Cooking Research - What We're Reading

Revving up the cooking in our test kitchen. Don't know about you, but we like to test-out new recipes without the fate of hungry guests - even family! - hanging over us.

We're lucky to have a great kitchen to cook in - as well as access to some of the world's finest MUST-have cooking tools from Epicurean, Joseph Joseph, and Kyocera through our SavvyHostMarket.  Doing a little homework before entertaining showtime isn't such a chore ;-)

So where are we turning for recipe inspiration?

Making Room for MUST-Have Cooking Tools (Take 4)

While we're busy DE-cluttering the kitchen for all the good food gatherings to come this year, we're also making room for some new tools to help make delicious entertaining happen.

Here are a few MUST-haves that will be key to our cooking adventures in 2011.

8 entertaining essentials

The Savvy Host believes that entertaining is most simply gathering people together in enjoyable surroundings ~ offering good food & drink ~ to share stories, ideas, & laughter,...life

The Savvy Host’s 8 Entertaining Essentials© will inspire entertaining of all types - dining in or out, gourmet cook or not, large party or intimate dinner.

Packed with creative ideas, budget conscious hints, and time-saving tricks, 8 Entertaining Essentials© can save a little of your sanity - and a few of your hard-earned dollars! Inside you'll find a step-by-step guide with easy-to-use checklists, interesting resource references and recommendations from Savvy Host.

Discussing Good Food Pantry Essentials with Robyn Webb

Have to introduce you to the delightful and ever-so-savvy Robyn Webb, and her blog, Fabulous Food Finds.

Her creativity in cooking - her knowledge of nutrition - and healthful food preparation - have been a go-to resource for our entertaining.

We have the pleasure of discussing Good Food Pantry Essentials with Robyn today as a featured guest on her blog, Fabulous Food Finds.

Following the wisdom shared by Julia Child, 

you don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients, 

we explore 12 essential pantry items to have on hand to play up the freshest of ingredients, ensuring the mouth-watering success of many Good Food Gatherings.

The Fine Art of Inviting

When you find something truly exceptional, it's a pleasure to shout about it from the treetops!  That's how we felt receiving an Egba PartyBlock invitation a short time ago.  They know the importance of a first impression, and we are thrilled to share the invitation expertise and unique artistry of Egba Originals as a featured guest contributor!  Mark your calendar - Egba will be joining us for "Wine & Cheese" Foodies' Night In (#fni) this Monday, 10/11.


When your party really begins…
You’re planning your signature event!  You have made your lists; you have planned, revised, discarded and rewritten your menu.  Your theme is ingenious and the room is going to be just fabulous.  But when does the party really begin?  When your guests arrive?  Well, not if you have really done your job as planner and host.

Back to Basics | Abby Dodge Shares Dessert Magic in 4 Ingredients

Desserts 4 Today ($17.95, 188 pages)

Wow! Take a look at that photo. Are you salivating?...if not yet, we promise you WILL be ;-)

We have been test-driving the simple, yet ever-so-delicious ideas from Abigail Johnson Dodge in her latest culinary creation, Desserts 4 Today.

And we're ready to RAVE about her recipes.

First, an admission.  From the albeit limited virtual interactions we've had, we already find Abby to be a savvy host in her own right.  She's approachable and engaging. She's enthusiastic and willing to share secrets to success from her kitchen.  Her motto? Baking the world a better place one recipe at a time. (And, we ask you...so far...what's not to like?)

Martini Fashion Night Out - Top Pick Accessories

BarBasics-in-a-Box

Whether you prefer shaken or stirred - vodka or gin - Dirty, Apple, Chocolate or Cosmopolitan, it's a good idea to add a some serving savoir-faire to your pour of this classic cocktail.  In light of this month's Fashion Night Out celebrations, we thought a similar focus on how to fashionably accessorize your martini could be useful.

We're sharing some of our staff's top pick fashion accessories offering ideas to dress up that martini with a little savvy style tailored to your personal interests...

Let's start with the basic bar tools needed (aside from your choice of alcohol, ice and related ingredients).

Martini Bar Tools

Here are the 6 tools that will ensure martini makers of all styles are well-equipped:

• Shaker (minimum 11 oz. can be stainless steel or glass)
• Pitcher
• Cocktail spoon
• Jigger or Shot Glass
• Knife
• Glasses - martini or rocks (DOF)

Option 1 - Shaken, not Stirred

If your preference is shaken, not stirred, here are a few fashionable options to ensure you shake it up with style.

