Flipping pancakes, chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, hashes, grilled cheeses, anything: a slotted turner (also called a fish spatula) works for almost all cooking needs. The stainless steel version from Lamson comes in multiple sizes and the angled, slightly longer side can be ordered specifically for right- or left-handers.
Want kids to help in the kitchen? Brightly colored, mini-sized utensils help, like Danesco’s ladles (which doubles as a measure for pancakes).
If Christopher Kimball (formerly of Cook’s Illustrated fame) says this whisk will help add more air into whatever we’re stirring, I believe him. The Traverse whisk, plus about two dozen other pieces of kitchen equipment, are available through his line at Kuhn Rikon.
Don’t make Instagram-worthy food? Get gorgeous plates instead. Articture’s designs include marble-mimicking, trippy geometric and lush swaths of tropical colors.
New Virginia sips: Ragged Branch Distillery Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Charlottesville), Tarnished Truth Distilling Company’s 3 Year High Rye (Virginia Beach) and Murlarkey Honey Whiskey (Bristow), made with honey from the personal hive of distiller George “Papi” Zwetkow.
