can monitor temperatures from indoors. Your smoker may come with a thermometer built into the hood, but these are rarely accurate.  When all else fails, poke a digital instant-read thermometer through a vent hole. Unless a recipe says otherwise, you’ll want to keep the temperature between 200° and 225° F. Adjustments to the air-inlet and vents will allow you to raise or lower the temperature – more air equals more heat, less air equals less heat. Don’t close the vents all the way or you will smother your fire.

To create the smoke that bathes your food, you’re going to need wood to burn. The same hardware stores where you buy a smoker will have a variety of choices.  The most common woods for smoking are hickory and mesquite, but apple, cherry and pecan are often available. Hickory is the best all-purpose wood. Mesquite has a very strong flavor and it’s very easy to over smoke your food with it, so I avoid it. The fruit woods are very nice for smoked poultry. Wood is available in either chunks or chips and the smoker manufacturer will suggest which one is best for your smoker.

NOTE: Don’t buy a smoker that uses wood pellets or pucks to generate smoke. They are made from sawdust held together with nonkosher
gelatin. Rather, use wood chips made from chopping large chunks of wood.  I’ve smoked burgers, chickens, whole turkeys, and ribs. I’ve even been known to smoke vegetables now and then – aioli made with smoke-roasted garlic is divine. Starting with easier recipes such as Beer Can Chicken, you can work your way up to the more involved recipes, such as Barbecued Brisket.

Good barbecue is a skill worth perfecting.

As seen in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine – (Bitayavon Summer 2012) – Subscribe Now.

Chanukah is fast approaching, the first night (less than a month away) is December 9th and now is the time to gather the best gifts and gadgets that your friends and loved ones will be thanking you for.   That is why we have compiled some of our favorite gift ideas from our kitchen to yours including some that you WIN right here, right now.

1.  Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine Subscription is the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year.  At $24.99 get one for your friend and for yourself at the same time.  Subscribe Now.  (Win a 1 year Subscription through November 19th)

2. Bialetti Aeternum Nano- Ceramic Nonstick Sauté Pan is available in 3 sizes (8 inch, 9.5 inch and 11 inch). The eco-friendly Aeternum cookware line is free of PFOA, PTFE and Cadmium.  The “nano-ceramic” coating resists scratches, abrasions and offers a smooth, compact and uniform surface that makes it easier to clean. The interior white color provides a unique and extraordinary cooking experience.  Get the 11-inch for $39.95.

3. Ravi Instant Wine Refresher – chills wine instantly as you pour. Wine goes from room temperature to serving temperature in just seconds. Remove your Ravi from the freezer, insert it on to your bottle’s neck, and pour. The wine passes through the frozen steel chamber into your glass, chilling your red or white wine to perfection. You can adjust the serving temperature and prevent dripping with the finger tip-control. You can use it for vodka as well. Great idea for your Chanukah party. $39.95.  WIN THIS NOW (through January 8th).

4. LeKue Citrus Sprayer – Flavor your soft drinks and cocktails, or season your salads, seafood or other recipes with a light mist of fresh citrus. Two sizes are included for optimum extraction: a longer unit for larger fruits like oranges and grapefruits, and a shorter unit for smaller fruit like limes and tangerines. Enjoy natural flavor with ease.  WIN THIS NOW. Through January 14th.  Value $18.00.

5. Joseph Joseph Nest Utensils Compact Kitchen Tool Set with Magnetic Handles is for you if you have a small kitchen or you just hate clutter. Five essential kitchen tools are nested in a compact self-supporting design, held securely by small handles in the handle. The slotted spatula, spaghetti server, slotted spoon, solid spoon and ladle are all heat resistant to 464-degrees Fahrenheit and are dishwasher safe. This set is a great gift for your favorite cook!  $24.95

6. Cuisipro 4-Sided Etched Box Grater with Ginger Grater Base with Surface Glide Technology ™ takes the etched blade a step further and makes the graters sharp and more productive — grating more with less effort. You can grate, zest or slice on one of five surfaces. This grater is perfect for preparing potato latkes. $29.95  WIN THIS NOW. Through January 21st.