Adding Saucy to your Entertaining Style

Versatility is a secret weapon we use to combat dreary, dull entertaining in so many ways.

While traditions can be wonderful, it's the "same old, same old" ho-hum that needs to be avoided at all costs.  We're going to explore versatility in dining decor, in Good Food Gatherings, in cocktail basics, and in holiday hostessing more in the coming weeks.

Today, we're suggesting a delicious way to accommodate diverse tastebuds and add a little zing at the table.  When our menu for a simple Good Food Gathering includes a traditional favorite such as Roast Chicken, grilled meats, turkey meatloaf, chili, or hamburgers, we add a few extras to the table - enter CONDIMENTS.

Don't miss Foodie's Night In - We're Fine Cooking at Home!!

Today is going to be such a DELICIOUS day...and could be a very LUCKY one for you!!

We've got a full roster of Fine Cooking editorial expertise lined up to join us for today's Foodies Night In (#fni)!  If you missed Editor Laurie Buckle on What's Hot Radio hosted by Cooking with Caitlin, here's a second chance to get to know a creative force behind Fine Cooking.  What a huge treat!

Here's the full line-up of experts ready to help all savvy hosts and fellow foodies with our fine cooking at home interests, issues and questions:

~ @finecooking and @FC_Laurie - the epicurean editorial team of Fine Cooking including @FC_Laurie @FC_Lisa @FC_Juli @evanbarbour and others!
~ @DorieGreenspan - author of Around My French Table
~ @AbbyDodge - author of Desserts 4 Today
~ @MaitreFromager - Max McCalman, author of Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Conoisseurship from a Maitre Fromager
~ @midwestculinary - The Midwest Culinary Institute
~ @foodandstyle - culinary creative Viviane Bauquet Farre of Food & Style

AND, if that's not enough to get your mouth watering, Kitchen Aid is joining the party with a fantastic PRIZE for the giveaway...keep reading!!

Dull conversations? NOT at MY parties!

Consider this your lucky day!  An all-time favorite weapon of The Savvy Host to prevent boring, dull discussion at any entertaining occasion is being made available to one very special reader.

A MUST-have for entertaining, TableTopics are packaged sets of specific questions to help elevate the status of your next party from ho-hum to happening.  We've been fans of these creative little cards for years!  They are perfect savvy host helpers to break the ice and encourage lively - and often VERY provocative - conversations.

As all savvy hosts know, the main course in entertaining isn't really about the food or the wine.  It's the sharing of ideas, laughter, and life between and among guests and host.  How you handle this critical part of your entertaining can make or break an otherwise perfect gathering!  We are thankful to TableTopics for coming to the rescue on more than one occasion!

Must-Have Cooking Tools - Take 3

Sharing a few more of the cooking tools we MUST-HAVE in our kitchen to prep for entertaining!

Are any of these favorites of yours?

Microplane® Medium Ribbon Grater
Microplane®  says....
Grates ingredients in both directions, saving time and effort. It is one of the coarsest of the Microplane blade styles.

Blade made of surgical grade stainless steel. Choose between Black, empire red, and cobalt blue plastic handles. Dishwasher safe.  Dimensions: 12" x 1 5/16". Weight: 4 oz.

We recommend rinsing your grater in warm water immediately after each use. Remove particles stuck in the blade from the back side whenever possible. To remove "stuck on food" from the front, first soak the tool in warm water and then use a cleaning brush and stroke in the same direction as the teeth.
Store with blade covered when not in use.

The Savvy Host says...

We so enjoy ALL the Microplane products and love the fact that they originated as woodworking tools.  This handy grater offers an alternative texture and visual appeal to grating apples, horseradish, beets, ginger, cucumbers, cheese and chocolate.  It's extremely useful for adding those "finishing" touches of flavor.  A nice little gift item for someone who loves food preparation.

An Invitation Gets the Party Started

You’re inspired to host a gathering - - there’s an occasion in mind – perhaps a theme – and you’re ready to set the wheels in motion to entertain guests…

What’s next? The invitation – the tool used by a host to communicate to a potential guest interest in including them in the gathering - and it is most essential for entertaining.

The invitation is the first impression you give to your guests about your event or gathering.   

Use it creatively to share your entertaining inspiration and to give guests a flavor of what they have to look forward to!!

We suggest a few easy steps to achieve invitation success.

