Fine, maybe not Iron Chef (there is no ice cream maker in my kitchen), but at least some decent quality stuff that I’ve accumulated over the years.
The beautiful thing about food is that it is a necessity and sometimes a luxury, depending entirely upon what you make of it 3-5 times daily. I have a serious weakness for going out to eat, and few culinary experiences can compare to tasting Michel Richard’s Lobster “Begula” Pasta, Daniel Boulud’s foie gras, the Panko-crusted Ahi Sashimi Roll at Hawaii’s Sansei Restaurant, the Chilean sea bass at Alma de Cuba in Philadelphia, or anything related to black cod.
Going out to eat, however, is not always a gratifying way to part with my hard-earned cash. Sure, there are the all-but-guaranteed restaurants that you just know will serve you a wonderful, worthwhile “experience,” but you will pay dearly for them. There are also the old standby’s that will offer a good meal at a decent price. Then there are the rest of the restaurants out there that charge you way too much for something that can only be described as mediocre at best.
What’s a hungry part-time culinarian like myself supposed to do? Learn to cook, of course! What makes cooking and eating more enjoyable? Quality little cooking gadgets. Here are some of my most basic favorites to get you started:
- Santoku Knife: Anyone who’s seen even half an episode of Good Eats knows that a quality knife set is essential, that goes without saying. I particularly love my 7″ Santoku knife, and find myself using it to cut most fruits, vegetables, and herbs. In my humble kitchen, this thing serves as my sous chef.
- Calphalon One Infused-Anodized Pots & Pans: Ok, so if you know about the knives, you also probably know about how important it is to invest in quality pots and pans. After all of the reports on nonstick pans and how they could actually be leaching toxins into my unsuspecting body (as opposed to the stuff I’m putting in there on purpose), I was happy to switch to this beautiful, heavy set for most of my cooking. Not the best money can buy (just guessing), but very good quality that I was happy to pay for. I still use the nonsticks for omelettes or other delicate items, but cooking meats, soups, stews, and “deglazed” sauces in these babies makes me feel like I could cook a dinner that even Anthony Bourdain wouldn’t be able to snark about.
- Egg Poacher Pan: This changed the way I eat breakfast, circa 2003. Gone are the days of fishing eggs out from murky water full of gelatinous globs of cooked albumen – boil the water in the bottom of this little wonder, gently crack your eggs into the perfect-sized compartments, wait a few minutes, then enjoy your easy, healthy breakfast.
- Salad Spinner: Such a simple concept, but this gadget makes me feel like those awful college Physics courses were actually worthwhile… no, now I’ve gone too far. I digress. Anyway, this thing twirls my herbs and various other assortments of plants round & round at warp speed until I’m satisfied with the results. Wow, centrifugal force has a real-life application!
- Pepper Mill: Salt & pepper are truly the most versatile spices of the Western hemisphere (and possibly the world… open for discussion), and nothing ups the ante on a simple meal like freshly ground multi-colored pepper flakes from your very own restaurant-quality mill. (Note: I have an unholy love of salt, but the salt mill is a little superfluous in my opinion.)
Wakey, wakey, it’s time for eggs & bake-ey!