7. Envision Fridge Bin Liners Are you tired of spoiled, wilted vegetables and fruits? These Stay Fresh Bin Liners will solve your problem.  It is made from the same material supermarkets use to ensure longer life for fruits and vegetables.  The design allows air to circulate freely, preventing spoiling caused by excess moisture, thereby retaining crispness and preventing bruising. $8.99

8. Kosher by Design Cooking Coach Susie Fishbein’s 8th Cookbook Has More Than You’d Expect!  This cookbook is a culinary tutorial, loaded with many of Susie’s personal techniques and time- and money-saving tips. It is a unique combination of cooking tips and 120 new recipes that make this cookbook a winner. $24.45

9. Jacks’ Gourmet Kosher Facon - Smoky and salty, this dry-cured beef tastes and cooks up just like the real thing! Whether you serve it atop a juicy burger, sprinkled over a salad or cooked into a pasta sauce, your food will take on a new depth of flavor that will have you coming back for more. 4 packages for $23.96

10.Dear Cocoa Parve Chocolate Truffles – Send a friend or yourself one of these premium truffle gift sets.  Either their best selling Signature Around the World Collection or choose their flavor of the month, this month is Massachusetts Cranberry and Illinois Pumpkin. Box of 12 pieces $25.50

Disclosure: Prizes are being given away from Kitchen Clique.

There’s something to be said for that infomercial that instructs you to “Set it and Forget it.” The infomercial promises lifetime fulfillment in the kitchen.

The recent demise of my slow cooker had me rethinking the way I prepare dinner. To be honest, I have never been a power user of the slow cooker. The bulky appliance was more or less relegated to cholent or stew cooking on Shabbat and then shoved in a cabinet for the rest of the week.

I mourn the loss of any kitchen appliance, but the slow cooker didn’t fluster me too much. I wasn’t sure if I’d even replace it. Gasp! How would I prepare Shabbat meals? It’s not so bad. We didn’t always rely on that slow cooker. We hadn’t had any cholent all summer long. Then suddenly, September and October showed up and Fall set in. The weather got chillier and I was craving some warm foods. Maybe I did need a slow cooker.

While browsing through my email, an ad for a slow cooker on Amazon showed up. A beautiful red Crockpot at a price I couldn’t turn down. Did I mention that I’m a sucker for a good deal on a kitchen appliance?  The slow cooker showed up right around Sukkot time. This got me thinking about the chilly meals in the sukkah and what I could do to warm them up. The slow cooker allowed me to go beyond soup and take up one less burner.

I quickly learned that I actually like this new appliance and that it can work for me – way beyond that weekly cholent. It is truly a blessing! Just like the commercials tell you – it is very versatile.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry with Rice

I work full time, and when I come home, I typically have a 30-minute window before my children are loudly demanding dinner. It dawned on me that I could employ my slow cooker. I thought about what kinds of dishes would appeal to the family after a long day. I decided to keep this appliance pareve for now. My daughter and I stopped eating meat and I haven’t decided which way this pot should go.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Seitan Stew

It was a typical weekday morning and I woke up bleary-eyed and ready to test this thing out. I chopped up some veggies and protein and moved forward.  I had my husband turn on the slow cooker to low before he left for work.  As I sat at work, I was tempted to have a neighbor check on my kitchen. My backup plan was a box of Wacky Mac or some take-out sushi. Eight hours later, I came home to an amazing smell. Even my kids were impressed. So we dug in.

I was so happy with the results of the first weeknight stew, I decided to incorporate more vegetarian slow cooker options in to our weeknight repertoire. This Vegetable Curry and Vegetable Seitan stew are easy and healthy options to add to your dinner list. I highly recommend them!

My family and I love seltzer.  It’s more fun than water.  It’s soda without the calories.  Over the years, the supermarket aisle has expanded from the ubiquitous lemon-lime and orange varieties of seltzer to ever more complex and sophisticated flavors of carbonated water.  As my three kids started requesting seltzer with every meal, the plastic bottles kept piling up outside our recycling bin and I started to feel a little guilty.  It was also getting expensive.

It was time to give Soda Stream a try.

We recently got the Soda Stream Genesis and it takes up a very small corner on our kitchen counter.  It’s sleek and stylish and an instant hit around the Shabbat table, where the kids beg for a chance to turn water into sparkling water with three simple pushes of the CO2 cartridge.  Making seltzer and soft drinks is simple and takes about 15 seconds!  If you like the taste of popular brand name cola and soft drinks, OU kosher-certified syrups are available for almost every style you can think of and some, you probably haven’t!  No heavy bottles to carry up to my apartment anymore and I don’t have to clear out a shelf in my coat closet to store a case of seltzer bottles.

