Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets

It is a true pleasure to cook a great healthy meal, please your guests and satisfy your family. However, there is a great rush from delivering a tray, a plate or a dish from the kitchen to the table and receiving a host of "ooooohhs" or "wows!". The beauty is that there are a few goto gadgets that make it all so much easier. Now be aware they won't test the salt, they won't know when to flip the fish, and they won't replace your natural cooking ability. They will only accent it! Here are my thoughts on the top 5 gadgets to get a rise from your dinner party guests:

1. The Japanese Mandolin
Perhaps the most underused home tool, and most popular professional kitchen tool. You can shave a potato razor thin for chips, or julienne a carrot in seconds for salad. A true french trained Chef may throw you out of his kitchen for such a tool, but who's going to know?

- Where to get it
Most kitchen stores will have them, or you can order it online from Amazon.com for under $25.00!


2. The iSi Basics Silicone Scraper Spatula
At under $5 this easy no handle spatula will clean any bowl, cup, plate or tray better than that $15 thing from the fancy kitchen stores. The best part is that it will fit in your pocket. Just keep it clean, huh!

- Where to get it
Again a professional kitchen store will carry variations, but its also available from Amazon:


3. The Vegetable Spinner/ Turning Vegetable Slicer
Kin to the Japanese mandolin, is this quirky looking tool. Put a root vegetable on it crank the handle and let the shoestrings spin right out the other side. Great for making garnishes, or using a potato to wrap a fillet of fish. Remove the teeth and you're left with discs. Spin a beet into super thin sheets for a salad.

- Where to get it
There are several types and sometimes hard to find, but this is a sturdy model:


4. The Pepper Mill
Yeah, I know it's not an unheard of gadget. However, it is one of the most unused home tools available. Beyond that, most actually already have the pepper mill, but just don't use it. So do yourself and your guests a favor and pick up some amazing peppercorns from Kalustyan's and remember to use it!

- Where to get it
There are a million variations and any home or kitchen store will have it. Here's a classic one:


5. Rubber Gloves
While technically it may not be a gadget, it will save you loads of time spent washing and drying your hands! That's more time for dressing up your plates. I usually down a box a week. Remember to change them as often as you would wash your hands.

-Where to get it
Most pharmacies carry them. Keep in mind some people have silicone/ latex allergies, so remember to ask your guests!

Seared Duck Breast and Fregola Salad

Keeping with our policy here is another great recipe, where a good bit of the preparation can be done the day before your party. As well the finished product will truly astonish your guests!

Serves 10

5 Duck Breasts

1 bag of Fregola Pasta

1/4 cup Oil Cured Olives

2 Blood Oranges segmented

1/4 cup shelled, crushed Pistachios

1 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 cup Light Karo Corn Syrup

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 Day Before the Party

Place a medium to large pot of water on the stove to boil. Once the water has come to a boil, empty the package of Fregola and let cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, until tender. Be sure to test a few pieces, as they vary in size. Once the Fregola is cooked dump through a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over until the pasta has come down to room temperature. Place in a bowl, toss with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of the Olive Oil, cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator until the next day.

In a separate sauce pot put your vinegar and Karo over a medium heat. Reduce the liquid by half, or until it looks slightly syrupy. When it cools down it will get much thicker. Once it has reduced, remove from the heat and place in a sealed container in the refrigerator until the day of the party.

1 hour before the party

Start by removing the duck from the refrigerator and letting come to room temperature. This way the breast will cook more evenly.

For the Fregola start by cleaning the pits from the olives, segmenting your oranges and crushing the shelled pistachios. Once this is done combine withe the chilled fregola and set aside.

For the Vinaigrette, place the remaining Olive Oil over the Balsamic Vinegar Syrup. You will notice that the Oil rest on top of the Vinegar. This will create a great effect on the plate!

For the Duck breasts, place a flat bottom saute pan (cast-iron if you have it!) over a medium-low heat. In order to get perfectly crispy Duck skin you must cook it low and slow!! Season both sides of te duck and place it skin side down for approximately 15 minutes. Feel free to check and rotate the breasts. This will only help you make sure you are cooking the skin evenly. Once the skin has become significantly more thin and golden, flip the breasts over and cook for about 3-4 minutes for medium or 5-8 minutes for medium well. Afterward remove from the pan and let rest. Don’t cut it right away!! You’ll lose all the juices. let it rest for about 5 minutes, while you get the plates ready.

To plate mix the fregola, olives and oranges and place in the center of the plates. Next slice your breasts, skin side down, giving each plate 1/2 of a breast. Drizzle the vinaigrette on the plate, being sure to scoop low enough to get the vinegar. Finish with the crushed pistachios and serve. Sit back and Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies

This recipe is for a simple crispy chocolate chip cookie. You can use this base recipe and enhance it with your favorite ingredients, like pistachios, peanut butter or dried fruit. If you’re making Chocolate Chip, keep in mind that your cookies can only be as good as the chocolate that you put into them. For this recipe I like to use Valhrona, 65%-70%. You can make the dough and freeze it for up to a month, slicing off a few rounds whenever in the mood, or when preparing your dinner party.

Makes approximately 40-50 cookies depending on their size.

2 cups AP Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 sticks of Unsalted Butter

1 cup Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

8 ounces of Valhrona 70% Chocolate cut in chunks

1 hour before Making the Dough

Remove the butter from the fridge, cut in small cubes and let sit at room temperature in the bottom of your electric mixer with the whisk attachment.

