Hello my Foodie Friends!

There is something magical about the act of preparing meals and eating together. It is an act of giving and sharing. During this summer as we continue to practice social distancing, we find ourselves making more family dinners, lunches, and breakfasts. Some of the joy that has emerged during this period has been the increased experience of eating together as a family. Our relationship with cooking has also changed. Many have used this time to become more adventurous with trying out new culinary skills and recipes we have wanted to try. In preparing that special culinary creation, there may be some cool culinary tools you need to help.

One tool that has become a “must have” in the kitchen drawer is the bench scraper. A bench scraper, which is also called a pastry scraper or dough scraper, is also used in working with pastry, bread, and other doughs. But even if you don’t bake regularly, it can still be a worthy investment for general cooking prep. It’s also space-efficient and easy to stow away in a prep drawer, and is a crazy-easy-to-clean, dishwasher-safe tool that can last you for decades.  A bench scraper is one of those inexpensive utensils that lasts a lifetime and has a million uses. 

When chopping vegetables, a bench scraper makes short work of transferring the veggies from the cutting board to the skillet or soup pot without losing half the veggies onto the floor during the transfer. Think of that flat piece of metal as a wide extension of your hand. Imagine the joy you would feel by only making ONE journey from your cutting board to your soup pot instead of your usual six trips as you balance those diced veggies on your knife or in your hand. You can also use your trusty scraper to smash whole cloves of garlic or to smash boiled potatoes before frying them.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to find those cool tools that can help you as you plan out your menus and get chopping.  Relish the memories of cooking and eating together as a family! Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

 Take Care,
John & Paula