Urban Spatula

I happen to love lemons and I’m thrilled to see them back in season.   A tool that helps me extract all the fresh juice from my lemons is a Two-In-One Juicer from Williams-Sonoma.  There are many other manual tools that serve the same function, but what makes this model a winner is that it includes TWO plates making it useful for limes as well.  

It is made from nonreactive powder-coated cast aluminum and is passes the dishwasher test.  

It currently retails for $20.00, but remember you’re really getting two tools in one (and saving valuable drawer space).

Do you enjoy to citrus fruits, but struggle to penetrate into the rind? A good Citrus Peeler can fix that.

Oxo Good Grips has created a very user friendly Citrus Peeler. It features a pointed tip that cuts into the rind and cleanly scores the peel into sections. The pointed tip & flat edge allows you to get under and remove the peel & bitter pith with ease.

Features Oxo comfort grip.

Dishwasher safe.  Priced at $5.99

You don’t have to spend much to get a reliable wine opener. Pulltap’s Double-Lever Corkscrew is an awesome choice. I’ve been a big fan of this tool since I tried it back in my serving days. What makes it so reliable is its two-tiered brace, which allows for continued leverage by moving the brace to a new position when the cork is halfway out, thus minimizing cork breakage. It also comes with serrated foldout foil cutter.

Recently I’ve seen them available at Trader Joe’s.

Sourced from Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes Famous Eating Places Volume 3

…Thanks LAmericana

Do you love the cozy smell and taste of a spiced pumpkin dessert in the fall?

Here’s a recipe that makes it so simple to create this crowd pleaser anytime.   I first learned about this dessert from a Williams-Sonoma kitchen and it’s proven itself to be a winner everytime.

Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter Dessert Squares

1 package yellow cake; set aside one cup
1/2 cup butter, MELTED
3 free range eggs
1 jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter, SOFTEN
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° degrees F.

There are 3 easy layers to create this fall favorite.

BASE LAYER: Crust
Divide yellow cake mix.  Place all but one cup in a mixing bowl.  Stir in MELTED butter and one egg into the cake mix.  Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9×13″ pan.

MIDDLE LAYER: Pecan Pumpkin Butter
Mix the jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter with two eggs and milk.  Pour this result over the crust batter in pan.

Top Layer: Stir the reserved cup of cake mix with the flour, sugar, SOFTEN butter and cinnamon.  Mix together until crumbly.  Sprinkle over the top of the pumpkin layer.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool.  Cut into 2″ squares.  Serves 24.

Here’s a fun gadget to add to your kitchen.
Kuhn-Rikon makes a kitchen tool to quickly rake corn off the cob. It is called the Corn Zipper.
A safer alternative to a knife, this tool has a pair of extra-sharp teeth slides that slides between the kernels making it super easy to remove corn off the cob.

It is made of heavy-duty stainless steel and is top-rack dishwasher safe. 6″ long. Cover guard included.
Currently sold at Williams-Sonoma online or in their retail stores for $12.95.

Buttery pancakes filled with a warm gooey surprise?  I’m sooo in!
I was introduced to the Danish Ebelskiver a few years back and since then I’ve been considering picking one up for Sunday morning breakfasts.
Up until now most Ebelskivers that I have come across were  made from cast iron or cast-aluminum with a single or double thin layer of nonstick coating if you’re lucky to find it.  Because of the concerns about nonstick coatings and the link to carcinogens, I had delayed my purchase until recently.
Now we have an attractive alternative.  Williams-Sonoma and Nordic Ware had recently revamped the Ebelskiver.  The results are a newer version made from a more durable cast-aluminum and enhanced premium nonstick coating.

So what’s the gooey suprise?  How does nutella, apple pie filling, mashed banana, peanut butter, almond butter, pumkin butter or blueberries sound for starters?

Congratulation goes out Mariam and Paul who have recently become engaged! To celebrate the announcement, the crew went out and broke bread together at Farm Stand in El Segundo, California.
This was my first visit to Farm Stand “Urban Country Food” and I really enjoyed my lunch. I’ll describe the menu as food prepared with influences from Europe and the Mediterranean. The restaurant is clean and inviting and is a place I’ll definitely take my family to.
To the left is an image of my actual lunch today, the Lemon Chicken Breast (lunch portion), which came with sweet & sour cherry rice pilaf & roasted vegetables….yummm and no guilt.
Thanks for lunch John and Paul thanks for giving us reason to toast again.

Spook up your kitchen this Halloween with a Bat-n-Cat Spatula from Sur La Table.

It is made from food grade silicone which is heat resistant of up to 900 degrees…(900 seems rather intense since I’ve never gone past broiling in my oven…maybe it’s a witchcraft sort of thing)?

Is the glass half empty or half full?

Sur La Table says, “Conservative if you don’t fill your glass; liberal if you let it flow”.

Something tells me that our current President wouldn’t necessarily agree with this example.
~Cheers!