Straight from My Mom's '90s Kitchen

My mom is equal parts chef and corporate executive—and while my childhood predates her professional culinary education, there were inklings throughout her kitchen. When I was quite young, she would bring me into the kitchen to bake, but also encouraged a great deal of independence early on. I knew where every tool resided, washed the dinner dishes, lit the stove and oven, and on Fridays would bake a special dessert for the family (always the same apple-cinnamon puff pastry). My mom was ahead of her time then, instinctively attuned to the very Alice Waters-era organic and French-leaning cuisine of the time. She made a daily wheatgrass shot in those days and would take me to her favorite organic farm down the street on weekends (which happens to be Waters’s preferred supplier for Chez Panisse to this day). This is the world of Twinings tea, sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, Boursin, Illy espresso, After Eight mints, alfalfa sprouts, carob anything, and poppy-seed dressing. Of stately Tuscan-inspired kitchens, faded Provençal textiles, Nora Ephron, honeyed wood cabinets, Marie Claire Maison, and Williams-Sonoma catalogues.

There was no single kitchen that held all of this. We moved quite a bit when I was young, so the kitchen of my memories is more of an embodied feeling—along with the tools that traveled with us from house to house. I recently thought fondly about some of these seemingly outdated, but actually genius, items from this ‘90s era. Let’s bring them back.

From top left:

(Much of the below is found at Maison Empereur in Marseille, which is like stepping into Peter Mayle’s 1989 kitchen, from A Year in Provence, with every Provençal accoutrement and kitchen implement imaginable.)

Lemon Squeezer Wraps
I distinctly remember a few of these knocking around the utility drawer in the kitchen. They’re like hairnets for your lemon halves and totally genius. I find you can extract so much more juice with a hand-squeeze over a metal tool—and this keeps the pips out of your dish. These are often made from plastic, but the above links to a set made from 100% cotton. Wash and reuse again and again.

Hand Crank Rotary Cheese Grater
The rotary cheese grater has mostly been replaced by the Microplane, but I miss the ultra-wispy Parmesan the rotary grater produces. The above link is stainless steel with a removable grinder for cleaning, the grater is great for cheese, chocolate, and raw veg. The ‘90s model is definitely the white plastic Zyliss, but I also like this one in addition to the above.

Strawberry Stem Remover
I included this in another edit, Palm-Sized Wonders, because I grew up de-hulling strawberries at the kitchen sink with a tool like this. You preserve so much more of the fruit than slicing off the greens with a knife.

Melon Baller
With all the emphasis on summer melons going on, I’m surprised the melon baller hasn’t come back into style. We’re in more of the age of melon slices or going at a half melon with a spoon, but the melon baller is a real delight—not only to consume a perfect sphere but also to use. This all-stainless version is great as well.

Expandable Cellulose Sponges
I was enchanted with these as a child, and still am. The all-natural cellulose sponges are compressed to a flat rectangle and expand to full size with water. You can put them in the dishwasher to clean them. A major plus! They’re a European household classic that Chuck Williams brought to Williams-Sonoma in the ‘90s. It was all the rage.

Folding Metal Steamer Basket
Endlessly useful, fitting into a variety of pot sizes and folding down into the smallest footprint for your cabinet. In addition to this Staub Steamer Insert, I continue to use my folding steamer basket that has held up for decades—and is so much easier to get out and use quickly.

Champion Juicer
The Champion juicer is was first introduced in the late 1950s, adopted among niche health food circles in the 1960s, but I would say it was popularized in the early ‘90s. There was Jay Kordich, “the Juiceman” and Jamba Juice (yikes), and 1- to 2-ounce wheatgrass shots galore. With an attachment, you could extract your own wheatgrass with this model. The Champion is no longer in production, but you can find them used, and the manufacturer does still produce new parts. Alternate options are the Omega and the greater commitment of the Angel Juicer.

Oversized Wooden Pepper Mill
A timeless essential, and the bigger the better in that grand Tuscan kitchen. This one is large (12 inches) but not comically so, and Peugeot is the brand of choice.

Add Ons:

Fondue Set
Needed for your next fondue party.

Bodum French Press
Bodum as a brand, and French press as a coffee method, was very of this time.

Terracotta Garlic Keeper
The above is a streamlined version of a breathable garlic container. I also like this one which has a Bordallo Pinheiro look.

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