Our mystery object is a "thing" for making Hasselback potatoes. Sit the scrubbed potato in the indentation and slice it thinly - the wooden surround prevents the knife going all the way through. Nigella says you can do this with a wooden spoon, but I love my little block which is tactile and beautifully marked, as well as fitting its purpose perfectly.
I put slivers of garlic between the potato slices and then followed Nigella's butter and oil lead, but the butter does burn so next time I'd be inclined to use just olive oil and add the butter, if liked, at table.
Thanks to everyone who had a guess at the nature of the mystery object - I loved B.R. Wombat's "kitten font" suggestion!
~~~~~~~
Also on the subject of cooking, Elizabeth would like to know whereabouts in Australia she should look for easy-blend yeast - she wants to make Matt's Bread. If anyone can recommend a large retailer which carries it, or a make Elizabeth might look out for in smaller shops, that would be great.
Oooh, lovely.
Posted by: Rebecca | 19 February 2011 at 04:36 PM
Can't one partially slice without any fancy aids? Looks very nice but sadly some of us simply don't have kitchen space for such a specialised piece of apparatus.
For "Elizabeth" - she could try Organics Australia Online for yeast.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 19 February 2011 at 05:04 PM
Years ago when working in a museum/rare books collection we would put up a peculiar object every month and ask for guesses. Most of the items came from working scale models which had to be filed with the US patent office before patents were granted. The one which fooled everybody and got the strangest suggestions was a machine for making cube sugar lumps. It was completely Heath Robinson.
Posted by: Erika | 19 February 2011 at 07:26 PM
Gosh, I feel famous! I think I'll celebrate with a potato - I'm trying to give the kittens up.
Posted by: B R Wombat | 19 February 2011 at 07:42 PM
My goodness, I'd no idea there was an actual gadget for making what I made in the 1960s, when first married, and what a recipe referred to as "fantail" potatoes!
Posted by: Margaret Powling | 19 February 2011 at 09:12 PM
I'm trying to give the kittens up
No! no!
How can you say such a thing?
Posted by: Dark Puss | 19 February 2011 at 09:24 PM
Well, I do have a house full of them . . . but I suppose there's always room for one more.
Posted by: B R Wombat | 20 February 2011 at 12:02 PM
Hahaha! The closest idea I could come up with was an over-sized worry stone for a giant.
Posted by: Darlene | 20 February 2011 at 12:58 PM
I'm a refugee from dovegreyreader's blog (hello dark puss and anyone else who comments on both). I would love to buy one of these wooden tools. I love treen and think this is beautiful as well as useful. Is the information out there?
Posted by: kate from cheshire | 22 February 2011 at 10:33 AM
Kate, bit of a long story, but the friend who gave it to me got her original one from someone who had picked it up in Scandinavia (I think the potatoes done in this way originated in a Swedish restaurant). A wood-working friend of hers then made her a few others which she has given away, so I don't have a commercial source, but I could ask around, and if I come up with anything I'll let you know.
Posted by: Cornflower | 22 February 2011 at 09:37 PM
Hi "Katie from Cheshire", they are available commercially, here is one from the producer ScanWood in Denmark. It looks like you could order direct and there are three English retailers listed.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 06 March 2011 at 10:06 AM
The cat is your friend ...
Posted by: Dark Puss | 06 March 2011 at 10:10 AM