I love the idea of being able to reuse the same dishwasher-safe plastic bottle, over and over again, and experiment with my own unique (calorie-free) flavors like Ginger Lime and Cinnamon Spice.  SodaStream rapidly became one of my very favorite kitchen gadgets.

CO2 cartridges are available at most major big box retail stores (where they can be refilled) or online and each cartridge lasts for about 80-100 bottles of seltzer.  It works out to about $.25 a liter.

SodaStream has its headquarters located in the West Bank of Israel and it feels great to support an Israeli company every time we sit down to drink.  Something is definitely fizzy around here!

Check out my other Gadget Adventures and let me know what else you want to learn more about and maybe I will try it out for you.

This season, everyone is grill obsessed—especially the guys. But what’s a gal to do if she just can’t stand the smoke? Or if she’s tired of hot dogs and steak? Faige Sprecher from Kitchen Clique takes us way beyond your Weber or your grill pan on a tour of grilling’s coolest tools and appliances—indoors and out.

For Cozy-in-the-Kitchen Cooks
BREVILLE ELECTRONIC GRILL WITH REMOVABLE PLATES $349.95 at KitchenClique.com
“Yes, there are less expensive indoor grills.  Panini makers will also give you grill lines,” says Faige. “But this is the king of electronic grills—it’s large, stateof-the-art, and will give food that authentic BBQ flavor. It’s just like bringing your fancy barbecue indoors.”

For Chicken Lovers

CAMERONS BEER ROASTER $16.99 at KitchenClique.com $24.99 for the deluxe model (shown)
Tired of dry grilled chicken breasts? For the best, most moist chicken ever—pour your favorite marinade in the middle (or your favorite beer, the inspiration for this nifty cooking tool). “Stick the chicken on top, and cook over the grill or in the oven.  The fat also drips down, resulting in a healthy BBQ option,” says Faige. That’s way cooler than chicken burgers.

For the Veggie Lovers

CHARCOAL COMPANION PIZZAQUE PIZZA STONE GRILL $89.99 at KitchenClique.com
Rather munch on veggies while everyone else is wolfing down the meat?  Make a veggie cheeseless pizza. “Often, non-meat eaters don’t have something filling they enjoy at a BBQ. This PizzaQue makes brick oven pizza using your grill.” It just might be worth getting a second dairy grill—so you can make brick-oven style cheese pizza too!

For Shish Kebab Lovers
CUISINART GRIDDLER GRILL CENTRO $99.95 at KitchenClique.com
“This indoor electronic grill has a cool feature that rotates the skewers so they cook evenly,” says Faige. “The top can convert from a grill to a
griddle.”

How about a BBQ snack? Want to use your grill to…pop popcorn? Try the Nordicware Grill Popper. “You can also use this over the stovetop, but the grill gives the popcorn a nice smokey flavor,” says Faige.

Originally published in the Summer 2011 issue of  Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller.

You’ll Love Your Ice Cream Machine!

Think it’s hard or time-consuming to make your own ice cream? Ice cream machines like the ones below do the magic for you. Faige Sprecher from The Kitchen Clique fills us in on the best options for the at-home ice cream chef.

For Do-It-Yourselfers
CUISIPRO MANUAL ICE CREAM MAKER $59.99 at kitchenclique.com

I suppose some people need ice cream all the time, even during a power outage. Others like to go back to the basics. The Cuisipro uses no electricity—simply chill the cylinder overnight, prepare your recipe and pour it in, give the machine a few cranks, and presto. Twenty minutes later, you have ice cream.

For the Practical
CUISINART ICE-21 $49.99   CUISINART ICE-30BC $79.99  at kitchenclique.com

The popular Cuisinart machine is super easy to use, with great results in about 20 minutes. “I also like the 2 quart model, the stainless steel
Cuisinart Pure Indulgence ICE-30BC,” says Faige. More ice cream? Who could say no to that! “But—you can’t just say, ‘I’m making ice cream.’ The bowl must be put in the freezer in advance.”

ForProcrastinators
CUISINART SUPREME COMMERCIAL QUALITY ICE CREAM MAKER $299.99 at kitchenclique.com

Need ice cream anytime, all the time, and on a whim? “This is the king of ice cream machines. It has its own compressor, so the bowl doesn’t need to be stored in the freezer in advance,” says Faige. But, convenience comes at a price.

