Favorite Kitchen Tool #7

My confidence in the kitchen would be shot without a serious heat-proof quart size fat separator. The other techniques for de-fatting liquids are totally for the birds in my humble opinion. Skimming off with a ladle, skimming off with an equally non-functional special ladle (sheesh), paper towels on the surface, etc. All more or less useless. The only other technique that really works is to chill the liquid first and then peel off the solid layer of lard, but that does you no good when you have just deglazed a big roasting pan and the chicken is sitting on the cutting board. No, you need one of these items.

Summer Wine Bargain

Every summer I look forward to the previous fall's vintage appearing on local store shelves. The kinds of inexpensive, lightweight whites and rosés that are refreshing in warm weather are precisely the ones that I want to drink as young as possible.

The first serious bargain to cross our table this season is a ten dollar Sicilian white made from Cantaratto and Pinot Grigio grapes - the 2010 Purato from Feudo di Santa Treso. I got mine at Rosemont Market. Floral and almond-y above the glass, with a refreshing and crisp palate of yellow fruits, it doesn't get much better than this with a piece of grilled fish and a hunk of bruschetta. I am not always a big fan of southern Italian whites, as the hot climate can sometimes make them dull and overly alcoholic. Fear not; this one is a winner.