I been chef'n!

a family member of mine is a top notch food editor & recipe developer who does work for several prominent national magazines that know what to do with food. she has a professionally trained kitchen assistant, but sometimes, when her workload is beastly, I get to help out, too. this is no walk in the park; she knows what she’s doing and what she needs done. me, i basically know where my kitchen is and the difference between it and the sewing room. but i’m learning. so, i get basic directions like, peel x pounds of apples or measure out these dry ingredients.

now, her kitchen isn’t like yours or mine. after a lifetime in food, it’s got every tool and gadget a chef could ever need. but there is a line of tools i’ve been noticing i gravitate toward, among the numerous brands she owns, that appeal to my design aesthetic as well as get the job done. when i’m peeling apples, i automatically grab the chef’n palm peeler. fits over my middle finger and lets me peel like nature intended (even though nature put most of the fiber and vitamins in the skin and intended you to eat them).

likewise when i’m measuring. chef’n makes collapsible measuring cups in silicone that lie flat in the drawer (!) and pop out to get working. simplified storage and ease of use; these people know what they’re doing. now, does she have fancier peelers and measuring tools? of course. but when the seamstress makes her way into the kitchen, it’s all about design…

she tells me that she met the design folks at seattle’s chef’n years ago and that they’re hilarious people. no, they don’t take themselves too seriously (some of the kitchen tools they make are in the shapes of animals & monsters for goodness sakes), but they hit their mark of innovative, smart tools that truly work. i’m sold.

btw, after a spin in the kitchen, there’s nothing more relaxing than snacking on some melt-in-your-mouth pecan truffles or freshly baked pumpkin bread and watching top chef masters with someone who knows all the behind-the-scenes stories: which chef did what when she worked with him, which sent her what outrageous baby gift and so on. hysterical.

man, it’s fun to step out of your world.

both the chef'n palm peeler and collapsible measuring cups are available at amazon for about $5.99 and $14.99, respectively.