It started out in 1990, merely as a new type of woodworking tool. The Microplane® rasp was first invented in 1990 by brothers Richard and Jeff Grace at their jointly owned contract manufacturing facility, Grace Manufacturing Inc., in Russellville, Arkansas, USA. The company already had almost 20 years of photochemical machining experience making parts for the high tech printer industry, but it had never really produced any parts of its own design.
Microplane® tools’ tiny razor-like edges are formed by a totally different process called photo-etching in which holes are dissolved with a chemical, leaving edges that finely slice instead of tearing or shredding.The big moment came in 1994, when Lorraine Lee, a homemaker in Ottawa, Canada, was making an Armenian orange cake. Out of frustration with her old grater, she picked up a new tool her husband, Leonard, had brought home from their hardware store, Lee Valley Tools. She slid the orange across its blades and was amazed. Lacy shards of zest fell from its surface like snowflakes. The Lees marveled at the tool, ate the cake, then promptly changed the product description in their catalogue. The Microplane® grater had earned permanent space in the kitchen. ~ Microplane website
So this week, a lucky reader will receive a set of 4 Classic Microplane® kitchen tools including:
- 1 Zester / Grater – Originally a woodworking tool, this best seller grates even the hardest Parmesan Reggiano as well as other hard cheeses into fine lacy wisps. Ideal for topping your favorite spaghetti and meatballs or a Caesar salad. It’s also wonderful for effortless citrus zesting to add natural flavors to a lemon crème brulee or a basic vinaigrette.
- 1 Extra Course Grater – For Grating/Zesting of Chocolate, Hard Cheese, Citrus Zest, Coconut, Ginger and Garlic. Use this grater to make chunky slivers for tacos and salads.
- 1 Medium Ribbon Grater – For Grating of Soft Cheese, Butter, Chocolate, Cabbage and Apples. The Microplane® Medium Ribbon Grater grates ingredients in both directions, saving time and effort. It is one of the coarsest of our blade styles.
- 1 Spice Grater (only Available in Black & Red) – Originally a woodworking tool, this spice grater tackles even the hardest spices like nutmeg with ease. Ideal for grating a touch of fresh cinnamon or chocolate over the top of your hot drink.
A lucky winner will get a set of all 4 graters above and will have the option of receiving the same colored handles (in black, red or cobalt blue) or assorted colored handles in the 3 colors:
Some guidelines:
– Giveaway is only for those who live in the United States. My apologies to my international readers!
– You must have a valid email address so that you can be contacted if you win.
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment about:
– Are you more of a cook or baker? Why do you prefer one over the other?
Deadline: Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 12 midnight CST.
One Winner will be randomly chosen by Random.Org’s Interger Generator based on the number of your comment and will be announced on Friday, February 20, 2009. Good luck!
I am definitely a baker although I am getting more adventurous in the kitchen since getting married. I think it all started when my sister and I had a Disney baking book when we were little and used to make stuff from it all the time(although it could also be that I have the biggest sweet toothe ever!) I’ve loved baking ever since!
I enjoy baking much more but do them about equally.
I’m more of a cook. Baking is too much of an exact science. When i cook, I can make substitutions freely without worrying (too much) about the outcome. 🙂
I just thought about this, this weekend! I am a baker! I love to bake, I probably have more starred baking posts in my google reader than anything.
I think I am an impatient cook, that is why I love to bake! Most the time it turns out ok! I have a huge sweet tooth, and that is why I am a baker =)
i am a baker more than a cook..i find baking very relaxing for me.If i am stressed i bake:-)
I am definitely more of a cook! I find it exciting to create pastas, stuff meats and stir frys with whatever we have on hand! Now if I could just find the time to blog them!
I’m much more of a cook than a baker. Baking is hard to wrap my mind around so I always follow a recipe. With cooking, I can throw together most anything I can think of!
I love baking! It must be the challenge – baking is such a precise thing. With cooking, you can veer off of a recipe and it will still probably turn out ok. Baking…there are just some things you can’t change!
I am definitely a BAKER!
When you cook, you cook something, and then have to eat it right away and leftovers are never as good as the first time around.
But when you BAKE, you usually have something that you get to savor over and over and over each time you eat a piece!! 🙂
I’m definitely more of a cook. I feel like baking is a bit too precise. I don’t really like to measure, but instead throw things together to my taste. 🙂
I’m more of a baker. I find cooking to be more hectic to me!
