Today's Kool Idea: Victorinox Cutlery UltraShield Cut Resistant Glove

Last week, The Daily Kool featured the mandolin as a terrific kitchen product. Our only problem is the "safety handle" that it comes with...we have yet to find one that holds the food as well as our hand does. However, mandolin blades are sharp, and it is much too easy to slice off the tip of your finger if you're not careful...unfortunately, we speak from experience. Ouch!

We might have mentioned our addiction to cooking in a past blog (or seven)...this goes hand in hand with our obsession with the Food Network, and the show, Good Eats. Alton Brown is one of our all-time favorite hosts, and is responsible for many wonderful ideas that we implement in our kitchen. It was Alton Brown who introduced us to the idea of wearing a cut-resistant glove when using our mandolin and other sharp kitchen items. Our curiosity was peaked indeed.

After some research, we opted for the Victorinox Cutlery UltraShield Cut Resistant Glove for several reasons. Manufactured with superior materials for outstanding protection and slip resistance, the Victorinox Cutlery UltraShield Cut Resistant Glove is much more comfortable than we expected. We had complete mobility, and one glove was able to fit either the left or right hand. Because we were using it in the kitchen for food preparation, the FDA and USDA approval was of paramount importance to us.

We recommend that you use the Victorinox Cutlery UltraShield Cut Resistant Glove for all your food preparation requiring sharp tools. Keep in mind that you still have to avoid the sharp edges just like you would if you weren't wearing it. The benefit comes in the case of accidental contact with a sharp edge. It may still damage the glove, just not your hand. We have to be honest...although we use it frequently, thank goodness we haven't put ourselves in a situation to truly test the durability of the Victorinox Cutlery UltraShield Cut Resistant Glove. It is more one of those "better safe than sorry items" in our kitchen, yet an absolute must-have (in our opinion) for any home cook. We do, however, have complete confidence that this "kool" product will help keep all our fingers in tact in the event of an accident.

Onions are particularly challenging to slice with a mandolin's safety handle. However, thinly sliced onions, especially in soup are absolutely delicious! Take this opportunity to try out one of our favorite "last minute" soup recipes:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced with your mandolin (yields approx. 2-1/2 cups)
• 1 can Hunts Sweet Onion chopped tomatoes
• 4 cups tomato juice (we use Campbell's...do not use V-8)
• 2 cups water
• 1-1/2 teaspoons celery salt
• 1-1/2 tablespoons diced fresh basil (or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried)
• 3 teaspoons diced fresh oregano (or 1-1/4 teaspoons dried)

1. In a large soup pan on medium heat, simmer and stir onions until they turn transparent, but not brown.
2. When onions are transparent, add celery salt, basil and oregano. Stir to coat onions.
3. Add tomato juice and water.
4. Heat and stir the mixture occasionally for 20-25 minutes on medium heat.
5. Add canned tomatoes, partially cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes longer.

This soup is delicious with shredded Cheddar (or Mexican blend) cheese. Also try in a bread bowl with a dollop of sour cream. The possibilities are endless, so be creative and enjoy!