Foodie Freebie Friday: Microplanes!

Welcome back to another week of giveaways! I hope you had a fabulous weekend doing something fun with loved ones! For this week's Foodie Freebie Friday, I'm highlighting a favorite tool of mine, the Microplane® grater because of it's versatile use for both cooks and bakers!

Microplane® is a company that specializes makes grating, grinding and sanding tools. Probably more commonly known for their kitchen tools among home and professional chefs, Microplane® graters are also known in other industries for their products made specifically for woodworking and beauty.

It started out in 1990, merely as a new type of woodworking tool. The Microplane® rasp was first invented in 1990 by brothers Richard and Jeff Grace at their jointly owned contract manufacturing facility, Grace Manufacturing Inc., in Russellville, Arkansas, USA. The company already had almost 20 years of photochemical machining experience making parts for the high tech printer industry, but it had never really produced any parts of its own design.

Microplane® tools' tiny razor-like edges are formed by a totally different process called photo-etching in which holes are dissolved with a chemical, leaving edges that finely slice instead of tearing or shredding.

The big moment came in 1994, when Lorraine Lee, a homemaker in Ottawa, Canada, was making an Armenian orange cake. Out of frustration with her old grater, she picked up a new tool her husband, Leonard, had brought home from their hardware store, Lee Valley Tools. She slid the orange across its blades and was amazed. Lacy shards of zest fell from its surface like snowflakes. The Lees marveled at the tool, ate the cake, then promptly changed the product description in their catalogue. The Microplane® grater had earned permanent space in the kitchen. ~ Microplane website

So this week, a lucky reader will receive a set of 4 Classic Microplane® kitchen tools including:

• 1 Zester / Grater - Originally a woodworking tool, this best seller grates even the hardest Parmesan Reggiano as well as other hard cheeses into fine lacy wisps. Ideal for topping your favorite spaghetti and meatballs or a Caesar salad. It’s also wonderful for effortless citrus zesting to add natural flavors to a lemon crème brulee or a basic vinaigrette.
  
  
• 1 Extra Course Grater - For Grating/Zesting of Chocolate, Hard Cheese, Citrus Zest, Coconut, Ginger and Garlic. Use this grater to make chunky slivers for tacos and salads.
  
  
• 1 Medium Ribbon Grater - For Grating of Soft Cheese, Butter, Chocolate, Cabbage and Apples. The Microplane® Medium Ribbon Grater grates ingredients in both directions, saving time and effort. It is one of the coarsest of our blade styles.
  
  
• 1 Spice Grater (only Available in Black & Red) - Originally a woodworking tool, this spice grater tackles even the hardest spices like nutmeg with ease. Ideal for grating a touch of fresh cinnamon or chocolate over the top of your hot drink.

A lucky winner will get a set of all 4 graters above and will have the option of receiving the same colored handles (in black, red or cobalt blue) or assorted colored handles in the 3 colors:

Some guidelines:
- Giveaway is only for those who live in the United States. My apologies to my international readers!
- You must have a valid email address so that you can be contacted if you win.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment about:
- Are you more of a cook or baker? Why do you prefer one over the other?

Deadline: Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 12 midnight CST.

One Winner will be randomly chosen by Random.Org's Interger Generator based on the number of your comment and will be announced on Friday, February 20, 2009. Good luck!