I love to bake, but I cook more than I bake. I love baking b/c I can usually take a break while its in the oven, while cooking requires constant attention!
I used to think I was more of a baker but now I know I'm more of a cook. I think it's out of necessity. If not my husband and I'd be eating top ramen, mac & cheese & quesadillas most nights 🙂
I’m SO much more of a cook than I am a baker.
Baking requires recipes, and measuring and being EXACT about things.
Cooking – I throw stuff in, mix it, taste it, throw more stuff in, adjust to my taste and can be more creative with flavours. I make stuff up, and call it “Aunty Kylee’s Famous…”
Baking – I get too anxious wondering if I did it right, will it work, and I generally ruin the fun by constantly opening the oven door.
http://www.kyleecooks.blogspot.com
I think I’m more of a baker. I enjoy it more, but I think that is because I have much more of a sweet tooth!
I love both but if I HAD to choose, I probably lean a little more toward baking.
I love to do both, but out of necessity I spend far more time cooking. Funny you should ask…I was thinking today would be a perfect day to bake a cake!
I am definitely a baker, although I do like to cook occasionally.
Ooo, this is a hard question! I am still pretty new to both cooking and baking. I cook a lot more than bake but baking seems more rewarding somehow. I am thinking of bread specifically. When I bake bread it feels like SUCH an accomplishment.
First of all, I am really excited about this giveaway b/c I have really been wanting these. I’m a pretty equal cooker and baker. But if I have to chose sides I guess I would say cooker since I usually have more of those type ingredients on hand.
I’m definitely more of a baker. I’m not sure how or why that is, because I don’t particularly enjoy doing either. I think I find baking slightly easier, and I enjoy the product more.
I am more of a cook, though I do like baking too. I think my preference for cooking has to do with my love for salty flavors – I just have more choices with savory foods!
I am definitely more of a cook than a baker. I find that cooking allows you to use more healthy ingredients without sacrificing taste. I have found it hard to substitute healthier ingredients in baking recipes while maintaining the same taste. But, I am always up for a challenge, so who knows!
At home I am more of a baker, I love making new sweets and having them to eat throughout the week with my hubby. I do a lot of cooking at school so by the time I get home I just want to make a quick dinner (TJ’s frozen meals are the best) and call it a night.
I’m more of a cook…I think I’m better at cooking than at baking. But then again, I don’t have as much time to bake as I would like. ::sigh:: Someday.
I have always been known as more of a baker, especially cookies. It may be because I like to follow directions so it is easier to make good baked goods by following recipes exactly than experimenting with cooking. With the help of yours and other blogs I am trying to work on the cooking side!
Hi, Joelen. No question, I cook much more than I bake. I think of cooking as more creative than baking, because I can easily substitute ingredients and adjust amounts to suit our taste, and it’s hard to do that when baking and still get a good result. I also like savory foods more than sweets, as a rule, so I’m happier cooking 🙂
Kim
I’m more of a cook. I’m usually trying to watch my weight, so I don’t like having a lot of sweet things around the house. I love cooking healthy meals for my husband and myself and the seemingly infinite combinations of flavors!
I’d have to say I’m a cook. Saying I’m a baker makes it sound like I make only pastries and bread. I do have a baker ancestor since my grandmother worked at a Bakery. I just love food and I really don’t care what part of the stove I use. Even a grill or an open fire is fine.
I’m pretty good at both but if I had to choose I’d say I’m a better cook than a baker. Baking is an exact science where as cooking is more fluid.
I love both, but I’m definitely more of a baker. I inherited an unbelievable sweet tooth from my grandmothers on both sides, so I suppose it’s not hard to see why I prefer it. 🙂
I am much more of a cook than a baker. I find that cooking leaves me room to improvise and I don’t have to measure everything exactly. I just don’t have the patience for exact measurements!
Love these! I had to go out and buy an ew zester on VDay and it sucks! Anyways the topic. I’m way more of a cooker. I love cooking new things althought I like to bake i LOVE to cook. Things just taste and look better. Baking is more of an art I’m trying to accomplish!
I think I’m more of a baker. It all started when I started baking treats for my family. I think I like it because it’s like a science experiment. You never know how it will turn out.
