Entertaining for the New Year

As the season for entertaining arrives, HIC – Harold Import Company takes a look at the simple and well-loved pairing of cocktails and cheese.

Perfectly crafted cocktails can elevate the moment, offering a wide range of flavors from strong and refreshing to sour, sweet, and bitter. Like cocktails, cheese offers a variety of flavor profiles that are especially delicious when complemented with the complexity of the cocktail flavors. 

With a beautiful and tasty cheese presentation paired alongside perfectly crafted cocktails, anyone can add the perfect touch to any New Year’s celebration. The HIC Bar and Maison du Fromage brands offer the perfect complement of barware and cheese service items, destined to build sales for the New Year’s celebration.

Barware for the Season and New Packaging

HIC’s barware collection continues to grow to include all the essentials for preparing delicious cocktails and mocktails – with style. NOW this line of barware essentials features new elegant and eye-catching packaging. With its black backdrop, complemented with crisp and clean imagery and copy, the HIC Bar collection is all ready to catch customer attention this holiday season. With the new packaging, it is easy to create a coordinated merchandising look with carded and boxed HIC Bar items, and build out your offerings of this well-rounded profit-making line of barware.

Japanese-Style Double Jigger & Bar Muddler


The Japanese-Style Double Cocktail Jigger (#48029) is an integral part of any bartender’s repertoire. Two-sided for convenience, the tall and slender shaped jigger lets you measure like a mixologist. HIC Bar’s Japanese-Style Double Jigger is made from 18/8 stainless steel with a brushed finish, truly a versatile addition to flatware and barware accessories. 

When cocktail and mocktails call for the fresh flavor of fruits, spices and herbs, turn to HIC Bar’s Muddler (#48035). Featuring a textured end that extrudes juice from firmer fruits, along with a rounded end to gently muddle delicate ingredients such as herbs, the Muddler is a perfect barware tool for any home or professional bar. Also available is the Bamboo Muddler (#51000 and the Wooden Muddler (#21000).

Why search for the right bar tool when you have the 4-in-1 Bar Tool (#93255) on hand. Serving as a bottle opener, can punch, fruit and veggie peeler and channel knife for decorative garish, this versatile tool is crafted from Japanese stainless steel with BPA-free plastic.

Whimsical and functional, the Penguin Cocktail Shaker (#48024) adds more style to the presentation. Made of 18/8 stainless steel, the shaker, shaped like a penguin, holds 18 ounces.

For wine lovers, HIC Bar’s set of 2 Expanding Bottle Stoppers (#43971) effectively reseal bottles to create and airtight, leak-proof seal. The handy lever design expands the stopper inside the bottle for a tight leak-proof fit so wine can even be stored horizontally, making it a must for any home bar.

Complement with Cheese

With these essential tools for creating and serving a delicious cheese plate for cocktail hour, the Maison du Fromage line of cheese tools the collection is ideal for serving all types of cheese, with an elegant and coordinated touch. 

The Cheese Tools, set of 3 (#22038) feature a spade knife, rectangular knife and pronged fork for cutting, crumbling, chunking and serving all types of cheese from firm to semi-soft. The stainless-steel blades get the job one, and the beautiful marble handle adds style to the presentation.

Coordinating nicely with the Cheese Tools is the Maison du Fromage Cheese Markers with Pen, set of 6 (#22037), designed to allow you identify cheese for gatherings. Made from fine-white porcelain, the 2.5” cheese markers are easy to use. Simply write on the marker using the pen (included), then insert into the cheese. They won’t smudge, but are easily cleaned by hand or in the dishwasher.

Rounding out the cheese service items is the Marble Cheese Slicer (#22042) – perfect for slicing all kinds of cheese, especially hard cheeses. Great for everyday use or entertaining with cheese and charcuterie boards, simply set cheese on the slicer base with the wire up and lower the wire to slice. Create slices, cheese sticks or cubes.

Remember cocktails and cheese are always in season, and HIC is here to help you with product for all your needs for New Year’s celebration, and beyond.

Capturing the Flavors and Fun of Summer

With summer fun in full swing, simple, easy, and refreshing food and drink is what’s in demand. Whether you’re preparing summer salads, grilling, fixing picnic favorites and drinks, summer celebrations call for simplicity in preparing and serving. Perfect for all occasions, for the family or a get-together, HIC — Harold Import Company offers up a wide assortment of kitchen tools and gadgets to help make summertime food prep and serving (almost) as relaxing and fun as a day at the beach.

Mrs. Anderson’s Lasagna Pan is a multifunctional pan for so much more than lasagna, including summertime fruit crumbles, 8 layer taco dip, one pot casseroles, and delicious fruit salads. The award-winning design features a generous capacity for building layered recipes and the wide handles give you a more secure grip into and out of the oven and under the broiler. The high-fired ceramic features a scratch-free glaze that resists staining, odors and cracking. Safe for use in the microwave, oven, broiler, and freezer. Dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.

