Essential Small Kitchen Appliances

If a “do it by hand” tool isn't going to cut it for your latest kitchen creations, adding a power motor can sometimes help.

Hey, I'm a guy. I like to cook, but I have more fun if I can cook with an engine. (More power!)

Equipping your kitchen with all the latest small appliances can be pretty expensive, though, not to mention how much space they can take up. When buying a new kitchen appliance, think about what you cook, how often you cook it, and how much you really need to make, before dipping into your wallet. Having said that, there are few small kitchen appliances I think are pretty essential for most home cooks.

Handheld Mixer

Working much faster than a hand whisk, I use mine for all kinds of things. Have you ever tried beating egg whites or whipping cream to a peak by hand? I've seen people do it, but I think they must be mutants. I've never been able to pull it off without my hand mixer. I like that mine has a couple of dough hook attachments, as well. That way I use it to get bread and cookie doughs going without killing myself, or the motor.

Choose one that has at least three speeds and easily detachable beaters. It makes clean up much easier. And hey, who doesn't like licking the frosting off the beaters?

Standing Blender

A good blender can be used for all kinds of things, from creaming soups or pureeing vegetables for a quick vegetable smoothie. While some appliances have started to make it seem obsolete, I still love mine for crushing ice and making special drinks. Make sure to get one with low-set blades or it won't handle small quantities very well.

Food Processor

Food processors can sometimes eliminate the need for a free-standing blender, although I still like my blender for drinks. The metal blades chop and mix, but other attachments are available for slicing, shredding, and grating. Some come with different sized bowls to handle different quantities. As always, buy the best one you can afford. Expensive doesn't always mean it the best, but cheap usually means you'll be replacing it sooner than expected.

Handheld Blender

I am in love with my handheld blender. It doesn't handle large quantities as well as a standing blending, but it's perfect for pureeing soups and sauces while still in the pot. Without it I'd have to take the time to let the soup cool, transfer portions of it to the standing blender, and risk burning myself or making a mess in the kitchen as the hot liquid spews out the top of the blender an onto the ceiling. Clean up is easy and it saves on storage space as well. It's also a must when making foams.

Yes, at some point I will be blogging about my experiments in foams, or what one chef likes to call, “flavored air.”

Better than KFC Buttermilk Biscuits

Next to their chicken, and perhaps their cole slaw, KFC's buttermilk biscuits are popular fair at my house. We always seem to fight over who can grab the last one. But I'm not content to buy biscuits when I can make them at home, especially if I can put my own tasty twist on it.

Last post I mentioned trying out a Todd Wilber's version of “KFC Buttermilk Biscuits” from his cookbook, “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes: Creating Kitchen Clones from America's Favorite Restaurant Chains” Making my own biscuit mix, I gave it a whirl.

How did they turn out? I think mine are better than the Colonel's. The addition of the whole wheat flour to my biscuit mix adds a nice nutty flavor. These are best eaten warm the day they're made, though. They still taste pretty good a day or two later, but they're certainly best just a few minutes out of the oven.

Equipment Needed
mixing bowls
pastry blender
biscuit cutter or glass
baking sheet
clean hands

Ingredients
5 cups biscuit mix
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup club soda
flour for dusting
butter or cooking spray to grease the baking sheet

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg and buttermilk together with the salt.

Place the biscuit mix in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter in small chunks and mix with a pastry cutter or by hand until it resembles pea sized crumbs. Do not over mix.

Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk mixture and the club soda. Mix with your hands until it just comes together, forming a soft sticky dough. Again, do not over mix.

Lay out some waxed paper on the counter top and dust it with flour. Flour your hands and press out the dough to a 3/4 inch thickness. Punch out biscuits with a biscuit cutter* or the top of a glass. If the dough gets difficult to work with, chill it in the refrigerator for a few minutes and that will help bring it all back together.

Place the biscuits on a large baking sheet that's been greased with additional butter or cooking spray. Place in the center rack of the oven and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until they start to turn golden.

Remove the biscuits from the cookie sheet and allow to cool on wire racks.

Makes about 12 - 18 biscuits.

I'm going to experiment with different ways to add the butter to see if I can't get these biscuits to be even flakier.

*I made my own biscuit cutter by cutting the top and bottom off a can of water chestnuts. It works great. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

How to Make Your Own Biscuit / Pancake Mix

My mornings are busy to the point of not being able to make myself a decent breakfast before I have to trudge off to my day job, let alone eat it before I hit the road. Even cold cereal takes too long. I've started eating at McDonald's a few times a week just get something warm in the mornings, but I can only take their overly salted, rubbery, and preservative laden sausage and egg biscuits for so long. I decided to start cooking my own in advance, so I could microwave them before leaving, saving me money and heartburn.

In order to expedite the weekend biscuit cook-athons, I decide to follow a recipe from Todd Wilber's version of “KFC Buttermilk Biscuits” from his cookbook, “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes: Creating Kitchen Clones from America's Favorite Restaurant Chains” His recipe starts with a box of Bisquick. I didn't want to pay a ton of money for that, so I decided to make my own biscuit mix. I wanted a deeper flavor than the recipes I had had hand for such things, so I kicked things up by replacing some of the all-purpose white flour with whole wheat flour.

Making your own biscuit mix provides a fresh tasting shortcut when making biscuits, pancakes, waffles and muffins. No, it's not health food, but at least it doesn't have all the chemical preservatives you find in the store bought varieties.

Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose white flour
4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups vegetable shortening

Directions

Mix the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a very large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixtures resembles course crumbs. You can start with a pastry knife, if you've got one, but the best tools I find for the job are a pair of clean, dry, hands.

I chose vegetable shortening because most don't require any refrigeration. This way you can store it in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks at room temperature, or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Easy Pancakes: To whip up a quick pancake batter with this stuff, measure out one cup of the mix into a large bowl. Whip together 1 egg with 3/4 cup of milk. Add the milk mixture to the biscuit mix all at once and stir until blended. Pour about 1 /4 cup of batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle and cook until golden brown, turning over when the pancake has a bubbly surface and the edges have gone slightly dry. Makes 4 -6 pancakes.

The “KFC Buttermilk Biscuits” I made with this mix turned out even better than the Colonels' original, but you'll have to wait until next time for that recipe.