In My Kitchen – July 2013

For some peculiar reason, I misplaced half the pictures from last month of what I wanted to share with you, so am sharing them with you here today.

In my kitchen…

Is an egg whisk, another lovely birthday pressie from my aunt an uncle.  They got it for me when they were passing through Patensie.

In my kitchen…

Are 2 new cake tins.  A little birdie heard my plea about my other 2 being horribly old and rusted so got these lovely new ones from my brother and sister-in-law for my birthday along with a set of beautiful wine glasses – somehow, never got around to photographing the glasses, sorry.

In my kitchen…

Is a retro toast holder, another, yip another birthday pressie from my friend Beryl.  She was most impressed I knew what it was.

In my kitchen…

Is a set of gorgeous pink Victorinox knives, a birthday gift from my lovely cousin Renee.  Her and I nearly share a 40th, she is 5 days older than me. 🙂

In my kitchen…

Is a set of white birthday cake candles, which took me forever to find and no sooner had I found them all of a sudden every second store had white candles.  Strange how that always happens.

In my kitchen…

Don’t tell my friend Moira but I bought ANOTHER tub of glitter – I just cannot help myself!  If I could, I would honestly buy a tub of every colour available.

What’s in your kitchen this month?  Please remember to link back to Celia’s blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial if you partake in the fun.

In my Kitchen September 2011

For the longest while I have wanted to take part in the fun of Celia’s “In My Kitchen” posts and promised that when we were home and settled that I would start, so without further ado, I present you with…

In my kitchen…

are my 2 favourite knives that I bought in Mauritius at Store 2000 – the cheapest knives I have ever bought and they work beautifully – they have the thinnest of blades and I am quite sorry that I never bought more.

In my kitchen…

is this lovely Carrol Boyce cork screw which I was lucky to get from my BIL and SIL on a recent visit to Plett who were doing a clear out of their bar.

In my kitchen…

is my ever loved cake tester – the best I have ever owned.  It is a double pointed knitting needle and if memory serves, my Nana also used one to test her cakes.

In my kitchen…

are these fun corn holders which make eating corn on the cobb must easier and less messy.

In my kitchen…

is my Chef’s torch which Mom borrowed over Christmas and forgot about it in her cupboard – best I get cracking and make a Crème Brûlée.

In my kichen…

are these yummy humbug sweeties from Pete’s nephew’s wedding.

What’s in your kitchen this month?  Please link back to Celia’s blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial if you partake in the fun.

Knives

Often we buy knife sets and only use the one or two we are comfortable with – sometimes we are unsure of the correct uses for all the others.  This list covers all the basic home kitchen knives.

Enjoy,

Mandy

A meat Cleaver is a large, rectangular knife that is used for splitting or “cleaving” meat and bone.  The edge is sharply bevelled and the bevel is typically convex.  The knife is designed to cut with a swift stroke.  The cleaver most often found in a home knife set is a light-duty cleaver about 15cm long.

A Bread knife is a serrated knife that is on average 20cm in length.  The serrations on the blade make it ideal for cutting bread and other foods with a hard surface and soft interior.

A Boning knife is used to remove bones from cuts of meat.  It has a thin, often flexible blade, usually about 12cm to 15cm long that allows it to get into small spaces.  A stiff knife is good for beef and pork, but a flexible boning knife is preferred for poultry and fish.

A Chef’s knife also known as a cook’s knife or French knife is an all-purpose knife that is curved to allow the cook to rock the knife on the cutting board for a more precise cut.  Chef’s knives are mostly between 15cm and 30cm, with 20cm being the most common size.

A Carving knife is a large knife between 20cm and 38cm that is used to slice thin precise cuts of meat, poultry, roasts, hams and other large cooked meats.

A Paring knife is a small knife with a plain edge blade that is ideal for peeling and other small or intricate work such as de-veining shrimp, removing seeds from chillies, or cutting small garnishes.  It is designed to be an all-purpose knife, similar to a Chef’s knife, except much smaller.  Parking knives are usually between 6cm and 10cm long.