Stupid Kitchen Tools Video: Michael Ruhlman Had Something to Say
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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Never really thought about it. At my family home, my dad (almost 90) still has “the” wooden spoon that’s seen us through 60+ years of tomato sauce, stews, brownie batter, you name it. It’s pretty flat on the bottom now, but it started out round. heh.
I’ve been thinking about this. I like round, wooden, spoons; however, that one he held up – not so much. I like big, full, deep, luscious, nicely grained spoons that grow darker with use. I have several, and use them, a lot. They must be of good wood or they wear out and even splinter – like that sad, pale thing Michael showed. I got my favorites at a garage sale over two decades ago, for a dollar each. (It was a sale by a kitchen rep; I should have bought more.) Now, one eating utensil I think more people need – the sauce spoon.One edge is flat, the opposite curves up. You scrap it on the bottom of the plate to get the last of that good sauce. Their one drawback is for they discriminate against hard-core lefties. Or, as it pointed out at the start of the video: best tool, hands and fingers. I don’t think he meant the tongue when he pointed toward his head either but . . .
My husband recently (accidentally) broke my flat-ended wooden spoon. I was searching frantically for it when he told me that he broke it. He didn’t think to tell me about it because he figured it was one of those never-used kitchen tools. He thought no one used it! So, we are currently looking for another one.
True story!
http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Utensils-Wood-Corner-Spoon/dp/B000Q4P4QU
Problem solved!
Did the video not play for anyone else?
That was funny!! Even thought I see his point and I do have rounded AND flat wooden spoons, (both have their purpose in the kitchen), I tend to go more with my rounded spoon, not sure why. Habit maybe. But there is something about the smooth rounded edges of the wooden spoon that creates calm when stiring chocolate in a mixing bowl.
I use my rounded and flat wooden spoons for different reasons. If I’m baking I almost always reach for the rounded spoon. Scraping fond? Flat. And a rounded wooden spoon is not even close to being as stupid as the floating egg poacher I saw at Target the other day.
I am so getting flat edge wooden spoons! I realize I go to a spatula when I need to scrap the bottom of the pan. I am using two utensils instead of one (and washing). Love the video – really made me laugh. I will keep my wooden spoons.