Best of the Web - Top 10 Recipe Resources

I want to make xxx - where will I find the best recipe for it? ~ I've lost my favorite recipe for xxx, is there somewhere online to compare alternatives to see what comes close? ~ What's the best way to find recipes that use xxx ingredient? ~ It would be great to plan my dinner party menu, and immediately have a shopping list in hand - which sites do this?

To answer these questions, and more like them, we're offering up our Top 10 list of the most comprehensive recipe resources online.  They are essential tools when there's a cooking component to our entertaining - kind of like "foodie encyclopedias" to turn to for efficient and effective recipe resourcing.

This top ten list is, of course, subject to change based on what happens in planning our next dinner party, brunch gathering or luncheon ;-)

Almost all include the "make a shopping list" feature, you can build an online list of your favorite recipes (to avoid searching again & again), and if you still like to see what you're cooking in print on the counter, each has options for the layout and size for printing recipes.

A quick note - over time, we've noticed that some of these sites appear to be shifting towards paid subscriptions, and may be limiting free access to their recipes.  While this doesn't change the value of the recipes available, it's understandable that a fee may impact your interest in accessing their site.

1. Cook's Illustrated Recipes - Foolproof Recipes, Menus & Best Cooking 
2. Cookstr - the best recipe collection on the web - all from the world's most acclaimed chefs and cookbook authors
3. Epicurious.com - Recipes, Menus, Cooking Articles & Food Guides
4. Fine Cooking - quick recipes, ingredients guide, how-to videos and community
5. Food Network - Easy Recipes, Healthy Eating Ideas and Chef Recipe Videos
6. Foodista - the cooking encyclopedia anyone can edit
7. Kitchen Monki - your favorite cooking utensil. Plan, Shop, Share (see our 2009 blog post, Monki-ing around is good for entertaining!) 
8. Project Foodie - serving the foodie lifestyle
9. Recipezaar - the most complete collection of free recipes on the Internet...
10. Simply Recipes - acclaimed by Time Magazine as a "great resource for cooks".

We'd love your feedback about how useful you found these sites to be - and, if we are missing one of your favorites, please share!!

20 Must-Have Grilling Guides

We're pulling out the stops to get grill-ready this year ~ and these are the 20 must-have grilling books this Savvy Host has on hand to ensure success.  

For easy reference, and to avoid having any listing priority or favoritism, the list is alphabetical.

200 Barbecue Recipes, Louise Pickford

$7.99 ~ 240p

Everyone loves barbecues - the sun, the smells, the smiles - however most of us would admit that we have a limited range when it comes to producing flame-grilled food. This book gives you over 200 tasty recipes to turn your barbecue into a barbecue banquet!

25 Essentials/Techniques for Smoking, Ardie A. Davis

$10.36 ~ 128p ~ spiral-bound

Here barbecue expert Davis takes a look at cooking low and slow, offering 25 recipes using his smoking techniques-and yes, there are 25 of those, too: rotisseries, wood planks and even paper bags make appearances, used for everything from cipollini onions and shrimp to a Smoke-Baked Barbecue Chile Pie.

300 Big & Bold Barbecue & Grilling Recipes, Karen Adler and Judith Fertig

$18.96 ~ 440p

How to barbecue and grill everything from a steak to an apple.  This superb collection of recipes for the barbecue and grill is not only bold, it shares many grilling secrets from expert chefs. The recipes deliver flavors that will blow away the toughest critic in the family. A special chapter is devoted to rubs, brines, mops, sops, bastes, glazes, BBQ sauces, slathers, vinaigrettes, pestos, flavored butters and dipping sauces. Also included are charts for every type of food and cooking technique as well as an encyclopedia of ingredients.  This is the home chef's ultimate book on barbecue and grilling.

Beer Can Chicken, Steven Raichen

$9.32 ~ 336p

Steven Raichlen's Beer-Can Chicken tells everything one should ever need to know about roasting a chicken upright on top of a can of beer. For those who find that premise strange or silly (Raichlen, in fact, thanks his publisher for being "wacky enough" to produce the book), the author describes beer-can chicken as "the perfect bird, crackly crisp, succulent within ... the most flavorful chicken you've ever tasted."

