Even at an early age I believed in the importance of sampling everything.
I’ve enjoyed cooking as far back as I can remember. One of my earliest memories was that of standing on a small step-stool at the kitchen sink after church on Sunday afternoon. While mom was busy finishing up Sunday dinner I was occupying myself with the lettuce core, cucumber trimmings, carrot peels, and any other vegetable scraps mom may have discarded. I wasn’t playing…I was diligently “making” my own salad in a cool whip container!
“How in the world did all of this fit in here to begin with???”
As much as I liked helping in the kitchen and cooking on my own as I got older, there were certain tasks that I dreaded like the plague…one of those was emptying the dishwasher. It wasn’t so much that emptying the dishwasher was the problem, the real problem was figuring out how each item went back into the drawer that it supposedly called “home”. There were a couple of drawers that were the culinary equivalent of trying to get a map re-folded to just the way it originally was….simply impossible! Too much stuff! That is exactly the problem with most people’s kitchens – too many things that don’t really warrant keeping around but “what if I need it sometime?”
Talking about this in my cooking classes recently, a guest brought up a good point…it’s not necessarily that these are items people are buying for themselves, many times they are a gift of a well-intentioned family member or friend that knows we like to cook. So, when visiting a cookware store they must apparently look for the most obscure looking gadget and say “I bet they don’t have this!” (they’re probably right…and with good reason!). Feeling quite confident that they’ve just found the culinary holy grail, they purchase it as that thoughtful gift that you end up stuffing in the drawer, cabinet or other hiding place where it sits for the next umpteen years!
Too often we ourselves probably think …”If I only had that item it would make things so much easier”. Acquiring items is not the same as acquiring skills. I think that often the more “things” we have in the kitchen, probably the fewer actual skills that we have because we’re trying to rely on something else to do a task for us. In the meantime we struggle with cabinets and drawers filled to overflowing with many things that rarely see the light of day. When we do use them, then we have that much more to wash and put away.
A well-equipped kitchen is one that has good, sturdy, high-quality items that can function in many different ways. It’s easy to get excited over specialty baking pans, electric appliances and other things that are fun to use but too often people overlook two of the most basic items in the kitchen: the chef’s knife and a good cutting board. Regardless of what type of cooking or baking you do, these two items form the basis of the well-equipped kitchen.
If you haven’t already made out your list for Santa, or you’re not sure what gift to get those who love to cook, here are a few of my favorite things:
The Epicurean brand cutting boards are the ones that I use in my cooking classes. They are the best of both wood and plastic: dishwasher safe, easy on knives, lightweight, and require no special care and maintenance. Available in a wide-range of sizes, the smaller ones are great to double up as trivets for hot casserole and baking dishes on the table since they’re heat-safe up to 350 degrees.
The purchase of a good-quality chef’s knife is one of the most important things you can do to enhance your cooking and food preparation. The second most important thing you can do is to learn to use it correctly! I love the St. Moritz Elite line of knives by Messermeister. Again, these are the same ones that I use in the hands-on classes here at Chef Darin’s Kitchen Table so if you’ve been a guest in one of my classes you know how great these really are! The forged manufacturing method means that they’ll be heavier-duty and retain an edge for a longer period of time. The balance of these knives is one of my favorite aspects. They so well-balanced that you can balance the chef’s knife on an out-stretched index finger. The bolster-less edge also means that they’ll sharpen evenly. The two piece set priced below what many single knives sell for is a great value. A chef’s knife and a paring knife are the two most commonly used knives in any kitchen.
Good heavy duty measuring cups with sturdy handles will always be appreciated! I always recommend having at LEAST two sets of measuring spoons and dry measuring cups. This will make cooking much easier without the need to wash and dry measuring cups multiple times in the preparation of a recipe. Two sets of measuring spoons are useful so that you can use one set for dry spices and ingredients and the other one for extracts and other liquids.
The “salad sac” will keep your salad greens, vegetables and herbs in good condition much longer than many other methods I’ve used. I LOVE this for herbs, particularly if you grow them. Wash your salad greens, herbs, etc. and place them directly in the bag. Don’t spin or pat them dry. Pull the drawstring shut and bounce the bag around a bit to encourage the excess water to soak into the terrycloth bag. The bag will keep the herbs and greens in a moist environment and help them stay crisp and nice much longer without them getting slimy and nasty as is often the case in plastic bags. It also eliminates the need to frequently change out water when storing herbs in a cup or glass.
While it looks more like a cat’s toy than a kitchen tool, the “Duo Whisk” really does a great job of emulsifying vinaigrettes and aerating whipped cream and egg whites. The benefit is provided by the small interior wire sphere which helps to incorporate more air while whipping. When you only need a standard whisk and aren’t looking to aerate a mixture, simply remove the interior sphere by separating the outer tines of the whisk.
Few kitchen tools are a versatile as a Microplane rasp-style zester. The fine teeth of this tool easily remove the zest of citrus fruit but also perfectly mince garlic and ginger, grate chocolate and Parmesan cheese, and are also perfect for freshly grated nutmeg. A quick rinse with hot water and it’s clean! I personally recommend and prefer the original version without a handle (#40001) because I think it’s easier to scrape food off of and also easier to clean since the underside isn’t bent inward to accommodate a handle. Some people just need to get a grip in things and for them I recommend the one with the handle (#40020)
If you’ve ever been in even just one of my classes you’ll know that I preach hatred toward garlic presses and encourage everyone to go home and throw them away with great delight. Rejoice in the freedom it brings from the horrid mess that they are to clean! Well, I guess it’s time for me to eat crow because I was recently given a sample of the “Garlic Twist” to try out for myself. Skeptical of most “gimmicky” looking things I decided I’d give it a shot…experiencing is believing and that’s the same way I discovered how great the Duo Whisk and Salad Sacs are as well. I brought it home ready to say “see…it’s a gimmick” and well dang, they were right…it really is easy to use and best of all, easy to clean up! To use the Garlic Twist you pull the two sides apart and put in several cloves of garlic at once. Put the pieces back together like a small jewelry box and twist the sides in opposite directions. While you’re twisting, inside thick plastic teeth chop the garlic as fine as you like…twist more for a finer degree. Scrape out the garlic, give a good rinse in hot water and you’re done! Easy to use and easy to clean up! If I only needed one clove of garlic I’d still be inclined to smash, crush and chop with my chef’s knife but for several cloves I now reach for the Garlic Twist!
If you or someone you know wants to feel more empowered in the kitchen then “CookWise” and “BakeWise” need to be on your bookshelf. Authored by Shirley Corriher, renowned food scientist that even Julia Child used to consult for the who, what, and why on food, these books will help demystify cooking techniques, troubleshoot problems, and help you better understand what to do and why. Both books feature Shirley’s easy to use “At A Glance” charts for the best things to do for proper results on everything from specific cooking techniques to specific types of recipes. Each recipe includes a list of helpful learning points that you’ll be able to apply to other recipes using the same techniques and ingredients.
