Kitchen tools, episode II

There's not much better than a finely crafted kitchen tool. The first time I saw my buddy Ed after the start of the pandemic, he gave me this little item he'd had stored away for me for a while:

 

It's basically a tiny, but very heavy, cast-iron mortar and pestle used for grinding up small quantities of herbs and spices, like peppercorns, coriander seeds, and the fennel seeds in Tofu Taco Bowls. This device works a lot better for this job because the bottom of the top piece (the metal piece on the right in the picture) is textured, so it grabs onto the spices and makes short work of them without having to hunt and peck like in a regular mortar and pestle.

My latest addition is the piece de resistance though. This Männkitchen Pepper Cannon was my Father's Day gift from the fam, led my Dylan, who rightly swears by this thing. Ed, who signed on for one of these when it was still being funded through a Kickstarter campaign, had already sent me the link not once but twice. So, I was very happy to see the fancy box the Pepper Cannon was packed in and knew immediately what it was.

It's worth heading over to the Männkitchen website to read the description for yourself, but this will give you the general idea: "The Pepper Cannon produces extravagant quantities of fresh ground pepper. Decrease the coarseness and crank less if you can’t handle the full power." Not only does this thing look a little like Darth Vader, it even talks like him!

 

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Tuna melts are usually just tuna salad piled onto a piece of toast and then covered with a slice of cheese and broiled. I like this one because it uses marinated artichokes in place of the usual tuna salad ingredients. That makes it both different and quicker and easier to make (not that tuna salad is really all that complicated), plus I really like marinated artichokes. Mom apparently used to eat a lot of tuna melts growing up and she put her stamp of approval on this one. This recipe calls for a sharp cheddar cheese, which I think is perfect, but Mom waxed nostalgic about the Swiss cheese she used for her melts, so I added that as an option, too.

 

Tuna Artichoke Melt

Adapted from Big Little Recipes (2021) by Emma Laperruque via Food52

Time: <20 minutes

4 to 6 slices hardy bread
1 (5-ounce/140-gram) can good oil-packed tuna
1 (12-ounce/340-gram) jar quartered & marinated artichoke hearts
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
4 to 6 slices sharp cheddar or Jarlsberg or other Swiss cheese

    1. Heat the broiler. Broil the bread until both sides are deeply golden brown, a few minutes per side; watch the bread like a hawk as it will go from perfectly done to burnt in a few seconds.
    2. Drain the tuna, then place it in a small bowl. Use a fork to flake the tuna into bite-sized pieces.
    3. Drain the artichokes, reserving the marinade. Chop the artichokes into bite-sized pieces, then stir into the tuna. Mix in some of the reserved marinade (I used about 2 tablespoons) until you’ve got a tuna salad vibe going. Season with black pepper and red pepper flakes, if using, to taste.
    4. Pile the mixture onto the toasted bread. Place a slice of cheese over each. Broil until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and just starting to brown. Serve right away. Makes 4 to 6 melts, serving 3 to 4.