Have you ever seen one of these at Goodwill, and wondered what the heck it was for?

This strange-l0oking pan is far from the only strange thing that shows up at Goodwill that really has a perfectly normal purpose – if only we knew what it was! In this case, it’s a ravioli mold. Aren’t you glad you know that now? It’s used in cooking, even though I most often find this one thrown in the bin with the ice cube molds.

A ravioli mold is really easy to use, too.  First you place a thinly rolled sheet of pasta over top of it, and put filling over each of the divots. Then you cover with another thinly rolled pasta layer, and use a rolling pin to press the two layers together. Flip the whole thing over, separate any edges still adhering to each other, and cook according to your recipie. Want additional details? Check here: http://www.mangiabenepasta.com/ravioli_mold_directions.html

How about this one – anyone know what this is and how to use it?

It’s a french bread pan. You make your bread dough, mold it into the correct shape, and place it into the trough to bake. This pan will hold three loaves at a time. It ensures that the bread gets that nice crusty texture all the way around, not just on the top.  (Pic from: http://gratineeblog.com/2010/07/my-favourites-the-gourmet-warehouse/) I’ve seen several of these at my Goodwill, usually in with the hardware instead of the baking items.

How about these little things? Each is about the size of “O” you can make with your thumb and forefinger:

They are all parts to a meat grinder. Check this link if you want to see how they all fit together: http://www.meatbasics101.com/meat_grinders_02.htm You use a meat grinder to turn large chunks of roast into ground beef. (Or ground lamb, pork, etc – whatever you start with, obviously.) At my Goodwill, meat grinders and their parts are common enough that they’re usually found in the kitchen area where they belong.

What have you found at your local thrift store, that YOU recognized even though nobody around you did?