Mario Batali Utensils - Especially the Spoon Spatula

I love my new spoon/spatula by Mario Batali. It nestles into my hand just perfectly, is heavy duty enough for whipping up doughs, and is stain resistant (and heat resistant to 500 degrees!) And the neat edges scrape a bowl out perfectly, getting all the batter into the baking dish. Except for those bits you leave there - by mistake of course, and then just HAVE to lick off so you don't waste any.






I find I grab this lovely spoon/spatula all the time now...and yes, the lovely orange color doesn't hurt one bit. Having nice LOOKING utensils seems to make cooking that much more enjoyable. And this one cleans up beautifully in the dishwasher. Hurray!

Must Haves for Grocery Shopping - Reisenthel Bags

A well stocked kitchen these days has a good assortment of durable, re-usable grocery bags or sacks to haul with you on your supermarket shopping adventures. I've discovered a new favorite - Reisenthel bags!

Reisenthel has an extensive line of bags that are easy to roll up and carry in a color coordinated little pouch. Perfect for popping in your purse and keeping on hand whenever you go out shopping...

Or -- how about one of these adorable shopping baskets? Very well designed, sturdy and ready to grab and go on your way to the local farmer's market, these gorgeous baskets will become a mainstay in your home. (Or, just keep one or two in the back of the car. You're ready for shopping any time!)

Just look at some of the fun designs...

The Garlic Chop - Garlic Mincing and Chopping Made Easy - Kitchen Gadgets

Oh, I love a good chunk of garlic. Really - I'm one of those people who seriously doesn't mind when people around me smell like garlic, in fact - it's one of those utopia smells for me! If you're a garlic fiend too, then easing garlic preparation is a must. One of my coworkers insists upon an new garlic chopping gadget called, appropriately, the Garlic Chop:






Pop in peeled cloves of garlic, twist the gadget a few times (more if you want finely minced garlic) and voila - gorgeously chopped garlic, ready to use in all of your favorite, garlic-filled recipes. Hurray! Fresh garlic made simple at last.

A Pepper Mill with Serious Attitude

You think YOU have a big pepper mill? Does YOUR pepper grinder fill you with pride? Well, check this out...I couldn't resist this one - a pepper mill a full 3 FEET TALL!

Kitchen Gadgets - Butter Warmers for Dipping Lobster and Crab

Oh, seafood lovers - I'm beckoning you with a beguiling odor: melted butter. If you love nothing more than fresh lobster or crab, you have no choice but to stock up on some seafood essentials - butter warmers!

Butter warmers can be exquisite and refined, like these stainless steel numbers:







Or, a good butter warmer can be as simple as these little ramekin-type devices (by Progressive International) with tealights underneath to keep the melted butter smooth and silken.





No matter what your style, a great butter warmer takes the delights of eating seafood and turns it into an epic event!