COOKING BASICS - The Equipment...

As you may already know by now, I have a tiny kitchen. And that tiny kitchen requires a certain efficiency when it comes to equipment. I've lived in bigger homes with bigger kitchens, and I've gone through a lot of extraneous equipment, but it just so happens that the current reality of my living space matches with my generally minimalist conclusions about what I need to be content in life in general, and in the kitchen specifically.

Getting ready to post for 30 days straight on cooking basics, I thought it would make sense to first share what equipment I use on a daily basis to produce three varied meals a day (on most days), pulling from a number of cuisines and spanning a wide array of techniques and processes. Truth is, as minimal as my collection might seem to some, a person could do as much with less. But what I've got now makes for a fairly comfortable and convenient setup.

You won't see ubercheap stuff, and you won't see uberexpensive stuff either. A few of my pieces are in the upper midrange as far as cost goes, but they are worth every penny over the long run for their durability and ability to retain and conduct heat. Lest I should be misunderstood, it is totally and completely possible to make really amazing food using the crappiest equipment you can get your hands on, but at this point in my life, I can afford a few conveniences.

There are a handful of other items not pictured or listed that also get some play in my kitchen, but this is the stuff I use most and would recommend to those looking to outfit a new kitchen with everything they need to comfortably produce food from a variety of cuisines. As my brain is generally disjointed this week, I imagine I will have to revisit this post a few times before it's set in stone, but here goes nothing.

(Again, this isn't an exhaustive list of every last item I have and use, and I also have a fair number of wooden, plastic, stainless steel and bamboo spoons and spatulas of varying shapes and sizes as well.)

POTS, PANS & OTHER COOKING VESSELS

- round 5-quart enamel cast iron Dutch oven for braising and deep frying

- 10.25" enamel cast iron skillet for roasting and baking

- stainless steel 8 quart stock pot for making stocks, soups and popcorn

- stainless steel 3.5 quart saucepan for making stocks, soups, sauces, popcorn and rice
- stainless steel 13.5" saute pan for sauteing stovetop, making sauces and also for roasting in the oven

- 6" non-stick frying pan for eggs, pancakes, crepes and other small jobs like that

- 13" oval non-stick pan for bigger eggs, more pancakes, medium sized saute jobs

- 14" wok for stir fry and occasional deep fry and sometimes even boiling stuff if I'm short a pot

- half-size commercial aluminum sheet pan (18" x 13" x 1"), usually lined with aluminum foil, for most of the stuff that gets put in the oven like roasted veg, meatloaf, etc. (not to be confused with a cookie sheet)

GADGETS

I talk all the time about how I'm not very big on kitchen gadgetry, but here are a couple whose function really is difficult to duplicate without great inconvenience.

- small China cap for straining stocks, broths, yogurt

- microplane for grating citrus zest, whole nutmeg and cinnamon bark, and pulverizing small amounts of raw garlic and ginger

- cheese grater (from IKEA - they are the best) for grating cheese  :P

- vegetable peeler

- whisk

- high heat tempered silicone spatula

- measuring cups and spoons

KNIVES AND STUFF

I've already posted about my favorite knives. They really are one of the best kitchen values I've ever found in the history of ever.

I also keep two cutting boards on hand - one for meat and veg, one for fruit. It is near impossible to completely remove the smell of onions and garlic from a cutting board if you don't have a dishwasher (which I don't), and gawd do I hate tasting onions and garlic on my fruit...

SMALL ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES

- blender for salsas, smoothies, shakes, and kimchi of all things...

- hand mixer for when my kids want cheater cakes or brownies, fresh whipped cream, or when I want to whip up my mashed potatoes

And a food processor if you're feeling splurgy. I don't use my Cuisinart all that often, but it is incredibly handy on the occasions and for the purposes for which I do use it such as grinding meat, making pastry dough, making pasta and the occasional hummus and that's pretty much it. Now that I put it that way, you might wanna think twice about forking out the dough for a food processor if you're just starting out...

I think that covers it, and can I tell you how daunted I am by the idea of coming up with sensible, relevant, and logically progressing posts on the basics of cooking for 30 days straight?

A lot.

Until mañana,

shinae

P.S.

ADDENDA TO THE LIST

10.26.11 Jan reminded me there is no colander in this post. OF COURSE I USE A COLANDER. ALL THE TIME. My brain is for shit right now. But then I already told you that. I'm sure I'll be back with more...

Oh, and they're pictured, but I forgot to mention STAINLESS STEEL MIXING BOWLS. You know, for MIXING THINGS.