Michael Rulhman “Had Something to Say” – Stupid Kitchen Tools

We’re back with new episodes of the Had Something To Say video series! Michael Ruhlman visited us at our studio and we spent a few hours together stirring up some heated conversations about everything from kitchen tools to Ruth Bourdain. Amy Scattergood, editor of Los Angeles Weekly Squid Ink and food writer for Los Angeles Times Food, makes special appearances as the “voice of reason” to keep Michael in-check and accountable for his opinions.

Stupid kitchen tools is the topic at large and round wooden spoons are on Michael’s hit list. Watch the video to understand how he makes his case against round wooden spoons.

I, Todd, do have a disclaimer for the opinions expressed in the video. Diane and I both love Michael. He’s a great writer, lover of food, challenger of ideas, and a man/father/husband who we respect to no end. He listens and thinks heavily with his heart and mind together.

Collaborating with Michael on these personal video projects is nothing but joy. Want to love what you do? Then surround yourself with people who share your same creative energy and make something. And most times I see eye to eye with Michael. Most times…

His attacking of the rounded wooden spoons is warranted from a cooks perspective, from one who spends more time caressing the innards of a pot or pan. Yet obviously the man doesn’t bake much.

I’m one of those rare few who both love to bake and love to cook from the hip. Maybe it’s from being born on a zodiac cusp, who knows? But having spent significant time shuffling in both the pan and the mixing bowl, there are times when a rounded spoon trumps a flat edge.

Round bowl, round spoon. It works. Straight sides= square peg in a round hole, and since 90% of of the flat tipped wooden spoons also have straight sides, they become that square peg in the round bowl and they just don’t scrape the curve of the bowl well. Poor lonely flour being left untouched by the flat sided spoons.

Still, I agree with him to a point and if I had to choose between only a flat edged wooden “spoon” or a rounded edge spoon, I’d have to go with flat. But I don’t have to choose. I can have what I want and I want both. Or even better, my all-time favorite stirrer is a silicone spatula with a nice curve on one edge, and a nice flat tip and straight other edge. The best of both worlds.

Since I do admit that I half agree with Michael, I give him this round. Grudgingly.

Yet we’d love for you to weigh in on the round edge wooden spoon debate? Use them for kindling or do they have a legitimate roll in a kitchen’s artillery?

-Todd

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