It was quite a kick to learn this week that we had been nominated for one of Saveur Magazine's Best Food Blog awards. Seems they like our coverage of kitchen gear (thank you, Saveur!) so I thought I might pull out some of those categories from the blog so you can see for yourself how we have you covered in the gear department.
First a word about buying stuff. When I started writing about cooking tools, I wanted to not only recommend great products, but also get to the bottom of what a cook really needs and what a cook really doesn't need. In other words, I didn't want to push you to spend money. Not every problem's solution is buying a gadget.
Some people choose to borrow (or lend) items they don't use often, and I love that. Some gadgets can multi-task, and when we discover little tricks like using a pastry blender to chop nuts, we'll be sure to tell you.
What are the most useful cooking tools? Turns out none break the bank: my list of my top ten favorite kitchen tools has nothing fancy or expensive. (Also check out Emily, Faith and Emma's lists.) Which tools are just plain silly?? Our post about useless kitchen gadgets has over 100 comments and the conversation is still going.
Our Kitchen Gear Coverage
Don't forget to vote (now through April 2) for the best food blogs at Saveur.com. We hope you find what we do in this category as helpful as it is intended. A smartly stocked kitchen gives you a huge advantage when it comes to cooking well.
(Image: Emily Ho)
A version of this post was originally sent to our email subscribers yesterday. To receive Sara Kate's weekly email, sign up in the column to the left or click here. Something tasty will arrive in your inbox every Thursday.
How to Cook Moist & Tender Chicken Breasts Every Time
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Straw Mat from The ...
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
I protest the new "sponsored posts." There is already plenty of advertising on this blog. Some of it is pretty annoying - especially the ads at the top that expand and move the page down. Intrusive advertising is one thing, but confusing the readers is another, and I feel scammed. Plus it detracts from the good content here. Is this a food blog or a catalog?
I agree, the expanding ads push you around the page, like a walking billboard bumping into you. Is there any way to have the page load smoothly? Example, be sure the ad size always matches the size of the placeholder frame for the ad.