Big Daddy’s Zubba Bubba BBQ Kit, Remus Powers

$5,73 ~ 144p

Readers will get their fill from the grill with this mouthwatering compendium of some of the best barbecue recipes and techniques, as introduced by Remus Powers, founder of the American International Barbecue Sauce, Rub, & Baste Contest. Packing over 130 flavorful recipes, ranging from award-winning competition-beaters to traditional favorites and exotic inventions, from grillers to marinaters to smokers, Big Daddy gives every potential grillmaster the goods on cooking up the sweetest, hottest, most succulent fire-kissed delicacies from across the board. Includes the inside info on barbecuing anything you can slap on a skillet, from ribs and pork to brisket and seafood.

Bobby Flay’s Boy Gets Grill: 125 Reasons to Light Your Fire

$21.60 ~ 320pp

The irrepressible Flay teams with noted food writer Moskin in another of his cookbooks on the art of grilling. Flay personifies the urban griller. He uses top-quality ingredients from a vast array of ethnic cuisines to produce a panoply of flavors favored by contemporary palates.

Fish Grilled & Smoked: 150 Recipes for Cooking Rich, Flavorful Fish on the Backyard Grill, Streamside or in a Home Smoker, John Manikowski

$11.53 ~ 264p

There are at least 20,000 species of fish in the oceans, rivers, and streams of the world. In Fish Grilled & Smoked, master fisherman and chef John Manikowski teaches seafood lovers 150 succulent ways to cook just about anything that swims. If this book were only a cookbook, it would be a valuable addition to any kitchen library. But Manikowski has nudged Fish Grilled & Smoked into the realm of the truly unique by providing step-by-step instructions for rigging a smoker streamside, operating a smoker at home, and even building a full-size backyard smokehouse. Manikowski then lists which species of fish are best for smoking: bluefish, yellowtail, whitefish, chub, herring, and lake trout.

How to Grill, Steven Raichen

$13.62 ~ 498p

"150 straightforward recipes will appeal to run-of-the-mill grillers as well as those weekend barbecue warriors..." -- Los Angeles Times. The giddy joy that comes with picking up this tribute to outdoor cooking is comparable to the adolescent thrill of sneaking a naughty magazine into the garage. Not only does every conceivable meat, fish and fowl get its turn over the coals, there is a whole Barbecued Cabbage stuffed with bacon and onion and even a grilled Creme Brule. Raichlen focuses on creative techniques, employing everything from butcher's string and bricks wrapped in foil to inserting a half-full can of beer into the cavity of a chicken: when placed on the grill it simultaneously steams the bird and holds it upright, allowing the skin to grow crisp.

Another website we bookmark, The Barbeque Bible is Steven Raichen's home turf for providing all kinds of grilling information and bbq updates.

Incredibly Easy Grilling

$14.98 ~  160p  ~ spiral-bound

Incredibly Easy Grilling Recipes makes cooking outdoors fast, fun, and easy. With more than 60 delicious recipes to choose from, you can fire up the grill for a quick, satisfying meal any day of the week.  This spiral-bound cookbook lies flat when it’s open for easy use in the kitchen or next to the barbecue grill.

Italian Grill, Mario Batali

$21.56 ~ 256p

Easy to use and filled with simple recipes, Mario Batali's new grilling handbook takes the mystery out of making tasty, simple, smoky Italian food. In addition to the eighty recipes and the sixty full-color photographs, Italian Grill includes helpful information on different heat-source options, grilling techniques, and essential equipment.  Italian Grill features appetizers; pizza and flatbreads; fish and shellfish; poultry; meat; and vegetables.

Big fans that we are of Sig. Batali's master cooking style, we've bookmarked his website  to stay current of any new trends. 

Mastering the Grill: The Owner’s Manual for Outdoor Cooking Andrew Schloss, David Joachim, Alison Miksch

$4.75 ~ 416p

Grilling is a science, and it's only when you understand the science of grilling that you can transform it into an art. That's what makes Mastering the Grill a standout on the cookbook shelf. From equipment (grill types and tools) to fire (wood, charcoal, or gas) to ingredients (meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables), the authors have shared their impressive grilling know-how to explain the whys and the hows and guarantee the wows clearly and comprehensively. In addition to hundreds of tips and techniques, this ultimate guide is packed with how-to illustrations and mouthwatering photographs plus 350 surefire recipes everything from rubs and marinades to appetizers, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. Mastering the Grill is a master class in cooking, destined to become a sauce-stained, well-thumbed classic.