HIC Bar’s multifunctional Bar Tool is just what you need to take you through the summer months. Designed to be a can and bottle opener, fruit and vegetable peeler, potato eye remover, and channel knife for creating decorative garnish, the tool is crafted from Japanese stainless steel with BPA-free plastic. Convenient and easy to use, the tools is great for use in the garage, on the boat, in the camper, and next to the cooler. 

Get the most of citrus with HIC s Lime Squeezer. Easily extracts fresh juice from limes, lemons and other small citrus without seeds or pulp, the squeezer is made from lightweight aluminum with baked-on enamel coating resists damage caused by the citric acid from the natural fruit juices. Works great for limes, lemons and other small citrus, perfect for preparing and flavoring dishes, marinades and mixing fresh-juice cocktails, like margaritas.

Summer fruits arrive in abundance, and what better way to preserve that abundance for enjoyment in other seasons than with Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Canning Tool Set. Ideal for the canning novice to experienced home canner to preserve food, the set includes 1 each wide-mouth canning funnel, jar lifter, long tongs, canning jar wrench, and magnetic canning lid wand. Sturdy, durable, and easy to use, the Canning Tool Set includes all the necessary tools for canning, berries, pit fruits, tomatoes and all the best of the season. 

The Season of Seafood

As the seafood season heats up, what better time than now to stock up on all things related to prepping, serving and eating seafood. The Maine Man brand of seafood accessories is here to help you crack, dip, shuck, flip, and eat your seafood. Maine Man branded items are the superstars of the sea – and the kitchen. Clean, prepare and consume seafood at home with the Maine Man, and bring the flavors of the sea to your table. 

Maine Man’s set of 4 Seafood Forks loosen and retrieve every delicious bite from shellfish without it being damaged. The double prongs and angled head gently separate the delicate meat away from the shell and retrieve it. The 6.5”L forks feature a comfort silicone grip that remains slip-free, even when hands are wet. Easily enjoy every succulent bite of lobster, crab, oysters, clams, and more. Made from extra sturdy 18/8 stainless steel and silicone, Maine Man’s Seafood Forks are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. 

Ideal for cleaning and peeling shrimp, opening crab, lobster, crawfish, and more, the Maine Man’s Seafood Shears are designed for opening shells and removing the delicate meat from inside without it becoming damaged. The curved blades feature tapered tips for reaching into tight areas. The sawtooth edge helps crack shells easily. Made from extra sturdy 2.5mm thick 18/8 stainless steel with an ergonomic ABS grip, the shears remain slip-free, even when hands are we. The shears measure 7.25-inches long.

Keep your clothes clean while enjoying crab, lobster, shellfish, linguini with clam sauce, and other messy foods with Maine Man’s Crab Bibs. Made from plastic;, the set includes 12 bibs, each measuring 15 x 17-inches. The extra-large size covers more area to protect clothing, and the soak-proof surface prevents sauces, drawn butter, seafood, shell particles, beverages, and more from soaking through. Disposable for easy cleanup.

Maine Man’s Fish Spatula is for lifting and turning delicate fish and draining cooking oils and liquids for easy serving. Made from 18/8 stainless steel with a rosewood handle, the spatula measures 11.25” long. The angled blade easily slides under fish and gently lifts it without it breaking apart. The slotted design drains liquids freely yet cradles fish securely. Ideal for whole or filleted fish, omelets, crepes and eggs, burgers, hash browns, and grilled sandwiches.

Preparing and serving seafood requires a specific set of tools, each designed to perform a specialized task. That’s why HIC— Harold Import Company offers the Maine Man collection of seafood tools and accessories, which was created to ensure any seafood lover can easily prepare and serve seafood at home.

Celebrating Earth Day 2021

The 51st Earth Day celebration arrives on April 22nd, and we continue to be reminded the importance of the environmental movement. As citizens of the Earth, we are asked to make choices that will lesson our individual, and collective, footprints on our planet.

Here at HIC — Harold Import Company, we continue to do our part. We know that you care about helping preserve our natural resources and saving our environment because so do we. We also know that you are committed to giving your family the best. That’s why we are proud to have the Beyond Gourmet line of cooking and baking accessories, which are made with 100% unbleached materials, as part of our Family of Brands. Here are a few ways to help you celebrate Earth Day every day.

Beyond Gourmet Unbleached Nut Milk Bag is for straining, draining, sieving and filtering out pulp and skins while allowing liquids to flow through. Made from 100% unbleached polyester knitted fabric, the bags are designed to allow you to easily make silky homemade almond milk and cashew milk without any pulp or bits of debris. Easy to clean, by rinsing, or in the machine.

Beyond Gourmet’s plant-based Compost Bags are OK Compost and Home OK Compost Certified for easily composting food scraps at home. Made from 0.018mm-thick PBAT, PLA, and corn starch, each bag holds up to 3.5 gallons. The bags compost into water and carbon dioxides within 3 months in industrial facilities. Home compost times vary with soil temperature and humidity.

Beyond Gourmet’s Non-Stick Parchment Paper Sheets keep foods from sticking without greasing baking pans or the use of oils. Made in America of natural unbleached paper with nonstick silicone coating for quick release of food, the pre-cut sheets fit standard 13-inch x 18-inch baking sheets.

