I second the good knives. I also like silicone spatulas/scraper things. Good Food, experimental food, things you can't quite identify. Fresh Produce. Start cutting out mixes, like bisquick. It's not much harder to make your own biscuits, pancakes and waffles from scratch, and you end up keeping fewer, more flexible ingredients in your pantry.
I love my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Love it. Totally want to have it detailed like Alton Brown's mixer. Good measuring cups, and lots of them, since they're always dirty. Nice baking sheets with edges and silpat mats (silicone baking mats). Parchment paper is useful, especially if you can't afford the silpat mats.
Good pots and pans. I don't like anodized aluminum or cast iron because of the weight. I have a good set of stainless steel with heavy aluminum bottoms. Oh, it's easier to make pan sauces with meat drippings if the pan is non stick.
If you like eggs, a good quality pan with a non-stick coating is a good idea. Be careful with it, and don't heat it over a certain point (they can give off toxic fumes).
Thisngs I want: A mandoline, which is good for slicing veggies, the ice cream maker attachment for the stand mixer, and a really nice rice cooker. I also want about 4 times the kitchen I have, as a start.
Oh, cookbooks - I keep saying this, but Mark Bittman's _How to Cook Everything_ completely rocks. Cooks Illustrated is a really good cooking magazine, and it has no ads, like Consumer Reports, I subscribe to the Cooks Illustrated website. Cooking Light is really good too.
As far as Food network goes, I learn more from watching Alton Brown than any other show. He's teaching technique, everyone else is showing you how to make their recipes.
For Pantry goods, I always have rice, couscous, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, frozen veggies (peas, chopped spinach, veggie mix, diced onion and green pepper), boneless skinless chicken breast (buy big packages on sale and freeze them in ones or twos in baggies).
I have a hand mixer, but I want a stand mixer. I need to get more kitchen-active. When Dev is better able to chill on her own I think I'll have to attack the kitchen.
I can't wait to move - I'll be able to better assess the state of my kitchen and my needs then.
I love my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Love it. Totally want to have it detailed like Alton Brown's mixer. Good measuring cups, and lots of them, since they're always dirty. Nice baking sheets with edges and silpat mats (silicone baking mats). Parchment paper is useful, especially if you can't afford the silpat mats.
Good pots and pans. I don't like anodized aluminum or cast iron because of the weight. I have a good set of stainless steel with heavy aluminum bottoms. Oh, it's easier to make pan sauces with meat drippings if the pan is non stick.
If you like eggs, a good quality pan with a non-stick coating is a good idea. Be careful with it, and don't heat it over a certain point (they can give off toxic fumes).
Thisngs I want: A mandoline, which is good for slicing veggies, the ice cream maker attachment for the stand mixer, and a really nice rice cooker. I also want about 4 times the kitchen I have, as a start.
Oh, cookbooks - I keep saying this, but Mark Bittman's _How to Cook Everything_ completely rocks. Cooks Illustrated is a really good cooking magazine, and it has no ads, like Consumer Reports, I subscribe to the Cooks Illustrated website. Cooking Light is really good too.
As far as Food network goes, I learn more from watching Alton Brown than any other show. He's teaching technique, everyone else is showing you how to make their recipes.
For Pantry goods, I always have rice, couscous, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, frozen veggies (peas, chopped spinach, veggie mix, diced onion and green pepper), boneless skinless chicken breast (buy big packages on sale and freeze them in ones or twos in baggies).
Reply
I can't wait to move - I'll be able to better assess the state of my kitchen and my needs then.
I LOVE Alton ;).
Thanks hon.
Reply
Leave a comment