Finds from Afar: Justin Kennedy

Today’s edition of Finds from Afar comes from my friend Justin Kennedy, a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Saveur, the New York Post, and Washington City Paper. Check out his new regular column The Brew on Saveur online to find out what to drink next, and read on to see what Justin picks up on his travels.

I’m not sure exactly how or when it began, but over the years I inexplicably became a junkie for tiny kitchen utensils. Unworkably short whisks, miniscule demitasse spoons, forks that are functional only in the tiniest of hands (of which mine are not)—my utensil drawer now harbors an immodest collection of petite gadgets. I use them to dip grainy mustard from small-mouthed jars, spear oily anchovy filets from tins, whisk-up single servings of sharp vinaigrettes and sauces. 

They always make great travel mementos—they’re generally cheap, nearly unbreakable, and pack neatly for the trip home— and one of my favorite places to buy them is Les Touilleurs in Montreal, a gorgeous kitchen and tableware boutique in the ultra-hip Mile End neighborhood. Last time I stopped in, I bought a hammered stainless steel spoon, a miniature bamboo fork, and a 6-inch wooden scraper. I also picked up this elegant, circular brushed-metal bottle opener that’s so classy, I keep it on the top ledge of my stove, where it’s always on hand to crack open a cold beer.