For Entertainers
BACK TO BASICS ICE CREAM MACHINE $79.99 at kitchenclique.com

A large 4 quart capacity and an authentic old-fashioned look, this model offers enough ice cream for a crowd at a price well lower than the similar White Mountain machines.

For Kids Who Want to Help
PLAY AND FREEZE ICE CREAM MAKER $29.99 at The Kitchen Clique
“This looks like a toy… but it really works! Fill the ball up, toss it around, and it makes great ice cream,” Faige tells us. “The kids love getting involved.”

Prefer Soft Serve?

When it works, it’s really good,” says Faige of Cuisinart’s ICE-45 Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker, priced at $99.99. “But you have to work on it to get it right—once you get your recipe to the right consistency, you’ll enjoy this machine.”

Do yo own an ice cream maker?

With Shavuos upon us, our menu focus, at least to some extent, is on dairy and pasta dishes, and luscious cheese and crème filled desserts in different shapes and sizes.  To ease meal preparation, great tools are the key.  Join us to  view a collection of cheese tools, some of which  you might not have used in the past.

Did you know that you can get more taste from your favorite cheese with a cheese slicer (also called a cheese plane)?  The Boska Holland cheese slicer is handsome, well-priced, and perfect for semi-hard and hard cheese.

A cheese cleaver is right for cheddar cheese.  For soft cheese, you will want to use a cheese knife that is generally serrated, has holes in it and has a fork end.  Rosle Cheese Set has the slicer, cleaver, and knife.

To grate cheese, the Cuisipro 2-Drum etched rotary grater set comes complete with parmesan and coarse blades. A rotary grater can be used to grate chocolate for a scrumptious chocolate topped dessert.  Of course you can grate on a flat grater, but a rotary grater is both safer and cleaner.  

The Sagaform project pasta server with parmesan grater is a really cool tool.  It is a three in one tool – measure, grate, and serve with the same tool.Transform home cooking into a culinary experience with The Boska Holland Cheese Curler. Eating cheese was never so tasty!

The Trudeau gourmet cheese baker set makes baking cheese simple.  The stoneware cheese plate holds the cheese in place.  The handle makes it easy to remove from the oven.  The lid’s vapor holes conserve flavors better during baking.

To serve cheese in style, wood and bamboo cheese serving sets are very popular.  These sets come complete with a serving board and cheese preparation utensils.

Another option is the JK Adams Slate Slabs that are unique servers perfect for cheese.

For cheese and chocolate lovers, there are many cheese and chocolate fondues to choose from.   Stick to a ceramic fondue.  The metal ones get too hot.

The Kitchen Clique has an extensive selection of tools to help in food preparation as well as serving pieces for presentation that will enhance any holiday table.  Visit the Kitchen Clique at www.kitchenclique.com or visit the store at 3009 Avenue L in Brooklyn 718-692-2260.  The courteous and knowledgeable will be glad to assist you.

I always dreamed about making my own pasta, but it seemed way too daunting.  An Italian family in our building invited us over last year for dinner and served three different kinds of homemade pasta.  My foodie son (who won’t eat dried pasta) licked his plate.  Soon afterwards, my friend David revealed that he also makes his own pasta.  Apparently, his mom used to sell pasta machines and he ended up with an extra and offered to let me try it out.

What David had was actually what they call a Pasta Extruder.  The best way to describe it is like one of those play dough machines you used to enjoy as a kid. You take the dough and push it through a tube with the shape of your choice to make ziti, penne, tubitini and macaroni.  I found a recipe and tried it out. The kids had fun, we made a mess and we ended up with a nice bowl of fresh pasta that everyone loved.  Still, it felt like a lot of work for not much more than small bowl for each of us, but I knew I had to try it again.

I was researching buying my own pasta extruder when I met Alessandara Rovati, Italianblogger for Dinner in Venice, who confessed that even Italians don’t make their own pasta all the time. Alessandra saves it for special occasions and mostly when she is making filled pasta like ravioli or lasagna.  She also explained the difference between the dried pasta in a box that you can make with an extruder and fresh pasta.  Most dried pasta does not have any eggs and the recipes I followed to make the pasta in the extruder didn’t either.  They are also meant to be dried.  Who has time to do that?  She convinced me that an inexpensive old fashioned pasta roller is all I needed.  After several memorable Italian pasta dinners, I do believe she was right.

