Kitchen Alphabetics Trivia Quiz

Answer: Avocado cutter

Your avocado should be soft to the touch before trying to slice it. If you only use half of the avocado, leave the pit in the half you are wrapping up and refrigerating and it will last longer.

Answer: Bean stringer

A bean stringer is a small hand gadget (with or without a handle) with three small closely spaced blades through which a green bean can be pushed and the result is "frenched" beans -- longitudinal ribbons of beans. Delicious topped with buttered almonds.

Answer: Colander

Colanders come in all materials. There is even a half-moon slotted piece of plastic with a handle which can be used to strain the contents of a pot keeping the pasta in the pot and letting the liquid pour down the drain.

Answer: Digital scale

A digital scale may seem like an extravagance but is very useful if you are using a recipe which details weights rather than cups of ingredients. It also helps in multiplying recipes and having successful results. Many have both grams and ounces making useful with metric recipes.

Answer: Egg timer

If you are trying to make hard boiled eggs, try starting them in cold water in a single layer in a large pot. Turn on the burner and bring to a boil partially covered for two minutes. Turn off the burner and cover the pot. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Your eggs are ready to be peeled and served.

Answer: Frying pan

Frying pans come in various materials and sizes. You may need to coordinate different spatulas for the different pan surfaces and sizes.

Answer: Garlic press

Garlic presses are convenient to use but can be difficult to clean. Sometimes smashing your clove with a knife on a board or grating it can be easier.

Answer: Herb scissors

A good pair of kitchen shears are a great accessory. Some also can be used for cutting poultry but may not have blades fine enough to cut herbs.

Answer: Immersion blender

An immersion blender can be invaluable for both hot and cold items. At the beginning it can be a challenge to learn how to do the blending without spraying food all over your kitchen.

Answer: Juicer

You should probably use a lot of juice and have a big kitchen before investing in an electric juicer. If you already have a large stand mixer (like a Kitchenaid), consider a juicing attachment for your mixer.

Answer: Knife

Even in the world of blenders and food processors, there is nothing like good set of knives. It's worthwhile to have a steel or sharpener to keep knife blades at their best.

Answer: Ladle

Calibrate the size of the ladle spoon and the length of its handle to the width and depth of your pot or soup tureen. There is nothing more frustrating that having the whole ladle sink deep into a bucket of hot liquid and having to fish it out.

Answer: Microwave

Microwave ovens have become indispensable. Metrokane makes the Rabbit Corkscrew and other wine accessories. Microplanes are graters and mandolines are slicers.

Answer: Non-Stick

Some folks swear that non-stick pans are essential for easy cleanup. Good, heavy weight stainless steel pans (like All-Clad or DeMeyer) are expensive but clean up just as easily if not overheated and are better for browning while sauteeing or searing.

Answer: Oil spray

There is no need to buy aerosol non-stick sprays (with their potential contribution to global warming) when products like the Misto sprayer exist. You can put the oil of your choice in the atomizer and then hand pump in air to make a spray.

Answer: Pasta Machine

Pasta makers can be manual or electric. Some just roll and cut the dough. Some fancier ones mix the dough and create shapes like rigatoni or shells. As with juicers and ice cream machines, consider the amount of kitchen counter real estate you wish to devote to such equipment according to frequency or use. Something that looks cool on the Food Channel or in the Top Chef kitchen may be clutter under your roof.

Answer: Quartz

Quartz countertops add a contemporary look to your kitchen. They do not scratch, chip or burn like laminate and unlike granite do not need to be sealed.

Answer: Any choice will work

There are many "R" techniques to cook a large roast - whether the Thanksgiving turkey, the Christmas goose, the Chanukah brisket or the Easter Ham. All of them share the property of containing your large cut of meat in a large insulated space with continuous even heat over several hours so it cooks evenly.

Answer: Strawberry huller

If you use a knife to remove the green leaves from a strawberry, you end up discarding some of the tasty fruit. If you pinch off the stems with your fingers, you end up with red fingernails. A small flat pinching device has been available for a while.

More recently an inventive product has been developed that looks like a strawberry and has a button on the top which extends a small four-pronged claw that pulls the stem and leaves out efficiently.

Answer: Turkey baster

A turkey baster is basically a heat proof syringe. The bulb end is usually rubber while the tube end may be metal, plastic or glass. Some come with small tips for injecting flavors into meat. Others can suck up the pan juices in your roasting pan to baste the roast or make gravy.

Answer: Vegetable brush

Use the vegetable brush to clean the outside of potatoes or carrots prior to cooking. There are also special brushes to clean corn silk or mushrooms.

Answer: Whisk

Even a kitchen with a stand mixer and an immersion blender needs some whisks. They come in different configurations (balloon, oval, flat) and are perfect for aerating, blending, and smoothing.

Answer: Xylitol

Xylitol can be substituted for sugar cup for cup in baking. There is a slight potential for a laxative effect so be careful.

Answer: Yolk separator

When making an angel food cake or meringue you need to separate the eggs so that the fat in the yolk does not contaminate the egg whites. An egg separator enables you to strain the egg white into a bowl but catch the yolk and pour it off to a separate container. Use the yolks to make a yellow cake, hollandaise, or zabaglione.

Answer: Zyliss

The Zyliss company originated in Switzerland. Their tools are clever and easy to use. Examples are a rotary cheese grater, a self-cleaning garlic press, and salad spinner.