OXO GRATER
This grater is my zesting friend - I find it really does a brilliant job of grating away all the peel in an unstoppable fashion. Suffice to say, no peel left behind. I appreciate this because I am not only ‘amping’ up the flavour of my dishes with this abundance of peel but I am benefiting from a greater amount of the phyto (plant) nutrients - citrus peel contains excellent levels of vitamin C which boosts the immune system and of flavonoids , which are also a type of plant nutrient that have anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties. So it’s win-win for the taste buds and for feeling great!
BB tip: If you are planning on using the peel, go organic - you will be saving yourself and your family from the harmful insecticides and fungicides that are used in conventional farming. According to The Breast Cancer Fund, modern food-production methods have opened major avenues of exposure to environmental carcinogens and hormone disrupters. Pesticides sprayed on crops expose consumers involuntarily to contaminants that become part of our bodies. Some of these exposures may increase breast cancer risk. (http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/environmental-breast-cancer-links/food/)
BLENDTEC
In the beginning it was a toss up between the Blendtec and the Vitamix; I had read all the reviews, done all the research and it always came down to the two machines being very comparable – it was just personal preference. So when I saw the red-coloured Blendtec Designer model, I had to have it. Red evokes a feeling of energy and that’s how I like to feel in my kitchen – ready to embark on any food adventure. I have never been a fan of black.... so the Vitamix didn’t get my vote that day. Having said that, if you are not bothered by black or maybe you are a fan – you will have a lot of enjoyment with the Vitamix. I have used it and it is a highly efficient machine. However, another selling point for the Blendtec was its 6 pre-programmed blend cycles, so if I am making a smoothie, for example, I simply push the icon on the shiny pad at the bottom of the blender that looks like a smoothie (the straw coming out the top gives it away) and hey presto, the Blendtec blends my smoothie perfectly. Or I can just go manual mode and that’s as easy as a touch on the pad.
Although the Designer Series came with a jug, I did cough up and buy the large ‘Wildside’ jug for my bigger blending needs plus the ‘Twister Jar’ which is designed for blending the thickest recipes, such as nut butters, hummus, dips, sauces etc - it’s Blendtec’s answer to the Vitamix ‘rod’ and it helps mix up thick batches.
My Blendtec sits on the counter in pride of place and is one of my most used pieces of equipment. it cuts down my time and blends up my culinary challenges with flare and precision- I have to say that we have an enduring symbiotic relationship!
SPIRALIZER
As a keen lover of everything in the plant kingdom and someone who likes to get creative, my sprilazer is my 3rd go-to piece of kitchen equipment, to truly bring out the beauty in any fruit or veggie.
It is such a simple machine to use and with the turn of the handle, produces shoestrings, spiral cuts and veggie ‘noodles’ that really impress; ribbons of carrots and apples for salads or slaws, onion rings for bean burgers and curly sweet potato fries…. It spiralizes almost anything you can think of.
It must have special qualities if my fussy non-zucchini loving son will eat zucchini ‘noodles’ from the bowl. And for under $40, this BPA-free spirilizer will soon pay for itself through all your wonderful culinary creations.