Beyond Gourmet Produce Bags (set of 5) are sturdy bags with a locking drawstring to keep contents in. The decorative color bands help identify bag size and classify food types. The set of 5 bags includes: 1 small – 8″ tall x 12″ wide 2 medium – 13″ tall x 12″ wide 2 large – 16.25″ tall x 12″ wide Plus 1 reusable storage bag – 8″ x 7″. Machine washable for easy cleaning, then hang dry.

At Beyond Gourmet, we are committed to providing environmentally-friendly, healthy cooking and baking products that help protect our precious resources through the use of sustainable materials and manufacturing processes.

Head on over to HICKitchen.com for the full line of Beyond Gourmet products.

Happy Earth Day!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

With more and more consumers baking, cake decorating continues to be front and center. As home bakers seek online instruction and inspiration for creating professional quality decorating results, HIC— Harold Import Company is here to provide you with everything you need to take pastry decorating to a new level. Our fine collection of pastry decorating tips and bags are just what you need to bring a colorful bouquet of flowers to anything you’re decorating.

Mrs. Anderson’s Pastry Decorating Tips are for effortless cake decorating, and delivering icing, fillings and whipped cream exactly where needed. Made from 18/8 stainless steel, the set is ideal for detailed cake designs and lettering, piping icing, filling baked goods with pastry cream Set includes 26 decorating tips, a flower nail, coupler, and reusable storage case.

Beautiful buttercream blooms with detailed centers and petals provide that extra special touch. With Mrs. Anderson’s Russian Decorating Tips you’ll easily produces beautiful results just like the pros. Made from 18/8 stainless steel, the set includes 6 Russian decorating tips.

The Mrs. Anderson’s Pastry Bag is an essential decorating tools for delivering icing, fillings and whipped cream exactly where needed. Made from natural cotton with a BPA-free plastic lining, the reusable bags are durable and won’t stretch or balloon.

Mrs. Anderson’s Decorating Kit with disposable pastry bags easily decorates and finishes foods with an extra special touch without the messy cleanup. The set includes 3 reusable tips (big star, little star, and writing tip) and 24 disposable bags with extra-strong seams that will not balloon or burst open. 

HIC — Harold Import Company has all you need for decorating your baked goods. Head on over to HICKitchen.com and explore.

Eating the Seasons

Spring is here, and that means it’s time to transition to new recipes, highlighting all the great flavors that the new season has to offer. From asparagus and peas, to rhubarb and ramps, HIC — Harold Import Company offers up a bit of inspiration for transforming delicious ingredients into delicious meals.

Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Non-stick Round Quiche Pan is just what you need to make a delicious quiche or casserole. Made from professional-quality carbon steel and premium non-stick coating for uniform baking, the removable base pops out of the pan to serve food easily. Perfect for quiche, mac and cheese, shepherds pie, pot pies, apple pies, tarts, tortes and more.

Cutlery-Pro s Chef s Santoku Knife is the all-around, go-to knife for chopping and rocking through ingredients. Made from German carbon steel, the perfectly ground edge stays sharp longer, and the hollow ground blade keeps food from sticking. The result is superior performance for prepping all your ingredients. 

HIC s Lasagna Pan is a durable and versatile baking dish for all your season’s finest recipes – from baked pastas to casseroles, quiche, and veggie creations. Made from fine-quality porcelain, the generous depth supports layered recipes and the easy-hold handles provide for a comfortable grip and secure transfer into and out of the oven and under the broiler. Safe for microwave, oven, broiler (to 500-degrees Fahrenheit) and freezer.

Visit HICKitchen.com for all the seasonal food prep and cooking tools you’ll need to create and serve delicious meals.

Upgrading Flavor with Specialty Salt and Pepper

As food tastes evolve, home cooks are continually taking a closer look at the ingredients they use when preparing meals. With growing knowledge of ingredients, home chefs realize that using better-quality ingredients can raise the bar on the final results.  When it comes to everyday table salt and pepper, home chefs are embracing different varieties in an effort to add subtle nuances of flavor to their creations. From Maldon Sea Salt to Pink Peppercorns, HIC has the tools you need to store and serve a wide range of specialty salt and pepper.

HIC Kitchen’s Salt Shaker and Peppermill is made from rubberwood with a ceramic grinding mechanism that is strong, durable, and will never corrode. The set includes 6-inch salt shaker and adjustable peppermill. Sprinkle salt and grind fresh pepper. Easily adjust the peppermill to various textures, ultra-fine to coarse, with a quick turn of the locking nut. Perfect for indoor or outdoor entertaining.

HIC Kitchen’s Fine Porcelain Mortar and Pestle Set for grinding items into a fine paste or powder. Made from fine-quality porcelain, you can quickly grind and break down delicious pepper and salt varieties, then add directly to your dish, or use when creating an aromatic dry rub or delicious curry pastes.

