ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 3, 1996 TAG: 9604030004
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Marketplace
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL
Ever been intimidated by a flour sifter? Ever wonder whether you can get by without owning a zester?
Have we found just the book for you.
"Chic Simple Cooking Tools" (Alfred A. Knopf, New York; $13.95) is supposed to take the mystery out of equipping a kitchen. The book hits all the basics, from choosing a spatula - the old square-tipped metal vs. wooden debate - to carving a turkey.
Here's what the book says about:
Measuring cups: "Transparency lets you gauge the exact amount of liquid. Rest cup on a level surface when measuring."
Salad gadgets: "Tearing greens: fingers. Slicing/julienning vegetables: chef's knife and cutting board. Peeling carrots/making shavings: vegetable peeler."
Microwaves: "Microwaving thaws frozen foods. ... It reheats."
And - a personal favorite - toaster ovens: They "can also make bagels, muffins and baguettes into toast. ... And at countertop level, through the glass door, you can watch." Better than a TV any day.
Obviously, the book isn't intended for the culinary masters.
But Karen Hunter, owner of Provisions Kitchen Gourmet in Roanoke, said simplicity has become a catch phrase in the cooking business these days.
"There's a whole generation that did not learn how to cook," Hunter said. Their mothers worked, their fathers worked, and the families ate take-out or heat-and-eat dinners. Now these kitchen-impaired people are trying to set up housekeeping, she said, and they're sometimes intimidated by gadgets and procedures that more experienced cooks take for granted.
So today's cookbooks are going back to the culinary ABCs. Even food companies, including Pillsbury and Kraft, are getting into the act, Hunter said, simplifying their back-of-the-package instructions to eliminate mystifying cooking terms such as "mince" and "fold."
But Kim Johnson Gross, one of the New York-based creators of the Chic Simple series (which tackles such topics as scarves, packing and eyeglasses), insists "Cooking Tools" isn't just for beginners. Anyone who has ever dug through a drawerful of never-used olive pitters and garlic peelers should think about simplifying his kitchen, she said.
"You can get so seduced by everything that's out there," she said, "and, pretty soon, you're sharing real estate with all these things you don't really need."
In addition to gadget-hunting tips, the book includes lots of full-color photos and food quotes from famous people. ("Ask not what you can do for your country," declared Orson Welles. "Ask what's for lunch.")
It also features miniprofiles of prominent chefs with their favorite simple recipes and cooking tips. (Did you know you can dry out a damp newspaper in the microwave? Kitchen queen Julia Child gives it her OK - as long as you keep an eye on the paper so it doesn't catch fire.)
Perhaps the best part of the book is at the end. The appendix includes a collection of 800-numbers for kitchen-equipment manufacturers, a list of national retailers and mail-order catalogs, and a glossary of kitchen terms.
You can find "Chic Simple Cooking Tools" at bookstores around Western Virginia.
After you've learned what all those fun kitchen gadgets do, you'll surely want to go out and buy 'em all. You could scour local shops - or spring for Metro Marketing's First Kitchen, a 77-piece, almost-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink collection of pots, tools and gadgets.
A warning to would-be pastry chefs: The set doesn't include any baking pans, so if you plan to create the world's best cheesecake, you'll have to look elsewhere for your springform pan.
The kitchen tools - including a cheese grater, whisk, potato peeler, melon baller and set of spatulas - all feature ergonomically designed "Sure Grip" oversized handles ideal for people with arthritis or for anyone who suffers from grater's hand.
The First Kitchen set isn't in stores yet, but Sure Grip products are. And similarly ergonomic kitchen tools are available from companies including Oxo Good Grips. You can find them at most kitchen supply stores, including Lechter's and Provisions.
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: The 77-piece First Kitchen set from Metro Marketingby CNBincludes pots, bowls, tools, gadgets and storage containers (but no
baking pans or kitchen sink) and retails for $149.99. The company is
just starting to ship the set out to stores, so you may not be able
to find it in Southwest Virginia yet. You can call Metro's sales
department - (800) 367-0845 - for more information on ship dates and
store locations. color