I usually drape a few slices of bacon over ("through") the grill when smoking. Makes nice, crisp, very smoky bacon for use in beans, side dishes, and other bacon bit uses. Jazz up them collards, baby!
I clean my spice grinder (an old $20 Krups bladed coffee bean grinder) by wiping it clean with paper towel, then grinding a tsp or two of salt, which takes away pretty much all of the other spice residue. Use the salt in whatever recipe you are using the ground spices for. Wipe the grinder clean again with a dampened paper towel. ETA: perhaps better would be a bit of rice--less corrosive than salt.
A rasp style grater is a wonderful and indispensable tool--grates everything from nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon to finely grating cheeses like parm.
A heat tamer is a really nice thing for very low and slow simmering applications (http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Ta.../dp/B00004W4UJ).
Save old Grolsch beer bottles (with the flip top ceramic stopper) for salad dressings, home made condiments, and such. Much cheaper than store bought equivalent and they come full of beer! Win-Win. ETA: try to find Grolsh that hasn't been exposed to light (still in the back room storage cooler in its cardboard case). Light gives Grolsch, and other beers in green or clear bottles, that skunky taste.
We spent "the big bucks" and bought Le Creuset enameled cast iron dutch ovens years ago. Fantabulous!
An electric ice cream maker--the kind with a "freezing/mixing" bowl that is stored in the freezer is an easy, quick way to make ice cream. Ours is a $50 Cuisinart model. Adding a tablespoon of two of alcohol (vodka, liqueurs) during mixing makes ice cream a bit easier to scoop.
For mis en place, rather than use little bowls that need to be washed, I use el cheapo paper plates.
There's probably more that I'm not thinking of, but I'm anxious to hear your ideas.
I clean my spice grinder (an old $20 Krups bladed coffee bean grinder) by wiping it clean with paper towel, then grinding a tsp or two of salt, which takes away pretty much all of the other spice residue. Use the salt in whatever recipe you are using the ground spices for. Wipe the grinder clean again with a dampened paper towel. ETA: perhaps better would be a bit of rice--less corrosive than salt.
A rasp style grater is a wonderful and indispensable tool--grates everything from nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon to finely grating cheeses like parm.
A heat tamer is a really nice thing for very low and slow simmering applications (http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Ta.../dp/B00004W4UJ).
Save old Grolsch beer bottles (with the flip top ceramic stopper) for salad dressings, home made condiments, and such. Much cheaper than store bought equivalent and they come full of beer! Win-Win. ETA: try to find Grolsh that hasn't been exposed to light (still in the back room storage cooler in its cardboard case). Light gives Grolsch, and other beers in green or clear bottles, that skunky taste.
We spent "the big bucks" and bought Le Creuset enameled cast iron dutch ovens years ago. Fantabulous!
An electric ice cream maker--the kind with a "freezing/mixing" bowl that is stored in the freezer is an easy, quick way to make ice cream. Ours is a $50 Cuisinart model. Adding a tablespoon of two of alcohol (vodka, liqueurs) during mixing makes ice cream a bit easier to scoop.
For mis en place, rather than use little bowls that need to be washed, I use el cheapo paper plates.
There's probably more that I'm not thinking of, but I'm anxious to hear your ideas.
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