TIPical Mary Ellen host Mary Ellen Pinkham shares some old-fashioned ideas for making creative, low-cost, substitutes for expensive kitchen tools.
- Special stainless-steel discs that remove heavy odors from your hands are available in kitchen-supply stores (figure A). You can also hold a stainless-steel spoon under running water to remove those odors.
- Don't ruin a dinner party by placing a tacky electric bun warmer on the table. Use a nice metal or stone trivet instead. Make sure the trivet is oven-safe, then heat it in the oven for a few minutes before dinner. Wrap the trivet in a cloth napkin, place in the bottom of a breadbasket (figure B) and fill the basket with your bread. You can even do this with a ceramic tile if you like.
- No need to buy an expensive espresso machine to make steamed milk for your morning latte. Just heat milk on the stovetop for a short amount of time. Remove the milk from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until foamy.
- Don't spend a lot of money on a food dehydrator when you can dehydrate food in your oven. Thinly slice the fruits or vegetables, place onto cookie sheets or cake racks and place into a 200-degree oven. Prop open the oven door to maintain air circulation. Bake vegetables from six to 16 hours, and fruits for 12 to 48 hours.
