The Kitchen Paraphernalia Handbook by Jean B. MacLeod

Jean B. MacLeod believes in using simple supplies, tools and devices to solve a myriad of kitchen and cooking related dilemmas, as revealed in her well-organized manual, The Kitchen Paraphernalia Handbook: Hundreds of Substitutions for Common and Uncommon Utensils, Gadgets, Tools, and Techniques.

From A to Z, MacLeod has practical suggestions for substituting common, simple items as a replacement for kitchen implements, or when you run out. Suppose your recipe calls for aluminum foil and there’s none left: use a disposable pie plate, cookie sheet, plastic food lids or parchment paper. No funnel? Try anything from a paper cup with the bottom removed to an envelope with one corner snipped off. Make a reusable coffee filter with cotton muslin cut to size – it will last up to four months. And for Z, a “zucchini corer” can be devised with an apple corer or grapefruit knife instead.

Some of MacLeod’s ideas seem less plausible than others – more what to do in a pinch than something that could be a permanent substitution, such as using a dishtowel or paper for a placemat. Others are somewhat common sense. However, there are so many possibilities here that anyone is bound to find something useful, whether their kitchen is well-outfitted or not.

MacLeod’s clear, bulleted alphabetical listings are augmented by a highly useful list of measurement equivalents, giving the sizes of standard pots, pans, dishes, and even spoons, along with volume and liquid equivalents. Overall, this is a fun, unique, and useful guide, which should attract a dedicated readership to MacLeod’s new series of how-to hints for the kitchen.