Peace, Love and Barbeque, Mike Mills, Amy Mills Tunnicliffe

$14.93 ~ 312p

PEACE, LOVE, and BARBECUE is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes journey into the world of barbecue with Grand World Champion pitmaster Mike Mills as your guide. Join Mike and his barbecue buddies--a veritable Who's Who of Barbecue--as they spin a few tales, spill their secrets, and reluctantly part with their prize-winning recipes.  

We enjoy following Amy Mills Tunnicliffe on Twitter...and frequently visit their website for more updates and grilling info!

Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned: A Complete Guide to Flavoring Food for the Grill, Elizabeth Karmel

$15.99 ~ 352p

Whether you're grilling hot-and-fast or barbecuing low-and-slow, knowing how to match foods with flavors will make you a bona fide backyard BBQ master. In Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned, Elizabeth Karmel offers hundreds of savory and sweet flavorings to make the most of all your favorite foods—ribs, burgers, steaks, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and fruit—really, anything you can cook with fire and smoke!  Karmel offers 400 fresh, creative recipes for marinades, brines, barbecue sauces, glazes, mops, salsas, jellies, dipping sauces, and even pestos and tapenades that range from classic (Garlicky Lemon Marinade, Irene's Hot Pepper Jelly) to innovative (Fresh Cherry-Horseradish Relish, Roasted Garlic and Shallot Jam) and from sophisticated (Merlot Wine Steak Sauce, Pumpkin Butter Barbecue Sauce) to just plain fun (Elvis Is in the House Sauce, This Swine Is Mine Beer Mop).

The Savvy Host recommended Elizabeth Karmel and her Girls at the Grill website in our post on Grilling Like a Pro: 12 Guides to Have on Hand.  She's also a great Twitter follow!

Simply Backyard Barbecuing From Grilling to Smoking: Tips, Techniques, 200 Flavorful Recipes, Richard W. McPeake

$17.95 ~ 300p

Simply Backyard Barbecuing From Grilling to Smoking Some might wonder if an American Culinary Federation-trained and award-winning professional chef could actually do backyard barbecuing. The answer is yes. Chef Richard W. McPeake is the author of Backyard BBQ: The Art of Smokeology and the creator of the Rib Stars series of BBQ rubs. He is also an avid BBQ competitor, and his rubs have won numerous prestigious contests. McPeake conducts over 90 smoking and grilling seminars a year, and is a certified barbecue judge. He is based in the Kansas City area and I won t dare add the barbecue capital of the world, because no doubt my fellow Texans as well as those from other far-flung regions of the country would have my head.

The Barbeque! Bible, Steven Raichen

$15.61 ~ 556p

Redesigned inside and out for its 10th anniversary, The Barbecue! Bible now includes full-color photographs illustrating food preparation, grilling techniques, ingredients, and of course those irresistible finished dishes. A new section has been added with answers to the most frequently asked grilling questions, plus Steven's proven tips, quick solutions to common mistakes, and more.  And then there's the literal meat of the book: more than 500 of the very best barbecue recipes, inventive, delicious, unexpected, easy-to-make, and guaranteed to capture great grill flavors from around the world. Add in the full-color, and it's a true treasure.

The Complete Fish on the Grill, Phyllis Magida and Barbara Grunes

$67.85 ~ 336p

With scores of succulent recipes for more than 40 of your favorite fish and shellfish, this illustrated step-by-step guide takes the guesswork out of preparing perfectly grilled seafood. You'll find a virtual encyclopedic range of facts on techniques, equipment, and buying and storing fish--tuna, marlin, salmon, and more.

The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue

$23.10 ~ 432p

The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue is a comprehensive nuts and bolts volume that thoroughly examines outdoor cooking—starting with the basics. The 12-page introduction to grilling, "Outdoor Cooking 101," walks you step-by-step through the essentials of grilling, grill-roasting, and barbecuing using both charcoal and gas grills. It also contains more than 300 step-by-step illustrations that walk you through the basics of food preparation, such as how to cut beef for kebabs, trim beef tenderloin, and grill-roast a turkey. Whether you’re a novice outdoor cook or aspiring grillmaster, this encyclopedic examination of one of America’s favorite pastimes will be your guide to foolproof grilling and barbecuing.

If you're fans of The Cook's Illustrated approach to cooking, you'll love this grilling and barbeque guide - and, Christopher Kimball is a great follow on Twitter!

