The Supermarket Gourmet

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things Buck Reed Rolling pins flattening pizzas and sweets. Cast iron skillets that sear and brown up our meats. Chef knives that cut up our veggies like bling. These are a few of my favorite chef things! As a personal chef, I have been in more than a few home kitchens, so I can tell who actually cooks and who does not. No, I do not pass judgment, although I would like to see more people cooking. I can usually tell if they cook by the gadgets that fill their drawers, or the lack of them. Sometimes their gadgets are carefully put away in the packages they came in. So, what kind of culinary tools do you need? First, we must determine what kind of cook you are. Wood workers use different tools then metal workers. One of the reasons professional chefs have so many tools is we aspire to be proficient in so many culinary disciplines. A few things or gadgets that every cook needs include the following:   Instant Read Thermometer. A good thermometer can help you accurately measure the temperature of cooked poultry and meats, as well as bread and baked goods. Knives. In your kitchen, you want knives that you are comfortable using, but if you are going to use them every day, try to use the knives that are designed for specific tasks. Chinese Cleaver. This looks like a battle ax, but when used properly, it is a precision culinary instrument. With practice, it can be used to chop or slice most anything you might need, plus the size of it makes it great for transferring ingredients and can even double as a make-shift spatula. Rubber Spatula. This is great for getting the last bit out of a mixing bowl. Getting a silicone one that can stand the heat of up to 400° can be used to stir soups and sauces without fear of scratching the bottom of your pan. Cast Iron Skillet. There is a reason your grandmother used one of these for everything: they are awesome, just like her. They are great for searing steaks and poultry, and if you haven’t used one to bake your cornbread you are missing out. This pan was made for pan roasting. Tongs. These are great for turning food over in a hot pan, as well as transferring portions to a plate. Note: Meat Forks are for slicing and serving prepared food, not as a cooking tool. As your meat is cooking, you do not want to poke holes in it and allow the juices to escape. Dishers (AKA ice cream scoop). These are great for portioning food and can be used by bakers to accurately portion cookies or drop biscuits. Mandoline Slicer. I had to include this in the list, because when I was on cruise ships, it was said I couldn’t cook without one. But unless you are slicing 80 pounds of zucchini or 75 pounds of potatoes, this may not be worth having.   With all the fancy kitchen and cooking gadgets coming out on TV, it can be difficult deciding what you need and what you can do without. A good rule of thumb before buying something new: Will you use it, and can you use it, for more than one function? Have a question about this article or any articles from the past? Maybe you have an idea about a future article. If so, I would love to hear from you at [email protected].