Author: John Reardon

Making someone special their favorite meal can be one of the nicest gifts to give someone. Gifting a meal takes the experience – both for you and the recipient – to the next level. What better way to acknowledge exciting news than with a gourmet dinner experience? Gifting a meal is a unique way to show your appreciation, whether it’s for a special occasion, new baby, birthday, sympathy, or just because you want to show someone you care – making a special meal can be an invaluable gift that the recipient will surely love. Food is wonderful because it is involved in nearly every part of our lives. We celebrate by eating; we welcome people into our lives by eating and inviting them to share a meal with us. We begin new relationships often over meals and drinks. People display their love and care for others by giving them the best they have of their food and inviting you to participate. 

In preparing that special meal, there may be some cool culinary tools you need to help.

One tool that has become a “must have” in the kitchen drawer is the bench scraper. A bench scraper, which is also called a pastry scraper or dough scraper, is also used in working with pastry, bread, and other doughs. But even if you don’t bake regularly, it can still be a worthy investment for general cooking prep. It’s also space-efficient and easy to stow away in a prep drawer, and is a crazy-easy-to-clean, dishwasher-safe tool that can last you for decades.  A bench scraper is one of those inexpensive utensils that lasts a lifetime and has a million uses. 

When chopping vegetables, a bench scraper makes short work of transferring the veggies from the cutting board to the skillet or soup pot without losing half the veggies onto the floor during the transfer. Think of that flat piece of metal as a wide extension of your hand. Imagine the joy you would feel by only making ONE journey from your cutting board to your soup pot instead of your usual six trips as you balance those diced veggies on your knife or in your hand. You can also use your trusty scraper to smash whole cloves of garlic or to smash boiled potatoes before frying them.

I have to admit, I love a home cooked meal. Bonding and showing love during a delicious meal is a great example of food bringing people together. We cook with our hearts as much as with our hands, because usually when we cook, it is for other people, to make them happy and content.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to find those cool tools that can help you as you plan out your menus and get chopping. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”.

To Everything There is a Season”

Hello  my Foodie Friends!

This is the time of year we reap the harvest of our hard work from planting, watering, and fertilizing over the spring and summer months. 

The seasons of our lives can be much like a harvest in that we have distinct periods of farming, nurturing, and experiencing the outcomes of our hard work. reminding us of the natural progression of family, transition, and the blessing of a growing family and groups of friends. Watching your children or family members grow can be a powerful moment in that you celebrate how much they have grown. Much like a farmer prepares the soil, plants, seeds, and tends to the crops, we spend our lives guiding those we love and instilling values, teaching life skills to prepare them for their lives ahead. 

As we harvest crops, we get a chance to work with an entirely different group of ingredients. Fall acorn, butternut squash, pumpkin, parsnips, brussels sprouts and corn are among the late season harvest. Each offering a cook flavor profiles that include hearty, traditional, robust flavored foods that replace the lighter fare of spring and summer. Now is the time for braising, roasting, and grill meats that include sauces and gravies. Harvest making includes making apple/peach/ pear butters, making tomato sauce and putting pureed pumpkin in the freezer. From turning cooked apples into wholesome applesauce, freshly stewed tomatoes into a classic marinara, or steamed potatoes into a mash, the food mill proves its standing by being masterful with ingredients that are notoriously fussy to prep. Think of a food mill as being the low-tech version of a food processor—there’s no plug or motor, just a hand-crank that moves with a little help from you and your biceps. What can a food mill do that a processor can’t? Just ask any homesteader or canning enthusiast what their favorite time-saving tools are and you can bet the food mill is right up there at the top of the list. This is because a food mill can simultaneously purée and strain foods so efficiently that it renders the once tedious task of peeling fruit and vegetables obsolete.

A standard food mill consists of three parts: a bowl, a perforated plate that sits at the bottom, and the aforementioned hand-crank that is responsible for moving the metal blade that pushes the food through the plate. The result of this old-timey churning is a smooth purée without a seed, peel, pit, or stem in sight. The Food Mill is a tool that allows for fine and coarse milling.  The changeable bottoms give you the ability to seed your harvest by the bushel. The food mill is a cross between a food processor and a sieve. You turn the handle and an angled blade presses the contents of the mill through a perforated disk, keeping any remnants like seeds or skin safely out of your puree.  Unlike a food processor or a blender, a food mill does not incorporate air into the puree altering its texture.  The result is a denser puree that is ideal for foods like applesauce or tomato sauce.  Many of today’s food mills are designed to fit snugly over a vessel that catches the puree allowing you to mill in place with one hand while simultaneously cranking with the other.

