Favorite kitchen gadgets? A favorite cookbook?

@GreatMartin (23670)
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
September 15, 2018 5:53pm CST
I know one shouldn't talk bad about one's mother or disrespect a parent or say anything against the dead but there is no getting around the fact that my mother had to be one of the worse cooks anywhere! Whether it was eggs or steaks she burnt everything or she would boil something until there was no taste left! I know as soon as I left home I wanted rare steaks, soft boiled eggs and good looking and tasting food so I started to live in the kitchen experimenting with things I never heard of and using spices which was so rare in any thing I had had as a kid. I must confess my 'bible' became the "Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer and I still have my original copy. Over the years I believe I have made every recipe in that book and followed every bit of advice offered when it came to preparing to cook and the actual cooking. One thing I learned and have never let go was the love of kitchen gadgets. Now I don't go crazy either buying or using them and I certainly don't spend a lot of money on them. The items in the picture are ones I bought at The Dollar Tree store. I really love the peeler as it fits on your finger and I couldn't list all the items I have peeled with it from cucumbers to potatoes to carrots among other things. The onion slicer is easy to use and since I am a big onion user it saves a lot of time, not to mention finger cuts. Being a believer in 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' (though it really doesn't work) I have an apple every day and that corer makes things easier plus can, and is, used for other food items. Lately I have been stacking up on microwave gadgets for cooking and am--just thinking--of getting rid of pots and pans that I have had for years. Should I ever have to choose between a gadget or a slice of carrot cake I would have to give it a lot of thought!
8 people like this
12 responses
• United States
15 Sep 18
Don't feel bad, my mom wasn't a very good cook either. I've gotten some pretty nifty gadgets at the Dollar Tree too. I get lost in that section of the store
2 people like this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
16 Sep 18
Yes, the dollar tree is great for that stuff. Can openers, spatulas, silverware, cereal bowls, bag clips, measuring cups and cutting boards they have it all....
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
16 Sep 18
Oh so do I--I go every Thursday and I am like a kid in a candy store!
3 people like this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
17 Sep 18
@GreatMartin That makes 2 of us I am always wondering what new item I will see there.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Sep 18
I think the thing is the kitchen I like the most now is my food processor. I also love carrot cake and it takes forever to grade carrots by hand. I can do the same amount with toe food processor in about 2 or 3 mins. Same with cabbage for Cole slaw. I would say I have around 20 cook books and hardly use any of them.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Sep 18
@GreatMartin That's me, I'll look at them and some of the things sounds so good. My trouble is, a lot of recipes just take to much stuff to make. I look at the recipe and even though it looks good I'm thinking, ok but it will take around 20 or more dollars get all the ingredients you need and I might not even like it when it get done. So I just stick with what I know how to coo.
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
16 Sep 18
Oh I sometimes read cookbooks like some people read fiction/nonfiction but I don't use recipes as I learned from Joy of Cooking I wouldn't follow them anyway!
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
16 Sep 18
@sweetashoney I 'improvise'
@marguicha (230334)
• Chile
16 Sep 18
I have a shelf of cook books, but by far the best for me is "The Joy" as I have fondly nicknamed it. As for gadgets, I could name many. The minipimer, the peeler, the garlic crusher, favorite knives.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (230334)
• Chile
16 Sep 18
@GreatMartin The only knoife I haven“t been able to buy is a sushi cutter knife.
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
16 Sep 18
I have over 20 specialty knives of which one is only used for peeling and crushing garlic--I love the aroma!
2 people like this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
16 Sep 18
We love kitchen gadgets. Two things we have that really make the kitchen great for me are: The filtered water system installed under our sick with the separate water faucet for filtered water. The other is a faucet (called "Steamin' Hot") with filtered hot water for quick teas, etc. So spoiled, but these are our favorites and yes, we installed these ourselves...CHEAP to do!
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
17 Sep 18
Actually I don't call them kitchen gadgets--you can use those in bathrooms, etc. :O)
@RasmaSandra (97912)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
16 Sep 18
My mom was a good cook and because of that, I started enjoying cooking when I was very young and managed to cook things myself by the time I was 12. Today I have found that food has changed to make really great meals I now use a slow cooker and have slow cooker recipe books. As for gadgets I do not have too many but I do have a peeler and a grater. A great spice that is healthy for you and can be used in different kinds of cooking is turmeric.
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
16 Sep 18
I love the slow cooker!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (97912)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
16 Sep 18
@GreatMartin just got a new cookbook called the Slow Cooker Revolution and have found out that you can make both macaroni and cheese and lasagna in a slow cooker. Who knew?
@NJChicaa (127116)
• United States
16 Sep 18
My mother was a terrible cook growing up. She has gotten better. I taught myself to cook once my husband and I bought this house. He used to not get home until after 9 pm and I was home by 2. I needed to fill the time so I would pick a couple of new recipes to try each week and that would be what I did during the week. That's how I taught myself to cook. My favorite "cooking" devices are my 6 quart Kitchen Aid stand mixer and my 7 quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven. They are amazing. I have over 80 cookbooks currently and that is after getting rid of a bunch of them.
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
16 Sep 18
For me cookbooks are for fun reading--I don't 'use' them!
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (127116)
• United States
16 Sep 18
@GreatMartin I use my cookbooks almost daily.
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
16 Sep 18
I would say my electric can opener is my favorite gadget. It is the thing that gets the most use around here.
@1hopefulman (45111)
• Canada
16 Sep 18
I have bought many gadgets over the years but rarely use them as I find that my fingers and my trusty knife can do a lot of things better and faster and at the end I have few things to wash.
@Mavic123456 (21891)
• Thailand
16 Sep 18
Do you lose these things? My mother used to get mad at us when she can't find the peeler, this and that.. and so on...
@skysnap (20152)
16 Sep 18
I mostly prefer the random cookbook recipes from the youtube. And that is something I try on my own for most of the part.
@Courage7 (19626)
• United States
16 Sep 18
My favorite is my garlic clove crusher. My Mother was an excellent cook and so was my Father RIP. I like all your gadgets there Martin.
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
16 Sep 18
Read my response to marguicha about crushing garlic
1 person likes this
@Courage7 (19626)
• United States
16 Sep 18
@GreatMartin Yes we match..crushed garlic is heaven
@Babino (5756)
• Morocco
16 Sep 18
My favorite kitchen gadget is that mixing machine that can seperate the liquid from the solid, you can get the juice of any fruit of vegetable you like without adding water.