The Back Page : COOKSTUFF : Skim Deep

How do you build a better bulb baster? Replace the bulb with a pistol-grip rubber handle (take that , you turkey!), engineer a sleek, angular basting tube that separates the fat from the pan juices, and equip it with two different tips: a traditional round end that goes deep for drippings, and a wide-mouthed nub that grazes the surface, making the chore of skimming fat from stocks a reasonable job. Now you can really stick it to your roasts and soups. About $12 at Williams-Sonoma and the Broadway.

Royal Service

The unofficial motto of the chintz-minded interior designer Nina Campbell is, “Keep your nerve.” Maybe that’s what she told former clients Andrew and Fergie. “Mix big and small,” she says, “but not mediocre.” Campbell is famous for imprinting many of the fabrics she designs with antique china patterns. Now she’s turned the tables: She’s designed five china patterns inspired by some of her own fabrics. How bold! Available at Geary’s in Beverly Hills, On a MIssion in Claremont, and Bo Danica in La Jolla..