Tools of the Trade

You know it is spring break when there is a barrage of museum pass pickups at the library. I am not much of a museum person; however, earlier this spring I got swept into museum mania and I found myself at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown. The museum houses a remarkable collection of pre-industrial tools, stunning in their preservation, yet reminding one of the loss of trades and cultures. Being there brought back memories of my own favorite gadget, a kitchen tool.

The object called to my mind was a much-loved Konkani traditional contraption called Addoli.

It is a wooden plank with a scythe-like blade fixed on to it. The plank serves as a seat, the sharp rounded blade functions as a vegetable chopper, while the spiky end is used for grating coconuts. The device sits close to ground, which means sitting in almost a bound angled pose (aka cobbler’s pose) was an everyday thing for women in these kitchens. No wonder my mom and my aunts would laugh in my face at the mention of an exercise workout—why bother with exercise when it is built into everyday tasks!

It is hard to say, among all traditional and modern devices, what role the Addoli occupies in modern-day South-Indian kitchens. It is not yet in a museum for sure. On the other hand, I can definitely say that my own Addoli stays in the cabinet. I used it when I was a beginner cook mimicking my elders. But, like most people on this planet, I gave in to convenience. I use a Japanese utility knife for chopping vegetables while standing at the kitchen counter. Also, store-bought frozen grated coconut, available in re-sealable plastic packaging, works just as well. With traditional gadgets safely transferred to the confines of memory, each passing year, I look at an endless array of modern gadgets and keep going.

For all you historians, sociologists, anthropologists, naturalists, gastro-diplomats, and food enthusiasts out there, you would be remiss to not check Mercer County Library System’s finest offerings:

• Museum Passes@MCLS: Available all through the year at various branches, the museum pass program provides free passes to 11 museums in the area.

• AtoZ World Food: Featuring 174 countries, this virtual resource explores national cuisines, food cultures, food inventions, historical timelines, ingredients, techniques and dietary philosophies. Helpful to all who seek to expand a sense of the familiar as well as novelty in food awareness.

• For a hands-on, immersive experience, check out our craft and cooking programs at various branches.

• Library Chef – Cooking classes – live and on-demand for adults, teens, and children.

• Consumer Reports: E-access to ratings and reviews on electronics, home and garden appliances and tools.

~Shilpa Shanbhag, Hickory Corner Branch