To be fair, I would like to acknowledge, though somewhat belatedly, some of the kitchen tools that have enabled me to cook more meals than I can count on 10 well-worn fingers. Like dear, cherished friends, these tools are just an arm’s length away whenever I need them, ready to help at a moment’s notice.

Some of these tools I’ve used for years, others are more recent arrivals. But new or old, they’ve more than paid in service the cost of what it took to acquire them.

Ultimate Measuring Set by Progressive—Words cannot express how ecstatic I felt when I came upon this set of measuring cups and spoons. For years I’ve dreamt of having measuring cups in the ¾ and 2/3 cup sizes and wondered why on earth no one has ever manufactured them, considering how often these measurements are required in recipes. Once, I came upon a measuring set that had a ¾ cup but that was a long time ago and I’ve never seen another one since.

Until I encountered this marvelous measuring set, which has not just the ¾ cup but the 2/3 cup size as well. Plus: a 1½ measuring cup, a 1¾ cup, a two-cup size and wonder of wonders, a 1/8 cup, equivalent to two tablespoons. I could hardly believe my luck.

With this set, baking has become much easier. When a recipe calls for ¾ cup of flour, for instance, I no longer have to use the ¼ cup measurement three times, or measure ½ cup then ¼ cup of flour but can simply do it in one swift movement with the ¾ cup. The same goes for measurements that call for 2/3 cup of this or that, or 1½ cups, or even two cups of a particular ingredient. When a recipe calls for two tablespoons of soy sauce or two tablespoons of sugar, I simply use the 1/8 cup. How time-saving is that.

What’s more, the set (which comes in a nice colorful box) includes nine measuring spoons that include not just the standard one tablespoon and one teaspoon but even 1/32 of a teaspoon (the equivalent of a smidgen), 1/16 teaspoon (a pinch) and 1/8 teaspoon (a dash). Bless the soul who thought of manufacturing this. He/she should be hailed as the patron saint of cooks and bakers.

Where to buy: I bought my first Ultimate Measuring Set about six years ago in Rustan’s Department Store in Alabang. Since then I’d see it occasionally in other branches of Rustan’s and more recently in True Value. It’s not always available, however, but if you see it, go buy, while supply lasts. I myself have bought a few more sets, to give as gifts or to keep on reserve (I never want to be without it). It may be a little expensive (about P750-P800 for the set), but considering how useful it is, it’s worth every peso.

Citrus Press (hand-held)—I’ve often seen Martha Stewart use a citrus press in her cooking shows, but have resisted buying one since I have my trustee reamer for extracting the juice of citrus fruits like lemons and limes. But after seeing one on sale in a kitchen store, I succumbed to their allure and bought a citrus press just like the one Martha uses.

How glad I am for that one moment of shopping weakness. This press can extract more juice than a reamer can and its tiny holes act as a strainer, keeping the seeds from falling into the juice. Just make sure that when you cut the fruit, slice about one inch off the pointed tip so you can lay it flat on the press. This helps you balance the fruit on the press, so you can more easily extract the juice.

Where to buy: I bought mine in a kitchen store in Sydney but you can probably find one in specialty kitchen shops in Metro Manila.

Microplane Zester/Grater —Grating citrus peel has never been easier since a friend gifted me with the Microplane Zester/Grater. Originally used as a rasp for doing woodwork, the Microplane has since conquered kitchens and cooking shows. And for good reason. It can finely grate hard cheeses into wispy ribbons and can turn unwieldy ginger into manageable mounds that you can press into ginger juice. Most of all, the Microplane’s surgical stainless-steel blade enables you to zest citrus fruits with ease.

Where to buy: You can find the Microplane Zester/ Grater in kitchen shops like Gourdo’s as well as in the home sections of big department stores like Rustan’s, SM and Landmark.

Dim sum folder. Whenever I make gyoza (the Japanese equivalent of siomai), I use this little device to fold the wrapper. It encloses the filling tightly, thus preventing it from escaping from the wrapper during the steaming process. I admit it’s a bit of cheating. A skillful cook should be able to fold dim sum wrappers by hand, without the use of any device. Still, I believe in using any resource that’s handy and helpful if that will get dinner on the table faster.

This dim sum folder also has ridges that create fancy pleats on the wrappers, making them look like they’ve been folded by an expert.

Where to buy: Kitchen supply stores and kitchen/home sections of department stores and supermarkets. Also try the stores in Chinatown.

Absorbent paper—I used to use paper towels for draining fried foods as I scoop them out of the frying pan. But now I use absorbent paper instead, which I discovered in a Japanese store. Made of 100-percent wood pulp, these translucent papers absorb the oil from fried foods like tempura, lumpiang Shanghai and pork chops. Moreover, they comply with the standards of Japanese Food Sanitation Law, so they’re of food-grade quality. They come in a variety of sizes and packages—from squares to rectangles, in packages of 40-100 pieces per pack.

Where to buy: I first found these absorbent papers in a Japanese store called Saizen in Marquee Mall in Angeles, Pampanga. You can also buy them in Daiso Japanese stores in Glorietta,

Makati and in Greenhills.

Cookie scoop—These colorful scoops are great for making drop cookies. They can scoop up just the right amount of dough for dropping into cookie sheets so you get uniform sized cookies. Made of plastic and rubber, they make baking cookies easier and less tedious. Scoop out the dough with the fine plastic edge, then drop the dough into the cookie sheet by pressing the back of the rubber center. Less mess, more fun.

Where to buy: I bought mine in California and unfortunately I haven’t seen these scoops anywhere in Metro Manila. So if you have friends and relatives in the US, ask them to buy a couple of these for you (they’re available in Bed, Bath and Beyond and in some shops selling kitchenware).

To be continued next week.

For more tips, recipes and stories, visit the author’s blog www.normachikiamco.com and Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/normachikiamco.

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