I bought one of these $40 machines and tried it out.  There was definitely some trial and error.  It’s still a fair amount of work, but the kids can get involved and the end result is most definitely worth it!  I usually save it for a Sunday afternoon when we have extra time and I make onebatch of spaghetti or fettuccine that we cook and eat fresh and one batch of ravioli that I freeze for the following week.

To make pasta the way they do in Italy, try a fine flour called “00” which you might find at an Italian market or specialty store.  Otherwise, you can use all purpose or even cake flour.  I also sprinkle semolina flour on top when rolling the dough, to help it from sticking to the machine.  No matter what flour you use, with a little practice you will be making pasta like Strega Nona in no time at all!

Here is my Pasta Dough Recipe and my favorite Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli Recipe.

When the weather’s just right, my husband and I take the kids out to the apple orchard. Apple picking is the perfect outdoor family activity in September and October.

The Sprechers are an apple-picking family, and for that matter, we love picking any fruit or vegetable that’s in season. When we come home with  bushels of apples, what do we do with them? Well, first we eat some of them raw – delicious!

Then we get creative and make lots of tasty creations with our apple picks. And of course, we use the best tools! My favorite apple corer is the Cuisipro Red and Stainless Apple Corer. This distinctive tool easily removes the core and makes disposal quick and effortless. The unique leveler splits in half for easy release after you twist or push this corer through the apple. And it’s top-rack dishwasher safe. (See it featured in the Joy of Kosher Magazine and win it here)

If I need a corer that will wedge as well, I have been using the basic OXO Good Grips apple divider for years. If you want thinner slices the Amco Dial-A-Slice is perfect! You adjust the thickness, and voila – either 8 or 16 wedges with one swift motion.

Before you slice your apple of choice, you might need to peel them. Who needs handles on peelers anymore? The hottest peeler on the market is the Palm Peeler from Chef’n! Wear it on your finger like a ring, and peel your apples right in the palm of your hand.

And now that my apples are ready to bake – I am ready to use my charming Chantal pie dish that resembles a real crust!   Or, I can’t wait to try the silicone petite tart molds by  Tovolo – there is an apple and a pear motif.  Over the years, I have collected plenty of pie dishes and tart molds – and the tart mold does not need to be non-stick.

And, when I am ready to serve my freshly sliced apples on Rosh Hashanah, I look forward to adorning my Yom Tov table with the beautiful Apple Plate from world-renowned designer Michael Aram…  I can’t decide on the Michael Aram Apple Honey Pot (Do I want a nickel or gold tone finish?) or the Mary Jurek Honey Pot with a bee accent and a honey dipper.

You think there’s only one kind of honey? Well, you’re sorely mistaken! Believe it or not, there’s Raspberry Honey, Blueberry Honey, and many other varieties to choose from!   And, honey is available in sticks and small pourable bags to avoid a sticky mess.  If you prefer to use honey from a dish, a silicone honey dipper is available from Le Creuset in a variety of colors.

Wishing that we are all blessed with a sweet, healthy, and prosperous new year,

Summer fun is here and so are these fantastic tips to keep you out of the kitchen.

Here is a list of “Quick Hints” that I share at my Tupperware demonstrations with my customers.  I am sure you will find them very interesting and useful, so bookmark this page and save them for future reference.

Reheating Pizza : Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Devilled Eggs: Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.  Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting: When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.

Reheating Refrigerated Bread: To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper Weeds Away: When putting in your plants, work the nutrients into your soil. Wet newspapers and put layers around the plants, overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic but they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass: Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken pieces of glass- the fibers catch ones you can’t see!

No More Mosquitoes: Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!: To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn’t hurt the plant and the squirrels won’t come near it.

MINE!!!!! : If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof of ownership.

Flexible Vacuum Extension: To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling: Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and – voila – static is gone.

Measuring Cups: Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield: Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening Envelope : If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.

Conditioner: Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It’s also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn’t like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies: To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass and add 1/2″ Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants: Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it “home,” & can’t digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don’t have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Baby Powder at the Beach: Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you’re ready to leave the beach, sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.

Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 min. before baking, will bake more rapidly.  Add a little milk to the water in which you cook cauliflower, it will remain attractively white.

