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Matfer Exopat Nonstick Baking Sheet - Made of slippery silicone, the Exopat baking mat prevents cookies and pastries from sticking, eliminating the need for parchment paper, nonstick cooking surfaces, and the greasing of baking sheets. It measures 16-1/2 by 11-5/8 inches, wipes clean with a sponge, is heat- safe to 580 degrees F, can be used 2,000 times or more, and is an essential tool for an avid baker.
How to Be a Domestic Goddess - While the title How to Be a Domestic Goddess may at first make a modern woman bristle, the book itself is just as likely to inspire the woman who brings home the bacon to start baking cakes. And what's wrong with that? "This isn't a dream," writes British cookery deity Nigella Lawson in her preface. "What's more, it isn't even a nightmare." Lawson--the author of How to Eat, food editor of British Vogue, and star of her own TV cooking show, Nigella Bites--has been suspected of upholding the woman-laboring-in-the-kitchen paradigm, but there are lots of hard-working women out there who derive great satisfaction from cooking, even after a long day at the office. For those women, Lawson, who looks more Elizabeth Hurley than Martha Stewart, is the perfect guide to the wondrous world of baking. "You know, I'm not a cook-to-impress kind of girl," Lawson says midway through the book, but she must admit there are few things more rewarding than putting a warm homemade pie or fragrant cake on the table--especially after preparing a home-cooked meal. How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking makes just such a reward possible, in fact positively enticing, with its delicious selection of easy-to-make cakes, pies, cookies, breads, even jams, presented in Lawson's chatty, pleasantly glib manner. Turns out, you don't have be a Pierre Hermé to make to-die-for chocolate confections; nor do you have to spend hours "faffing around" with hot pans and jars to have jam at teatime. You just need to try baking once, then again, and next thing you know, you'll be turning out cookies and desserts every chance you get. Many of the recipes are hand-me-downs or adaptations from other sources, be it a favorite cookbook or a restaurant in some far-off region, but all are imbued with Lawson's wit and distinctive touch. Profiteroles, My Way are "monumentally impressively better" than the original, thanks to burnt-sugar custard and toffee sauce. Her Coffee and Walnut Splodge Cookies are "American-style cookies; in other words just dropped onto the baking sheet free-form," and so on. A sophisticated female alter ego of British mop-top Jamie Oliver, and considerably more sly and comedic than most American gourmets, Nigella is sure to convince more than a few up-and-coming hostesses that baking is indeed women's work.
The Naked Chef Takes Off - Affable Essex boy Jamie Oliver continues the British culinary invasion with The Naked Chef Takes Off, the smashing follow-up to his bestselling The Naked Chef. For Oliver, the young Food Network import, food is all about "passing the potatoes around the table, ripping up some bread, licking my fingers, getting tipsy, and enjoying the company of good friends and family," and cooking up "what real people at home really want." The thing is, "real people" picking up cookbooks are often seeking easy-to-follow recipes. But that's not Oliver's bag. The layout of many of his recipes may frustrate traditional-cookbook readers--instructions often appear as one big chunk of conversational text with nary an ingredient or measurement in clear view--but that's part of the charm of Oliver's cookbooks. His commentary, tips, and cooking steps come across in a very approachable, colloquial style and leave plenty of room for individual flair or improvisation. Oliver's enthusiasm for cooking is infectious; the recipes and chapter introductions spill out like a best mate who just can't stop talking about food and how much fun--and simple--it can be to whip up these spectacular dishes. Oliver kicks things off by stocking your pantry with best-quality ingredients, and he's an apostle for fresh herbs, raving on about growing and drying your own at home. "Morning Glory" is a chapter full of dishes like Midnight Pan-Cooked Breakfast (bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, and eggs brought together in the "biggest nonstick pan available" and sopped up with buttered toast--a rustic one-dish cure for any oncoming hangover). "Tapas, Munchies, and Snacks" brings Slow-Cooked and Stuffed Baby Cherry Chili Peppers to the table (when you're done snacking on the chilies, you're left with a jar of terrific flavored oil, perfect for salads or pasta). There's Squashed Cherry Tomato and Smashed Olive Salad, and a Fragrant Thai Broth, infused with lemongrass, ginger, and lime leaves. Once you've mastered his basic risotto recipe you can turn out Shrimp and Peas Risotto with Basil and Mint, and likewise his basic bread recipe is the foundation for Chocolate Twister Bread. "Easy peasy" dessert ideas like Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar or Malted Milk Balls and Ice Cream (bash a big bag of Whoppers into bits and sprinkle over quality vanilla ice cream) are a refreshing end to any meal. Now, be a "right little tiger" and get cooking--Seared Scallops and Crispy Prosciutto with Roasted Tomatoes and Smashed White Beans and other fabulous dishes await.
George Foreman GR10AWHT Champ Grill - This smaller version of George Foreman's famous "as seen on TV" Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine is perfect for preparing quick, low-fat meals for one or two people. The double-sided grill surface heats in less than five minutes to an even temperature perfect for grilling most foods. The high grill grooves and slight angle allow fat to run off the grill as food cooks, and the nonstick surface requires little or no additional fat for cooking. The plastic, grooved spatula works well to scrape off any bits that may have stuck to the surface. Meats and fish are the obvious choices to take advantage of the Grilling Machine's fat-reduced grilling, but vegetables and tofu dogs work well too. The double-sided grill means food cooks twice as fast, leaves attractive grill marks, and generates surprisingly little smoke.
Cuisinart ICE-20 1 1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker - This all-purpose frozen dessert maker handles most people's healthy or decadent cravings for homemade ice cream, yogurt and sorbet--and with no excessive turning or salt needed. In a 20-minute time frame, Cuisinart's frozen treat maker automatically makes a variety of delicacies--using ingredients ranging from fruits and chocolates to candies and nuts. Just insert the ingredients into the top spout, hit the "on" switch, and the mixing arm takes over. Dessert is quickly made cold as the freezer bowl's cooling liquid creates an even freezing. Once finished, hand wash the inside bowl and snap back the retractable cord for easy storing.
Braun MR430HC/AC Multiquick Deluxe Hand Blender & Chopper - This multipurpose tool created a stir in the kitchen when it came out, as the food processor did a generation earlier. In order to blend, whip, and chop smaller amounts of ingredients, it's no longer necessary to wrestle with bulky appliances. Immerse the 7-1/2-inch blender shaft, with its little blade on the end, into a pot where vegetables have been simmering, press the switch, and in seconds a creamy soup appears--with no need to dump everything into a big blender. Blend sauces and baby foods in their cooking pots, too. Blend a milk shake or juice drink right in its drinking container, or in the 2-1/2-cup beaker included in this set. Whipping cream and egg whites is just as convenient: a 5-inch whisk attaches to the motor when the blender is removed. For chopping nuts, herbs, garlic, or onions, there's a 2-cup chopper bowl with a special blade. The motor with the attached blender shaft can be mounted on a wall (mount included). Everything but the motor and the chopper-bowl top (both should be wiped with a damp cloth) can go into the dishwasher. This tool is more than handy, it's a revolution. The instruction sheet, unfortunately, is harder to comprehend than the tool is to use.
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