For the harvest season, Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, located at 33 Railroad Place to pick up the essentials you need for your culinary delights. Have a thrilling time milling and enjoy your harvest. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen!” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

There are a few food items and food groups that have stayed with me my entire life and become like old friends. My love affair with French fries began with my mother creating ways to keep five kids happy with what was served at dinner. With its golden exterior, fluffy interior, and tantalizing aroma, this culinary masterpiece has captivated my taste buds and cemented its place as one of my favorite foods (especially when made right). During my childhood, going out to eat was rare. Sometimes, we would get the treat of going to a local restaurant to have hamburgers and fries. I loved the hamburgers. However, what I really wanted were the fries.  Taking us kids out to eat was not fun for my parents. Often times, my brothers and I would play games with our French fries: One game we loved was building structures. We would stand fries up to make log cabins, fences, or tiny campfires on the plate. Or we would use long fries as magic wands, swords, or little people marching across the table. And of course, was the dipping ritual of stirring ketchup into intricate patterns or burying fries in a mountain of salt and sauce before taking a bite.

With five kids demanding French fries, my mother soon learned to master making French fries at home.  A tool that has made making home made fries easier is the French fry cutter. Whether hosting a burger night or prepping snacks for a crowd, the use of a French fry cutter brings fun and efficiency to your kitchen. Its lever action arm and sharp blades make easy work of potatoes and other firm vegetables, so you can serve up restaurant-style fries in minutes and switch between thick or thin cuts. Nothing goes better with just about anything than a nice batch of salty, crunchy, greasy, hot French fries! One of the greatest strengths of French fries is their incredible versatility. They can be enjoyed as a standalone snack, a side dish to complement any meal, or even as a topping for salads and sandwiches. Whether you prefer them plain, seasoned with herbs, or smothered in cheese and bacon, French fries have the ability to elevate any culinary experience.

So, what’s for dinner? Consider adding homemade fries to your plan. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, for the tools you need to make your food gatherings that bring your family together. Have fun with cooking and eating your creations. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

For many of our foodie families, school is back in session. Bake sales, carnivals, fairs, and overall appreciation time may call for us to make some of our favorite baked goods. The back-to-school season may mean a few extra hours back to yourself during the day, but little ones still get out of school pretty early, and you could find yourself racking your brain for something to keep them occupied besides digital entertainment. Cooking together is a great learning experience, plus it’s interactive and hands-on. Out of all the dishes you can cook with kids, baking something sweet has to be the most rewarding. There’s so much warm-fuzziness to be felt as you watch their eyes light up when they crack their first egg, press the mixer button, stir the batter, decorate with icing, and watch the treats rise through the oven window. They might be experiencing some of this for the first time.

How many of us have memories of baking as a child? I have to give my mother credit. Having five children running around the house and trying to get us all to join in to make an afterschool treat was not always a successful feat. Her methodology would include giving each of us an assigned duty with a designated spot in the kitchen. One thing to realize when baking with kids, is that it will be messy…it’s ok! My mother would take a deep breath and carry on as flour went flying or an egg hit the floor or the wall. Selecting which recipe to make included having to use some argumentation skills. What my mother did instead was to let us select two or three recipes, and then put on the calendar when we would make them. When the final product came out of the oven smelling delicious, the five of us would be so proud of what we accomplished. The best part of the experience was sharing what we made with friends in the neighborhood or bringing it to visit another family member, or even just taking about the experience at the dinner table that evening. My mother would smile, even if the experience made her crazy. 

Cook up delicious recipes with your children. Take you taste buds on an adventure. Plan a good time to bake. Anticipate a child wanting to help. Keep on hand some easy mixes or ingredients for some easily made recipes. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutler store located at 33 Railroad Place, to help with the baking supplies you will need to have fun making your creations from baking pans, to rolling pins, measuring cups, spoons, spatulas, whisks, bowls, cookie cutters, scoops…you get the idea! Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”.

Take Care, John & Paula

 

Hello  my Foodie Friends! 