Toothpicks are sometimes too short to test a loaf cake for doneness.  A piece of uncooked spaghetti will work just fine.

Store all luncheon ingredients in Cold Cut keeper ( toppings, mustard, mayo in snack set) so you only have to open refrigerator once.

When camping, make turnovers…butter all sides of muffin.  Fill 1 or 2 TBS, of favorite jam.  Wrap in foil.  Put in coals 2 or 3 minutes each side.

Do you love the idea of a shot of convenience to go with your morning coffee?  I do, and I also like the idea of a no mess, one-touch single cup brew.  But to be perfectly honest, I haven’t been blown away by the quality of the coffee capsule competition.  My counter needs a little more flair and my coffee needs a little more flavor.  I’ve been using a Bodum French press for as long as I can remember and I never tasted a good reason to change.  So naturally I was curious (and hopeful) when my favorite espresso entered the single-serve coffee market.

Based in Trieste, Italy, illycaffè is led by chairman and CEO, Andrea Illy, the third generation of the Illy family.  If you are on the prowly for a high-quality single-cup automatic machine for under $300, their Francis Francis Y1 machine is exactly what you are looking for.  It has a simple, one-touch design – just what my tired eyes need in the morning.  Insert a capsule (Medium, Dark or Decaf), press the button, and a concentrated, full-bodied espresso topped with a rich crema is all yours in about a minute. The Y1’s aluminum body, tempered glass cupholder and compact silhouette (9.5 inch base) and fire engine red color make it a perfect fit in almost any space.  Because extraction takes place entirely inside the capsule, the coffee and machine never come in contact, so clean up is a snap.  All in all, it is an impressive package.  Although I am not ready to throw my French press away, Italy and France are going to get along just fine together in my kitchen.

Here are some of our favorite things, featured in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller magazine.  All are available from our favorite store, Kitchen Clique, owned by our favorite gadget girl, Faigie Sprecher.

	Charcoal Companion Pizzaque Pizza Stone Grill Rather munch on veggies while everyone else is wolfing down the meat?  Make a veggie cheeseless pizza.  “Often, non-meat eaters don’t have something filling they enjoy at a BBQ.  This PizzaQue makes brick oven pizza using your grill.”  It just might be worth getting a second dairy grill-so you can make brick-oven style cheese pizza too!
	Bodum Fyrkat Cone Charcoal Grill “Isn’t it cute?” For anyone who doesn’t have a lot of space, or is tired of gas fumes or empty canisters, this is a charcoal grill that’s easy to clean, compact, light – and stylish.  There’s two cooking surfaces, a rotisserie, and the cone at the bottom screws off so you can remove the ashes without getting your fingers balck.”  The Bodum comes in a bunch of fun colors.
	Breville Electronic Grill Removable Plates “Yes, there are less expensive indoor grills. Panini makers will also give you grill lines,” says Faige. “But this is the king of electronic grills – it’s large, state-of-the-art, and wil give food that authentic BBQ flavor. It’s just like bringing your fancy barbecue indoors.
	Camerons Beer Roaster For Chicken Lovers. Tired of dry grilled chicken breasts? For the best, most moist chicken ever—pour your favorite marinade in the middle (or your favorite beer, the inspiration for this nifty cooking tool). “Stick the chicken on top, and cook over the grill or in the oven. The fat also drips down, resulting in a healthy BBQ option,” says Faige. That’s way cooler than chicken burgers. WIN THIS! Contest ends August 17, 2011 at 9 am.
	Cuisinart Griddler Grill Centro For Shish Kebab Lovers “This indoor electronic grill has a cool feature that rotates the skewers so they cook evenly,” says Faige. “The top can convert from a grill to a griddle.” WIN THIS! Contest ends August 17, 2011 9am
	Talisman Party Picks Editor Victoria Dwek used these at a recent party she hosted to dress up the roasted veggie wraps. It’s an elegant touch with not much fuss. WIN THIS! Contest ends August 10, 2011 at 9am.
	Zak Lotus Bowl The best of both worlds! These melamine bowls are pretty and durable—perfect for summer outdoor entertaining. Keep your delicate tabletop wares inside, and throw away those cheap looking plastic platters. The lily pad is a plate, and the four bowls nested inside separate. Use them on their own, or nest one inside the other. So pretty!
	Rachael Ray Melamine Garbage Bowl Keep the trash can away and out of sight when you cook. Instead, throw those onion peels and egg shells into the Garbage Bowl. Yes, this is just a bowl. Yet, those who have it love it. Why? We suppose most people find using their regular prep bowls for “garbage” is unappealing. But a bowl set aside for the job, sitting right there on the counter? That’s convenience!
	Prodyne Salad-on-Ice Do your greens wilt and turn unappetizingly warm when you’re entertaining al fresco? Set that salad over ice. The cold air rises through the vent to keep lettuce crisp, while excess liquid drains away so your salad isn’t sitting in a puddle (no more soggy bottom-of-the-bowl!).
	Sensio Mini Cupcake Maker There’s no preheating, no opening the oven door to check those muffin tops. Who wants to do that in the summer? But we still want our cupcakes. Our favorite cupcake maker turns out moist cakes – in about 5 minutes. WIN THIS! Contest ends August 10th 9am.

