Equipment: 2oz Scoop

As a caterer, I occasionally get asked what items in my kitchen I could not live without. Most chefs have a favorite knife (Henckels or Global for me), but my most used and beloved item in the kitchen is my Vollrath Stainless Steel #16 scoop. #16 is the industry standard that is equivalent to 2oz. (i.e. it takes 16- 2oz sized scoops to equal 1 quart or 32 oz.).

So, it may sound odd that with all the cooking I do, that I am in love with a scoop. All I can say is that it is awesome, and you really should try it for yourself. Forthwith, a few of my reasons for loving the scoop (in no particular order)...

1) ice cram (duh!)
2) perfect amount for pancakes
3) perfect amount for waffles in my iron
4) portion control for sides
5) easy to clean
6) easy for kids to use
7) scooping out pumpkins + squash
8) perfect portion for rolls
9) perfect portion of hummus for a wrap
10) easy to use without getting anything else in the kitchen dirty...including your hands.

Food Find: Serrated Peeler

'Tis the season for this little gem of a gadget! I didn't even know it existed until a couple of months ago, when I found out that the serrated peeler is THE perfect tool to peel butternut squash. Know what else it's really good at peeling? Peaches. Nectarines. Plums. Even tomatoes. Takes the skin off likes it's butter. Try it for your next stone fruit cobbler or tomato coulis. Or just for kicks... if you go for that sort of thing.


I found my Zyliss Serrated Peeler at The Produce Exchange in the Midtown Global Market, but there are many brands widely available.

Just Beat it

Ooh-la-la! A beater blade that self scrapes the bowl?
The ultimate in kitchen gadgetry laziness, but it seems so worth it. Right?

There's one for every type of stand mixer, so click here for more info...