I love baking, however I feel like I’m a better cook. Easier to throw different things together that you know will work together. With baking you have to almost 100% follow a given recipe and I like the freedom in cooking!
I do both, but I am a cook. I tend to get board with all the measuring and waiting.
I like both but if I had to pick one I would choose cooking. I love being able to throw stuff together without having to measure and time things exactly. Also I have to be in the right mood to bake because I think it takes a lot more patience.
I’m a baker, as if you couldn’t tell from my blog 😉 I enjoy cooking, but just really love baking.
I do about the same amount of each, but enjoy baking more. I find baking to be somewhat calming and more rewarding, plus it’s generally easier to share baked goods with other people, which I love doing.
I much more enjoy cooking thank baking. I bake occasionally because people enjoy the gifts but I have figured out that I am not much of a sweets kind of gal. Give me savory!
I’m definitely more of a cook. Baking is such an exact science and is a little frightening. If I’m cooking and make a mistake, I know how to add and adjust to correct my error. If I’m baking and make a mistake, I’m screwed!
I’m a cook, but everyone calls me Betty Crocker..which I hate because I’m not just a baker, I cook food!!
I’m a better cook than I am a baker, but I like baking more than cooking, since I have a giant sweet tooth.
While I cook more often than I bake, I think I am more of a baker than a cook. I love doing both, but baking relaxes me more, and I think I enjoy it more than I enjoy cooking, even though I don’t like to eat most cakes or cookies.
I’m definitely more of a cook. My love for baking comes out around the holidays, but goes back into hibernation the minute January 1st comes along. I think it just has to do with the fact that I love the savory more than the sweet.
I’m a baker… why?? I guess cause my hubby loves chocolate! I love to cook, don’t get me wrong… but I love fresh foods, fruits and vegetables.. and oh well, maybe I am both!!!! but I will go with what came to my mind first!
hahah
Leslie
[email protected]
https://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/
I am more of a cook just because I don’t have a huge sweet tooth – I do love baking once and awhile though!
I think I am more of a cook than a baker, even though I do them both equally, probably only because I lead myself to believe that cooking is healthier..haha!
Cook – hands down. For baking you have to do the hardest thing in the world – follow a recipe! Oh the horror.
All kidding aside, I am currently learning to bake (now that I have my KA stand mixer) but as others have said – cooking is art, baking is science. And I’ve always been bad at chemistry.
Definitely more of a cook! I think it’s because I don’t have to be as exact in cooking as I do in baking.
I am more of a cook than a baker. I love being able to switch up ingredients and quantities. I am not an experienced enough baker to make such switches and still feel secure that the recipe will work!
I am much more a cooker. I don’t tend to take the time to measure things and that is an important step in baking. 🙂
I am more of a cook, although barely that! I’m more likely to cook dinner or lunch than to bake (although that mood sometimes does strike me!).
Thanks for the contest!! I hope i win!
Honestly? I equally love both! Baking and cooking are very relaxing for me. I love just being in the kitchen in general. I also love making people happy with the food that I make, whether it be my chicken parmesan or peanut butter blondies!
I’m definitely more of a cook, although I’m working on being a better baker. I love to just create things on the fly and not follow recipes to a T. However, the science and intricacies behind baking is definitely something I respect and wish to improve upon!
i am definitely more of a baker than a cook. i love the creativity, design and look of bake goods, but above all i have a HUGE sweet tooth and love anything baked…LOL
what a great givewaway to aid in the kitchen!!
Baker! For some reason it feels less time consuming. And I seem to use fewer bowls/pots/etc, so less clean-up is always a good thing.
When I was younger, my sister and I used to enter baked goods in the county fair every year; with the money we won from the entries, we’d get to buy school clothes and use it as extra spending money. Each year, I would bake 25 items (the maximum amount), and my mom would stay up with us for about a week before the items were due for delivery so we could bake at all hours. It was during this time that I learned how to make french bread, mincemeat pie, etc… the memories certainly have something to do with my preference for baking!
I am more of a baker than a cooker, however I end up doing more cooking than baking. I don’t need all those sweets around!
