Kitchen Stocking Stuffer Marvels Revisited

One would think I've spent my time looking for kitchen stocking stuffer ideas to top last year's Banana Carrier (last year's post).  I really haven't, but with my addiction of going into any kitchen oriented store should it cross my path, I just can't help myself.  I'm also a sucker for clever design.

This year's oddity was found over Labor Day weekend at a quaint kitchen store in Port Townsend, WA.  I had to do a double take on this one.  This rubbery, flexible jelly fish-like gadget is a Foodpod.  It will surely deliver a giggle on Christmas morning.  What?  You didn't know you needed a Foodpod?  If one boils/blanches/steams or drains, then this is the gadget Fushionbrands has created for the hipster on your list.

No hipsters on your list?  Then you may want to go for the more practical kitchen spider to handle the same task.  I had one of these floating around my kitchen for years; I believe it came with a wok we bought.  Silly me, I hadn't considered using it to remove veggies and the like from a pot of boiling water until a year ago.  No more removing a pot of piping hot liquid from the stove, over the floor, over the cat, over the dog to the sink to drain.  I loved it so much I went out and bought a more durable one that is dishwasher safe.

For the practical, "don't want to scrub pans, baking with less fat" kind of cook on your list, I highly recommend picking up a Silpat.  Should you be a fan of the Food Network's "Iron Chef," you may have seen these in action.  A Silpat is a non-stick mat made of Silicon designed by M. Guy Demarle.  Many a professional french pastry chefs have relied on these over the years.  Not only can it take the heat (up to 482 degrees Fahrenheit), it makes a wonderful pastry roll out mat.  The Silpat also is incredibly easy to clean by merely using a little soap, water and a sponge to wipe down.  And unlike parchment paper, there's one less thing to throw away.  One caveat, I'm suggesting to Santa he stick with the original Silpat.  Over Thanksgiving weekend, my mom and I had sticking issues by using a knock off version of the mat from Bed, Bath & Beyond when it came to rolling out pastry.

My latest little treasures are iSi's Flexit Silicon Bowls.   Light and easy maneuverability, I can't imagine making anything in my stand mixer without the help of these pinch-able prep bowls.  A nice feature is they come with lids; a brilliant design for prepping and storing your mis en place.

Dear Santa, everything mentioned above can be had for just under $25. 

Do you have any other stocking stuffer ideas (kitchen or ??) for Santa?  If so, feel free to share!

Kitchen Stocking Stuffers, Now Why Didn't I Invent That?

“What in the world?”
It was my first question when I saw these hanging in a kitchen store display window in Vancouver.  Were they very oddly shaped Popsicle forms?  A Canadian's idea of a joke?

I must know so I ask the proprietor of the store about her display.  Her answer to my question?  A banana case!  No question her strategy of hanging these in her front window, got people like me in her store.

With the holidays upon us and always on the lookout for the perfect stocking stuffers, kitchen gadgets are my favorite item to give and receive.  But I'm not so sure about this one.  I have never personally had a problem transporting a banana in my lunch, but then again I try not to whack my lunch around like it was a hockey puck.  After doing a bit of research, these cases were actually designed in Japan as part of a vast array of bento box gear items.  What's a bento box?  Think of it as a Japanese version of a lunch pail except that it has many compartments that make it easy to store food.  The Japanese are masters of creating items with a less-is-more approach.  Sometimes designed with understated elegance or in the case of this container, very quirky.

It's difficult not to marvel at the creativity of the human race.  When there is a need, people in this world find inspiration and develop a solution.

Take peeling the skin off garlic for example.  At first glance I had no idea what Santa left me one year. This pliable, not very pretty tube gave me no clue to its brilliance at disrobing a clove of its papery skin.  If you're like me when cooking, my recipes almost always call for a couple of cloves of garlic.  Pop a clove in the cylindrical rubber tube, give it a firm roll with the palm of your hand and low and behold a beautifully naked specimen.  (Yes, I'm still talking about the garlic)

Have you ever needed to grab the handle of a pot on the stove or the lid off a hot item but the potholder not within reach?  My solution up until last year was to grab a kitchen towel with the associated risk of catching it on fire.  Santa must have been peaking through the window because last year he left me little rubber grippers.  Why didn't I think of that?  I have them right next to stove in a drawer -- always at the ready.

If you (Santa) are stumped by what to fill in a cook's stocking, perhaps I've given you some ideas about finding some very inexpensive, useful gifts.  Or at the very least, creating a stir of giggles with a mystery kitchen gadget on Christmas morning.

You actually may be thinking right about now, "I must have that Banana Carrier!"  Since I'm a mind reader, here's your access to getting your very own along with the garlic peeler and holders:

Banana carrier
Garlic peeler
Pinch holders

Now that I'm out of stocking stuffer ideas, do you have any you'd like to share?  If so, feel free to leave a comment.