I am relatively new at cooking. About ten years ago I couldn't even make easy mac in the microwave. Now, after a lot of trial and error, I can confidently say I am a mediocre cook! Not advanced or professional by any stretch, but I think I make a mean pork chop and a delicious loaf of bread. There are some important things I learned along the way. One of which is to properly stock your kitchen. I used to think it was crazy to pay alot for pots and pans and cooking supplies. Toss away tins were just as effective as glass pans and there was no need for copper core fry pans when you could spend 1/10th the money on a colorful, cool looking alternative. Boy, was I wrong! The saying, "You get what you pay for." pretty much applies to cookware. I am not saying you need to buy a $1,000 set when going off to college and you can't even scramble and egg, but what I am saying if, if you like cooking and are decently good at it, it's worth the investment. The more you cook, the more you use the stuff, and the better stuff lasts longer, trust me!
But, what, you ask, should I have in my kitchen to cook with? Just walk into a cooking store like Sur La Table or William Sonoma and you will be overwhelmed beyond belief! Sure, the store people are helpful, but what do you really need? I have never made a bundt cake, but sure enough I ended up with one taking up valuable kitchen storage space. Here are my core suggestions on how to avoid this mistake:
1. A 10 inch non-stick skillet
2. A 12 inch skillet
3. A Dutch oven
4. A Large stock pot and lid
5. A Large saucepan
6. A Variety of stock pots and lids
After you get the core essentials add these items on:
1. A roasting pan and rack
2. A Wok
3. Cast iron skillet
When it comes to baking, here is what I built my kitchen around:
1. Muffin tins
2. Cookie sheets (I have two and find it is never enough!)
3. 9X5 loaf pan (Tin, glass, and silicon are great for different reasons, but if you're new to baking, any of these will do the trick.)
3. Rimmed baking sheets (Again, I have two and find I need more, but it works)
4. Wire cooling racks
And your additions:
1. Stoneware. I love Pampered Chef's stoneware. I use their pizza stone almost daily. I also have a shallow pan-like stone that works great too.
2. A spring-form pan is lovely for making cakes and pies. I barely use it since I haven't exactly mastered the art of cake baking yet, but I'm sure once I get better it will get more use.
3. A non-stick baking mat. This is my next purchase. It's used to line baking sheets instead of parchment paper. It's reusable so I therefore love it.
There is also the matter of the tools you need. Knives, spatulas, whisks- all are essential to a good looking, and tasting meal. But you don't have to buy every lobster claw breaker and lettuce knife you see. Here are my beginning supplies:
1. A box grater.
2. A metal colander. Don't do plastic- you're dumping steaming and boiling hot liquids in this thing. How does plastic melt? If you see this connection, you will invest in a metal one.
3. A Good cutting board. I prefer wood and thick. I don't care about if it's end grain or exotic, but if it's about 1 inch thick and wider than the length of your biggest knife. If you have space for it, the bigger the better! I have a dream of creating an entire counter out of thick wood that can be used for cutting.
4. Mixing bowls- Metal and glass. Don't bother with plastic, they don't last.
5. Ladle, slotted spoon, tongs, a flexible spatula, a metal spatula, a plastic spatula, and a whisk are essential utensils. I keep them all in a vase on the counter top so I can get to the all easily.
6. Don't forget a veggie peeler. I got one that hooks onto your finger and sits in the palm of you hand and am in love with the ease of it.
7. Measuring cups. The collapsible, stacking ones are good when considering space in your kitchen.
8. Pyrex has stacking liquid measuring cups that has a lid. I like them alot and my sister-in-law also swears by them.
Know, on to your knives:
1. Santoku- don't bother with a chef's knife if you get one of these. They work pretty much the same.
2. Paring- this is for small cuts you need to make.
3. Serrated bread knife- if you do make home made bread, or buy loaves not precut, this knife is essential. Don't bother buying it if you don't.
4. Kitchen shears- I really just use an old pair of craft scissors- but if you want to butterfly a chicken or open a package neatly, this is something that will come in handy.
5. A sharpening tool- there are a few options. I like the wheel kind. You hold it down with one hand and run the knife's blade through the wheel. Voila! Done in seconds.
These are what I have found, (In addition to picking up some tips from Martha Stewart and Williams Sonoma) over the course of 10 years,to be the best things to have in your kitchen. I didn't go out and buy it all at the same time. I replaced my crappy stuff when it needed it with something worthwhile. After I had replaced the core supplies, I began to branch out. The hard thing now? Not buying every little gadget out there! Sure they're cool, but where am I really going to store an herb shredder?
Hope this lengthy checklist will help you when you are beginning or just looking to stock your kitchen with what's worthwhile. Do you have something you can't live without in your kitchen not on my list? Let me know, I'm still learning!
No comments:
Post a Comment