Summer Kitchen Tools

The summer can be depressing for cooks. Even though it is the season for wonderful produce, a lot of things still require the application of at least a little heat...and even the thought of turning on a burner can make you break out in a sweat, when the daily high is near 103.

I've had a lot of cereal this summer, but I've also managed to eat well on occasion, thanks in part to these tools:

The salad spinner

There aren't many kitchen tools that I think significantly improve the process they are meant for--most get used rarely and otherwise take up space in your cabinets and drawers. But the salad spinner dries lettuce better than the old paper towel method, with no waste, and can be used for storing salad too. I love mine a lot.

The toaster oven

As you can tell, mine is well-used. The toaster oven is for so much more than making toast. I've made baked eggs, roasted garlic, and croutons in mine, as well as innumerable toasted bagels and waffles (and toast). You can make many of the things usually cooked in a large oven (especially if you only need small quantities). Plus, it minimally heats up the kitchen.

The hand blender

Conveniently small, easy to assemble and clean, the hand blender can be used to make smoothies of all varieties and to blend soups, cold or warm. Mine is rarely stored because I use it almost every day.

Shanghai Restaurant

Word on the street, or at least on the internet, is that one of the best places in town to get dim sum is now Shanghai Restaurant, located near Highland Mall. One of the old places that used to draw crowds, Tien Hong, shut down about a year ago, so it was nice to try Shanghai and discover that it was as good as its internet reputation. Everything we had was well seasoned, and at noon on a Saturday, the selection was great!

Shrimp dumplings, shrimp & leek dumplings, and salt & pepper squid

Inside the shrimp & leek dumpling

Fried taro patties with shrimp and veggies inside

Eggplant with shrimp on top

The obligatory, and delicious, Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce

Turnip patty with shrimp and sausage

Noodles with pork (?)

Green tea balls with black sesame filling

Here is what some other people have said...

On Vacation (from the archives)

Gentle readers: Your loyal blogger is going on August recess for the next couple of weeks, so in the meantime please enjoy some of my early ventures into the realm of food photography. These are all pictures from my study abroad term in 2002; back then I thought of it as a travelogue, but in new places, the food (if it's interesting) so quickly becomes an important part of the overall experience...

Fresh seafood at an open-air market in Aix-en-Provence

I believe these are scallops, also known as coquilles St-Jacques

Fresh tunas await their fate

Marzipan fruits (also in Provence)

Window display of Easter chocolates in Paris

Restaurant-made crepe, in Paris

Learning how to make crepes at home

A large bowl made of bread (in Rome)

My friend and fellow gastronome Vanessa longing after Spanish sweets (Toledo)

Consuming churros con chocolate for breakfast (in Seville, I think)

French pastries! (Paris)

Closeup on those same beautiful pastries.

Can you believe there's a shop like this in every neighborhood in Paris?