By Lorin Gaudin

Hi, my name is Lorin and I am a spatula-holic. Here’s my story:

As I headed out to my favorite kitchen store to buy a new spatula and my husband said, “Another spatula? Lorin, this is becoming a problem. You have 22 different flexible spatulas, not to mention all the turners, baking spatulas and the one for sandwiches! No more.”

To me this is not a problem. Each one has its own function and there are no repeaters. All my spatulas differ in shape, size, material, function, and style. Okay, admittedly they are all the same tool, but they are not necessarily used for the same thing. However, after giving this some thought I did notice that I don’t go into a kitchen store and NOT walk out with a spatula of one kind or another. My favorite movie scenes involve the spatula (as in Stripes, when Bill Murray uses the spatula on P.J. Soles), and I can readily identify brand, make and model of spatulas used on television cooking shows (”Ooooh, that’s the Le Creuset, small silicone). Do I have some bizarre obsession? Maybe. But I’m certainly not alone.

Ask most people what their favorite kitchen tool is and more often than not, it is the spatula. One large food storage company conducted a poll about the use of kitchen gadgets and found that the spatula is used 28% of the time. I have found kitchen gadget web sites offering 90 different varieties, books with endless pictures and descriptions, and most humorously, websites dedicated solely to the spatula.

Think of spatulas; does the flexible rubber version spring to mind? Every one has their personal favorite and the versatile spatula comes in many, many forms. There are versions for lifting, turning, mixing, blending, folding, scraping, and spreading. In short, the spatula in any form is indispensable. But how did it get its illustrious name and which is the most popular?

The word “spatula” comes from the Greek spathe, which means broad blade. As defined in The American Heritage Dictionary, a spatula is “An implement with a flexible blade used especially to spread, mix or lift soft material.” However, I have a vague childhood memory from my time in Portugal, that a spatula there is called a “Salazar.” With a little research I learned that this is true and is so-called in memory of Antonio Salazar, the Portuguese dictator who imposed the fascist regime for almost 50 years (1926 √∫ 1974). Because he ruled the country very tightly, people could not afford to waste anything and so everything was scraped.

An informal poll of my own has revealed that the most popular spatula is the flexible rubber version. It is an all time favorite, something no cook should be without. Flexible rubber spatulas ensure thorough mixing, while keeping egg recipes light. They are great for getting every last bit from the bowl and are the must-have gadget for folding meringues and soufflés, without deflating them. A spatula cuts and turns the mixture as the blade follows the curve of the bowl, leaving nothing behind. Of course a spatula is the best for scraping bowls, jars and pans clean as well as to smooth the tops of mixtures like cornbread, brownies or other baked goods. In short there is nothing like the flexible rubber spatula.

My latest loves are a large, notched, heat resistant version and the spoon shaped silicone spatulas that come in a rainbow of colors. If you’re just starting your collection, or want to add to the existing mass, look for these qualities: flexible with balanced construction, a handle firmly set into the blade, heat and stain resistant, easy to clean and dishwasher safe. For folding tasks look for a wider blade.

Spatulas are the tools you can’t cook without. I’m going to go check out my husband’s stash of grilling tools; somehow I bet I’ll find a quite extensive spatula collection. He can join me at the next meeting of SA (Spatulaholics Anonymous).

Filed Under: Food Talk