Mauviel 12″ Copper Egg White Bowl with Ring If you’re a serious baker you probably already have one of these, if not: Get you one. You’ll never go back.
Laguiole Verdier Heavy Duty Cheese Set with Map of France Board It’s where the cheese comes from! Everyone needs a good cheese plate. Plus, put a glass dome over it et voila: cheese cage! Sort of. Actually if you wanted a proper cheese cage using a teensy rabbit hutch is the best.
Emile Henry Salt Pig I love my little salt pig so damn much and it’s one of those gifts that’s inexpensive yet thoroughly useful (seriously, you’ll never go back) and it brings such nice color to the kitchen.
Emile Henry Flame Red Tagine Ex-fiancé Andre, the Fancy Schmancy French/Moroccan chef uses this exact tagine. It’s great for traditional uses but it is also a fantastic serving piece.
Be sure to check back at the main ‘Tis the Season page to look back on profiles you’ve missed and look forward to ones that are soon to come!
Okay, that cheese board went straight to my wish list. Which is going to confuse the hell out of my family members, but whatever.
Also, the teensy rabbit hutch thing is cracking me up.
Comment by daisyj — December 8, 2010 @ 2:09 pm
@Daisyj: I wan’t joking! A teensy rabbit hutch really IS the best makeshift cheese cage.
Comment by Plumcake — December 8, 2010 @ 3:55 pm
One of each, please. I love these!
Comment by Camo — December 8, 2010 @ 5:38 pm
You got me, Plumcake. People still use cheese cages? Who actually has a risk of varmints running around their kitchens any more?
Comment by wildflower — December 8, 2010 @ 8:46 pm
@Wildflower: It’s more to let the cheese ripen with good air circulation and no refrigeration taste than wandering rodentia. I don’t like a cheese dome, it strangles the cheese.
Comment by Plumcake — December 8, 2010 @ 10:03 pm
Okay- you pegged me with this post- especially that cheese board. I’d have fun picking out an assortment of cheeses for the board that were geographically correct for their placement and culinarily balanced.
And yes, it’s not the varmints that do the running. A real Brie de Meaux ripened properly probably needs to be caged.
Comment by SusanC — December 9, 2010 @ 1:19 am
Why the cage at all? I let cheese sit on the counter, and if the dogs don’t steal it, no problem!
Comment by wildflower — December 9, 2010 @ 1:33 pm
@Wildflower: My kitchen gets a lot of light so the darkness of the cage helps. I like to have my cheese off the countertop for better circulation, but also covered on top in case anything especially odd falls from my ceiling (it’s been known to happen). I suppose you could sit it on a rack if you have a dark kitchen and care that much.
Comment by Plumcake — December 9, 2010 @ 2:11 pm
Ohhh! Thanks for the edjumacation! Mmmmm cheeeese!
Comment by wildflower — December 9, 2010 @ 3:06 pm
I had rats when I lived in Miami. Not because I am a bad housekeeper (I am not) but because I lived in an old house with lots of trees not far from the ocean.
My landlord came over with a mousetrap and suggested I get a snake. I got cats instead, after enduring a house inspection from one of the crazy cat ladies.
http://diaryofagolddigger.blogspot.com/2010/08/in-which-i-realize-i-have-bad-landlord.html
Comment by The gold digger — December 10, 2010 @ 9:37 am