...is a kitchen full of fancy, yet practical, baking/cooking tools and appliances!
Really, I feel like I am pretty well-stocked in the kitchen department, but there are those few "dream items" that I am holding off on purchasing or asking for because the cost of my dreams is high...and the goods are fabulous!
Seriously, though, there are a few items in my kitchen that I use very often - some of them multiple times per day. If I use a tool so frequently then it should be high quality, if you ask me! In this blog, I will list dream tools as well as tools that I find essential to my daily food preparation (and dream versions of my daily-used tools). Most (possibly all) of these items will be from the Williams-Sonoma website because I already have a "wishlist" set up there! :-)
1. The Perfect Chef's Knife: I use my chef's knife for almost everything, including peeling fresh ginger root! This type of knife is rather large and rather fantastic! If the knife is made of quality material it stays quite sharp and quite useful! This knife is quite spendy, but o-so dreamy!
2. The Bamboo Cutting Board: A couple of years ago, as a housewarming gift, my dad sent a small bamboo cutting board. I love my bamboo cutting board and can only dream of a larger one, based upon the amount of food that I slice/dice/chop on mine. The finish on this board stays in nice shape, the material is pretty strong and making cuts into the board is not so simple compared to a basic, soft wood cutting board. Another plus side to using a bamboo cutting board is the not-so-harmful effect it has on the environment. In the proper environment, bamboo reaches its full size in 60 days, compared to years to grow a pine tree or other wood-tree. Bamboo is the way to go!
3. The 1/2 Sheet Pan (with Rims!): I use my 1/2 sheet pans with rims all the time! The rims along the edges of the pan make it a lot more versatile than a flat sheet pan without the rims. I can toast nuts, coconut and oatmeal on here all at once, clear it off and then pan some cookie dough. I don't fear that my toasted goods or cookies are going to slide off the side of the pan after toasting/baking because the rim protects them from going over the edge. This pan can also be used to bake an entire jellyroll sponge, evenly and perfectly! This is an inexpensive, wonderfully useful tool to have in the kitchen at all times.
4. The Immersion Blender: I do not use my inexpensive, outlet-mall-purchased, immersion blender often, but when I do, I am so pleased at the $15.99 I spent on it! I used mine to smooth apple butter last fall. It could be used to puree carrot soup or potato soup, or to smooth salsa or homemade tomato sauce...or guacamole! This little tool is effective and useful and every kitchen should be equipped with one!
5. Superb Silicone Spatula: No kitchen should be without a silicone spatula. The silicone material allows these tools to me used with the highest heat! I use mine for stirring English toffee, and find that compared to the other material capable of withstanding such high temperatures (the wooden spoon), the silicone spatula is far superior! I have melted a couple of non-silicone spatulas in my time in the kitchen and the result is an awful smell, a ruined batch of toffee and/or burning rubber atop a skillet. Not cool. Switch to silicone!
6. The Mighty Pizza Stone: Another addition my dad made to my kitchen supply is the pizza stone. The trick, when he sent it, was finding one small enough to fit into the half-sized oven in the kitchen at my old apartment. The pizza stone comes in all shapes and sizes, so there is no excuse to not have one. I use mine for, of course, pizza, as well as turnovers, calzones and artisan bread. The pizza stone is to mimic the inside of stone oven, and while the stone oven is difficult to replicate, the pizza stone makes it nearly possible! The material of this is porous, which means it will suck any extra, unnecessary moisture from what is placed upon it - resulting it crispy crust. Wonderful! Not only that, but the pizza stone takes a few rounds to become seasoned, which means it needs to be used...a lot...which means lots of baked bread items to munch on!
7. The Rolling Pin: I love rolling out dough - the process is simple and the end result is usually impressive. My choice rolling pin material is wood. I find that wooden rolling pins are lighter than silicone and marble and I have a bit more control over what I do with them. I know marble and silicone rolling pins have their place and their particular uses, but I will try to use a wooden one whenever possible. I also prefer a straight rolling pin- that is, without handles or ball bearings to keep it turning smoothly. Again, this style of rolling pin is easier to manipulate the dough with - and control is key when working food into submission! Not only that, but clean up is a lot easier with a straight rolling pin!
8. The Cast Iron Skillet: This is quite a nice cooking surface to have around, and quite easy to find used! The cast iron skillet in our kitchen is 10 inches wide - it is just a little bit too small, but gets the job done! I've cooked everything from homemade tomato sauce to burrito fixings to pancakes in this skillet. Its now become the "meat pan", where Frank cooks his bacon and sausage, so I might be needing my own skillet in the future. I like how its so basic - all one material, no frilly rubber handles or "heat circles" on the base. Not only that, but it isn't lined with the evil, chemically harmful, Teflon, to prevent food from sticking. Using this pan often and getting it well-"seasoned" is what prevents food from sticking! This is a basic, very useful piece of kitchen equipment that doesn't cost a fortune to own.
9. The Flexible Spatula: This kitchen utensil is so perfect for turning pancakes. Sadly, and for reasons I've yet to figure out, I do not have this tool! This might very well be my excuse for being incapable of making perfect pancakes.
10. The Food Processor: I do not own a food processor. I refuse to purchase a cheap, affordable, food processor because they are just that...cheap. I would benefit greatly from a nice, high quality, small, food processor. Instead of hand dicing and pureeing my pesto, I could toss the ingredients into a food processor and push a button and voila, pasta topping or pizza sauce is ready! I dream of the days when I do not have to hand chop everything.
I hope your kitchen is well-stocked - and if it isn't, perhaps this list has been helpful in presenting some ideas of what a well-stocked kitchen contains!
Happy Holidays!
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