Welcome to my little corner of culinary delights.  I like visiting thrift stores.  A person can find all kinds of interesting objects; some useful and others questionable but interesting.  Thrift stores can teach you a lot if one takes the time to learn.  For example, I find a lot of stuff as advertised on television in those shops.  A person begins to wonder why so many end up there.  While watching these extended television advertisements, they appear impressive.  You generally have two people presenting the item in front of an audience.  The one demonstrates while the other shows amazement while giving praise and excitement.  The handpicked audience has their instructions, scrip and cue cards.  Who can resist?  However, once the item is bought, it might not work as impressively as it did on television.  I call them gimmicks and gismos.  If you bought one, do not feel badly.  You are in good company.

Prior to these tele commercials, there were your parties.  Recall the Tupperware® parties?  They had some useful items but tried too hard to invent more and more.  In my youth, I attended a Saladmaster® party and bought a very expensive set of cookware.  I regret that.

That which I call gimmicks and gismos are basic utensils.  You have a lot of people wishing to sell you things that are supposed to make your life easier in the kitchen.  In many cases, it makes it more difficult for several reasons.  For one, more cleaning is required for certain items.  For another, there is not that much storage space to store so many extra items.  For a third, there are items already in your kitchen that makes the work easier than what they offer.  For a fourth, the items you buy from them do not usually last long.  For a fifth, you have to find storage room for a new item designed for a single and/or special purpose.  There are probably more reasons to not get involved.  But since I do not buy these items, I cannot address them all.

First consideration to make is the necessity of the item.  For example, is it something you use occasionally or frequently?  If you do not make pasta dishes often, then you do not need to buy a pasta machine.  Your rolling pin and knife is sufficient for those rare occasions.  If on the other hand you own a restaurant that advertises pasta dishes, that is another matter.  My wife wanted to order me this fantastic time saver for cooking spaghetti.  She likes doing me favors.  The advertisement was most impressive.  However, I pointed out its flaws and problems as opposed to following the conventional method.  These pasta cookers are now appearing in thrift stores.  You do not need a specially made plastic cylinder to pour boiling water into for cooking spaghetti.  Simply drop the spaghetti into the pan of boiling water.

In the following article, I will cover examples of particular gimmicks and gismos.

Until next time, peace to all.