Crave

Dicing garlic is, obviously, not my forte. Otherwise I would have been a chef extraordinaire instead of dishing out literature on Crave Asia.

(Credit: Firebox.com)

Not too long ago, I played a tiny role in preparing homemade steamed mussels with garlic and tomato broth. The shellfish dish was cheap, easy to prepare, and delicious, but there was a tiny problem. The garlic left a pungent smell on the fingers. Sure, the condiment's great for flavoring, but the lingering odor negates any after-dinner plans.

Which is why I think the Garlic Zoom is a brilliant kitchen accessory. Pop a peeled clove in the transparent cylinder and the stainless steel blade within will cut the bulb into tiny bits when you roll it back and forth. After you're done, simply open the lid and tap the garlic bits out.

The Garlic Zoom is available on Firebox for $11.50, which is a small price to pay for some kitchen fun. Otherwise, you could opt for the cheapo option of rubbing your hands on a stainless steel utensil to get rid of the smell.

(Via Crave Asia)

It's like a Swiss army knife for a soux chef

(Credit: Sourcing Map)

Several months ago, I wrote about the MagiCook Kitchen by Little Tikes, which won't help anyone actually create any meals, but will help to inspire a love for cooking in kids before they're old enough to start dealing with actual culinary hardware. The PlayStation and Xbox generation of kids, however, can be a bit harder to please in the toy department, and may require more high tech coaxing into loving the kitchen.

With games like Cooking Mama for the Nintendo Wii, game developers are trying to do just that. The game allows you to create food from recipes by mimicking the motions used in the kitchen. You can mime chopping vegetables and stirring soup with the Wii remote, and your actions are translated onto the screen. What's missing from gameplay, however, are the actual tools of the trade. Last time I checked, Wii remotes weren't available in the "chef's tool's" aisle of my local grocery store.

But now, you can get the next best thing: a set of kitchen tools that actually fit onto the remote! The kit comes with four attachments that you use to fry, spear, cut, and scrape your way to video game culinary success. You can mimic cutting vegetables on a board without having to imagine where the knife tip sits, flip pancakes like a pro, saute, and pierce your foods in the game. It's more realistic than playing the game without the tools, so when it's time to enter a real kitchen, the transition is a bit more seamless.

So maybe it doesn't hold a candle to the real deal, but it could do wonders for guys looking for an excuse to play more video games: "But honey, I'm learning how to cook!"

Thanksgiving is approaching fast, and if you're the one hosting this year's dinner (like I am), it's coming at light speed. While I look forward to spending time with the family and musing over what we're thankful for, I'd be thankful to have the help of at least one of these gadgets.

Sanitizing wand: Though I'm not a germaphobe, I've heard one too many salmonella and e-coli stories. This CleanWave Sanitizing Wand actually gets rid of bacteria, germs, and dust mites. Dust mites?! After de-germing my cutting boards, countertops, and towels, I can actually use it on my bed sheets, sofas, and anything with a surface. Hello, sanitation!

The Verilux sanitizing wand might bring out the Jedi in you.

(Credit: Veriliux)

Oil-less turkey fryer: As the 'rents get older, they're also getting more cautious of oil, fats, and everything in between. The Big Easy Oil-less Turkey Fryer actually uses infrared technology to "fry" your turkey, giving it a deep-fried effect. I know my guests will appreciate it, and so will I--here's hoping it still has that "fried" taste.

Digital remote thermometer: If you're more of an old-fashioned chef, check out this thermometer. After placing it in the turkey, you can roam around your house with a clip-on receiver that will alert you when your turkey is done. With all the dishes to prepare, phone calls to answer, and premature food grazers to discourage, this could mean one less thing to keep track of. It also doubles as a kitchen timer--just don't confuse it with the baby monitor on your other hip.

Food tumbler: I'm a last-minute kind of chef, so marinating is definitely not my forte. My Ziploc bag method usually ends up with a sadly marinated piece of meat. The Eastman Food Tumbler actually marinates any meat in 10 to 15 minutes, and it's even large enough to accommodate a whole chicken (or a really small turkey). Careful though; it's nearly 20 pounds and demands a whole cabinet for storage.

What about you? Which gadgets will you lean on to help you through this holiday season?

WiiWare

• Brain Challenge (Gameloft, 1,000 Wii points): Test yourself in various brain exercises in categories such as memory, logic, and math mini games. Challenge your friends as well and compete for the highest scores. As a bonus, you can use your Mii character in game further customizing the experience.
  
• Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam (Virtual Toys, 1,000 Wii points): In Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam, you must quickly serve customers who are incredibly demanding and hungry. In career mode, you'll campaign to become the best chef in town. Make it far enough in the game, and you'll get to serve aliens and mafia members.
  

Virtual Console

• Mega Man 3 (1990, NES, 500 Wii points): It's time to take on Dr. Wily once again in what's arguably the best Mega Man title in the series. With the help of Proto Man, you'll take on the evil robot bosses in this classic action title.
  

What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off here!

Vegetarians and animal lovers might want shield their eyes.

Produced by Traeger Pellet Grills, the Lil' Pig and Longhorn Steer are here to remind grill masters that what they are cooking was once in cute farm animal form. And yet, who can resist a novelty grill that boasts digital thermostat control, EZ-drain grease system, and 418 square inches of cooking space?

Yet cooks who aren't thrown by the campy eyelash-clad, smiling-animal grills, may be deterred by the price tag. Most wood pellet grills are expensive (ranging from $600 to $2,500) and the cow and the pig grills will cost $1,700, including shipping.

The grills could also make for a pretty lawn ornament, but the real upgrade would be if they could moo or oink when the meat's done.

(Via Uncrate)

(Credit: Traeger Pellet Grills)

(Credit: Traeger Pellet Grills)

When summer rolls around, it's time to gas up the boat, blow up the inner tubes, and head for the lake. In the old days if you wanted to combine your nautical adventures with your culinary ones, you were forced to lug your hibachi onto your boat and hope that you didn't hit a rough wake sending burning coals everywhere. Weekend warriors around the world longed for someone to step up to the plate and combine their two loves: boats and cooking raw meat.

Behold, the BBQ Donut.

(Credit: Art_think Agency LTD)

Someone has finally come through for all of us and invented the BBQ Donut, which allows you to spend a day on the lake enjoying a delicious meal while never getting out of your boat. Developed by the German company Art_think Agency, the BBQ Donut features a circular propane grill positioned in the middle of the boat along with a foldable sunshade to keep you from being cooked yourself after a hearty meal.

While you won't be able to water ski, the Donut does feature an onboard electric motor that will last at full speed for up to four hours. And when you're ready to sleep off your meal, the grill and the seats can be removed and replaced with the Chill Out platform that inflates into an air mattress. Then when it's time to head home, the Donut even comes with a trailer for easy transport back to your humble abode where it will wait patiently for the next time you're feeling the urge to grill on the open seas.

While it's currently only available in Europe, there's an anxious group of spring breakers chomping at the bit to get their hands on this. Suddenly, those German classes I failed in high school are coming back to haunt me.

(Credit: Appliancist)

Stoves may not immediately come to mind when you think of cool gadgets, but that perception could change when you see the Izona CookSurface from New Zealand-based Fisher & Paykel. The colors alone make it look like something out of Tron. An LED indicator tells you how hot the burner is, according to Appliancist, and beside that there are dials to control the flame. But the coolest feature isn't digital at all: The pan supports retract. This means that, when not in use, the CookSurface looks entirely flat. The result is much more surface area to do stuff like cut your vegetables and, of course, impress anyone touring your kitchen.

(Source: Crave Asia)

(Credit: Brando)

To all the makers of insane Wii accessories, we say thank you. Why? Because we were on the verge of actually thinking that the "Bass Fishing Wii" sounded like it actually made sense, but then the latest entries to the market jolted us back into reality.

The cooking utensils featured on Gizmodo--complete with "frying pan, knife, fork and spatula"--are disturbing indications that people have gotten a wee too close to the Wii. These, by the way, come hot on the heels of the screw-on pool cue.

If people must spend all their waking hours with their Nintendo friend, we suppose it's better to be cooking, fishing or playing pool than blasting each other off the face of the planet, virtually or otherwise. And when it comes to food preparation, perhaps it's best that these folks stick with games rather than, say, working in the real kitchen of a restaurant we might happen to patronize. As for us, we'll wait for the Wii microwave.

(Credit: ThisNext)

Sorry, Mike, I just couldn't resist. Looks like Hello Kitty is stalking you in the kitchen, too, thanks to this slow cooking crock pot. It's predictably pink and is decorated with lovely little depictions of Hello Kitty and food. It's supposed to make cooking easier, but really, it's just for the aesthetic touch.

Try pairing it with your pink George Foreman grill, which regrettably doesn't have Hello Kitty imprinted on it. But that's what stickers are for!

(Via ThisNext)