Leifheit Cherry Pitter

This is my favorite time of year for fruit. Stone fruits galore! 

I came across this little contraption a couple months ago and thought it might be nice to share it. This ingenious tool is made by Leifheit. Reviews on this kitchen tool on the web are mixed. Everyone who writes negative about it is complaining that it's messy and doesn't work like it should. Well, first of all pitting cherries is no fun clean task. Second, I found this tool relatively fast for pitting compared to individual pitters that I am used to. To be honest, the cherries don't automatically feed very well like you think they would. Actually... they don't feed at all. I had to feed them with my hand. I think that is the main issue some people may have with this tool. But once I got a rhythm to my madness, the pitting was moving quite swiftly. One great thing about this tool is that it completely comes apart to clean, and also has replacement parts that can be ordered of the Leifheit website. So overall, my thoughts are that this is a great tool if you have tens of pounds of cherries to pit every year. If not stick with a hand pitter. 

Now what to make with the cherries...

Here's a link to find Leifheit USA for this and more ingenious home tools.

Pictures courtesy of Richard Park Photography

Cast Iron Cooking Memories

Recently I was lucky enough to receive a cast iron skillet. Unfortunately it was because a relative passed, but I decided to turn this into something positive.

I put this old skillet back to work! I'm very familiar with cast iron because my grandmother cooked exclusively with it. Hers was passed down, well seasoned, and everything that was cooked in it tasted better. She taught me the proper way to care for cast iron so it will last more than a lifetime.

One of my favorite food memories from childhood was waking up to the smell of bacon frying. That could mean only one thing at my grandma's house: biscuits and gravy!!! Of all the foods I've eaten, from all over the world, this basic food is my very favorite. Our particular family recipe has been passed down for many generations, and if you couldn't master the gravy you would never live it down. The actual recipe has never been written down; it has to be shown and taught to you by your mother, as in my grandmothers case or by your grandmother as in my case (she had no daughters).

The first meal I prepared in my brother's old cast iron skillet was biscuits and gravy. This time it came out exactly the way it's suppose to, just like my grandma's. I'm sure it was the cast iron skillet.

So if you're looking to purchase new cookware, don't rule out cast iron. While it may take a little extra care to maintain, its versatility is endless. It goes from stove top to oven with ease and is as non-stick as the best Teflon as it becomes more seasoned. For those of you who don't want to take the time to season it, pre-seasoned skillets are available.

And who knows? After you've used it for years it can be given to your offspring, along with all the cooking memories that go with it.

Peter Petrie Egg Separator

For some people this ceramic beauty may never grace their kitchen counters. But for me, this is the most gruesome kitchen tool around, and I love it! This device is pretty straight forward. Simply crack an egg into the separator, tilt it forward over a bowl, and the whites will ooze out of the nostrils. Happy egg separating!