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Hey Guys!

You know how Bryan knows pretty much everything about everything? Well, he totally does. Read all about Bryan's feelings on being a judge on Top Chef, and his predictions for the winner!

Read HERE.

And, because I know your weekly emotional arcs are basically shaped by these Friday Gadget posts, here's a few amazing/awesome/bizarre treats that caught my eye this week.

First up, we have a super cool gadget for all you parents of finicky eaters - The Chew Chew Train! Check it out here

Know how after you chop garlic you REEK of it for days upon days? Even AFTER you've used your stainless steel garlic mouse? Enter Garlic Zoom!

I've been looking for ways to create smallish, semi-manageable kitchen fires. You?

Welcome to the portion of this post where I tell you about insane ideas which will never go anywhere!

And finally, if you don't run right out and snatch these up IMMEDIATELY, we are no longer friends.

Happy weekend!

-Audie



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Bryan was a pretty good judge! Definitely miss seeing him and Michael on TV.

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Hey Guys!

Want to know the best way to deal with basil? Want to know a secret to cutting acidity? Bryan V was kind enough to perform a demo at the Urbana Music  Festival and you can read the review from the Frederick News right HERE!

Now, moving swiftly on to your favorite weekly recap of all things kitcheny and cool.

First up, we have the Smart Fridge. This big ticket appliance will actually create a recipe for you based on the ingredients in your fridge. I wonder what it can concoct with batteries, cream cheese, mint, and Vegenaise?

I guess this one is for people with failed olfactory senses? Kind of excellent, nonetheless.

If you're anything like me, french fries are part of the reason you wake up each morning. However, if you had fried food as much as your heart longed for it, you would become beefy, sloppy and generally grotesque. Enter the One Tablespoon Deep Fryer! Now we can all eat 2 pounds of potatoes and pretend they're good for us!

What is completely inessential yet beyond thrilling? THESE.

Happy coveting, and check back with us on Monday. And tell us, what's YOUR most useful gadget?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

-Audie

PS: The photo at the top is of an automatic spaghetti twirler. Not required. Barely awesome. Totally hilarious.



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Calling All Kitchen Geeks!
Posted by Audie Metcalf on Jun 25, 2010

Hey Guys!

It's Friday, and even though this is the day you LEAST need that how-am-I-gonna-make-it-through-the-day treat, I also thought - isn't a treat always a treat? So in the spirit of foodie-camaraderie, or foodaraderie, I offer all of you the following life-changing, all important, useless but priceless, initially exciting yet ultimately pointless collection of kitchen paraphernalia destined to be pushed back to the furthermost recesses of your drawers and cabinets!

First up, it's the world's first portable toaster! Guaranteed to singe a fingertip or two, but who doesn't want to make a perfectly golden slice of toast on the subway, enjoying the onlooking envy of every boring NON portable toast-having loser?

Next, I bring to you the Veggie Peeler! It probably peels poorly, but look at that little peel-trapper! If you're anything like me, your sad, limp peels sit not in, but NEAR your garbage disposal for roughly 14 hours before being truly discarded, so this might take care of some of that mess. Or...maybe I just need a housekeeper. Either one.

You know how you have your giant block of knives, yet you use only one? Here's a knife that will replace all of those - it slices, dices, chops, peels, zests, and oh so much more!

Have you been thinking of a way to blend your love of tea with your love of shark attacks? Join the club! This baby marries the two seamlessly!

And lastly, you know that dark, howling tempest of sadness you've been feeling lately? No more! Enter Salt and Pepper shakers designed to look like batteries! You can thank me later.

Enjoy getting your kitchen gadget geek on. Have a great weekend, everyone!

-Audie



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Awesome Foodie Stuff!
Posted by Audie Metcalf on Jun 17, 2010

Hey Guys!

I thought we could all geek out together for a sec. I've been scavenging the internet for the coolest and most excellent foodie finds, and would love to share with all of you!

First up, we have the very twee Finger Food party plates by The Spoon Sisters. Have you seen anything more adorable today? My guess is, you have not.

Also, you know how you have 18 cookbooks and barely ever read any of them? Well, here's your 19th! "Things Cooks Love" is chock-full of useful tools and culinary gadgets - plus now you won't HAVE to spend your entire paycheck at Sur La Table this month - you can just peruse the pretty pictures! Sort of like how when you make a giant meal for a crowd, you really don't need to eat dinner yourself. Or something like that.

Lastly, I thought, well, it's not yet Friday. You folks probably need a little cheering, right? Right. Enter THIS.

You're welcome.

Enjoy!

-Audie



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Spoon + Spatula = Spoonula
Posted by Bryan Voltaggio on Apr 13, 2010

Personalized Yellow Silicone Spatulas, Set of 3

Hey Everyone,

I'm sure you already have 87 million gadgets clattering around in your kitchen drawers, and if you're like me, you barely use any of them. You have your stand-bys, but there's very little branching out. Do I really need an apple corer? I don't.

