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I remember the first time I heard the term spoonula, I thought someone was trying to be funny.  I didn’t realize that they actually existed.  If you watch any Food TV you will find they make up words all the time, like Paula’s meltedy.  I have since gotten a couple as gifts and couldn’t live without them.  The first thing I love about them is how inexpensive they are.  These little tools work great at getting mixes out of bowls.  They can reach into corners well, especially the spatulas with their flat heads.  They also remove mixes cleanly from the bowl, nothing left behind.  The other great thing about them is their silicone design.  These babies can withstand heat up to 500°.  They are great in non-stick pans, as they won’t scratch. The silicone is also great because it resists odors and stains.  The Williams Sonoma variety have removable heads that can be placed in the dishwasher or handwashed.  They come in a variety of sizes and shapes and at less than $10 a piece make great gifts.  During the holidays I often see them sold in sets.  So if you want a great mixing partner, check them out.  You can find them at a number of home and kitchen places including:  www.crateandbarrel.com, www.williamssonoma.com, and www.stonewallkitchen.com.  Happy Mixing! 

One common question I get asked by friends and family is what kind of knives should I use and how many do I need.  This is an interesting question that plagues most first time cooks.  I found with much research that most chefs suggestion you start with three basics - the chef knife (or a similar and currently popular, santoku knife), a pairing knife, and a serrated edge bread knife. 

Let’s start with the chef knife.  This is the typical long knife you see in the chef’s kitchen.  It has a pointed edge and is usually between 8″ - 12″.  If you are a fan of Sarah Moulton, she uses a chef’s knife frequently, the blade is around 9″ - 10″.  These knife’s are great at many things.  I would especially recommend a chef’s knife to anyone who likes to cut up their own chickens. 

An alternative to the chef’s knife is the Santoku.  I, personally, love this knife.  It is my absolute go to knife.  The santoku has a hollow-edge, these are knives you see with the little indentations on the sides.  I particularly love this knife because it is easy to handle.  I use this knife for everything.  It is fantastic at dicing vegetables like onions.  It is an excellent alternative to the larger chef’s knife. The santoku usually comes between 5″ - 8″ long. 

The next knife I would recommend is a good paring knife.  Paring knives come in a variety of designs and sizes.  The two most common designs are the hollow edge and the straight edge.  The hollow edge paring knife looks stikingly like the larger Santoku knife.  The straight edge looks more like the classic chef’s knife.  Paring knives are great for small jobs like peeling, coring, or mincing very small items.  This knife typically has a 3″ - 5″ blade.  I find this knife is a must have for the at home baker. 

The last knife I would suggest is the serrated bread knife.  This knife is a multi-purpose wonder.  The job they do best is slicing breads, but it can be used to slice tomatoes or any other soft fleshed items.  This knife is great for doing those jobs that you wouldn’t want to dull your chef’s knife blade on.  Bread knives are typically quite long, ranging from 6″ - 10″. 

What I found is people get the most for their buck if they invest in higher quality knives, but less of them.  I would never recommend to someone starting out to buy a big butcher block of knives because, quite frankly, they wouldn’t know what to do with half of them.