5 KITCHEN MUST-HAVES
On vacation, I’d decided to make an apricot pie, my contribution to the evening’s dinner, so I was searching the kitchen of our rental house for a basic tool. Jenny, our friend’s daughter, walked by and asked what I was looking for. “A rolling pin,” I answered.
“Oh,” she replied, “I remember you told me if I didn’t have a rolling pin to use a wine bottle.”
“Right!” I exclaimed. So glad she remembered. Wine bottles we had plenty of and it worked perfectly.
Since I’ve been doing a lot of cooking and writing about how to cook for Le Kitchen Cookbook, I’ve started to notice what kitchen tools I actually use and don’t want to be without.
It turns out there are five:
- My mezzaluna with its shallow wood bowl and a wood pestle. (See below) These simple tools are the easiest way I know to chop, crush, blend, and make pastes.
- My immersion stick blender is a must-have for sauces, soups, and anything I want blended.
- An instant-read thermometer. It tells me when the food I’m cooking has reached the right temperature.
- Wax paper sandwich bags that I use instead of plastic bags.
- A cast iron grill pan. It’s the perfect pan for grilling anything. The directions tell you to put it on top of two stove-top burners but placing it in the oven is so much better.*
* I have to give credit where credit is due. My husband, Mark, is the one who came up with the brilliant idea of putting the pan into the oven instead of on top of the stove. You get the results without the mess of the oil splattered everywhere.
What about you?
What are your favorite kitchen tools?
What are the tools you won’t do without?
Join the conversation.
4 Responses
Jenny
I can attest that the wine bottle trick works perfectly :). I’ve used it when making pies or traditional empanadas when I make the dough from scratch. Thank you for it!!
ARLENE VAQUER
I have a lot to learn about the kitchen…never heard of a mezzaluna! My ‘kitchen’ musts….wooden spoons several sizes, spatulas, at least a dozen sharp knives and corkscrew for my wine!
Olivia
What great basic suggestions for someone like myself who is starting to build a wedding registry!
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Adrisse Brandt
October 11, 2019
I can’t do without a vegetable peeler, a large cutting board, measuring cups and spoons, empty glass jars that I use to store, shake, mix, reheat or cool. Love the suggestion of the waxed paper bags.