Check out our previous Favorite Things.

I meet many people who are simply “afraid” to freeze any food merely because they have had bad “freezer-tasting” food in the past.  That is a false assumption.  The food they ate was just frozen and stored the wrong way.  It’s like trying to make cholent in a frying pan!

With summer rapidly approaching, we look forward to spending more time outside with our families.  Whenever my family and I would spend a great day outdoors, all I do is go to “Mom’s Diner”—my freezer—and pull out our dinner!  We never have to experience the “instant heartburn” some people get from takeout food!

You have to learn the proper technique and correct storage containers to use for that exact purpose.  In my experience, I have saved hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year by freezing and storing food correctly!  And don’t forget the hours you will save in time because you do not have to “waste” time cooking fresh food every day of your life!

Freezing is simple and the most time-efficient way to preserve foods at home.  It is important to note that freezing does not improve the quality of foods, but when properly done, it can preserve most of the quality of the fresh product.  Food stored constantly at zero degrees will always be safe.

FYI: As an aside, if you have an electrical blackout, a full freezer will keep food frozen for 72 hours, while a half full freezer will only stay for 12 hours!

One of my customers did an experiment with her family.  To be precise, she did it to prove a point to her husband who said he would never eat anything that was frozen. He had been turned off by bad experiences from his childhood years when his mother would serve frozen, dried out food to him and his siblings.  She was a working mother and had no other choice.  She used cheap plastic takeout containers and lots of foil and baggies to store the food in the freezer.  These cheaper quality containers are not meant for the vapors and low temperatures that exist in a zero degree environment.  The food lost its quality and got a “freezer burn,” thereby robbing it of its good taste and appearance.
However, this woman was desperate to find a way out of being forced to cook a fresh meal every day, so she decided to try her freezer luck. Her husband’s favorite food was meatballs and spaghetti.  She prepared the recipe as usual, but instead of freezing the meatballs with the sauce in cheap containers immediately after cooking them, she used my tricks and saved herself literally hours of time.

She made sure these meatballs remained her private secret. She served her family about 85 defrosted suppers of meatballs and sauce over a period of four weeks, and no one knew the difference!  Of course, she cooked her spaghetti and other side dishes fresh each time.

So, she never told her husband what she did and still now freezes many of her food for her family.  She recently told me she feels like a “liberated” woman!  She has more time to devote to her other interests with her newfound time.

Here’s how you can be liberated of the daily grind!

How To: Yummy Frozen Meatballs or Stuffed Cabbage

Separate the cooked meatballs/stuffed cabbage from the sauce.  Line a cookie sheet or flat board with foil.  Foil acts as a conductor and will “quick-freeze” any food sitting on it in the freezer.  Place the meatballs side by side, like rows of cookies, on the foil, (without the sauce.)  Depending on your particular freezer, it may take an hour, more or less to “quick freeze” the meatballs.   Then, place the hardened meatballs into any Tupperware freezer container. You can use either a tall or flat container, because shape will not matter.  The meatballs will pop out individually, since there is no sauce binding them together!  Freeze the sauce separately.

Sauce can be frozen in bulk or in individual smaller 2 cup Tupperware containers. If you did freeze sauce in a larger container and only need a small amount of sauce for those six meatballs you removed for a child, just run some warm water from the sink over the container.  On a cutting board, slide out the “brick” of sauce. Hold down the “brick” with a carving fork.  Run very hot water on a sharp serrated knife, and “slice” the amount of sauce you need!  The rest was not defrosted, so you may return it to the freezer safely for later use.  Remember, you cannot refreeze fully defrosted cooked food.

