Inspector of all kitchen gadgets

I have always been a sucker for kitchen gadgets. I rarely go past a kitchen shop such as Lakeland or the Cookshop without at the  glueing my nose against the glass window. 

Depending on how busy I am, I usually spend from a few minutes to half an hour looking for that unique gadget that will make food preparation so sleek that it will surely transform my cooking. I rarely buy something that I already have in my own kitchen. My trusted knives have been with me for years, and nothing shiny will replace them until they are broken beyond repair or have been sharpened to a sliver. 

This last year has been the year of the spiralizer, a must-have contraption that turns courgettes or other vegetables into spaghetti that is supposed to be healthier. I have resisted buying one but, mind you, in the last six months, I have purchased a new pressure cooker, a pasta maker and mincer/sausage maker. The pressure cooking, I learnt from my late mother, and I adore making soups or stews at the speed of light. Sometimes it takes longer to eat the food than to cook it! I also used the pasta maker once to make ravioli and have promised myself to try again when Karen goes out so that the mess I usually make doesn’t drive a wedge of parmesan between us. Just imagine a fight with a bag of flour, and you’ll get the idea of the state of the kitchen when I had finally sat down to wolf down three large ravioli filled with I can’t remember what. 

As for the mincer, I bought it because I saw a programme or read something about what goes into supermarket minced meat. The end result is hugely satisfying despite having to spend half an hour cleaning the mincer. I have made a few types of sausages that turned out tasty but just average. I must watch a few more YouTube videos on the matter. 

When I went to France to visit my late brother, I stayed at his while he was at the local clinic. I discovered a set of pans I have never come across before. My pet hate is non-stick frying pans that lose that unique quality within weeks. His were truly non-stick and had a detachable handle in case they were used in the oven! I scoured the internet for the make and found them being sold in the Autumn sales at a local supermarket. A set of four pans with a €50 saving! As soon as I arrived back home, after a 600-mile car journey, the first thing I did was unpack them, wash the small frying pan and fry two eggs to prove that this had indeed been a good buy. 

I have also bought a magic tea strainer but that’s a story for another day.