Cool!!! You know I used to say I’m definitely more of a cook. I think that’s mostly because I don’t really care for sweets and most baked things tend to be on the sweet side. But I have to say, lately, I’ve been baking a lot! (and not doing it to shabbily I might add!) So can I just say both? =)
I’m more of a baker. I like recipes and doing things other people think that they can’t. Everyone can usually force themselves to boil an egg. Most people think bread is beyond them. Also, I love oven heat and instant gratification. And carbohydrates.
lately since joining TWD I’ve been more of a baker , but I really LOVE cooking more. I espically love microplanes! haha
I really enjoy both! I could never pick just baking or just cooking!
I’m definitely a baker. Cooking is much easier for me but baking makes me so happy.
[email protected]
I am definitely more of a cooker. Baking requires too much precision.
I’m more of a baker. I always have been. I love that baking is an exact science for the most part. If you follow the recipe it should turn out. Even when I was little I loved that with baking you were pretty much done when the item went into the oven. I don’t like standing over a stove watching and waiting for something. I am becoming more of a bread baker now!
I’m definitely more of a baker. I’m a very picky eater and I like more desserts than I like dinner dishes. I would like to be better at both though.
Great giveaway!
[email protected]
That’s an easy one! Baker. My mind is very calculated, so I like precise measurements. Throwing things together is not my forte.
I’m more of a cook. I started out as more of a baker, but watching my weight lately has prevented me from baking up sweet treats as often as I’d like.
I’m more of a baker. I love seeing how a glob of batter turns into something so magnificent after a little heat.
I am 90% baker. I love the science of it, the smells and the smile a person;s face when they bit into a yummy treat. Plus, baking brings back fond memories of afternoons with my grandmother. 🙂
I genuinely believe I’m BOTH — but I enjoy being a baker more than a cook. I don’t know why — I just love baking more than I love cooking!
I love to bake more than I love to cook.. but it seems like I do more cooking because DH isn’t a sweets eater and I get stuck eating it all myself.. so I only get to bake when I have guests coming over.
I would say I am more of a cook than a baker. I’m not one to do too much from scratch when it comes to baking. I love to try new recipes and fill the stomachs of my loved ones with yummy meals.
A year ago I probably would have said that I like to bake more, but now I really love to cook more! I find that after a long day coming home to cook can actually be relaxing for me. I especially like it if I have to chop or zest things!
I love both, but I admit I love sweets. I love to bake more.
I have been wanting a microplane for some time now. =)
Definitely more of a baker, because I just love to EAT baked goods..
I can’t say I’m more one than the other! I definitely love baking, but I love cooking just as much. I know that doesn’t quite answer the questions…
I’m pretty good at both, but I’d say I’m more adventurous as a cook so I’ll pick that one. I really like to try new recipes, and when baking I tend to stick to older, “safer” recipes.
Much more of a cook than a baker. Baking is too precise. With cooking I can modify as I wish and is much more forgiving about cooking times!
Philosophically I’m a cook because I so rarely follow recipes or rely on exact amounts but I enjoy baking a lot. I hadn’t seen the fine spice microplane yet. I have to get one! That is if I don’t win…
I’m definitely more of a baker, but I absolutely love to cook.
I’m more of a baker. I have a serious sweet tooth which is why I prefer to bake. Although, I am becoming a good cook though too!
jnmiller at mywdo dot com
DEfinitely a cooker, I do appreciate baked goods but I think it just comes down to the fact that I feel like there is more “space” in cooking as far possibilities. Baking pretty much is sweet or doughy, but not too much salt or savory possibilities besides quiches and such. And I just love my salt!
I have had greater success with my baking then my cooking. I find it fun to play with some of the baking items and mix them up, just a little twist on tradition.
i am definitely a cook…
whenever i cook, i usually glance at the ingredients and tweak it to add a personal touch to the recipe..
although i love to bake, my final product usually ends up not what i expect because i can’t seem to use the exact measurements needed by the recipe…
i’m crossing my fingers for this microplane:)
That’s a really hard question! I definitely cook more than I bake, but I love both for different reasons. I like cooking because I don’t really have to measure, and I can experiment more. But I like baking because I am a fairly picky eater, so there are lots of foods I won’t eat, but I like pretty much all baked goods!
If I had to chose I would say I am a better baker. The exactness of baking appeals to my Type A personality. However, I have recently been trying to embrace the freeness of cooking. So far so good.
I agree, this is hard! I would say I am naturally more of a cook having grown up watching my mom who is 100% Italian. That said, I loove desserts so I find myself doing a lot of baking as well. I would say though that I am a more inventive cook than baker though!