The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes & Down-Home Barbeque, Chris Schlesinger

$14.00 ~ 400p

In his jacket photo, ace grill chef Chris Schlesinger has the look of Howdy Doody with a stomach full of barbecue. It's a speechless kind of look. Schlesinger, however, is not a speechless kind of guy. Starting with the motto, "Brown food tastes better," Schlesinger and his writing partner, John Willoughby, show the reader exactly why that is. The ride lasts nearly 400 pages. It's hard to imagine a pre-Thrill of the Grill time in American culinary life, so mighty has the impact been. It's a book with a built-in virus of insidious and infecting qualities that will have even the least interested among us out at the grill, getting the fire glass-melting hot, trying a few ideas like Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple-Ancho Chile Salsa, or Grilled Chicken Rubbed with Ethiopian Berbere (hot, hot, hot), or Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Yucatan Orange-Herb Paste, or maybe Beef Heart Grilled and Marinated in the Peruvian Way (or maybe not). Actually, that right there--beef heart--is rather telling. Who else in their right minds would include grilled beef heart in their cookbook? These guys, Schlesinger in the lead, breaking trail, will go anywhere, do anything, and bring it all home to grill and eat.

The Vegetarian Grill: 200 Recipes for Inspired Flame-Kissed Meals, Andrea Chessman

$7.78 ~ 304p

Forget about the word vegetarian in the title, and don't think inspired is just hype. The Vegetarian Grill features a host of unexpected dishes that should interest almost everyone. Have you ever thought, for example, of grilling quesadillas or falafel; of making lasagna laced with grilled, chopped vegetables; or of using grilled vegetables to infuse a meatless split-pea soup with deep flavor? In the chapters on Flame-Kissed Pastas and Grilled Fruit and Desserts, check out the Roasted Garlic and Pepper Linguine, where grilling garlic, tomatoes, and sweet peppers caramelizes their natural sugars and adds smoky savor, and be sure to try the Grilled Pears with Chocolate Sauce, made extra-rich tasting with brown sugar.

Weber's Way to Grill: The Step-by-Step Guide to Expert Grilling, Jamie Purviance

$16.47 ~ 320p

Everything a griller wants to know in the most complete grilling technique book ever:

• Five keys to grilling great steak
• The right way with baby back ribs
• What to do when flare-ups happen
• The way to smoke a turkey
• Five secrets for perfect fish every time
• Simple ways to check for doneness
• Getting great results with your smoker
• The way to handle foods that stick
• Working burger magic every time
• Over 1,000 step-by-step photos
• More than 160 delicious new recipes
• Dozens of rubs, sauces, marinades, and more

The Savvy Host also featured Weber as one of the defacto sources of grilling info our post on Grilling Like a Pro: 12 Guides to Have on Hand. We are just working our way through this amazing step-by-step guide!

Hope you find any or possibly all of these guides useful in your al-fresco entertaining!

Must-Have Cooking Tools - Take 2

Back in our own kitchen in the frenzy of spring entertaining, we need to add to our list of Must-Have Cooking Tools with 3 additional items we treasure...

Cuisinart Elite Collection
14-Cup Food Processor

(1) Cuisinart Elite Collection 14-cup Food Processor ~ for quick shredding, mixing, and other food prep on the "QT", we rely on our Cuisinart.  And, did you notice the "14-cup" reference?  Tried for many years to work with the 9-cup and always ended up with overflow.  It's not that the full 14-cup capacity is always needed, but it's those times that you do that make it worthwhile....
BONUS - be sure to download their FREE Cuisinart Recipe Booklet for 71 pages of great entertaining menu ideas...don't be surprised if you get convinced you need the 20-cup model!  Price point ~ $299.00.

Epicurean 18x13-Inch Gourmet Cutting Board

(2) Epicurean Cutting Boards  ~ yes PLURAL!  Thanks to the great recommendations from the staff teaching a cooking course at Chicago's The Chopping Block, the Epicurean line of cutting boards has been a staple in our kitchen for over 5 years.  Easy to clean (they are dishwasher safe!), light-weight and in sizes/shapes to accommodate your workspace, it will be hard to remember how you managed cooking prep before they entered your kitchen.  We're planning to add a full range of Epicurean products - including Pizza Peels and some of their utensils ~ to SavvyHostMarket this Spring!  Price point ~ for example, the Kitchen Series ranges from $11.99-$34.99.

Must-Have Cooking Tools

As we prepped for a week of cooking outside the familiar surroundings of our own kitchen, we realized there are certain tools and gear we just don't want to try to cook without.