But there is one relatively new invention which, now that I've grown accustomed to it, would be incredibly hard to part with.

It is the Spoonula - a spatula and a spoon, in one. (you probably already guessed that..) Made of simple silicone, it mixes, stirs, scrapes and folds. Nothing will replace the old fashioned wooden spoon, of course, but for a home kitchen, nothing beats the Spoonula when you need to scrape every last swirl of your homemade whipped cream.

Do you have one?

Cheers,

Bryan


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Timing is Everything
Posted by Bryan Voltaggio on Mar 25, 2010

Chef's Quad-Timer Professional (Brushed Stainless)

One of the most essential tools in any kitchen is the timer. Whether you're in a chaotic restaurant kitchen or a quiet home kitchen, timing is everything. We love this one because you can simultaneously set four different timers and alarms--this way your tarte tatin, roast chicken, cauliflower mash and gravy, all come out perfectly. In fact, that sounds like a gorgeous meal.

Get cooking...and timing!

Cheers,

Bryan


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Answering User Questions
Posted by Bryan Voltaggio on Mar 15, 2010

Hey everyone,

We really appreciate the great conversation happening in the Forum, and wanted to take the opportunity to answer some of the questions you have posted to us.

From Stan Leung:

"Will you or your brother be putting out a cook book?"

Michael and I are in the process of writing our proposal for our first book together. This is very new to us and seems to be a slow process. As we get more information and start to build a definative timeline we will share that information.


From Maria Pazza:

"Is there an affordable way to get liquid nitrogen ... if you're a home cook and not a restaurant? I looked at containers and stuff online and the cost is just prohibitive. But I want to make Michael's chicken wings with the blue cheese disc!"

The containers are very expensive to buy. A lot of suppliers have dewars you can rent and they charge for the nitrogen to fill. That dish can also be recreated using a piece of slate or metal in your freezer. Place the surface in your freezer, that is set towards the lower side of the settings, make the blue cheese mousse, then freeze on the surface while still in the freezer using the isi canister. You will get a similar result for hundreds of dollars less. Freeze the cheese for a couple of hours in the freezer, then serve.


From Eric Plescha:

"I was wondering what company supplies and fills your ln2 dewers? I own a restaurant outside of Philadelphia and can not seem to find a definitive answer in regaurds to ln2 refills. any feedback would be great, looking forward to hearing back from you."

I use Roberts oxygen they seem to be up and down the east coast.


From katherine atherley:

"I'm starting my first kitcen and need some help. What brands of equipment are the best? What pieces of equipment should have I always have around?"

This question truely should be answered with the concept in mind. Are you opening a fine dining restaurant, quick service casual, or a specific ethinicty. That will determine tour needs and the price point and durability you should look for. I would be glad to help. Send me a message with more details and I'll give you my two pennies.


From Tobias:

"I have heard that certain grades of plastic can leach into food when heated and can potentially be toxic.  Is there a special kind of plastic wrap that should be used when cooking sous vide?"

There are bags that have been developed specifically for cooking. Please see your manufacturers guildlines before using. Every company is different when it comes to this subject. Polyscience actually sells safe cooking bags. See source below:

                [http://www.cuisinetechnology.com/Images-1/sous_videbags-sm.jpg]

 *   Three sizes available, in cases of 1000
 *   3 mil (85 micron) wall thickness
 *   FDA approved for temperatures as high as 115ºC / 239ºF
 *   100% BPA (Bisphenol A) free
 *   EU Directive 2002/72/EC compliant

Catalog number / Price per case
801-803 (6 x 8) / $120.00/case of 2,000
801-804<tel:801-804> (8 x 12) /$103.00/case of 1,000
801-805<tel:801-805> (12 x 14) / $177.00/case of 1,000

Boilable vacuum bags for sous vide and storage

Thank you for your questions, keep them coming!  If you would like us to answer your question, post it in the Forum, and mark it as "Cool".

Cheers,

Bryan


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What is Sous Vide?
Posted by Michael Voltaggio on Feb 1, 2010

Please install the latest Flash player.

A very popular cooking technique that Bryan and I use all the time, and that is popping up all over cooking shows, is sous vide. Some people might not be that familiar with the technique so that is the theme of this week's cooking video.

I wanted to clear up some of the confusion about what exactly is sous vide and also show you how you can use it at home. It is a great and simple technique that is perfect for vegetables and meats. If you use it for vegetables, there is a lot more flexibility as cooking temperature does not have to be precise. If you use it for meat, you will want to use a thermometer or at least make sure you have cooked your food properly, especially chicken which needs to be cooked through all the way. 

I'll write a more detailed post about sous vide later this week so enjoy the video and let us know if you have any questions that you would like addressed in that post.

-Michael


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