I’m good at both, but my preference is cooking. I just don’t have a sweet tooth. I love to use citrus zest in many of my recipes, so this would be a welcome addition!
My one baked item that I love to make – carrot cake. It’s an all day affair, but the results are incredible!
I’m more of a cook, mainly because I don’t need the additional help of baking to make me fatter! I also like cooking more because it does not have to be as exact as baking, I can add a little of this, a little of that and it will still come out great – well most of the time!
I’m more of a cook out of necessity, but I prefer baking for the creativity.
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I am more of a baker, however it’s too fattening to make desserts all the time, so I have to resort to cooking!
I’m much more of a baker because I’m a sucker for following recipes to a t!
I love to cook, but I’m definitely more of a baker. I get excited days in advance when I get to bake something. Part of it is that I like watching things change texture when you mix ingredients. It’s sciencey, and I’m a scientist. I think another part of it is that I have no choice to cook if I want to eat good, affordable dinners, so it can seem like a chore. But baking is always just for fun.
(You can opt me out of this week’s giveaway. I just thought it was a fun question and wanted to answer. While I certainly wouldn’t mind a bunch of Microplanes, I don’t need them right now. Someone else might enjoy them more.)
I am more of a baker, I just plain enjoy baking. I have to cook all the time for necessity, so maybe that is why baking is just more fun and relaxing for me. I have a sweet tooth, too, so maybe that is why!
I love to do both, but I am more of a baker. I just love sweets! I think it’s nice to make a special treat for people.
I definitely prefer baking over cooking. It’s easier to share what I make and I really, really love sweets 🙂
I cook more than I bake but I enjoy each process equally. I am much better at cooking creatively than I am with baking. As other commenters have said, baking is a science while cooking is an art, I was never very good at science…but I want to become better. These prizes look fantastic!
I’m new to the culinary scene but with some help from my wife I’m slow learning to cook (and bake), I would have to say that I prefer cooking over baking as it’s less exact and I can make mistakes and cover them up with creativity 🙂
Definitely more of a cook than a baker — because I’m in love with improv. I love variations on a theme — and tweaking recipes so that they’re just how I like them. There’s too much chemistry involved in baking (most of the time). That said, I love the creativity I can put into decorating a cake, or making cookies.
I am definitely more of a baker! I’m better at following precise recipes rather than coming up with original ones of my own. I’m known as the baker of my department at work! Yay for sweets. =)
– Eva
I love to bake! But I am definitely more of a cook! Baking requires precise measurement and I hate this. I like to have a bit more space for improvisations…
I used to be a baker, but since most of my baking supplies are holed in storage while we wait for our house to be built. I’ve become more of a cook and really enjoy it.
I enjoy both but I don’t bake as much as I’d like. Unfortunately, when I do, it means there’s tempting sweets for only two people! I usually bake only for a party or as gifts but I love it anyway!
I like doing both, but am definitely more of a baker. I love desserts and seem to have more of a knack for crafting baking recipes.
I love to bake and am always taking desserts to work.
I am definitely more of a cook. Baking just doesn’t appeal to me. Especially cookies because of the batches and having to put them in, take them out and repeat. Cooking is more straightforward. Plus there is more leeway with cooking recipes. You can tweak and change things up. Baking is more of an exact science that doesn’t leave room for experimentation. Or not really.
I much prefer the pace of stovetop cooking… there’s too much waiting involved in baking. Instant gratification for me!
I’m more of a baker. Baking brings so much more joy than cooking. There’s something special about getting a special, sugary treat. I like to be a part of that something special. Ever since high school, I’ve brought in cookies, pies, cakes, cake balls to events or classes. I enjoy baking for others. It’s not a party without some delicious baked goods.
I am def more of a cook. I do not like to measure and really enjoy creating recipes on the fly.
I’m more of a baker. I think that it’s because I still consider myself a bit of a newbie-amature and baking seems to be a bit more of an exact science- rather than going by instinct I can go by the directions 🙂
I like both…equally. I just love trying new things, both baked goods and cooking. But I’m a follow-the-recipe kind of gal. I wish I wasn’t…but I usually do. I’m getting better!
I’m definitely more of a cook as I consider baking about desserts and I’m not really a sweets person. On the other hand, I bake from love and cook from necessity. 🙂