THE SECRET TO CERAMIC BAKING
Whether you are baking something in a glazed or
unglazed pan, it is always best with ceramic to start
the dish in a cold oven. Place your assembled
casserole, pie, etc., in the center of an oven that
has not yet been turned on. Turn the oven on to the
appropriate temperature, and allow 5-10 minutes extra
baking time in addition to what the recipe calls for.
Many ceramic dishes will crack in temperatures above
375 degrees, so be careful.
THE DOUBLE MASHER
If you have ever opted out of making mashed potatoes
because you find the mashing itself too much of a
chore (but you know that whipping or processing them
is not going to give you the right texture), here is a
product you should know about: the double masher.
That's right--this masher has two rows of mashing
plates. While one mashes, the other folds, creating
the perfect consistency and freeing you from having to
stir the potatoes after you have mashed them. The
double masher is made of stainless steel all the way
through and is pretty nifty to look at as well as to
hold. Check your local specialty stores or find it in
the Sur la Table catalogue.
GET A GRIP ON YOUR CUTTING BOARD
Carving and/or serving a roast, a ham, or a turkey can
be a real nuisance without a cutting board that will
hold the meat in place. Some smart person using
Vermont hardwood has come up with the ideal
solution: the Gripper Cutting Board. It's a 1-inch-
thick (14" by 18") board that comes with a removable
stainless steel pronged ring in its center to hold the
roast in place while you slice. A channel (kind of
like a little moat) catches all of the meats juices so
that gravy and reduction sauces, too, become ever so
much easier to make.
