Craft in the Tool

Christine McFadden. The Essential Kitchen.

It's a book about tools. In which we learn more about their design and purpose. For instance, the rough texture underneath ramekins:

Porcelain ramekins These smooth, straight-sided ramekins are used for individual soufflés, as well as baked custards or crème brulées. Egg-based dishes such as these are cooked in a roasting pan filled with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. The ramekins have a slightly roughened base to prevent a vacuum from forming and making it hard to lift them from the water bath.

And this about the design of the tagine:

Tagine A tagine is a uniquely shaped, thick earthenware pot, used in North Africa for the slow-cooked dish of the same name. The pot is traditionally used on an open fire. Very little is needed as the conical lid provides a large cool surface on which steam condenses and then drips onto the food below. The tall shape also keeps the lid cool at the top, so it can be lifted without a protective cloth.

One is set to develop via McFadden an appreciation for good design.

And so for day 2045
19.07.2012