Hypothetical situation: You're moving into your first apartment (or, have decided you need to do more than microwaving in your current apartment). You have some cash to spend, but not a lot. What are the most important items for the kitchen?
I found myself in a similar situation not too long ago, and to be honest, I didn't really know what I needed. Lots of different pans? A plastic utensil set? A garlic press? Over the past couple years of trial and error, I've come up with my list of kitchen essentials.
The must-haves:
A good cutting board. Wood is great for fruits and veggies, and contrary to what you might have heard, fine to use for raw meat as well. Just scrub with an antibacterial soap and hot water after use and dry thoroughly, and your surface will remain salmonella free.
Tongs. I didn't discover this magical utensil until just recently and I don't know how I lived so long without them. They're perfect for flipping meat without releasing precious juices. Also useful for moving other items around in a pan, or pulling the rack out of your oven. Get a sturdy pair that doesn't lock. They will be your best friend.
Balloon whisk. The more wires the better.
Fat spatula. Necessary for pancake flipping and also to turn flaky fish. Try to get a wide one so there's plenty of support - you can't flip an 8 inch flapjack with a 3 inch spatula. Confession: I own about six spatulas. But at least I recognize there's a problem.
Pepper grinder. I'm sorry, but there is just NO comparing freshly ground black pepper to the weird, sneezy powdery substance that is pre-ground. Invest in one that has an adjustable grind, so you can go superfine or chunky depending on your recipe and personal preferences.
Oven thermometer. Since maintaining correct temperature is vital for many recipes, it's also vital to know what temperature your oven is actually at! If you live in an apartment with an ancient or questionable oven, the oven thermometer is a key object to have. If you don't, it's still a good idea. Hook this baby over the top rack in your oven and marvel at how far off the temperature control dial on your oven is (ours is consistently 25° above the actual oven temp).
8" chef's knife. Multipurpose knife for almost all your cutting needs - and one place where you should splurge if you can afford to (a nice knife can set you back $50-$100 but is well worth it). Keep it sharp and it will handle even the most delicate slicing tasks. Get a cheapie serrated knife for slicing bread.
Paring knife. For those smaller items. Ever try hulling strawberries with an 8" knife?
Vegetable peeler. I like the "D" type peeler (vs. the "Y" shaped ones). Pick one that is comfortable in your hand and has a sturdy blade. Cheaper peelers will often bend over time, so watch out for that.
Dry measuring cups. 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 cup measures are the biggies. Get a nice set in 18/10 steel and they'll last pretty much forever.
Liquid measuring cup. I like the Perfect Beaker because it has measurements in a zillion units (tablespoons, cups, ounces...), comes with a cover so you can mix directly in it, and it also looks kinda cool. We have two of these in addition to a 2 c. and 4 c. glass measure. The only downside is that the plastic is not particularly resistant to hot liquids, so you will want to have a Pyrex measuring cup if you measure a lot of boiling water.
Wooden stirring utensil. Spoons are good, of course, but this flat-edged guy is awesome at scraping the bottom of pans. You may want two or three of these, so when you have several pans going at once you can stir them all at once, too.
Silicone spatula. I like our one-piece model for two reasons: it has a small end and a large end, so it can be used in small bowls as well as large; also, the two-piece spatulas I've had in the past tend to either rust or grow mold at the junction between the plastic spatula part and the metal/wooden handle.
Small dry measures. Get a set that has 1 Tbsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp and 1/4 tsp spoons. 1/2 Tbsp is nice but not necessary, and a 'pinch' will usually suffice for 1/8 tsp measurements.
Meat thermometer. The only reliable way to know whether a cooked object is really 'done' is to take its temperature, so save yourself a lifetime of overcooked pork and undercooked chicken with this $5 item. Vegetarians - you can take the temperature of cakes. :)
Not pictured but necessary:
Large and medium mixing bowls. I have a set of 12 different-sized glass mixing bowls that I got at Williams-Sonoma for under $40 and I love them, but you really only need a really big and a medium sized bowl. Metal is preferable to glass (very heavy) or plastic (holds on to odors), but you may want to look for bowls with rubber-coated bottoms to stop them from slipping while you're stirring. Just don't use them on the stove or in the oven!