The summer went by so quickly. September is a beautiful month. Not only does it mark cooler days and evenings, it is also a harvest month. Seeing the ripening apples on the trees reminds me that it’s Back-to-School time. Who doesn’t like a crisp sweet apple in the Fall? So many delicious apples are grown in this region. Many of you may already know this, but the apple is New York’s state fruit. Another fun fact is; New York is the second-largest apple producing state in the United States, averaging 25 million bushels of production annually with varieties that include; McIntosh, Empire, Red Delicious, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Rome, Crispin, Gala, Fuji, and many others. 

Did you recently go apple picking and now don’t know what to do with all those apples? Sure, it is great to eat an apple as a snack on its own (or maybe dunked in salted caramel sauce), but you are probably in need of some apple recipes so they do not go to waste. I swear, apples sometimes multiply in the bags after picking them…that, or I just don’t realize how many apples I’ll truly end up with when I pick a bushel. Making desserts and dishes with apples is endless. There are so many ways to prepare apples like; Apple sauce, apple butter, apple pie, poached apples, caramel apples, apple cake, apple muffins, apple cider donuts (yum), apple chutney, or even apples in a Sangria. 

When we get our bushel of apples home; well, first we eat some of them raw – delicious! Then we get creative and make lots of tasty creations with our apple picks. And of course, we use the best tools. There are cool culinary tools available to help you with your apple creations, At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, we have apple peeling machines, apple slicers, mandoline slicers, and even cookie cutters. Cookie cutters are a fun way to get fun way to dress up a dessert, or get kids involved and eating new foods. Cutting apples into stars, hearts, or even letters is tedious but a fun surprise to include their school lunch for special occasions. A mandoline slicer lets you cut apples into different widths or with crimped edges. It’s great for making the base of an apple sandwich and can also dress up any snack plate. If you want to secure the apple, but get rid of the core, use an apple corer. This distinctive tool easily removes the core and makes disposal quick and effortless. The unique leveler splits in half for easy release after you twist or push the corer through the apple. 

Of course, who can resist a homemade apple pie? We carry beautiful pie plates and tools you need to assist with your delicious apple treats. 

So, how do you like them apples? Enjoy the harvest moon while listening to Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” (one of our favorite songs). Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen” under the harvest moon.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

The summer brings back many fond memories for me of weekend family gatherings. You see, back in the day, you knew all your cousins, Aunts, Uncles and grandparents very well. Family gatherings were a requirement, not an option. Sometimes friends would be allowed to attend the family gatherings, but not very often. Summer meant finger foods eaten outside and for kids, there was nothing better. We could eat with our hands, and we didn’t have to wash them. Mom was almost always the hostess and that suited Dad just fine as he didn’t want to go anywhere unless it was Vermont. One of the “go to” foods for the outside gatherings was corn on the cob. Mom would purchase baskets full of ears of corn and give the kids the task of shucking. Dad, who grew up on a farm, gave us kids lessons in shucking and then challenged us as to who could shuck the most. Imagine about fifteen little boys lined up with corn in front of them and my dad would instruct us stating, “now take the ear and put the stalk end on your hip, then with two hands grab the silk on either side and pull.  Ready, set, go!”  We would laugh and squeal and rip the corn apart! Mom loved it as I now know that it kept us occupied and out of trouble. Most of the time my cousin Mike would win as he listened intently to my dad and I think he practiced at home. One cooking vessel my Mom had for the corn, included quart stock pots for boiling corn to meet the corn-on-the cob needs for fifty or so relatives all day. My cousins and I still talk about those days fondly, and worry that families just don’t know each other nowadays as we did. It’s funny but every weekend of those summers we got together, and I can’t remember any rainy days ruining them?

As the summer comes close to an end, many of us will continue with backyard barbeques extending the outdoor cooking days with burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and chicken being popular choices. The smoky aromas of grilled meat and vegetables are definitively summer. Don’t forget classic barbeque sides like potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, corn-on-the-cob, and watermelon. Cool beverages like lemonade, iced tea, and beer complement the fiery flavors from the grill.

There are a number of tools to use when serving corn-on-the-cob. Remember your corn-on-the cob dishes, holders, and if you don’t like to eat directly off the cob, we have corn-on-the-cob corn strippers to help cut the corn off the cob. We carry a number of different size stock pots to assist with your corn-on-the-cob needs. 