Helen’s Asian Kitchen Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon stores all types of cooking salts conveniently within reach and portions it out as needed. Made from 100-percent natural bamboo, the salt box features a rotating magnetic lid for easy access, along with a matching spoon. Perfect for indoor or outdoor cooking and entertaining.

HIC’s Diner Style Square Salt and Pepper Shaker is a classic way to serve salt and pepper. Featuring a traditional diner-style shape, the glass shaker, with stainless steel lid, is the perfect addition to the table

HIC Kitchen’s set of 3 Condiment Funnels with handles are for easily refilling containers with liquid and dry ingredients with less mess. Made from stainless steel, the set includes 1 each 0.5-ounce, 0.75-ounce, and 2-ounce funnels.

Head on over the www.HICKitchen for all your cooking, baking and serving needs.

An Italian Table

Fante’s Granpa Dante’s Ravioli Form

Italian food is a staple on our dinner tables. But now that we’re all drooling over Stanely Tucchi’s Searching for Italy show, you might want to upgrade your at-home Italian cooking skills. Until you can travel to Italy in person, why not enjoy some Italian food at home. HIC ­— Harold Import Company has just the tools you need to prepare delicious pasta, pizza and other Italian favorites.

Olive oil is an essential ingredient of Italian cooking. Fante’s Cousin Patricia’s Olive Oil Can is beautifully designed to store your olive oil (or other oils) for easy dispensing. Made from 18/8 stainless steel, the can has a 16 oz capacity, and features a specially vented spout that pours without splashing. 

Enjoy perfectly crisp pizza or flatbread without soggy dough or burnt spots when using Fante’s Pizza Stone. The natural stone absorbs moisture to eliminate soggy crust, distributes heat for even browning, and prevents burnt dough from hot spots.

Make your own pasta like the Italians do, with Marcato Atlas 180 Pasta Machine. Made in Italy, the original, world famous machine rolls and cuts pasta dough for making traditional lasagne, fettuccine, and tagliolini at home. Easily roll of dough to 180-millimeters wide at 10 thicknesses (0.6 to 4.8-millimeter) for consistent texture, cook time, and taste. Available in a variety of different colors including blue, stainless steel, red and more.

Fante’s Cousin Liana’s Gnocchi Board easily forms pasta dough into authentic Italian gnocchi. Made in Italy from natural beechwood, the easy-grip handle maintains the perfect angle and keeps board steady for easier use. The ridges help shape pasta and add texture which will hold more sauce.

You can prepare a range of Italian classics with HIC’s extensive selection of Italian Cooking Tools. Head on over to HICKitchen.com and explore. The world of cuisine awaits.

Celebrating the Lunar New Year

We’re all looking for reasons to celebrate, and the upcoming Lunar New Year is just the inspiration we need to prepare a delicious Asian meal. Our Helen’s Asian Kitchen line is developed with Helen Chen, a leading Asian culinary expert, cookbook author, cooking instructor. Helen’s focus is making Asian cooking quick and easy, healthy, and more accessible to the home cook. Her Asian cooking recipes are updated to incorporate heart-healthy oils and readily available supermarket ingredients while still maintaining the authentic flavors and variety of traditional Asian cuisine. Her inspiration for new recipes and products comes from her frequent trips to Asia for business and family visits.

We hope you are inspired by our full line of Asian-inspired cooking tools and accessories, perfect for the Lunar New Year – and the Year of the Ox.

Helen’s Asian Kitchen Rice Washing Bowl is for cleaning and soaking rice, legumes, quinoa, and other grains, plus fruits and vegetables, before cooking. Made from stainless steel, the flat solid base stabilizes the bowl for soaking, the angled side helps drain water easily, and the perforated strainer keeps smaller food in, allowing water to drain.

Helen’s Asian Kitchen Bamboo Kitchen Tools are made from 100- percent natural bamboo. Ideal for stirring, mixing, dividing, tasting, turning, and serving foods, the tools are lightweight and strong, and safe for nonstick cookware and metal pots and pans. The set includes a 9-inch rice paddle, 12-inch corner spoon, and 13-inch slotted stir fry spatula. 

Helen’s Asian Kitchen Stainless Steel Mesh Spider Strainer Basket is designed for safely scooping up foods and draining away hot oil and boiling liquids. The handy strainers is ideal for quickly cooking, reheating and draining noodles, dumplings, and matzo balls, as well as blanching vegetables, deep frying and more. Made from stainless steel mesh with sturdy wire frame. Click through for a video.

Helen’s Asian Kitchen Carbon Steel Wok  is the traditional choice for stir frying, stewing, sauteing, steaming, braising, frying, and deep frying favorite Asian recipes. Made from 1.6-millimeter carbon steel that distributes the heat quickly so foods cook evenly. The flat bottom sits securely on any stovetop, and the high-domed lid retains heat and prevents splatters. Easy to season and maintain, the set alsoincludes a 13-inch bamboo spatula, and recipe booklet with instructions.

For more inspiration for the Lunar New Year, check out the full line of Asian inspired kitchen tools here.

