What is this kitchen tool - a handle, and coil of metal around a metal plate? I'm at a loss for what these things are for - they came in a bag with some other things I bought at a thrift store.
They're cocktail strainers, and they do what they sound like! More precisely, you use it to strain the cocktail on the way out of the shaker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocktail_strainer