A good knife is without a doubt the best investment that can be made in the kitchen. A close second to this is a good wood cutting board. I have two and switch between them depending on what I am cutting. I use the big one when the ingredients are not really "juicy". If I am cutting tomatoes or other "juicy" items, I use the smaller one that has a little trough around the edges so the juices do not spill over the edge of the cutting board.
Good cooking utensils are also a necessity! Out of all the ones in the drawers, these are my favorites. A good spatula with a wide blade for clearing out mixing bowls, a plastic whisk for cooking in non-stick pans, a plastic spatula with a smooth, solid surface (not slots or holes), and a pair of stainless steel tongs. I use these four guys more than the rest of the ones in my drawer combined. I will even search them out and hand wash them if they are dirty. Everyone has favorites... these are not children people... we are allow to have favorites!
If you have not figured it out yet, I am a bit obsessive compulsive. I am not quite OCD (because it is not alphabetical). One thing I can not stand is a messy kitchen while I am cooking. This little puppy lets you put your dirty utensils on it and then you only have to wash it when you are done. If you are particular like me, this is something that you need in the kitchen.
While cooking these recipes I have switched over to sea salt for my salting needs. I found that a nice open container that I can seal air tight when I am done is best. I got this at Meijer for a couple dollars. I love it! It is easy to get a measuring spoon into as well as if I just need a pinch to fine tune a dish as I am making it.
A good pepper grinder is a must as well! I got one from my sister-in-law and have been using it non-stop since. There is nothing like freshly ground pepper from a pepper mill to add to just about any dish!
For Christmas I got some ramekins and a small kitchen torch. One of the recipes that I will be eventually making is Creme Brule. This requires both to complete. (Thanks Hon!) I have also found them nice to create little single serve breakfast or dinner meals in the ramekins as well. Just put them on a cookie sheet and turn on the broiler!
Tina came home one day from the store with a pastry cutter and I had to ask her what it was for. She said that she read the apple pie recipe and saw that it was recommended for preparing the dough. This works the shortening into the flour to make a light flaky crust. Huh... I guess I am glad she reads ahead because I would have not known what the heck a pastry cutter was.
I picked this up a Target because it was on sale and I am addicted to kitchen gadgets. This is a chopper/scoop. I find that it is helpful when I need to, guess what... chop and scoop ingredient into a bowl. This does a nice job of chopping up soft items like boiled eggs to make egg salad and scoop them into a bowl in one handy motion.
A set of mixing bowls with a non-skid bottom are nice as well. There is a lot of mixing in cooking and these babies have a rubber ring around the bottom to keep them from sliding around the counter when you stir. Tina got these some time ago, but they are my favorite bowls to use in the kitchen. I think I melted one some time ago in the microwave, so that is why there are only two left. I can not be held responsible for these types of mistakes prior to starting my cooking hobby.
As I get more gadgets, I will update you to let you know what I have found works well for me in the kitchen!
Mark
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