Developments in the kitchen and on the road

Press, 3 November 1981, Page 10

Developments in the kitchen and on the road

Anne Ingram

Multicooker i Just arrived on the market is the Ralta Multicooker, a i variation of the electric ■ frypan. If you enjoy benchtop cooking this could be for you as the Multicooker will roast, fry. casserole, and bake. It is : made of heavy aluminium but is reasonably lightweight and has an attractive, easy to clean exterior coating. The new non-stick cooking surface, called “Silverstone." : also means easy cleaning. ; eliminating the need lor scrubbing or soaking. This surface, the manufacturers say, will allow totally non-fat or non-oil cooking so it would be a boon to the slimming brigade or those on a low cholesterol diet. ’ The- Multicooker has a plug-in heat control with - thermostat which will maintain the heat setting re1 quired. The handles and vent

are heat resistant so you cannot burn your fingers while lifting the Multicooker or when adjusting the vent on the lid. The base of the pan has a removable heat shield which prevents damage to a Formica bench. With the Multicooker comes a nylon spatula and recipe book. Available in three sizes: “Standard" $79.40; “tour-in-one" $95.50; “Super" $lO5. Associate AA membership Are you a two or three car family? The Automobile Association offers Associate Membership for individual family members at a substantially reduced fee. Associate members are entitled to all AA services on the same basis as the master member. These include breakdown service, vehicle

inspections, insurance, legal assistance. hire-purchase finance, maps and itineraries. and advice on all aspects of motoring. Associate members are issued with their own memberships cards, AA windscreen stickers, rule books and service literature. They are also eligible for full reciprocal service from other automobile associations. Those eligible for associate membership with the AA Canterbury and the A A Southland are the wife or husband and the children of

the master member, provided they are living at the same home address as the master member. The Automobile Associations of Marlborough, Nelson, Otago, North Otago and South Canterbury will only accept the wife -or husband of the master member as an associate member. The Associate membership fee varies slightly from region to region but is around $8.50. Forms are available from your local AA office. Safer ceramic ware

In recent years a number of countries have taken steps to tackle the problem of toxic hazards from ceramic ware by applying certain test methods.’ Most concern has been felt regarding fired glazes and decorations on the surface of ceramic ware used in the preparation, serving or storage of food and drink.

Heavy metals have been j recognised as the source of i problems and researchers ! have been investigating the I concentration beyond which ' a substance like lead or j cadmium must he considered dangerous. Specifications for : a standard test method have ■ presented many difficulties. i but these have now been j completed. The International Organ- , isation for Standardisation, i 1.5.0., has just published a I new standard: "Ceramic ! ware in contact with food — i Release of lead and cad- , mium — Part one: Method of ■ test." The standard has beer j based on the - recommenda-; tions of the World Healtt Organisation. ■ It should provide a check ■ worldwide, on the use o: improperly formulated, ap : plied and fired glazes ant ■ decorations on cpramit ware.