For those of you who took the time to read my "why are you doing this?" Page (that's so much more fun to say than "about" page), you know that I have created this blog to reach out to the inner cook in everyone. That's right, Mr. Microwaving-is-a-cooking-technique and Ms. I-made-mac-and-cheese-from-a-box-so-that-counts, I want you to run to your kitchen right now, stand defiantly, arms akimbo, and shout "You don't scare me, you uppity kitchen, you!!"(bonus points if your roomate/family member/partner runs in and you just walk out like nothing happened). Don't worry, I'll wait.
Back already? Man, that felt good, didn't it? As you begin your journey into the land of the cooking, I want to help you, which is why over the next few weeks I will be posting my advice on how to set yourself up for success in the kitchen.
Now before any cooking can be done in your kitchen, you've got to make sure you have some basic tools. Put away the screwdriver...slowly. I'm not talking about those kinds of tools.
When buying kitchen essentials, I strongly suggest going for the best quality you can afford. The cheap stuff is the cheap stuff for a reason. That being said, if all you can afford is the cheap stuff, then you grasp it firmly, march to the checkout like the Viking you are, and buy it. You will have to replace it sooner, and it may have some eccentricities, but work with something enough and you will figure it out.
I have used pans that weren't level, pots that had to have their handles tightened weekly, and spatulas I periodically had to un-bend, but the food still tasted good. Most of the time. I have had some pretty epic kitchen tragedies as well. In short, the better quality/more expensive kitchen tools are usually less frustrating and more durable, but you might find that you prefer some of the cheaper items to their well-off cousins.
I took pictures of some of my kitchen must-haves to go along with this list. Ignore the peaches and coffee canisters in the background. I'm currently ripening peaches and...well...I just love coffee, and when you have a galley kitchen like mine you sometimes get a bit pressed for space.
The first thing I want to talk about is knives. My mom gave me a nice set of knives for Christmas a couple of years back after helping me with Thanksgiving dinner and deciding my knife collection was sub-par. Now don't get me wrong, if all you have is a butcher knife, a paring knife, and some steak knives, you can get along well enough, but knife sets have a variety of knives for different uses. I rarely use them for their intended purposes, but I have certain knives I like to use for certain things. If you're really interested in learning about knife techniques, then the internet is definitely the place for you. A simple google search will give tons of results.
Pictured from left top, clockwise are paring, utility (serrated), boning (feel free to giggle), steak, santoku, and slicer knives. The butcher's steel on the left is handy to have when your knives go dull. Just read up on how to do it properly or you'll make the problem worse and ruin your blade.
Next is a good stock of measuring cups and spoons for both liquid and solid measuring. These come in a variety of styles, so find ones you like and go from there. I would suggest avoiding the plastic measuring cups with the imprints on the handle for sizes. That stuff washes off crazy easily. See those red cups? Yeah, those used to be imprinted. I will be covering the specifics of measuring in a later post.
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| At one time I had a full set of everything. I blame gremlins |
Pots and pans, as well as baking dishes are a must. As with everything else, they come in a variety of styles, but the design is not just for looks. Different materials and shapes of cookware cook food differently. Start with a pre-packaged set, then add on as you need. I mean really, unless you need a spring form pan for a certain tasty treat, don't get it just because. Unless you're buying it as a present for me. Then that would be awesome.
Mixing bowls are also important. Pictured is pretty much all the mixing bowls I ever use. Most of the time they're pretty interchangeable, but for picky foods like meringue and whipping cream, certain kinds of bowls are better. Once again, I will post about this in more detail later, because this post is a lot longer than i intended and your desire to start browsing through cute kitty pictures is almost palpable.
But what is cooking without the spices to bring the food to life? A good selection of spices can turn passable dishes into transcendent treats for your hungry captive...er...guests. Not sure what to get? Buy a premade spice rack, as well as salt and pepper to start. Over time your collection will grow to the nigh-sentient and bloodthirsty monstrosity that is my spice cabinet.
Remember, I never said it had to be well-organized.
There are literally hundreds of gadgets and gizmos to empty your wallet and fill up your kitchen. Over time you will collect the tools to fit your needs, or if you're like me, you'll have a drawer where seldom - used implements go to die. However, this list should help you on your way to a grand adventure in cooking. Thanks for reading!
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