10" frying pan; medium saucepan. Get a frying pan that is oven-safe. Unless you do a lot of no-fat cooking, avoid non-stick surfaces; they make the pan prone to scratching and wear off over time anyway. And while it's not the best idea to boil pasta in something as small as a medium saucepan... I've been getting away with it for almost a year now, and as long as you're only doing 2-4 servings at a time, you can too.
10" Dutch oven - something heavy like a Le Creuset - for casseroles, tagines and other nifty one-pot meals. Another place where a splurge is ok, since these will last a lifetime.
Cookie sheets, wire cooling racks - two of each - and an 8x8" Pyrex pan. There are very few confections that cannot be baked in either a cookie sheet or an 8x8.
Potholders/oven gloves and dishtowels. Because you just don't want to melt your flesh while pulling cookies out of the oven.
Can opener for, uh, can opening, and Tupperware for leftovers.
Armed with this small cabinet's worth of cookware, you can make damn near anything.
Minor additions:
If you do a lot of baking, a hand mixer (or, er, stand mixer) is borderline essential; you will probably also want a 9" round cake pan or two and a 9x13" rectangular pan. I would be lost without my Microplane grater - fresh nutmeg makes life worth living, sometimes - but it's probably not a must-have for everyone.
What else am I missing?
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Necessary objects
Monday, June 26, 2006
Guide: Choosing the Right Cooking Oil
Like many people, I grew up with an old-school mother. We fried with vegetable oil, buttered our bread quite liberally, and baked with Crisco. I'm sure by the age of 10, my arteries started to clog.
After graduating college, I decided that my diet needed to consist of something better than beer and buffalo wings, so I started cooking healthier for myself.
Being a sci-geek, I knew from all the research that olive oil was supposedly "the best," in terms of health benefits. It is lower in saturated fat than most of the other oils, and is a staple in the widely-regarded "Mediterranean Diet."
I started cooking with olive oil. I started cooking everything with olive oil. It was going swimmingly, until I decided to bake with it. Let's just say that I ended up throwing out that batch of muffins. . .
I tried a commercial non-fat cooking spray. I now have an entire set of cookware I can't use because PAM stripped the Teflon of it's non-stick capabilities. While I continue to use this stuff for baking, I will never, ever use it for stove top cooking again!
I've become more sophisticated with oils now that, a) I know there are other healthy oils out there, and b) that each oil has a specific purpose- there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
While none of these "rules" are hard and fast, it's a general guide to help decide which oil is right for your needs:
Deep-frying: For deep-frying, a high-heat oil is necessary. The best healthy oils for this are Peanut and Safflower. Both have a non-invasive flavor that won't linger on your food, but it is wise to be careful when serving food with peanut oil, as there is an increasing number of people with food allergies.
Pan frying/sauteeing: Any number of oils can be good for pan frying or sauteeing, depending on what flavors you'd like to achieve. For a stir-fry, I generally like to use canola oil, with a dash of toasted sesame oil for flavor (you get a lot of bang for your buck with this stuff- less is better). Canola oil is another oil that doesn't flavor food prohibitively, so I like to use it as an all-purpose oil. I tend to use pure or virgin olive oil strictly for Italian cooking, or to add flavor to a bland piece of protein, such as Tilapia.
Baking: It's clear that butter, lard, and shortening give the best flavor in baking. However, my waistline is more important to me, so I use canola or safflower oil on the rare occasions that I bake. Peanut oil is another good option, but can be difficult to use if someone has peanut allergies.
I've also done the popular subsitution of applesauce-for-vegetable oil in some recipes. It works for some, but not for others.
Other: Of course, I use extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling or dipping bread. I've also used orange oil for it's cleaning properties, as it is now a popular additive for commercial cleaners. Flaxseed oil has also become a popular supplement among athletes intent on consuming essential fatty acids, like Omega-3's, and fiber (or as a cop-out among steroid users. . .)
It's easy to overlook the importance of oil in cooking. Not only does it help to add flavor and texture to food, but it also helps add essential fat to the diet. There are lots of vegetable-based oils out there that are healthy and add interest to food.
Besides my own personal opinions, there are some guides out there, that discuss the benefits and drawbacks for each type of oil. Many give details on the types of fats they contain and what their best uses are. The only way to figure out what works best for you is to explore and experiment!