(OK - it is possible and we could definitely manage, but the operative word is want ;-)

Here are the Must-Have Cooking Tools we made room in our luggage for this week.

(1) Rösle Garlic Press (retail value $39.00). 
We hate a wimpy garlic press.  When you tend to cook with a lot of garlic, it gets frustrating not be able to mince quickly and smoothly.  This shouldn't an exercise in building hand-strength!  And, then there's clean-up.  We don't like to dig around trying to scrub out the garlic skin inside the basket.  We were introduced to Rösle's version, and have probably spread our garlic-press love with at least 20 friends!!

Here's how Rösle describes this 8" kitchen favorite:
Even unpeeled garlic cloves can be easily processed with the Garlic Press. A special leverage mechanism ensures that minimum effort is required. Sieve component swings up for easy cleaning under running water.
~ Cleverly designed lever system makes pressing effortless.
~ Can press even unpeeled garlic.
~ Large basket holds elephant garlic or several smaller cloves.
~ Completely opens up for easy cleaning, no extra parts that can be lost.  Dishwasher-safe!
~ Special conically shaped and sharpened holes in basket contribute to uniform size and texture of crushed garlic.
~ Handles clip together to make storage easy.
~ Round ring for hanging.

This handy tool is available online from Williams-Sonoma (as pictured above left), Cooking.com and Chefs Catalog.


(2) Microplane Classic Series Zester/Grater (retail value $12.95)
A little lemon zest brightens up so many different dishes.  And limes are a staple for any Caribbean, Mexican, or Vietnamese cuisine.  Microplane's zester makes it so simple and quick to zest citrus (including oranges!) ~ and did we mention it's also ever-so-handy for grating cheese (not to mention ginger and chocolate)??  Truly a jack-of-all trades that we couldn't imagine cooking without...

Microplane offers this background about their Zester:
Originally a woodworking tool, this best seller grates even the hardest Parmesan Reggiano as well as other hard cheeses into fine lacy wisps. Ideal for topping your favorite spaghetti and meatballs or a Caesar salad. It’s also wonderful for effortless citrus zesting to add natural flavors to a lemon crème brulee or a basic vinaigrette.             
~ Dimensions: 12" x 1 5/16"
~ Weight: 4 oz.
~ Materials: Blade made of surgical grade stainless steel. Plastic handle.
~ Dishwasher-safe


Don't you wonder how you've managed without one?  Available online directly from Microplane and in a new soft-handle version (pictured above left) from Sur La Table (you know what we're ordering as soon as this piece is posted!!)

(3) Wusthof Classic 7" Santoku Knife (retail value $80.00)
Cutting a tomato with a dull blade is almost as annoying to us as nails on a chalkboard.  Never knowing what we may find in another kitchen (unless it's the home of another Savvy Host or wannabe chef ;-), when we know we'll be handling several meals, we like to have the comfort of at least one good sharp knife.  Our pick is to pack (though not possible in carry-on luggage remember) a Santoku Knife to be Boy-Scout ready for whatever kitchen prep we may encounter.


Why the fuss about a Santoku knife?  About.com offers this insight:
The word Santoku has Japanese historical significance meaning 'three virtues', and a Santoku knife wears its name quite proudly, with its marvelous chopping, dicing and mincing abilities.  Typically, they range in sizes from 5" to 7" in blade lengths, but smaller ones are available. Sporting a unique styling somewhat like a narrow-bladed cleaver, the Santoku knife is designed for a comfortable, well-balanced grip, while allowing for full blade use. 

Santoku knives are best known for their sharp edges, either beveled or hollow ground, which enhances their cutting performance. Another feature is the 'granton edge' release pattern (scalloped) on the blades that not only adds style, but helps to release thin slices and sticky food after slicing.

We may have our favorite (we like the Wusthof product line, and in particular must-have the Wusthof Asian Cook's Set priced at $79.95), but in selecting a brand, it's really up to your preference whether it's Paula Deen's Santoku or Rachel Ray's or...  We like the Santoku Knife Gallery at Cooking.com for ratings, descriptions and a fantastic selection.

And, to keep it sharp (though maybe not a good tool for on-the-road cooking), don't forget the Wusthof Santoku Sharpener available online for $19.95 from Williams-Sonoma.

Do you share our passion for having the right cooking gear?  What tools do you keep in your kitchen arsenal that are so key to your cooking that you too would make room in your luggage??

And, by the way, this list continues ... more later...