this and that

This and That August 2008

We got lots of responses to our call for your favorite kitchen tools, including pizza cutter, rubber spatula, tongs and food processor. But the winner of our favorite kitchen tool contest goes to Jill Roberts of Lexington, Ky., for “the thing on a stick,” proving that the best things in life (and the kitchen) are decidedly low-tech:

“My favorite kitchen tool has no name that I know of. I’ve had it for 20+ years. It’s a little half-circle-shaped spatula on a long stick. It is PERFECT for getting every tidbit out of a jar. I love it! My husband and I just call it ‘the thing on a stick,’” says Roberts.

Another reader said her favorite tool in the kitchen is her hands. I second that—you can use your hands for most everything.

Below is Relish Test Kitchen Director Mary Carter, using one of her favorite (low-tech)tools—a jar of change (and other junk)—the perfect weight for pressing a panini sandwich under a cake pan.

Basil Knee-High?
Make pesto. Process 2 garlic cloves in a food processor, add a few handfuls of basil leaves, a handful of walnuts or pine nuts and a pinch of salt. Process. Add olive oil until pasty. Stir in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Cool Sips for Dog Days
New Age Rosé and New Age White, Argentina’s sophisticated answer to the wine cooler, are spritzy sips that are lower in alcohol than standard wines. Add a few cubes of ice and serve with a twist of lemon or lime to heighten their quenching zip. Perfect with our churrasco on page 10. For more low-alcohol wine picks by Wini Moranville, go to relishmag.com/wine

Lentil Festival
The Palouse of northwestern Idaho and southeastern Washington is the nation’s top lentil region, producing about 135 million pounds of lentils annually. Every August, this lens-shaped legume takes centerstage at the National Lentil Festival in Pullman, Wash. The festival kicks off Aug. 22, with the 250-gallon Big Bowl of Lentil Chili—that’s free chili for 5,000 people. Then it’s on to the Lentil Lane Food Court for lentil ice cream, chicken lentil burritos and lentil egg rolls. For a cold lentil salad recipe, go to relishmag.com/lentils—Pat Tanumihardja