The Baking Steel Original
An even, consistent heat is the key to better baking. That's why we love the Baking Steel, a ¼-inch-thick pre-seasoned sheet of carbon steel that sits on your oven rack to help speed baking times, promote even browning and produce perfectly crisp bottoms. Though similar in principle to a ceramic baking stone, the Baking Steel's thermal conductivity is 18 times greater, meaning it absorbs and regulates heat better, mitigating temperature fluctuations. We use it regularly in the Milk Street kitchen and are constantly impressed by the brick oven-caliber bubbling and charring it gives pizzas, the thick, crispy crust it creates on loaves of bread and the faster bake time when cooking quiche. It also turns out evenly golden, chewy chocolate chip cookies and well-cooked pie crusts without a blind bake. And when the summer heat is too much for an oven, you can transfer your baking steel to the grill for even more perfectly charred pizzas and flatbreads.
Dreamfarm Flisk 3 in 1 Whisk
We know it’s easy to be skeptical of the infamous kitchen multitool, but believe us when we say the Flisk is not a gimmick. Our kitchen team was blown away by the quality. This nifty tool didn’t win a Red Dot design award for nothing. It seamlessly shifts between three different shapes with a simple click of the knob located at the end of the handle. The first setting is a classic balloon whisk, perfect for beating egg whites into stiff peaks or making a quick batch of homemade whipped cream, and another half-opened setting (it’s narrowly X shaped when looked at from above) is ideal for stirring sauces, as it can also sneak into the edges of pans to make sure everything’s evenly mixed. Lastly, it folds completely flat, which does wonders for deglazing a pan and also for easy, tangle-free storage. We found the durable plastic of the ergonomic handle to stand up to a good amount of wear and tear and so can the Flisk’s 10 wires. They’re made from high-vibration spring steel to give you maximum aeration efficiency with (this means fluffy frostings in a flash) and are hygienically sealed within the handle.
Escali 136DK Alimento Scale
Better baking begins with weighing, not measuring, ingredients, and the Escali 136DK Alimento Scale is the best we’ve found for the task. Many kitchen scales are cheaply made, so their weight sensors are unreliable, but Escali's scale gives consistent, accurate readings. Lightweight yet sturdy, it's designed with an easy to clean, removable stainless steel platform so you can read the weight without a bowl blocking it. A sealed control panel prevents food from getting inside during inevitable spills, and a straightforward tare function allows you measure multiple items quickly. Combined with an easy to read, backlit display, these features make the Escali the best in class. While most scales only handle up to 11 pounds, Escali's manages up to 13 pounds for larger baking projects and detects even the slightest weight change, down to 0.1 ounces or 1 gram. Plus, it automatically shuts off after 10 minutes to preserve battery life.
Suncraft 9-inch Seseragi Bread Knife
With three unique blade edges, this smartly-designed serrated knife combines the function of two knives in one—slicing through any and all loaves with ease. The blade is 9 inches, so long enough to cut the largest loaf cleanly without sawing back and forth. And the tapered blade features a gently curved belly to facilitate clean slicing. A 2-inch section of wide wave serrations located closer to the tip of the knife dives in and saws through a crunchy, rustic outer crust, while the smaller teeth cleanly slice through the inner crumb. It’s also ideal for delicate foods like soft sandwich breads and juicy tomatoes. The knife features a small length of straight blade at the tip to pierce through tough crusts, tomato skins or melon rinds. Plus, the handle is specifically designed for a comfortable grip, with a slight curve to it.
2021 Milk Street Annual
Angkor Food Turmeric Paste
A Cambodian refugee, Channy Laux started Angkor Food in 2010 to honor the memory of her mother, who fled to the United States with Laux and her three siblings during the Khmer Rouge's regime. The chef's award-winning company, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is our favorite source of authentic Cambodian ingredients.
