I’ll say it—I’m an equipment junkie. I love finding new things to make my cooking easier and better and live in my pantry or utensil jar. Luckily for you, since I spend a lot of time getting to know the products in the Milk Street Store, I’m sharing what has made my cooking more enjoyable this month. I think you’ll like them, too.
The Mini Companion to Our Nakiri Knife
Built for prep work, this has replaced my bigger knives; super thin, lightweight and razor sharp, the Small Nakiri is made for nimble dicing, chopping and mincing. But this petite knife is so much more than a shrunken version of our Nakiri, the Japanese-inspired vegetable knife. I’m reaching for it lately because the blade height is perfectly sized at a little under two inches. Since it’s shorter than that of the full-size Nakiri, I can see better as I work through a pile of herbs or slice garlic cloves. And the blade’s still tall enough to use as a bench scraper.
Built for prep work, this has replaced my bigger knives; super thin, lightweight and razor sharp, the Small Nakiri is made for nimble dicing, chopping and mincing. But this petite knife is so much more than a shrunken version of our Nakiri, the Japanese-inspired vegetable knife. I’m reaching for it lately because the blade height is perfectly sized at a little under two inches. Since it’s shorter than that of the full-size Nakiri, I can see better as I work through a pile of herbs or slice garlic cloves. And the blade’s still tall enough to use as a bench scraper.
Get Ready for Ice Cream Season with the Zeroll
Growing up, I’d nuke a pint of ice cream in the microwave to get it soft enough to scoop, texture be damned. I never thought my plastic scoop might need an upgrade, but I feel like a scoop shop pro with the Original Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop #1016 in my hand.
Made from sturdy aluminum alloy, the Zeroll won’t bend or flake like plastic scoops, and it has no superfluous bells and whistles—it’s just a single piece of material, with no tiny springs or mechanical parts that could get lost or broken. The coolest part is its heat-conducting handle; it’s filled with a special fluid that transfers your hand’s warmth to the dish of the scooper, so you can slide through ice cream without having to heat the scoop beforehand. And, it won’t compress your ice cream. We checked: The Zeroll delivers airy scoops that are 20% larger than those made with an average scooper. And more ice cream is never a bad thing.
Growing up, I’d nuke a pint of ice cream in the microwave to get it soft enough to scoop, texture be damned. I never thought my plastic scoop might need an upgrade, but I feel like a scoop shop pro with the Original Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop #1016 in my hand.
Made from sturdy aluminum alloy, the Zeroll won’t bend or flake like plastic scoops, and it has no superfluous bells and whistles—it’s just a single piece of material, with no tiny springs or mechanical parts that could get lost or broken. The coolest part is its heat-conducting handle; it’s filled with a special fluid that transfers your hand’s warmth to the dish of the scooper, so you can slide through ice cream without having to heat the scoop beforehand. And, it won’t compress your ice cream. We checked: The Zeroll delivers airy scoops that are 20% larger than those made with an average scooper. And more ice cream is never a bad thing.
A Pig-Shaped Molcajete That Blends and Grinds Like a Dream
If you want to level up your guacamole, make it and serve it out of this whimsical pig-shaped molcajete. Crafted from volcanic basalt, the rough, textured surface is ideal for blending, grinding and breaking apart chilies, tomatoes, whole spices and other ingredients when making salsa or guacamole. Because ingredients are ground together, rather than simply chopped and stirred, the flavors meld much better. It isn’t too heavy and the gently curved bowl makes grinding easier. (Pro tip: There’s a slight learning curve to using a molcajete to mash and incorporate ingredients. For a little added protection as you get used to the pestle’s motion, consider some eye protection when crushing chilies, citrus or aromatics to avoid a juicy burst of jalapeño or lime to the eye.)Linden Baker’s Cooling Rack
My apartment kitchen is... not spacious. Any tool that saves space while I’m cooking and compactly stores away is an automatic winner. The Linden Baker’s Cooling Rack is an unexpected hero. The sturdy metal rack has four vertical foldable tiers to help keep my counter clear while cooling hot trays. Each rack can carry up to 10 pounds and can hold four half-sized sheet pans or standard-sized baking sheets.
I whip it out for big baking projects, sure, but also for weekly meal prep, when I want to cool down multiple trays of roasted vegetables, or even stack and store portioned dishes like falafel patties or meatballs before they go into the oven. f it needs cleaning when I’m done, a quick rinse and dry before folding is plenty.
The Perfect Crispy Shallot Topping
I stock up on this four jars at a time, and you should, too. Dong He’s Fried Shallots in Oil pack a wallop of savory-sweet flavor. Inspired by the fried shallots common in Chinese and Taiwanese cooking, this version combines crispy bits of the sweet, slightly bitter allium with rich oil, a bit of salt, a hint of sugar and one of my favorite umami secret weapons: MSG.
The shallots have the perfect crispy- and crunchy-gone-soft texture. I use it as a topping (like a chili crisp) for most things: noodles, rice, eggs, potatoes, pasta, even salads. And once you’re through the shallots, don’t even think about throwing away the oil. Drizzle it on leftovers...or fry an egg in it. Thank me later.
I stock up on this four jars at a time, and you should, too. Dong He’s Fried Shallots in Oil pack a wallop of savory-sweet flavor. Inspired by the fried shallots common in Chinese and Taiwanese cooking, this version combines crispy bits of the sweet, slightly bitter allium with rich oil, a bit of salt, a hint of sugar and one of my favorite umami secret weapons: MSG.
The shallots have the perfect crispy- and crunchy-gone-soft texture. I use it as a topping (like a chili crisp) for most things: noodles, rice, eggs, potatoes, pasta, even salads. And once you’re through the shallots, don’t even think about throwing away the oil. Drizzle it on leftovers...or fry an egg in it. Thank me later.
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And if you're looking for more Milk Street, check out our livestream cooking classes with our favorite chefs, home cooks and friends for global recipes, cooking methods and more.
And if you're looking for more Milk Street, check out our livestream cooking classes with our favorite chefs, home cooks and friends for global recipes, cooking methods and more.