This may be corny but call your relatives and invite them over for fun, games and good food especially when we make the family traditions that will bring back memories of a time past. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to pick up the essential tools you need for your end of the summer celebrations. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

It is amazing to see how quickly the summer is going by.  During my childhood, spending time outdoors in the summer was my favorite for many reasons; sunshine and swimming, the feel of grass on my feet, the sound of the ice cream truck, melting pop sickles and ice cream cones, and playing baseball outdoors until dark. My four siblings and I would try to sleep in late during the summer days, yet we would always awake early and would roll over and talk until my mother came in to get us moving to eat breakfast. Our yard was always full of the neighborhood kids. Some of them were there before we even finished breakfast, just waiting for the five Reardon children to come out to play. Among my childhood memories include the visual of the beautiful vegetable gardens that almost every family in my neighborhood had. Don’t get me wrong because as a child I did not like working in the garden. On hot humid days, my mother would order us to weed and remove bugs from her vegetables was beyond fun! 

My childhood back yard was a discovery zone. In late August, we were given the job of helping to harvest some of the beautiful vegetables. However, the best part was getting to eat what we picked. My mother and my grandmother took much pride in how big the tomatoes or the eggplants were. 

When we would come in from playing for lunch or a snack, vegetables were always part of what was served such as a wonderful cucumber and tomato salad, zucchini, or carrot sticks (all that came from the garden). Recently, I was reminiscing with my sister about; our childhood friends and us playing Hide N Go Seek in the corn fields next to our neighborhood, the outdoor fun we had, and shared our ongoing challenge of eating those vegetables as adults that we so often were eating as children.

This time of year, calls for an essential tool in the kitchen – the mandoline slicer.  Do you have a mandoline slicer hiding in the back of your pantry, just begging to be used? Essentially, you can accomplish much of a mandoline’s work with a steady hand and a sharp knife. However, when slicing up zucchini, eggplant, or squash, mandoline’s cut prep time down significantly and promise consistent, even results. And they’re fun to use; especially when you need to create consistently thick or thin slices for your favorite recipe. At Compliments to the Chef, we carry several different brands of mandolines. The OXO Good Grips mandoline is a perfect tool for home chefs. It is a trusty tool through thick and thin (produce). Slice or julienne cucumbers, potatoes and more with a turn of the comfortable dial on the Chef’s Mandoline Slicer. We also carry the Benriner mandoline.  The Benriner is a smaller, less bulky Japanese mandoline. The Benriner is a high quality, sharp mandoline-style slicer that is a standard in professional kitchens. Made in Yamaguchi prefecture of Japan, the stainless steel blades are actually compressed then heat treated, and the sharpening finish is done by hand. This explains the quality of the Benriner blades, which are comparable to knives. Each mandoline includes a food holder that protects hands and the stainless steel blade quickly makes even slices. All blades store safely on board and are removable for easy cleaning. With this easy-to-use mandoline hands and fingers stay away from sharp blades at all times. Most mandoline’s come with three or four slicing blades beyond the basic blade. These allow you to slice paper thin, a little thicker (think potato chips), thick julienne (think french fries), and thin julienne. If you’re not sure how your blades will slice, invest in a few potatoes and try each setting out. It’s usually a good idea to have a few extra veggies on hand when you’re learning to use your mandoline slicer as well so you can get the hang of the whole process. 

August is a month of endings and beginnings in the kitchen garden.  At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, located at 33 Railroad Place, we have items that can assist with making your meals and enjoying your summer harvest. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”.

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

This time of the year is filled with events of having family and friends visiting, or our own traveling and includes finding gifts for those who have done something special or bringing a taste of our hometown to others. Whether you’re shopping for a neighbor or a friend, or family member who has visited, a locally made gift has value beyond the price tag. Local gifts can remind the recipient of some of their favorite memories of their travels or represent the beauty or culture of their hometown. One item that is useful and beautiful to give is a hardwood cutting board.