Love is in the Air

Love is in the air and HIC – Harold Import Company offers a wide range of quality kitchen tools to help you make Valentine’s Day memorable.  

Whether you’re with your significant other, or with the kids, take the time to prepare delicious meals and baked goods together. Our extra special heart-shaped items will truly make the day special.

Individual desserts and dinner portions, dipping sauces, olives, taco toppings and more, you’ll love HIC’s Heart Shaped Ramekin. Measuring 3.75 X 2 inches, the ramekins are made from high-quality porcelain, and are safe for freezer, microwave, oven and broiler (up to 500 degrees F). 

HIC’s Coeur a La Crème dish is the classic design to create the heart-shaped French dessert. Made from fine-quality porcelain, the dish is safe for freezer, microwave, oven and broiler (up to 500 degrees F). The perforated bottom allows liquid to drain away, so the dessert sets to ideal consistency. Go ahead, indulge.

Make your own gourmet chocolates for the ones you love with the easy-to-use Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Silicone Chocolate Mold. Made from 100% European-grade silicone, the mold maintains it original shape and nonstick qualities for more uses. The mold creates 15 heart shapes.

Head on over to HICKitchen.com for a wide range of the best quality kitchen tools at the best possible prices.

Perfect Eggs for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Eggs: That incredible little oval food that serves as the perfect ingredient for so many meals from breakfast to dinner, and from desserts to snack time. 

They’re nutritious, offering our diets a variety of vitamins, protein, and healthy fats. They’re also pretty darn versatile. HIC – Harold Import Company offers a collection of kitchen gadgets to help you prepare eggs any way you’d like to.

HIC’s Bamboo Egg Cup Set is for serving and enjoying soft-boiled and hard-boiled eggs while still in the shell. Made from 100-percent natural bamboo, the footed design provides optimal stability.  Each measure 2.25 x 2.68-inches.

Cooking the perfect egg couldn’t be easier with HIC Kitchen’s Perfect Egg. This handy gadget features a color-changing indicator that uses heat to sense cooking times for perfectly cooked soft, medium, and hard-boiled eggs. Heat safe to 212-degrees Fahrenheit, the unit’s gradient scale (soft, medium and hard-boiled) cooks single eggs or a dozen with the same perfect texture and yolk consistency. Simply place in the cooking water with the eggs and the color heat sensor changes from red to white while eggs cook.

HIC Kitchen’s Non-Stick Egg Rings shape perfectly round fried or poached eggs for delicious breakfast sandwiches. Made from non-stick carbon steel, each measures 3.75” in diameter. Also great for preparing other breakfast foods such as eggs benedict, buttermilk pancakes, or crepes.

HIC Kitchen Deluxe Egg Slicer is the perfect choice for slicing and dicing hard-boiled eggs. Made from zinc alloy with stainless steel wires, the slicer creates perfectly even slices. Ideal for use as a mushroom or strawberry slicer, too.

Head on over to HICKitchen.com for more great kitchen tools and gadgets.

A Clean Kitchen

Of all the rooms in your home, the kitchen needs cleaning every day. And, with our extensive array of home cleaning products, HIC — Harold Import Company helps turn the drudgery of cleaning the kitchen into a simple and effective task. If you’re looking for home cleaning products to clean up countertops and sinks, refresh coffee makers and floors, scrub your pans and make your wine glasses sparkle, we’ve just what you need. 

HIC Vegetable Scrubber and Dish Brush is made from natural Tampico bristles and wooden handle, that won’t scratch surfaces. Ideal for use on dishes, pots, pans, bakeware and even household chores.  Also handy for cleaning dirt from produce. The shorter handle allows for a secure grip for vigorous scrubbing tasks. Safe for use on nonstick cookware. The scrubber measures 2.5 X 2.5″.

HIC Kitchen Natural Bristle Vegetable and Dish Brush with Handle is perfect for cleaning fresh produce, scrubbing dishes, and so much more. Made from Tampico bristles and a wooden handle, the brush wont scratch surfaces while thoroughly cleaning. Measures 10.5″ long.

Maintaining a clean coffee grinder ensures you’ll enjoy flavorful coffee when you need it. HIC Kitchen’s Coffee Grinder Brush is made from nylon bristles with a natural wood handle. The durable and flexible brush allows you to easily clean both blade and burr-style grinders, removing finely ground coffee dust that may lead to clogging. 

Beyond Gourmet’s Nature-Fresh Cleaning Cloths (set of 3) are specially designed to clean any surface. The reusable cloths, measuring 9.5 x 11-inches each, rinse 99.9-percent germ free in tap water. Their natural bacteria-fighting qualities prevent cloths from turning sour or holding onto odors. Proudly made in Maine (USA) from sustainably sourced natural wood fibers, the reusable cloths are compostable, strong, and durable. Each cloth replaces more than 40 rolls of paper towels to help reduce waste.

It may be a dirty job, but with HIC —Harold Import Company’s kitchen cleaning products, you’ll be taking this daily task with style and ease. Let us help you efficiently clean the most-used rooms in the house. Visit HICKitchen.com today!

