Used and Unused Objects In My Kitchen

Used for steaming veggies: my microwave and my new
glass dish -- not Pyrex! Pyrex isn't adequately heatproof.

For this month's collective blogger event  "In My Kitchen," I'm thinking about used and unused gadgets, devices, techniques, ingredients, and about the way I actually cook.

First: how to steam vegetables. I do it mainly in the microwave oven in a heatproof glass baking dish, as shown at right. Five minutes on "high" to crunchy-tender or a bit more time to a softer texture. It works for asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and others. I know that some people like to do it this way and others don't.

Microwaving also works for lentils, but the last time I did that was a disaster because I didn't add enough water. The lentils nearly caught fire. Then the Pyrex dish exploded when I took it out. When I replaced the exploded dish, I made sure that it was not Pyrex, but another brand that still uses borosilicate, not soda lime, as the heat-proofing chemical.

So be warned! For details about exploding bakeware, check this link: "Consumer Reports Breaks A Lot Of Glass Investigating Shattering Pyrex Bakeware."

Green bean salad -- crunchy-tender beans tossed with
lemon zest and juice, chopped fresh dill, olive oil, and scallions.

Unused: my steamer insert. My metal one wore out.
I purchased this silicone one but I don't think I've used it
more than once. I just use the microwave oven.

Used occasionally: my electric steamer.
Rice and artichokes, for example, don't do well microwaved.
It's on the shelf between the food processor and the mixer.

Used: a stick blender.

Unused: old-fashioned
blender.

Another item that I now use all the time is my stick blender (left). I especially like it for making soup. After cooking them, I puree some of the vegetables, and leave others whole for a very thick result. The stick blender is also nice for blended drinks using ice, yogurt or kefir, and fruit.

I stopped using the old kind of blender ages ago. First I replaced it with a food processor, and a few years ago with the stick blender instead. In photo -- a "vintage" blender that was offered on a collectors' website. Mine, of similar vintage, was unused for so long that the mechanism froze up and I threw it away. I know some people still love them, but not me!

A bowl of my favorite cauliflower soup (from an old blog post).

Unused ingredients. The kosher salt and molasses have been on the shelf
for years. I don't know why I bought them originally. The Maggi seasoning
is supposed to be a key ingredient in a Banh Mi sandwich. I didn't find that
it added much -- it's almost pure MSG! 

I'm sure I have other unused devices and ingredients but they are buried somewhere!

In Australia, it's already February, and Bizzy Lizzy the organizer of "In My Kitchen" has already posted her master post. I'm linking to her site, and looking forward to seeing what other bloggers have in their February kitchens. Here's the link: "In My Kitchen February 2017" by BizzyLizzie.