These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things

Five years ago, if anyone had asked me what my five favourite things were in my hip little Queen West kitchen, I’m pretty sure the list would have looked like this:

1. The drawer full of take-out menus
2. My Bodum
3. The Mr. Peanut commemorative blue glass jar
4. The two retro baker’s racks
5. The half-q of weed in the freezer

Fast-forward to today, when the take-out menus get a lot less milage, the Bodum has given way to full-size coffee maker that must be buzzing by 8 am, the Mr. Peanut jar shattered in an unfortunate moving accident (grrr), the baker’s racks are stacked with kids’ toys in the basement and the greenest thing in my freezer is a bag of broccoli. Which doesn’t roll very well.

These days, I use my not-so-hip kitchen as an actual kitchen, not just a place to mix gin & tonics, and a list of my top-five favourite things within it reveal a very different kind of kitchen user. Granted, I am no gourmand, but even a peasant cooking peasant food probably has a favourite iron kettle.

I still give my head a shake when I realize that I have become someone that swoons over ingredients and implements, but it’s true; I have. I am learning that quality items beget quality results, and that some things are just not worth the hype. Some things, however, truly are. Here’s a sample:

Kgirl’s Top Five Favourite Things In Her Kitchen:

1. Large Kitchen-Aid rubber spatula
2. My huge Cuisinart Sautee Pan
3. Kozlik’s Mustard (any kind. All kinds. All of ‘em. GOOOOOD!)
4. My pink melamine batter bowl
5. My nice big Denby Energy coffee mugs

Plus my dishwasher, but that’s a given, isn’t it? Who knew a rubber spatula would ever make me so happy? Or that finding the perfectly-weighted coffee mug would make my cuppa taste so much better? As for future delights? Well, the list is endless, really. I’ve got my eye on some silpat and a good mandolin. Who needs all 10 fingertips, anyway?

So, what kitchen goodies are floating your boat these days?

 

Getting more use out of the rubber spatula and pink melamine bowl:

(You’d Never Guess It Was) Zucchini Loaf

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 75 min
Feeds: 9

2 c flour (I use 1 c all purpose, 1 c whole wheat)
1/2 c sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or any combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, etc.)
1 c grated zucchini
1/3 c chopped walnuts
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/4 c milk (resist the urge to add more)
1/2 c cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9” loaf pan.

Get out your favourite pink melamine bowl. With your favourite rubber spatula, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add zucchini and walnuts.

In a separate bowl, beat oil, eggs and milk until combined (Use an electric mixer if you have one. I don’t. Will add electric mixer to list of future favourite things.)

Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in cranberries. (Batter will be pretty thick.)

Bake for about 75 minutes, until toothpick in centre comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Add this recipe to your list of favourite things.

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SoundBITE
Zucchini is a delicious, cheap, low-calorie source of niacin, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. And they are in season now, so go get some.

Comments

[Gab]

Dishwasher rocks in my house and is it sad that right now the only good thing i can think of is chocolate chip cookies...ok and some strawberries thrown in for good measure

[motherbumper]

My Creuset roasting pan, my Emile Henry ceramic pan set (oh yes, I'm totally name dropping because this stuff makes me drool), my cast iron pans, my bodum, and the old school + totally funky coffee grinder my mom gave me, and I'm mourning the recent passing of my KitchenAid coffee maker (I cry for it every morning but the bodum isn't doing it's best little job - it just doesn't have a preset so I can wake up to coffee - wahhhhh!).

[motherbumper]

And one most roast the broccoli first to make it roll properly.

[Beck]

I have that pan! (well, of course I do.) I love it, too. It is ENDLESSLY useful.
I also LUV my Cuisinart stand mixer, my dishwasher, the vintage candy bucket that holds all of my wooden spoons, and my collection of aprons.

[nomotherearth]

Well, you KNOW I'm a Denby Energy fan over her. Other than that, I love my crockery mixing bowl (it's a childhood image for me), my Ridel wine glasses, and I'm grooving on my NEW! SHINY! Kitchenaid Stay or Go coffeepot. No more glass coffee carafes to break.

[Don Mills Diva]

I love my new fancy-schmancy dish washer and I LOVE my Tasimo one-cup coffee maker!

[Catherine]

1. Toddy Coffee Maker http://www.toddycafe.com/shop/product.php?productId=67
2. KitchenAid stand mixer
3. toaster oven, so I don't have to turn on its big brother in the middle of the summer
4. lime squeezer - makes ceviche and mojitos easier
5. a good knife

[lisa b]

I am obsessed with china. Denby energy is nice.

We just reno'd our kitchen so I looooove my fridge and well everything but we've had nothing but problems w our kitchenaid dishwasher yet my friend has had no trouble with hers......