Ten Things I Want for My Kitchen

Just off the heels of purchasing over $250 in attachments for the beau's KitchenAid Stand Mixer, I feel like I'd have to take out another loan to be able to afford any new kitchen gadgets. Unfortunately for me, my kitchen is the size of an airplane restroom. Thus, not only can I not afford any new kitchen appliances, flatware, or dinnerware, but my crowded and compacted apartment couldn't accommodate the additional kitchen purchases anyway. I don't have many kitchen appliances to begin with: just a small food processor and a spice grinder, but I always daydream about how my life would be "so much easier" if I just had a little more help in the kitchen.

A girl can dream can't she?

Tigerfish just tagged me for a fun meme, called "Ten Things I Want for My Kitchen." Below is my list! Also, I have included some pictures of shao loeng baos and lettuce wrap filling from my recent visit Hu Chiang Dumpling House in Cupertino. (The picture at the very top is of shrimp and celery filling for lettuce wraps. The picture at the very bottom is of shao loeng baos filled with wintermelon.) Soon, I hope to be making similar meat-filled dumplings and lettuce wraps with those new KitchenAid attachments! Now getting back to the meme, here is my dream list of items I want for my kitchen (someday):

1. Newfangled Turbo-Powered, Self-Cleaning Oven (with microwave, convection, thermal, steam, and infared heating technologies to cook in less than 1/3 the time of a regular oven) - I recently read an article about these ovens in the NY Times, and I have been lusting after these ovens ever since.

2. Mongolian Barbeque-Style Grill - I don't know how practical this would be, but I have always admired the theatrical act that chefs in Mongolian BBQ restaurants put on when they furiously chop up meat with their clanking spatulas on that heated metal table.

Also, as a side note, I want the knife skills of the chefs at Benihana.

3. Indian Tandoor Clay Oven - My mom always tells me that when she was growing up, her neighbors used to bake bread in clay ovens by pasting dough on the walls of the oven. When the dough eventually fell off of the wall, it had transformed into steaming bread and was ready to eat! As Rachael Ray says, "How cool is that?"

4. Silicone Baking Sheet and Cupcake Mold Set - Take it from Hollywood, the more silicone, the better.

5. High-Capacity Pressure Cooker - To make a honkin' pot o' beans every Sunday.

6. FoodSaver Vaccum Pack Machine - I admit, I like watching infomercials and I am completely sold on the merits of the Magic Bullet. But the FoodSaver is in a league all on its own. Can you imagine prolonging the shelf-life of cheese? Incredible!

7. Electric George Foreman-Style Grill with Interchangeable Panini Press and Belgium Waffle Iron Plates - I made this kitchen item up, but wouldn't that be cool if there was such a thing?

8. Stainless Steel Roasting Pan and V-Rack - I would love to make my own crispy-skinned chicken with a nice roasting pan and v-rack.

9. Stainless Steel Food Mill (or Potato Ricer) - Ina Garten makes food mills and potato ricers look like they are indispensable for any self-sufficient kitchen. Although I admit, they sorta look like Medieval torture devices at certain angles.

10. Le Creuset Dutch Oven - Every time I see the neon green version of these ceramic coated cast iron pots, I throw a temper tantrum in front of my beau and scream, "I want one, I want one, I want one!"

. . . And that's my list!

This meme was quite enjoyable to participate in, so I'll let you readers volunteer if you are interested in doing it! Please let me know if you would like to do this meme, and I'll tag you retroactively!

I'd like to tag Susan's food blog! She'll get back to me with her blog site!

And also, Zileel posted her ten things!