At Compliments to the Chef, we love wood cutting boards!  Good hard woods such as oak, maple, walnut, ash, and cherry are tough cutting surfaces that have been used for centuries to cut food or butcher meat on.  Early man just cut down any old tree to butcher and cut meat on but quickly realized that soft woods got people sick.  A good cutting board properly maintained can last a life time and they are safer than plastic which if it isn’t sanitized or left wet can actually harbor bacteria.  Some of the reasons for this are:

1. Plastic is not water-absorbent, so it stays wet longer, which means longer bacterial survival.

2. Wood is water-absorbent, so it dries faster, which means shorter bacterial survival.

3. Wood contains natural antibiotic agents that retard bacterial growth.

We carry beautiful hand-crafted wood cutting boards made by Saratoga Springs Artisan Adam Cielinski. Choosing an Adam Cielinski wood cutting board can make a great “Saratoga” gift to bring to family or friends or it can be one for your own home. Bring one as a housewarming or thank you gift or choose from one that may reflect a special love or hobby of a person you are buying for. They are simply beautiful and functional.  

Adam’s boards are part of Saratoga Springs Art History. They are each different and no two are exactly the same.  We have boards shaped like horse heads, owls, guitars, violins, hearts, cats, dogs, handled serving boards, and smaller boards. He also makes large cutting blocks that are great for larger items. The good news is they are reasonably priced too. Wood cutting boards have been in my family for generations and we hand them down.  Stop in and pick up a piece of Saratoga History and have something that you can hand down in your family.  A little advice on their care:

1. Dry the board immediately after (hand) washing, and 

2. Once a month, rub the board with oil, to keep it water-repellent and warp-free. Apply a coat of warm food-safe mineral oil, let soak in, and then wipe off the excess. Scratches can be sanded out then re-oiled.

Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — to other people, nature, or a higher power. Stop by Compliment’s to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs. Give that gift that gives the gift of happiness to someone special in your life. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Summer is prime time for fun. Family vacations are in full swing with warm weather to enjoy. Having a picnic with family and friends on a beautiful day can be a time that creates those unforgettable moments and memories that last a life time.  Attending a picnic remains one of my favorite things to do during the summer.  This stems back to my childhood.  As I have mentioned in past articles, I am one of five children.  Having two sisters and two brothers always meant that the house was crazy and my mother would do what she could to keep us outdoors.  Picnic time was a word that would stir up excitement and anticipation of having our favorite potato and egg salads, hamburgers, hot dogs, and other fabulous items that our family and friends would bring to the picnic.  One tool that I continue to use to make some of my favorite picnic dishes is the egg slicer.  The egg slicer is a kitchen utensil that is used to cut hardboiled eggs into uniform round slices. This kitchen utensil is typically made of aluminum or stainless steel with wire blades that slice through the egg as it rests in an oval pocket. An egg slicer can be used to create individual slices for sandwiches, salads, canapes, or other similar needs.  

Even though it is somewhat of a single-purpose tool, I get more use out of a simple egg slicer than just about any other item in my kitchen. Here are a group of common kitchen ingredients that can be used with an egg slicer. Once you realize how easy it is to use the slicer over slicing manually, you’ll have a hard time going back—at least, if you’re slicing a large quantity at once, or small, slippery things like…

Olives

Whether you are team green or black, an egg slicer will make slicing olives for everything from simple salads to pizza toppings effortless. Make sure to place the appointed olive in the center of the slicer and quickly bring the slicing top to hold it securely in place before slicing it, since they can be quite slippery and apt to roll. Slicing a few olives should do the trick for most recipes that call for sliced olives.

Bananas

No classic fruit salad is complete without the addition of sliced bananas. Same goes for banana pancakes. It might be easy enough to slice bananas (even without a cutting board), but having them uniform and cut in a flash is a whole other level of efficiency.

This method works best with bananas that are not too ripe: cut a banana in quarters, so each piece can be sliced properly, then center the banana and press the blades down.

Butter

The egg slicer is your weapon of choice for slicing beautiful, picture-perfect pats of butter for your guests. Cut a stick of butter in quarters to make sure each piece can properly be sliced, the center the butter before slicing.

Kiwis

Kiwis are delicious in everything, from fruit tarts to fruit salads, but not always the easiest to cut by hand. Enter the egg slicer. Peel the skin (check out this link for the easiest way to do it!), cut the kiwis in half, then place each one in the cradle of the slicer to make uniform slices. 

Mushrooms

There is nothing better than sliced mushrooms as a pizza topping or grilled alongside a burger with onions. For an easier way to cut an entire mushroom, there is no better kitchen appliance than the egg slicer.  