Making the Dough

Add the sugar to the butter and mix on medium speed. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking powder. As the butter begins to whip add a little of the flour mixture and let continue to whip. Add the egg and then slowly add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. This will kepp the butter from separating. Finish by adding the vanilla and your chocolate chips. Remove from the mixer, roll into logs or simply wrap in plastic and place in the freezer.

When you are ready to bake preheat the oven to 325 then slice the dough into rounds and place on a greased cookie sheet. Place on the top rack of your oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely to get a crispy cookie. Enjoy!

Southern Style Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe was just developed this week as a Lagniappe (Party Favor) for a dinner party. It is a healthier alternative, with all the same great flavor in a fluffy inside, crispy outside dough. They take a little prep time, but are well worth it when you get to enjoy them with a little Maple Syrup or butter, or even BOTH!

Makes 30+ medium sized rolls.

For the dough:

3 cups AP Flour

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

2 teaspoons Salt

1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Granulated Superfine Sugar

2 pkgs. Yeast

1/2 cup Warm Water

2 Whole Eggs

3 Egg Yolks

1/2 lb. Butter Cut in Small Cubes

For the Filling:

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Vanilla

1/2 cup Granulated Superfine Sugar

1.5 ounces Ground Cinnamon

1/4 cup Warm Water

One day prior to serving:

Start by emptying the dry yeast into the warm water in the bottom of your electric mixer. Make sure you have the dough hook attachment and let the yeast begin to activate. Let sit and begin mixing all the dry ingredients in a separate large bowl. After the dry ingredients are mixed and the yeast has begun to activate (approximately 5-10 minutes), start to incorporate the dry ingredients into the mixer with the dough hook running at slow speed (1-2 on a KitchenAid). Slowly incorporate the eggs one at a time and let the dough form. Once all of the eggs are in you can slowly add the cool butter (NOT MELTED!), making sure each amount is well incorporated before adding more. Once all of the butter is incorporated you should have a tacky well kneaded dough. Place in a floured large bowl and cover with plastic. Place this bowl in the refrigerator overnight.

2 hours fefore serving

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place onto a floured work table. Roll the dough out the about a 1/2 inch thickness. It should be a large rectangle. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, water, vanilla, and cinnamon mixing well into a paste. Spread the Cinnamon Sugar mixture over the bottom 3/4 of the dough, leaving the top to close off the rolls. Next, roll up the dough starting at the bottom. It helps to break the dough down into two or four pieces before rolling. When the dough is rolled up and you can no longer see the cinnamon paste, wet the tip of your finger and run along the top before closing. This will help the rolls seal shut. Lastly cut the rolls about 1 1/2 inches thick and place on a sprayed baking sheet. Leave room for the rolls to proof (See the first image). Once all the rolls have been cut and placed on trays, allow the rolls to sit at room temperature for atleast an hour or until almost doubled in size. They should be all bunched together now. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

1 hour before serving

Place in your preheated oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees and let cook for another 10-15 minutes. Remove, let cool, and serve. You can garnish with maple syrup, butter, crushed pecans, or whatever else you like! Most of all enjoy this healthier version of Cinnamon Rolls.

Asparagus and Pecorino Bruschetta

Asparagus and Pecorino Bruschetta

Each recipe that we create for a new dinner party must meet a few requirements. First and foremost it has to be fantastic! Secondly it has to be able to either be prepared quickly (when the guests arrive) or be able to hold for an hour or so (if prepared in advance). Both can be equally daunting when trying to pull of a great tasting and great looking hors d' oeuvre. This one has a little of both. There are elements that can be set up making it easy to prepare very quickly when the guests arrive. Enjoy!

1 bunch Medium to Small Asparagus
1/2 cup Fresh Ricotta
1 tablespoon of Grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon Chopped Fresh Tarragon Leaves
1 teaspoon Chopped Fresh Chervil (Substitute Parsley if you can't find Chervil)
2 cloves of Roasted Garlic
1 baguette sliced into thin rounds
Salt and Pepper to taste

The morning of the party!
To start bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Slice off the bottom of the asparagus just as the color starts to change. A good test is to break one stem. Where it breaks, you cut! Blanche the asparagus in the boiling water for about 3-4 minutes until tender but still firm. Immediately remove and place into an ice bath. Let the asparagus cool, then cut off the tips and set aside until the guests arrive.

In a mixing bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan, chopped tarragon, chopped chervil and roasted garlic. Lastly take the asparagus stem (no tips!) and slice as thin as possible. You can add to a food processor, but I find slicing by hand makes a better finished product. Once the asparagus are chopped add to the ricotta mixture. Lastly add salt and pepper to taste. This means you have to taste it!! Reserve in the refrigerator until the guests arrive.

One hour before the party!
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place the sliced baguette pieces on a cookie sheet and brush each piece with a touch of Olive Oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the oven. Don't go anywhere!!! Keep a close eye on your bread. It will take about 3-7 minutes depending on your oven. Once the bread is golden brown remove and set aside until the guests arrive.

When the guests arrive!
The hard part is done, your clean dressed and ready to entertain! Simply spoon some of the ricotta mixture onto a slice of the toasted baguette and top with one of the chilled asparagus tips. Place on a tray, garnish with some greens or edible flowers and serve!

Sources
A huge part of your meal depends on where you get your food! A few recommendations for New Yorkers:
Baguette: Falai Paneterria
Cheese: Saxelby Cheesemongers
Asparagus: Union Square Green Market, Early Summer Jersey Asparagus

All others: Don't settle for anything less than the freshest, closest to home and most natural.