Gaga over gadgets

A while ago at a cooking workshop at the president, Chef Ananda Solomon, demonstrated Ravioli. I was looking forward to watching this, because - Ravioli, requiring atuffing loads of little parcels of pasta, is something I have always thought too time consuming. But when the sheets of pasta had been rolled out and and it was tim to make the little pasta pockets, Chef A. whips out a neat little contraption that looks somewhat like an ice tray. Closr inspection reveals it's a tray all right but the crevices are in the shape of Ravioli with little teath around the perimeter of each. He lays the pasta sheet over the tray, feels each crevice with the filling and tops it with another sheet of pasta. He then rolls over the whole with a rolling pin (so the sheets get cut on the little teeth) and quick as can be turns out 24 perfect squares of Ravioli! All I could think of was I WANT ONE!

I love Kitchen Gadgets, as my column from today shows. And I am not done gabbing about them!

This is why

This is a stunner I made for the DH with large cookie cutters I picked up from Arif doubling as pancake rings.

And this breakfast full of LOVE for my son! This happened with the help of a lovely little heart shaped pancake ring I picked up from Chefsaid.


Although I love the cookie cutters for the vertical creative license they allow (pile it on!) I have to say the Chefs aid ones are SO much more convenient to use.

As you can see they have a very useful little folding handle - you pull it up when you are using the ring so it can be lifted of when whatever you are cooking gets done and and conveniently fold it down when you want to store it. The biggest plus however is that there is no seepage from under them, a problem I faced with my stand in Arif ones. I have used them for pancakes, dosas, eggs and chillas so far with no complaints and cheesy as it sounds - it's amazing what kids will eat if you package it right. Note to self:- get circle and flower rings before son wakes up to the LOVELY HEARTS con!

And I am STILL tripping on this nut flaker I mention in the same column above. I can't seem to get enough of it. I have used it for (besides flaking nuts that is) slicing ginger and garlic, cheese, sausages and thin salamis, veges like carrot and beans for fried rice and pulav - cut into sticks, tightly pack into box and slice away - you get beautiful thin slivers of veggies, and salads - remove the box and use only slicer for lovely thin slices of anything.

GYAN and links

Places to go looking for kitchen gadgets in Mumbai -

For more information on the pancake rings, nut flaker, oil basters and spray bottles, silicon gloves, sheets and brushes, cookie cutters and LOTS LOTS more contact Chef Aid, Shop No 49, Gautam Complex, Sector 11, C.B.D., Belapur, Navi Mumbai, Telefax: 27576188, email: chefsaid63@gmail.com

Crawford market of course is the best bet for anything you need from the sharpest knives to silpat (real and local) sheets and everything in between. Head to Arriff, he's your best bet for everything! Saria stores, 26 Lohar Chawl Kalbadevi, Mumbai 400002 is also a gadget – o – holic's dream destination. From Fondue pots to cookware and everything in between, you will find it here but they don't really entertain small buyers - only large bulk buyers - hotels and the like.

The BBC (Bombay Baking Company) at the J W Marriott has a small section dedicates to some highly desirable kitchen gadgets at undesirable prices.