Gadget girl is back, with another glimpse at some of her favorite quirky kitchen tools.  While none are essential, they all make time spent at the stove a little easier and fun.           

Mezzaluna – After watching Nigella Lawson swish the curved blade of her mezzaluna over a mound of fresh herbs, chopping them to bits in seconds, I knew that I had to have one.  My 10-inch, single blade knife was a souvenir from Italy but you can find them in various sizes, number of blades and types of handles pretty much anywhere.  Along with herbs, the mezzaluna also makes quick work of nuts and chocolate.  Just rock it across the intended target and in seconds it is chopped.  Nice, gentle workout for the arms, too.    
http://fantes.com/mezzaluna.html

Rectangular measuring spoons – Rectangular instead of round, these measuring spoons slide into the smallest of spice jars.  http://www.kitchenkapers.com/10152.html

Garlic Card – Invented by a Swedish chef, this plastic card grates garlic into a fine pulp.  Unlike when I use a metal-toothed grater, half of the garlic isn’t left clinging to the teeth.  Brilliant!
http://www.garliccard.com/garliccard.html

Hot Spot Silicon Trivet – My round trivet wrenches off jar lids, pulls pans from the oven and protects my dinner table from hot bowls and pots.  The 11-inch square trivet goes beneath my perpetually running laptop, shielding my old, cherry writing desk from the heat the computer generates.  Talk about useful!
http://www.kitchenkaboodle.com/product_detail2.php?sku=07086%21389&multi=1

Microplane Spice Grater – Why not just use an adult-sized Microplane grater on cinnamon sticks, nuts, and whole nutmeg?  Hmmm….  Bloody knuckles, for one thing.  This tiny, handled grater takes the worry out of grating small or awkward ingredients.  It’s also perfect for adding a dusting of nutmeg or chocolate to drinks.
http://us.microplane.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=5