Lettuce be thankful for the little things.

I was standing at Target recently, and wandered down the kitchen gadget aisle. And this happens from time to time - I became mesmerized by all the shiny, pretty, colorful stuff. Mostly I am traditional when it comes to gadgetry. I like my mini chopper, but most of the time I just reach for a knife. Every utensil in my drawers closely resembles the utensils used by my mom, and her mom. Nothing fancy.

But a little piece of plastic stopped me in my tracks. A LETTUCE KNIFE?

It had a clear blade and a lettuce green handle. And the card to which it was attached suggested that metal knives cause lettuce to turn brown, while plastic will produce nice, chopped greens that stay fresh looking longer. HUH? I had never heard this before, but I did think back to all the lettuce I threw away because it turned brown and ugly. I know, I know. Most chefs recommend tearing the lettuce into bite sized pieces. But I'm always in a hurry to get the stuff ready, so I chop it.

Anyway, I snagged the knife for about the same price as this one on Amazon and gave it a try.

First, I wondered if it would mash the lettuce because it's not a sharp metal blade, but it sliced through the head of iceberg like it was meant for this job (and it was!). Then I wondered if the claims of fresher-longer were true, and they are. My first try with this gave me fresh looking lettuce for about a week, and then it only had a few brownish areas. This was nothing like the 3-5 day lifespan of lettuce chopped with a metal knife. I have a head of lettuce in the fridge right now that I chopped about 5 days ago that looks like I just bought it.

Sometimes it's the little (cheap) things that make me happy, and this time it came in the form of a plastic lettuce knife. Happy chopping!

Measure like Mario

Those of us who are Food Network junkies often watch the celebrity chefs toss ingredients into a pan without so much as a measuring spoon making an appearance. Rachael Ray uses the palm of her hand, assuming a palmful is about a tablespoon. While I am becoming more adept at the "eyeball" method, sometimes I like to be a tad more precise. Just a tad, mind you. That's where these cute little Mario Batali measuring and prep bowls have really come in handy.

I was fortunate enough to receive this set as a gift, and I have appreciated them ever since. They measure from 1/8 cup to 2 cups, with half measurements on all 5 bowls. For instance, the smallest bowl measures 1/8 cup at the halfway mark and 1/4 cup when it's full, and the largest measures 1 and 2 cups. I use them to measure things like rice and other dry ingredients, and to stage ingredients to have at the ready when I'm cooking. I also use the larger sized bowls for stirring up dressing or vinagrette, and for whisking up an egg or two for breakfast.

These bowls come in several colors including Espresso shown here. Mine are a pretty Pesto color, and they also come in a nice Persimmon (orange). They are heavy-duty melamine, dishwasher safe and they nest, which I find not only convenient, but somehow comforting. No hunting for the right size. The set runs $9.99 on Amazon.

Measuring like celebrity chef Mario Batali – makes me feel Molto Bueno!

Silicone basting brush. I will never go back.

I am usually drawn to the old-world look of the old-school kitchen gadgets. Take the basting brush. I like the way the old wooden handles and natural bristles look. But, I have never been a fan of how hard they are to clean. The bristles retain a greasy feeling, and eventually, even with hand washing, a bit of rust develops around the metal part.

I happened to be in a Crate & Barrel store, and happened to have a gift card with me, so I picked up a few little gadgets, including this silicone basting brush. It was super inexpensive and came in cute colors, so I snagged a red one to try. I will never turn back. The material can withstand very high temps, and cleans up in super-hot water with lots of soap and never feel greasy. It actually holds quite a bit of sauce in it's "bristles" so it's ideal for mopping ribs or chicken on the grill. If you haven't made the leap to silicone, start here. For the price of a latté, you will have a handy little kitchen helper that does its job very well.