Is there anything more adorable than a ramekin? I think not. They’re the dish equivalent of miniature horses.
Being a guy of small stature (I’m five-four on a good day), I’m a strong believer that the best things come in small packages. Perhaps that’s why I love ramekins so much.
My love for their diminutive nature aside, ramekins and tidbits are true workhorses (or miniature-workhorses!) when it comes to cooking and entertaining. They’re great for food prep, food serving, snacking, storage — you name it.
I’m a ramekin addict. Seriously … I use them every day. Here’s a brief daily diary of my ramekin use.
5:15 a.m.
Bleary-eyed, I shuffle into the kitchen to make my morning coffee and then sandwiches for lunch. I reach for my Splenda, retrieving it from my Mario Batali Italian Stitch ramekin. After lunch duty is complete, I sit down to breakfast, some Greek yogurt and granola served in — you guessed it — a ramekin.
10:17 a.m.
I’m editing copy for a training manual, and my eyes start to cross, so I reach under my desk and grab my trail mix, and — surprise! — another Mario ramekin. They’re great for portion-control snacking. After all, I’m just recharging … not fueling up for the winter.
6.27 p.m.
It’s supper time and I’m frantic in the kitchen, not for any good reason, just because it’s my normal setting. I grab my chicken and head to the grill. But wait … something’s missing. I open the fridge and take out my trusty ramekin that holds leftover lemon halves, then dash to the grill. A quick spritz keeps my grilled chicken from drying out.
9:45 p.m.
My West Wing re-run is over, and try as I might to tame my sweet tooth, it’s gnawing at me incessantly. So, back to the fridge for some frozen yogurt. I don’t want a huge bowl, so what ever can I use? Oh wait — silly me — a Cinnabar Tidbit.
I’m totally not exaggerating here — I’m properly obsessed with ramekins. And we haven’t even gotten to the fun uses yet. Here are a few of my favorites.
Taco Bar
Whenever I make tacos for folks, I use ramekins to caddy all of my toppings. Sour cream, salsa, green onion, cilantro, avocado…each component gets their own ramekin home. I like the Cinnabar Tidbits for a festive touch.
Yogurt Bar
Okay, so yogurt bars are all the rage right now (again), and I’m all about it. But seriously folks, it’s really just yogurt, cereal, and candy. Do a quick cabinet inventory, get out some ramekins, and you can make a quick and easy yogurt bar at home. The Hyacinth Ramikens are great for this.
Just a Bar
Send the kids to the babysitter and have your friends over for cocktails. Stack the Mario Batali ramekins on our new French Wire Tiered Stand and fill with your favorite drink accoutrements, like lemons, limes, cherries, olives, mint, fresh berries … whatever you need to spruce up your cocktail.
Okay, I’m going to stop gushing about ramekins before the girls taze me and put me in time out. Until next time, I hope you have fun in the kitchen and enjoy finding cool ways to use your favorite ramekins!
Being a guy of small stature (I’m five-four on a good day), I’m a strong believer that the best things come in small packages. Perhaps that’s why I love ramekins so much.
My love for their diminutive nature aside, ramekins and tidbits are true workhorses (or miniature-workhorses!) when it comes to cooking and entertaining. They’re great for food prep, food serving, snacking, storage — you name it.
I’m a ramekin addict. Seriously … I use them every day. Here’s a brief daily diary of my ramekin use.
5:15 a.m.
Bleary-eyed, I shuffle into the kitchen to make my morning coffee and then sandwiches for lunch. I reach for my Splenda, retrieving it from my Mario Batali Italian Stitch ramekin. After lunch duty is complete, I sit down to breakfast, some Greek yogurt and granola served in — you guessed it — a ramekin.
10:17 a.m.
I’m editing copy for a training manual, and my eyes start to cross, so I reach under my desk and grab my trail mix, and — surprise! — another Mario ramekin. They’re great for portion-control snacking. After all, I’m just recharging … not fueling up for the winter.
6.27 p.m.
It’s supper time and I’m frantic in the kitchen, not for any good reason, just because it’s my normal setting. I grab my chicken and head to the grill. But wait … something’s missing. I open the fridge and take out my trusty ramekin that holds leftover lemon halves, then dash to the grill. A quick spritz keeps my grilled chicken from drying out.
9:45 p.m.
My West Wing re-run is over, and try as I might to tame my sweet tooth, it’s gnawing at me incessantly. So, back to the fridge for some frozen yogurt. I don’t want a huge bowl, so what ever can I use? Oh wait — silly me — a Cinnabar Tidbit.
I’m totally not exaggerating here — I’m properly obsessed with ramekins. And we haven’t even gotten to the fun uses yet. Here are a few of my favorites.
Taco Bar
Whenever I make tacos for folks, I use ramekins to caddy all of my toppings. Sour cream, salsa, green onion, cilantro, avocado…each component gets their own ramekin home. I like the Cinnabar Tidbits for a festive touch.
Yogurt Bar
Okay, so yogurt bars are all the rage right now (again), and I’m all about it. But seriously folks, it’s really just yogurt, cereal, and candy. Do a quick cabinet inventory, get out some ramekins, and you can make a quick and easy yogurt bar at home. The Hyacinth Ramikens are great for this.
Just a Bar
Send the kids to the babysitter and have your friends over for cocktails. Stack the Mario Batali ramekins on our new French Wire Tiered Stand and fill with your favorite drink accoutrements, like lemons, limes, cherries, olives, mint, fresh berries … whatever you need to spruce up your cocktail.
Okay, I’m going to stop gushing about ramekins before the girls taze me and put me in time out. Until next time, I hope you have fun in the kitchen and enjoy finding cool ways to use your favorite ramekins!