New West Knifeworks Knife Sale
November 29, 2009 by Andrea
Filed under Shopping Tips
Earlier this year I reviewed a santoku knife from New West Knifeworks. I can’t say enough about how much I love this knife and how well it works. It’s a beautiful, functional work of art that maintains its edge well, and it has become my go to knife for most of my chopping.
New West Knifeworks has both their Phoenix Santoku knife and the Fusionwood Santoku knife on sale for 15% off through December 2. If you were thinking about giving good quality knives for holiday gifts, this is an opportunity to get some truly fabulous knives at a good price. And if you aren’t sure what kind of knives you really need in a kitchen, they have a helpful tutorial on the most common types of knives.
[I have no affiliate relationship with New West Knifeworks. I received one santoku knife in 2009 for review.]
Hog Wild Chopsticks for Kids
October 15, 2009 by Andrea
Filed under Kitchen Gear
My chopstick collection began innocently enough, just a bag of cheap restaurant-style wooden chopsticks to use and reuse at home, but I had long admired the heights of functional artistry that some chopsticks achieve: the sleek design of metal chopsticks, the colorful surface of lacquered chopsticks, the Zen feeling of carefully smoothed wooden chopsticks. They are the perfect blend of form and function.
I remember spotting these children’s chopsticks in a small toy store. They were in a simple display near the check out counter, and a bright purple camel begged to go home with me. Read more
The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
In a moment of weakness I snagged this book off a table at Costco a few weeks ago, as if I really needed another book on canning and preserving. I blame the title for luring me in because many home cooks make jams, jellies, and other preserves in small batches, unless you are like my friend Sean who canned 200 pounds of tomatoes this year. I believe that amount is more than most of us have time to tackle, but kudos to Sean and his crew for a job well done!
The book explains the basics of high-acid canning (the boiling water method) then presents over 250 pages of recipes from all the standard categories plus a few extra: jams, jellies, butters, marmalades, conserves, curds, low-sugar spreads, pickles, relishes, salsas, chutneys, savory sauces, oils, vinegars, and mustards. Read more
Andrea’s Reviews Is Moving
September 11, 2009 by Andrea
Filed under Announcements
Andrea’s Reviews is moving to a new location at http://www.andreasrecipes.com/reviews. The old address www.andreasreviews.com will redirect to the new location, but the process will take about 24 hours to complete. Thanks for your patience and remember to update your bookmarks!
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker
September 4, 2009 by Andrea
Filed under Kitchen Gear
My parents had one of those old-fashioned ice cream makers where the large metal canister sat inside a wooden bucket. Dad would bring home dry ice and we knew Mom was going to make ice cream, often banana, which was our favorite. Mom and Dad had to mediate the arguments between all of us kids on who got to lick the dasher, and sometimes Dad won and got the dasher all to himself.
The memories of homemade ice cream tugged at me when we started having children, and I’m glad to carry on the tradition in our home. Read more
