A Few of My Favorites Things…
Sorry, Maria, I’m not so much a fan of the raindrops on roses (although I’m cool with whiskers on kittens).
The February posting challenge for the Michigan Lady Food Bloggers group is to write a post about your favorite kitchen gadgets.
I picked two – a garlic press and my Cuisinart mini food processor.
Behold! The most beautiful garlic press picture the Internets had to offer!
I probably use garlic in more than 50% of the dishes that I make so my garlic press (same kind in the picture actually) has been a great investment. All metal, easy to clean, and it hasn’t broken yet! I could never bring myself to buying garlic in a jar. There is something about a big bulb of elephant ear garlic that makes me happy inside 
Cuisinart Mini Food Processor
Cuisinart Mini-Prep Food Processor – how do I love thee, let me count the ways… You help me make yummy homemade curry paste! You chop onions for me so I don’t cry! You can make peanuts into peanut butter! You chop carrots for lentil soup!
Two great investments. There would be many more great investments if only my kitchen could learn to be greater as well….
I’m totally laughing because I just wrote about how useless my mini food processor was, and now I find out it’s one of your favorite things! Perhaps I am just missing the kitchen gadget gene…
I took a class on making curry and they showed us how to make it from scratch using a mini food processor… it was on sale and definitely an impulse buy. I also like it since my kitchen is super tiny and a giant food processor would not fit anywhere.
p.s. I can’t for the life of me figure out how to make a garlic press work either. I think it’s hopeless.
I forget I own a mini…will have to rethink that! My garlic press is broken, so instead of buying a new one, I mainly crush the garlic with a knife and salt. But in a hurry the other day, I was able to use the press; took a little longer because there was less leverage with only one working “arm”!
I had a plastic garlic press that broke after a few uses, so I switched to the metal one. I’m much to impatient (and lacking in good knife skills) to try to shop it small enough with a normal knife… and I don’t want garlic smell on my hands for the next two days
How do you clean your garlic press? I had one years ago and donated it in a fit of rage because it was such a pain to clean. It seemed like it needed a designated toothbrush to do the job! I hope it didn’t pass on the frustration to some unwilling soul.
Most of my dishes wait until after dinner to be washed, but I clean out my garlic press as I go. Sticking my finger in and peeling off the smushed parts works for me (even though I don’t have long nails). It’s best not to wait until later for this because it’s super hard when it dries.
I have the very same garlic press….don’t use it much. I am currently coveting the Jaimie Oliver Flavour Shaker as my next gadget.
That is one of the best garlic press photos ever! And I would say that’s probably my favorite tool in the kitchen, too, although my hot water bath canner is quickly moving up in the ranks. A food processor would be a welcome addition, and it’s one we’re mulling over at this moment. They’re awfully expensive in Japan, though, so I’m still considering taking a mandolin back with us for making sauerkraut.