Strawberries

Sliced strawberries are extremely versatile and can go on top of anything, from pancakes to ice cream sundaes. To quickly slice an entire strawberry, center it in the cradle of the slicer; seconds later, you’ll have pretty uniform pieces for all your baking and cooking whims. 

Cooked Carrots

Cooked, sliced carrots add a pop of color to many meals, including salads and fried rice.

Hot Dogs

Sliced hot dogs have many uses, including being used as toppings on pizza or a great addition to chili. After cooking the hot dogs, let them cool off, then cut them into quarters so they’ll fit into the cradle of the slicer.

Fresh Mozzarella

Whether you are making caprese salad or simply want to add some slices of mozzarella to your salad, slicing fresh mozzarella has never been simpler using an egg slicer.

Place the entire ball into the slicer for a quick and painless way to get uniform slices,

Avocados

You can’t beat sliced avocado on top of a fried egg or chicken tacos. And with the extra assistance of an egg slicer, your avocado slices will be much cleaner than cutting them by hand. Just place an avocado half in the slicer, then cut it in one swoop.

Wow, so many uses for a single, versatile kitchen tool! Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to pick up the kitchen accessories your culinary needs. Take a slice of happiness with you and have a beautiful backyard outing with your family. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

The horse racing season in Saratoga Springs is on. Many people come to not only be part of the atmosphere of our country’s oldest track, but to also admire the beauty of the racing horses.  The horses are amazing to watch, they are truly spectacular animals. I always catch my breath at the majestic beauty of the horses that come to Saratoga Springs to race. My wife and I remember the first time we came to Saratoga Springs, NY. We were both part of a corporate relocation to the area and looking for where to settle down with our two very young children. Walking through down town and driving throughout the city, the energy of our incredible area hit us as we held each other’s hands. We knew immediately this was where we wanted to live and raise our family. 

Over the years, as our family and friends have visited us from various parts of the country, we have always felt a sense of pride in sharing with them all that our community has to offer. Summer in Saratoga Springs is a beautiful time for entertaining. This time of year calls for delicious foods, amazing drinks, and wonderful company. Refreshing summer cocktails are the perfect way to stay cool. Fruit cocktails are an ideal way to enjoy a summery drink. We are also be planning to entertain our guests. However, before you can entertain your guests with a refreshing pineapple margarita or a strawberry mint Moscow mule, you’ll need the right tools to make them. Be prepared this summer by checking out these must have tools to make the perfect summer cocktail!

An essential tool to use to make a Mojito is a “muddler”. The muddler is basically a stick you use to smash ingredients into a bottom of a glass.  It is used like a pestle to mash or muddle fruits, herbs, and spices. The classic muddler is a rod with a slight flare on one end and a flat surface or teeth on the other side. Both the flat surface and the teeth surface are appropriate for “muddling”.  The purpose to “muddle” is to release fresh flavors to the liquid that will enhance your drink.  Bartenders use a muddler to crush ingredients such as lemons, limes, and mint against the glass before pouring ice in. The muddler can also be used to stir a drink.

Cocktails are fun to make, especially when it comes to the SHAKE. Cocktail shakers are crucial in crafting your summer cocktails as all ingredients need to be muddled, poured and mixed with ice inside. 

Another important tool is the bar spoon. With its tall handle, a bar spoon is specifically designed to stir and mix various drinks by fitting all types of cocktail glasses. It’s spiral handle works well when layering drinks and makes for a classy look.

The presentation of your drink is just as important as the quality of its flavor. Pouring your summer cocktail into a stunning glass and adding the appropriate garnishes will make for a picture-perfect cocktail you can enjoy poolside.

To make any cocktail worth the sip, you have to measure your concoction to correctly bring about the right flavors. Mixology is about precision, and you’ll want to serve your guests cocktails with the proper ratios. This is where the jigger comes in— a double-sided measuring tool that measures your favorite spirits to add to your favorite cocktails.

Whether you’re looking to make a quick cocktail for one or a big pitcher of frozen drinks to share, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are a perfect addition to any lazy weekend afternoon. There are plenty of options for every taste, depending on what you’re looking for, from sweet, fruity drinks ideal for cooling off after a hot day. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place for the accoutrements’ you need for entertaining and having those delicious summer cocktails! Sit back and relax with something refreshing as you entertain this summer. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, John & Paula