Wednesday, January 12, 2011

It All Started With A Hasp

Not many people would use woodworking tools for kitchen prep. There is the occasional hammer pressed into service when you need crushed ice but maybe that's it. Yet The Grace family discovered that their line of hasps turned into a foodie;s must have almost overnight. Their Microplane line is well coveted by bakers and cooks in the professional and amateur worlds.

The Grace family was featured in today's New York Times Dining section with an interview by regular contributor, John T. Edge. Richard Grace founder of the company started out by first producing printer parts which had extremely Sharp edges. Mr Grace and d his children , Chris and maria, felt they could create something more and the idea of woodworking tools came into being. Their hasps were an overnight sensation - not with carpenters and craftsmen as originally intended but with food enthusiasts. Foodies loved these finely wrought smoothers that created perfect, feathery lemon zests and fluffy clouds of Parmesan cheese. (There is also a hasp that is used for pedicures as well to slough off dead skin). Foodies also loved their sharp cutting tools for dicing and chopping too. These produced finely cut edges and were perfects for veggies and meats.

I have seen Microplane graters in use at many restaurants. They do produce almost filament fine shreds of Parmesan which blend in perfectly with a steaming bowl of pasta. Bartenders also use them to grate star anise and gingers for drinks as well as adding zests. There is talk of adding one that shaves ice which intrigues me -a huge fan of Hawaiian shaved ice. I would buy that save for one problem . Unfortunately Hawaiian ice does require one good foot long , half a foot thick block of ice to create a fluffy, almost snow like treats. Where would I get that and where would I store it during the hot summer weather?

If you're a food enthusiast, then definitely consider buying the Microplane graters. They 're a good addition to any kitchen and help to create perfect restaurant type dishes. Look into them today

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