Tools of the Trade Tuesdays : Zoku Quick Pop Maker

If you have not heard of this before, fear not - neither had I. So I was so pleasantly surprised when I was gifted this by the Mr and the son last year. First that they knew about this and that they got it for me :) They both had sneaked out to purchase this and plopped it on the kitchen counter asking me to make what else some popsicles :)

Price : $50 (before any discounts)

Available at: Macys, Amazon, William Sonoma etc.

Images from: Google (various websites)

This link here covers pretty much everything you need to know about this Quick pop maker. For $50 you get the Quick pop maker, 6 popsicle holders with the drip holder and a tool for removing the pops out once they are done. Accessories and books are available for instructions on how to make some of the fancier looking popsicles. But trust me you won't be disappointed even with the most basic versions you make.

Pros:

• If you have kids or live in a warm place, you will love having this. When you want a quick snack, just pour anything into this and voila it will be frozen into popsicles within 10 minutes. Your kids and their friends will love it!
• The biggest advantage is that it makes popsicles almost instantly (~10 minutes for the first batch) and (~12 min for the second batch). I have very rarely made more than 6 at a time though it can make upto 9 popsicles before needing to be frozen again.
• It is small enough to be stored in the freezer continuously, and my freezer is pretty packed  all the time (trust me).
• It is a great way to sneak in healthy snacks - i often make mango lassi, kulfi, milkshakes and then serve it as popsicles - no complaints and often am asked for more :)

Cons:

• Only the price because you get moulds for $10 or lesser on amazon but the pros outweigh the price in my opinion and the advantage of having ready made pops available for your child as against having to wait 48 hrs is worth it if you use it frequently enough.

Tools of the Trade Tuesdays: My Masala Box (Stainless Steel Masala Dabba)

It is not an exaggeration to say that along with all the heirlooms a mom gives her daughter - this masala dabba is a prime addition to her kitchen. Such a simple yet effective design, most Indian homes have one. The number of boxes inside, whether each has a spoon, lid etc vary slightly but the purpose remains universally same - A simple box that holds a variety of spices one uses commonly in cooking esp. for seasoning. 

Having them close together really helps when you need to drop them into oil/ghee for tadka in unison or one after the other pretty quickly.

Below are pictures of my masala dabba that my mother gave me. It has 7 containers and I only use one spoon that goes across all these spices.

clockwise (from top center) - pepper corn, turmeric, chana dal (split chickpea), jeera (cumin), menthium (fenugreek seeds), urad dal (black gram) and in the center is mustard. I tend to use this masala dabba to store spices usually used for seasoning in south Indian cooking.

These are available fairly inexpensively in most Indian pathra kadais ( vessel stores) , but for all others who would love to have it in their kitchen, here is a deluxe version on Amazon that is not too bad on the wallet - Stainless Masala Dabba Deluxe.

Tools of the Trade Tuesdays: Bella Cucina Panini Maker

Today I would like to introduce you to my friend- the Bella Cucina Panini Maker.

Price: < $20 (after discounts)

Available at: Macys, Amazon etc.

If I have not raved enough about it already in my other posts, I will say it again here. I absolutely love this device. What’s not to love about it? It is available for less than $20 (at Macy’s during their sales), it has a non-stick surface so cleanup is a breeze and it is so easily portable that you can carry it with you when you travel to make your Paninis on the go. Additionally if you prepare your Paninis ahead of time, the grilling takes only a min or more for each, so that you can include Paninis as a dish to wow your guests at your next party  :)

Now for the small drawbacks with this Panini maker. It is not super heavy, so if you are putting together a double mac and cheese size Panini, you might need to rotate it to grill evenly. Also this is capable of grilling two Paninis side by side by that depends on what bread you are using and also how big each one is. Ideally I would say you can make only one at a time.  If you are particular about making 2 at the same time, go ahead and invest in a more expensive one that is capable of accommodating that so you are not disappointed.

It makes lunch/dinner or a snack so easy to make. Just go ahead and put anything you like between two slices of bread, apply butter or oil on the outer sides and voila you have a restaurant style Panini that melts in your mouth in under 2 min. A plus is that since the sides are grilled, this stays soft for a long time even when no longer warm; so if you want Paninis at your next picnic, there is no one to really stop you! 

Images are from the web, from Macy's website.

Tools of the Trade Tuesdays: Cookright Hard Anodized Chef's Pan, 12"

Tools of the Trade Tuesdays - Introducing a new series on Tuesdays, I can’t promise every week though :)

Like most people who come to the US for graduate studies I had not cooked anything in my parents’ home. I learnt to cook more out of necessity than out of interest. As I spent more time, I have come to realize that I love it, I see it as an art form and I gain immense pleasure from feeding people and seeing their taste buds satiated. I am excited to try out new dishes, and love to exchange recipes and ideas with friends, family and strangers.

Along the way like most of us, I have developed a style and some favorites in the kitchen that I refer to here as “Tools of the Trade”. Due to these tools I look forward to cooking, cleaning and the associated prep work. They make my life easy and I am glad that I found them along the way.  The purpose of this series is to share my favorites and if you have any that you love, please write me a note to forayintomykitchen@gmail.com and I’ll feature them and try those out too.

Tools of the Trade Hard Anodized Chef’s Pan 12”

Price: $29.99 (before discounts)

Available at: Macys, Amazon etc.

I might be biased, of course I am ; but if there is one nonstick pan you should invest in go for this Tools of the Trade vessel.

The nonstick surface is really good ( I have been using mine for over a year at least once a week), the size is perfect for medium to large # of people (2-8 nos) and can be used for a variety of entrees. I have used it to make side dishes, main entrees and mutliple cuisine types. It is not super heavy, has a lid and a handle to hold when stirring, cleans easy and is very resonably priced.  Addiontally its wide base spreads heat evenly and open mouth allows vegetables to fry quickly.

The same kind of pan is available by other popular brands also like Circulon, Analon etc.  I think this size and style is perfect so you can pick your favorite there. But for me, I like many of the Tools of the Trade vessels for their price and durability. I have so far bought all of mine at Macy’s during their home sales when you can rack up pretty good deals. There is one that is ongoing and ends today :P

Images are from the web, from Macy's website and from milo.com.