Back to Basics

With all the cooking we’ve been doing – stuck home during the pandemic, and with the holidays in full swing, HIC – Harold Import Company is here to keep things running smoothly (and stress-free) in your kitchen. And to do that, you need to stock your kitchen with  quality basic – and essential – kitchen tools.

Get a jump on stocking your kitchen with the basic gadgets, each designed with form and function in mind, so your new year in the kitchen will be off to a great start. Here are a few suggestions . . .

Stir things up (because that’s what we do in the kitchen), with a quality collection of wooden spoons. HIC’s Wooden Spoon is available in a variety of shapes and sizes ranging from 8” to 18. Each are lightweight, yet strong and safe for use on metal and nonstick cookware. Made from FSC-certified beechwood, local to the Czech Republic, maintain bu hand-washing, and occasionally coating with mineral oil. 

Potatoes, carrots, apples and more: A peeler makes kitchen prep quick and easy. With HIC Kitchen’s Swiss Pro Peeler, you’ll definitely save valuable time during food preparation. Made from surgical steel, with a polypropylene handle, the peeler won’t dull or rust and never needs sharpening. it’s contoured grip keeps hands safe and reduces fatigue.

Blending, whisking, mixing and aerating when cooking and baking requires a properly shaped whisk. Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Piano Whisk features flexible, lightweight wires that incorporate more air for fluffy batters, smoother sauces and lighter dough. Made of 18/8 stainless steel, the whisk is fully sealed for safer food preparation. 

Is it time to replace your measuring cup set, or do you simply feel the need to add a second set to your collection for times when one set is in the dishwasher? Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Measuring Cup Set is made of stainless steel, allowing not only for wet or dry measuring, but for gently melting butter, scalding milk and warming water and other liquids. Measurements are clearly engraved on the cup hand, and the set of 4 includes standard kitchen measurements. 

Head on over to HaroldImport.com for more inspiration for your kitchen.

Start a New Tradition: Pasta Making with Fante’s

Holidays are always the perfect backdrop to build family traditions. This year especially, with so many of us celebrating close to home with our immediate families, why not start the tradition of pasta making at home? It’s easier than you think – and even easier with the wide collection of pasta making essentials from HIC. Here, we take a trip to Philadelphia, where the Fante’s family continues to keep the tradition of pasta making alive.

Fante’s Grandma Rina’s Round Ravioli Stamp easily cuts and seals pasta dough for authentic homemade ravioli made with meat, vegetable, or cheese filling.  Simply roll out the pasta dough, prepare ravioli filling, spoon filling onto dough and press down firmly with the stamp, which makes 2-inch round ravioli. The classic fluted edges create authentic pasta shapes, and the comfort-grip handle lets you create enough for a feast without hand strain. The stamps make great cookie cutters, too.

Fante’s Cousin Allora’s Garganelli Maker is designed to aid you in easily rolling pasta dough into tube-shaped noodles with deep outer ridges, which help the sauce cling to pasta. To use, simply place a square of dough onto the board with points at top and bottom, like a diamond. Curl the bottom point around the dowel and roll upward together with a medium pressure to seal the seams and emboss the ridges.

Fante’s Mamma Rina’s Corzetti Stamp creates a decorative floral Fiore Della Vita design on dough. Made in Italy from pearwood, the stamp is ideal for pasta and other firmer dough, such as dough used for making springerle cookie. The design area measures 2′ x 2′, stamp measures 2′ tall. 

Fante’s Cousin Arturo’s Pasta Pin scores dough for making Fettucelle pasta the authentic way.  Made in Italy from natural beechwood, the easy-to-use pin scores 10 half-inch-wide noodles at one time. When you’re not making pasta, use it for ribbon cookies, and other classic Italian recipes. 

Fante’s Cousin s Bartolomeo’s Rotary Cheese Grater finely grates hard and semi-hard cheeses, almonds and other nuts, breadcrumbs, and baking chocolate. Made of 18/8 stainless steel and BPA-free plastic, the spring-loaded cover holds items against the drum with gentle pressure for consistent results. Compact and portable for quick and easy use on pasta and casseroles, baked goods, dessert recipes, hot chocolate, coffee beverages, and frozen drinks.

For over 100 years, Fante’s Kitchen Shop and the extended Fante’s family have lived, worked, cooked and eaten in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic Italian Market. Fante’s Kitchen Shop is a world-famous kitchen supply store with a large selection of food preparation equipment and culinary supplies. As a third-generation, family-run business dealing in gourmet kitchen supplies ourselves, HIC, Harold Import Co. has formed a winning partnership with Fante’s based on a shared goal: bringing quality Italian cooking supplies to the people at the best prices possible.

For more great products from Fante’s, visit HIC‑Harold Import Company.

Fante’s Kitchens’ experience has naturally developed into the creation of a signature line of Italian Cookware: Fante’s made by HIC, Harold Import Co.

Roasting Essentials for a Flavorful Season

The menu has been planned, the shopping is complete, and now it is time to get cooking. Whether it is a turkey, a beef roast, leg of lamb or a delicious glazed ham, having the proper roasting equipment on hand will make the process go much more smoothly. And, the results will so much more enjoyable!

