Kitchen Construction 101

brought to you by Mr. Blogger.... 

 Toys. There is one thing I love about cooking above all else; the toys; knives, sauté` pans, spatulas, double boilers and cleavers, oh my! So, if you’ve ever wondered what you truly need to make your kitchen a well olive oiled machine here you go. Bon Appetite.

1. First things first, the most valuable tool in your kitchen will always be, in my opinion, your chefs knife. A good chefs knife will do almost all the utilities you need to do in the kitchen. Your blade will be a slight investment, but you don’t need to sell a kidney to buy one. If it can be found hanging on a display at your grocery store its not worthy of you time or money. Go to a good kitchen store (Williams Sonoma and the like) ask to see their chefs knives. You don’t need to buy the biggest blade in the block. I recommend starting out with a good eight-inch blade. This size is good for doing most large jobs but isn’t so big to be cumbersome and possibly dangerous. There are many brands and styles that are great, (I will be doing a knife review in the coming weeks so I will refrain from the finer points of particular makers here) the main point is how does the knife feel in your hand. Is it too heavy? Is it too light? How balanced does the blade feel in your hand? Is the grip comfortable? How easy is it to sharpen? What kind of steel will you need to hone the blade? These are questions I recommend asking with each knife you handle. After you have chosen your blade find out what the angle of the blade is and what kind of sharpener you are going to need, (hey if you are going to drop $70-$100 on a knife you need to keep it sharp) a good sharpener is inexpensive and easy to use. Once you get used to using your chefs knife and your ninja skills grow you will want to add to your arsenal.  My beginning investment in my knives was about $300 and I have had them for over ten years now.

Here is a condensed list of must haves to start your kitchen:

1. Tongs. Next to a good chefs knife a pair of tongs is probably the most important piece of gear in your arsenal. I recommend starting out with a pair that has rubber at the grip and the tip.

2. Sauce pan. A quality saucepan can be your best friend, if you’re lonely. I would recommend cooking with it though. I recommend starting with a 3 Qt. it will allow you to do a number of things.

3. Spatulas. I cannot stress how useful spatulas are. Get at least two, high heat resistant spats in different sizes. When you’ve made your first truly delicious sauce and your 3 Qt. saucepan is too hot to lick, you’ll thank me for telling you about spatulas.

4. Garlic Press. Until you get some wicked knife skills this little tool is pretty handy.

            Anthony Bourdain would not be happy with me for recommending this!

5.   A set of wooden spoons. Wood tools, in my opinion, are always good to have. Metal utensils could scratch and gouge your pans. Wood is fairly inexpensive, will not scratch your pans and wont melt in the pan if you forgot to buy # 3.

6. A pepper mill. Whatever style or color you prefer… just get a pepper mill. The difference between fresh cracked pepper and run of the mill (no pun intended) pepper is like the difference between a day of sunshine and 15 minutes in the tanning bed.

7. Whisks. There are a few sizes shapes and sizes out there that can be found for any number of jobs. 

8. Cutting boards. Cutting boards will help extend the life of the blade of your knife and also aide in reducing your chances of growing bacteria and food borne illnesses. I have included pictures to show you what an item looks like but, if you need a picture of a cutting board, stay out of the kitchen... It would be safer for everyone.

9. Bowls. I have a set of three plastic bowls that are used in almost every meal I make. Look for 1,2,and 4 Quart sizes and you’ll be able to do almost any sized job.