williams-sonoma

I know it only seems like mincing piles of fresh herbs feels like it takes forever. It isn't that tough a task, but it can be made easier and faster with the Microplane Herb Mill. Just fill the mill with fresh, leafy herbs and with a twist of the handle, they are minced and ready to be added to all sorts of recipes. Add to tasty sauces, salad dressings, curries, soups, or just sprinkle over a finished plate as garnish. Best of all, the Microplane Herb Mill keeps your fingers away from blades.

The Microplane Herb Mill uses dual-action … Read more

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so it's time to talk turkey, or in this case, pie. While you aren't going to want to skip straight to dessert on the biggest food holiday of the year, it doesn't hurt to do a little planning. After the turkey and mashed potatoes have settled, there are still the apple and pumpkin pies to enjoy. When it's time to choose between apple and pumpkin pie, there can really only be one response: yes.

The Apple and Pumpkin Pocket Pie Molds from Williams-Sonoma are nifty little all-in-one portable pocket pie … Read more

Wow. Hot chocolate season really snuck up on me. It seems as if only a few weeks ago I was complaining about the heat. Well, since I am in San Francisco, that very well could have been the case, but there is no mistaking it now: it is cold. We may have oddly timed summers around here, but winter still gets the cold treatment. Granted, not like elsewhere, but it is still definitely time for hot chocolate.

As a fan of the Bialetti stove top espresso maker, I am drawn to their version of the hot chocolate maker. Bialetti teamed … Read more

I like to grill as much as possible--steak, chicken, and more--but I always get a little frustrated by the long list of things I can't cook on the grill. Even if I have the grill already heated up, cooking fajita meat doesn't work; it just falls through the slats. The Grill Tray provides a flat surface that lets me cook just about anything on there. I can even pile up tortilla chips and cheese and serve up nachos hot off the grill.

Williams-Sonoma sells the Grill Tray, although it's actually handmade at a Pennsylvania foundry. It is … Read more

If we had more room in our kitchen drawers--and maybe a few more dollars in our pockets--we might have a couple different vegetable peelers. Maybe we would have a heavy-duty peeler for the thick-skinned vegetables, like zucchini, and another peeler for the softies, like tomatoes or peaches. We might even have a julienne peeler, for shredding thin strips of vegetables. Rather than giving up drawer space to three peelers, however, we can now use Williams-Sonoma's new Trio Peeler.

The Trio Peeler has three retractable blades, all of which are stainless-steel. The soft-grip handle is a little oversized, which makes … Read more

Sometimes, when I'm frying up bacon, it curls when I'm not looking. As it shrinks, some parts of the bacon strip lose contact with the pan, guaranteeing that my breakfast won't be as crispy as I was hoping. There have even been mornings when the bacon curled up into a pile, extra greasy rather than crispy.

If you have something to hold down your bacon--preventing it from curling up--breakfast goes a little better. Williams Sonoma sells a kitchen tool that does exactly that: the Bacon Press. This cast-iron press with a wooden handle is shaped like a … Read more

Every time I start thinking about taking apart vegetables--chopping, slicing, coring, or anything else--I have to go looking for a different knife. I would much rather grab just one tool. It just makes sense.

Williams-Sonoma makes that one tool. It's called the Professional Multi-Chopper and it has four interchangeable blades that let it slice, dice, wedge, and core fruits and vegetables. With this chopper, I only need one tool to cut up all the vegetables that I need for a meal. It cuts down on cleaning time--it's dishwasher safe.

The Professional Multi-Chopper doesn't just appeal because of … Read more

It takes a careful eye at the grill, along with a steady hand, to grill up moist chicken or juicy steaks. A good basting during the cooking process can help those flavors along. Most basting brushes don't work too well with a grill, though. Even if I can leave a brush near the grill somewhere safe, it seems that the local wildlife is bound to get interested in whatever I'm using to baste my food. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not too found of basting with a sauce that flies have been diving into.

That'… Read more