Here are a few more general tips for freezing:

• Reheating food properly is as important as freezing it properly.  Tupperware has the most efficient microwave line of VentnServe products that heat your food evenly and completely. No one can tell it was previously frozen!
• Make sure to label the containers on the outside, since frozen food can look alike. A customer told me that she once prepared a meal using some of her frozen unlabelled stock.   She was sure she would remember what it was. Lo and behold, she said her “soup turned to fish” when it defrosted!
• You can use the meatball “quick-freeze” method to freeze kneidelach, fish balls or raw knishes. Line balls on cookie sheet spread out, and put into a container once frozen.
• You can use the sauce defrosting tips to take off a small amount of frozen soup.

Please try my family’s favorite Sweet and Sour Meatball recipe.  I have customer’s who tell me, they have family members who literally “lick the plate” when eating this!

There’s nothing that annoys me more than not having the right tools for the task at hand. There are enough stresses and headaches cooking for Passover that I make sure my kitchen is equipped with everything I need. Here is a list of the tools I must have in my kitchen. To some they may be superfluous but for me each item is very important. The one thing I haven’t listed here that is probably the most important thing to have in your kitchen is a good set of knives. Without good, well-sharpened knives it’s hard to do anything.

1. Potato Ricer
If you haven’t used or seen one, a potato ricer is like a giant garlic press – you just place cooked (boiled or baked) potatoes into the ‘bowl’ of the potato ricer and press the handle down, squeezing the potato through the small holes that line the bottom of the press. Out comes smooth, lump-free potato. It’s perfect for mashed potatoes, making filling for potato blintzes or topping Shepherd’s Pie or Chicken Pot Pie – two of my favourite meals for Chol Hamoed.

2. Microplane/Rasp
I love my rasp. Use it for zesting citrus, finely grating ginger and ‘crushing’ garlic.

3. Small (8-inch) Non-Stick Frying Pan
I have one 8-inch non-stick frying pan that I use for blintz wrappers (bletlach) and nothing else. Non-stick is important because it releases the wrappers every time. The size is important because it makes the perfect round for a blintz.

4. 10-12 Quart heavy Dutch Oven/ Pot
Important for braising briskets, cooking meatballs and in a pinch it can be used for chicken (or other) soup.

5. Box-Grater
I know that some people use a food processor for shredding vegetables, but unless I’m making 20 dozen or more latkes at once, I’d rather use a box-grater. For latkes (which I’ll often make for Pesach), kugels, soups and salads, use a box greater for shredding vegetables. If you don’t have my #2 favourite item (microplane), in a pinch you can also use the side with tiny holes for zesting citrus and finely shredding ginger.

6. Food-Processor
A perfect kitchen has sets of bowls and blades for pareve, dairy and meat. Then use the processor for chopped liver, blintz fillings, crusts, chopping nuts, making mayonnaise, grinding fish for gefilte fish and so much more.

7. Ice-Cream Scoops
I have a few ice-cream scoops that I pull out each year. The large scoops get used for portioning blintz filling and dough for Passover rolls. The smaller scoops get used to portion meatballs, macaroons and almond cookies. They’re perfect for ensuring every little meatball is the same size.

8. Stand Mixer
For me, it’s not Passover unless I’ve made several batches of meringue cookies. For whipping egg whites, making icings and mousse or cake and cookie batters, the stand mixer is a workhorse in my kitchen.

9. Immersion (stick) Blender
This is one of my favourite tools. It’s great for pureeing soup right in the pot it’s been cooked in (quick and easy vegetable soups are great at Pesach) and it can be used for sauces or liquefying fruits for drinks.

10. Digital Scale
I use my scale for everything in my Passover kitchen. For baking, weighing out vegetables or meat — weight measurements are more accurate than volume. It’s also easy and quick to use a scale.

CONTEST!! Sur La Table is giving away a 14 inch Stainless Steel Skillet to one lucky reader of JoyOfKosher.com. Pam is also giving that same lucky reader a copy of her Passover a Kosher Collection Cookbook. In order to qualify please leave a comment telling us what your favorite kitchen tool is and why. [Contest open to US Residents only. Winner will be picked at random on Wednesday April 13 2011 at 9am.]