Use Angkor Food Turmeric Paste instead of ground turmeric to make an especially aromatic version of our Singaporean Shrimp and Chicken Noodle Soup (Laksa) or Turmeric-Spiced Fish with Wilted Herbs and Peanuts. Whip it into softened butter for an easy compound butter that can be made sweet with addition of honey or savory with a touch of salt. Or try something we found on a trip in India: Whisk into honey for a delicious condiment to drizzle over cheeses, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken or pork, as well as sweet foods like melon and ice cream. You can also make a refreshing sweet beverage with Turmeric Paste, lime juice, maple syrup, sparkling water and plenty of ice.
- Net Weight: 3.88 ounces
- Ingredients: Turmeric, water, organic coconut oil, lime juice concentrate, sea salt
- Place of Origin: California, U.S.
Akadi Marinade and Dipping Sauce
Bona Furtuna Nepitella (Tuscan Mint)
An herb that grows wild across Italy and rarely grown by farmers, nepitella (also known as calamint) recalls the aromatic freshness of mint with a touch of basil and oregano. It’s been incredibly popular in Tuscany for adding to food and drinks for centuries—particularly in soups and pasta sauces and dishes with meaty, earthy mushrooms. This one, though, is cultivated in small amounts in sun-dappled Sicily by a master botanist using traditional practices. The gently dried leaves have a bold, minty taste with very noticeable earthy herbal undertones: oregano, thyme, lavender basil and licorice. Compared to standard dried mint, it’s stronger and more earthy and herbal. Where mint can be sweet, this is savory. Where mint is bracing, this is earthy.
Beit Sitti Mixed Spice (Baharat)
Turn ground beef into kefta meatballs in an instant with just a spoonful of Beit Sitti’s Mixed Spice (Baharat). "Baharat," which means "spice" in Arabic, is an all-purpose seasoning blend from the Middle East, comparable to Moroccan ras al hanout. Different shops, regions and brands have their own proprietary blends; this version from Beit Sitti—a small, woman-run cooking school in Jordan selling authentic pantry staples—blew us away with its powerful aroma and intensity of flavor. Warming spices—like cardamom, cloves, allspice and nutmeg—dominate the mix’s flavor, but the baharat is underpinned with black pepper and a roundness from turmeric. Mastic (a ground powder made from gum mastic) adds a woody, earthy note that prevents this blend from tasting too sweet.
Ingredients: Black Pepper, Cardamom, Saffron, Turmeric, Cloves, Mastic, Allspice, NutmegAllergens: None[/accordion] Specifications [/title] Net Weight: 100 grams
Place of Origin: Amman, Jordan[/accordions-break] Sprinkle over meats and vegetable dishes to add distinctive Middle Eastern flavor—add 1 to 2 teaspoons to kefta, kibbe, stews, soups and with fish, red meat and chicken. Try it in Garlicky Spiced Chicken and Potato Traybake with Pomegranate Molasses and replace the spices in our Beef Kibbeh with 2 to 3 teaspoons of this spice mix. [/how-to-use-break]
Castillo Di Canena Sherry Cask Olive Oil
The award-winning Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spanish company, Castillo Di Canena, is already extraordinary on its own with bright and balanced notes of fruit, salt and almonds. However, when paired with a 50-year-old sherry-aging cask from Spanish sherry wine producer, Lustau, an entirely new set of deeply interesting flavors are unleashed. The first notes of this Sherry Cask Extra Virgin Olive Oil exude wild smokiness that gives way to a clear but not overwhelming nutty-rich flavor of sherry. You’ll taste subtle notes of roasted hazelnuts and fruity avocado right away. The sherry cask that infuses the oil is most present on the finish, revealing barrel wood and a tang of medium-dry sherry. Smooth and sweet on the palate, this golden green oil leaves a lingering flavor that’s feels delicate and warm on the tongue. It’s versatile enough to pair with a wide range of dishes, but also sharp enough to taste a noticeable difference in your meal when drizzled on top of a dish.
