Get Your (gadget) Freak On!

I was with a friend not long ago and we drove past a Bed, Bath, and Beyond store.  He says, "I'm such a kitchen gadget freak!", to which I responded:

Do you have a melon baller?" ...No
Do you have an asparagus peeler? ...No
Do you have a cherry pitter? ...No
Do you have a strawberry huller? ...No
Do you have a mango slicer? ...No
Do you have a shrimp de-veiner? ...No

Hmmmm?  I guess he isn't as big a kitchen gadget freak as I am.  The thing to ask yourself before you buy a "kitchen gadget" is...will I use it more that once?  In my case the strawberry huller and the cherry pitter allow me to cook both sweet and savory dishes with beautiful fruit.  I was too lazy before to deal with the preparation of berries and cherries.  The melon baller I use mostly for putting a few shallow holes in my zucchini  before I barbecue them.  I fill the holes with butter and garlic.  The mango slicer was meant for Africa but when I got there I realized that their mangos are twice the size of ours...wasted purchase.

The best gadget I have by far is probably the most obscure...the asparagus peeler.  If you're like me you're always looking for the smallest (around) asparagus because it's the most tender.  With an asparagus peeler you no longer have to worry about that.  You'll be looking for the bigger (around) asparagus because (a) they're tender and tasty after you've peeled them and (b) they are usually less expensive in the stores.  Peel some asparagus, salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, put on the BBQ grill and enjoy.  Make a salad with them if you want by adding hardboiled egg, bacon, and a nice sherry vinaigrette dressing.

Some gadgets can make cooking even more fun.  Remember, if there's something you DON'T enjoy doing in the kitchen, there's probably a gadget to make it easier...except for doing the dishes.  "Hey kids?  Wanna play kitchen gadget after dinner?"  LOL