Roasting Rack

If you are of the school that believes a roasting requires that air circulate around the food for proper browning, then a roasting rack is needed (or, a spit). They sit in the pan and hold the meat away from the bottom of the pan, allowing the air to circulate, and the fat to drip away. Make sure the rack is well constructed and sturdy enough to hold the meat. It should allow for at least 2” clearance from the top of the oven. Roasting racks come in different styles: V rack (adjustable or non-adjustable), flat rack, and vertical poultry roasters.

HIC has them all – including the HIC Pro V Roasting Rack that is made from heavyweight chrome wire and is durable and oven safe to 500-degrees Fahrenheit. The V-shape securely cradles food and elevates it above fat and juices, allowing for better heat circulation, even baking, faster cooking, and all-over browning. The reinforced handles make transfer into and out of a roasting pan easy. It measures 15-inches x 11-inches x 4-inches. Hand wash in warm, soapy water.

Lifters

Have you ever grabbed a long wooden spoon, placed it into the tail end, balanced the bird with a spoon on the other end, and then carefully, carefully transferred the turkey from roaster to carving platter? Not an easy task. One great way to move the bird (or roast) from pan to platter is to use a turkey lifter. They come in different styles – ours resemble a set of forks (which are used to pierce the skin).  This holiday season, don’t opt for the oven mitt/wooden spoon transfer, get yourself an ‘official’ turkey lifter.

HIC Roasting Turkey Lifters (set of 2) safely maneuver a whole turkey and other meats from roasting pans to serving platter or cutting board keeping them intact. Made from chrome-plated steel with a PVC coated handle, the sturdy and durable lifters securely lift large turkeys and other meats (up to 20-pounds). The non-slip comfort grip keeps hands safely away from heat.

Basters

Bulb basters get their most use during Thanksgiving, but they’re great for use all year round, for so many different types of roasts. Acting like a big eye dropper, they suction up the fat and liquid from the roasting pan and pour them over the meat to keep it moist while adding flavor, and creating a glaze during cooking time. 

HIC Roasting Turkey Baster is just what you need for cooking and roasting foods to a golden brown outside and maintaining a moist and juicy inside. Made from FDA-approved silicone and plastic, the baster is heat-resistant to 210-degrees Fahrenheit and has a 1.5-fluid-ounce capacity. Easy-read increments (ounces and milliliters) for precise measuring.

Lacing Kits

We all feel compelled to truss, but do we really know why? Trussing the roast into a more uniform shape helps to ensure even cooking. And trussing a turkey into a compact shape not only helps it cook evenly, just as important is when the twine is removed, the turkey will still hold its shape for easier carving. Grab some kitchen twine, or reusable trussing tools, and get tying.

HIC’s Turkey Lacer Kit is for lacing turkey and other stuffed poultry, meats, fish, chops, wild game, and more. The kit includes 6-each reusable stainless-steel pins and single-use 100-percent cotton butchers twine for a secure hold while roasting. Lace a turkey, chicken or Braciole to securely hold in stuffing during roasting. Also great for stuffed rabbit, pheasant, crab stuffed flounder, and more. Food safe and oven safe, the butcher’s twine is disposable. Hand wash reusable pins in warm, soapy water.

Measuring Temperature

The success of your efforts in the kitchen depends on the food reaching and maintaining the proper temperature. Finger poking isn’t always the best way to determine if a meat is properly cooked, so an instant-read thermometer is perfect for all your roasting needs. A digital version, with its small sensors located in the tip, are extremely accurate at measuring a wide range of temperatures. 

HIC Roasting s Folding Digital Meat Thermometer instantly reads internal temperature. Featuring a stainless steel stem, the thermometer comes with 7 preset doneness levels plus 1 user setting. The target temperature alert beep is handy, and the adjustable angles for allow for easy access during use.

Get Slicing

Whether it’s a roast or poultry, HIC is ready to help you serve up success.

Cutlery-Pro s Chef’s Granton Roaster Knife makes for easier meat slicing without shredding, causing friction against the blade, or sticking to the blade. Made from German carbon steel that stays sharp longer, the knife features a perfectly ground edge for superior performance. The ergonomic handle is designed for added comfort with a safety guard to protect fingers. The blade is easily re-sharpened if it ever becomes dull from use. Dishwasher safe 

Be sure to head on over to our website for the best quality cooking tools at the best possible prices to keep you cooking all year round.

Candy Time with HIC

As Halloween approaches (and more holidays are the horizon), sweet treats are on our minds. Make the celebration a bit more special by making your own chocolates. Our silicone molds come in various shapes, and because they are freezer, microwave and oven safe, you can us them to create delicious confections, baked goods, and even ice!

Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Triple Chocolate Bar Mold is exactly what you need to make three delicious chocolate bars. Make, white, dark or milk – and add some nuts or crushed Oreos for truly special results. The tray measures 8.66″ x 6.3″; fFinished bars each measure 5.5″ x 1.25″ x .25″.

Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Silicone Cordial Cup Chocolate Mold is perfect for homemade peanut butter cups, or any filled chocolates. The mold creates 18 cordial shapes, so in addition to making chocolate, you can create butter or spreads in the molds. Each cordial measures 1” X 1” X 0.75” deep. Safe for use in freezer and oven (-67-degrees Fahrenheit to 460-degrees Fahrenheit), microwave and dishwasher.

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HIC also features a wide variety of silicone ice tray molds, which are perfect for baking and candy making. All are made from silicone that is FDA approved, and safe for freezer, microwave, oven and dishwasher.

The HIC Kitchen Mermaid Ice Tray, makes 6 tail-shaped confections, each measuring 2″ X 7/8″.

HIC Kitchen Unicorn Ice Tray, makes 10 unicorn shaped treats — perfect for candy, brownies, juice, and even crafting.

HIC Kitchen Duck Ice Tray will make 12 goodies in a cute duck shape.

Head on over to HIC — Harold Import Company website for all your cooking and baking needs. You can’t have a kitchen without HIC.

The Kitchen Thermometer

Using a thermometer in the kitchen is the most reliable way to ensure maximum food safety and the best results. Unfortunately, most home chefs only think about using a thermometer when the holidays come around – when checking the internal temperature of the turkey or holiday roast, or when preparing their homemade holiday candies. But the thermometer has so many uses throughout the kitchen, from ensuring your meat reaches a safe temperature for consumption, to measuring temperature inside the oven for maximum baking results, that the kitchen thermometer is something that should be used all year round. 

HIC – Harold Import Company offers a range of thermometers to suit your needs from analog to digital, and from candy, to meat, to appliance thermometers.

Our all-purpose thermometer is designed with a large face for easy reading.

A good all-purpose thermometer, available in either analog or digital versions, provides a range of temperatures allowing you to use if for measuring temperature when baking or cooking meat and poultry. HIC Kitchen’s Instant Read Large Face Analog Thermometer features a large shatterproof face, easy calibration, and antimicrobial sheath with a safe temperature guide. The probe is made from stainless steel, and is designed to instantly read temperatures from  20-220-degrees Fahrenheit. 

A Candy Thermometer, also known as a deep-fry thermometer,  is used to measure the stage of cooking a sugar solution. Because it is essential that the user keep a constant eye on the temperature, our version features large digits for easy reading. The HIC Candy/Deep Fry Thermometer easily clips to the pan for hands-free use, and reads temperatures from 100 to 390-degrees Fahrenheit, making it perfect for deep frying doughnuts, French fries, fish, chicken, candy making, jelly, and more.

HIC Kitchen’s Folding Digital Meat Thermometer features an LCD display with 5-second response time, so you’ll know internal temperature instantly in either Fahrenheit or Celsius. The unit allows for adjustable angles for easier access and use, and is customizable in 7 languages, with 7 preset doneness levels plus 1 user setting, along with a target temperature alert beep. 

HIC Kitchen’s Oven Thermometer accurately reads, and helps regulate, oven temperatures to ensure precision in cooking and proper food safety. Made from stainless steel, the large 2.5-inch easy-read face measures from 100 to 600-degrees Fahrenheit and can hang or stand for easy placement in ovens, charcoal or gas grills, BBQ smokers, and rotisseries. Measures in Fahrenheit and Celsius.

HIC – Harold Import Company offers a wide variety of timers – from pop-up disposable timers to digital instant-read thermometers. Visit our website to view the assortment of thermometers for your individual needs.

Fall Season Baking: Donuts

We love donuts all year round, but when Fall season arrives, we really kick things into gear. That’s because apple cider donuts are all the rage, and our Mrs. Anderson’s Donut Baking Pan make preparing them so easy. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple cider are definitely fall flavors all wrapped up in a sweet donut. Enjoy our Apple Cider Donut recipe featuring the autumn-inspired flavors you’re craving.

  • 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 cups apple cider, reduced to 3/4 cup
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp nutmeg
  • pinch salt

For Topping

  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray, or brush with melted butter.

Pour apple cider in saucepan and simmer on low-medium for 15-20 minutes, or until the cider reduces to 3/4 cup. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars together. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until combined. Add buttermilk and apple cider, combine until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated — do not over mix, otherwise donuts will be tough.

Spoon batter into doughnut wells. (Or, spoon into pastry bag not fitted with a tip, snip end and squeeze into doughnut wells.)

Bake 14-15 minutes, or until tops are firm and doughnut springs back slightly. Allow doughnuts to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove and place on wire rack.

While they are cooling, prepare topping.

In a small bowl, melt butter in microwave and set aside.

In another bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar.

When they are still warm to the touch, dip the top of the doughnut in the melted butter, then dip in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Mrs. Anderson’s 6-Cup Donut Baking Pan is for making homemade doughnuts with quick food release and easy cleanup. Made of professional-quality carbon steel with a premium quick-release, non-stick coating for uniform baking. Makes 6 donuts, and is heat safe to 480-degrees F.