There are a few items in my kitchen that I just would not want to live without. They make cooking so much easier and make for far better end results when cooking. For some items, there just is no substitute. Here are a few essentials to keep handy:
Meat thermometer. I don't cook a lot of meat, but when I do I want to make sure it's cooked correctly. I don't want to give anyone food poisoning, but I also don't want to serve anything leathery and dry. A meat thermometer is the best way to ensure the meat is cooked to the proper temperature and helps prevent overcooking. I have a digital meat thermometer with an angled reading face, and it has the done temperatures of different kinds of meat on the case, which is very helpful. Remember when cooking any meat, it should rest, tented with foil, for at least 5 minutes before being cut. Otherwise the juices won't have a chance to redistribute and they will all run out when cut, leaving you with dry meat.
Good knives. Having good knives is incredibly important to me. You don't have to have a ton of knives, but it's good to have a few decent ones so that all of your kitchen tasks are covered. I personally use Santoku knives because I like their performance and I find them comfortable to use, but what kind of knives you use is entirely to you. Be sure to keep them sharpened to avoid slips, as dull knives tend to lead to injuries. Use a non-dulling cutting surface like wood or bamboo, and store them safely in a knife block or with blade protectors. Whatever knife you choose, be aware of the blade angle when choosing your sharpener - Asian knives have 15 degree blades, whereas Western/European blades have 20 degree blades.
Slow Cooker. As I have mentioned in my Time Saving Tips post, slow cookers are absolutely wonderful to have. Being able to quickly assemble a meal and have it cook while you are busy with whatever your day brings is a really great thing. An essential gadget to accompany a slow cooker is a timer so you don't have to worry about overcooking your meal!
Aluminum foil. Aluminum foil is a very helpful thing to have in the kitchen for three reasons. First, if you need to cook something covered in the oven and don't have an oven safe lid, foil will stand in quite well. Secondly, it makes a great cooking surface for things such as pumpkin seeds, grilled food, and other things that can get sticky. The foil can be simply thrown away when it has done its job, making for easy cleanup. And finally, it is perfect for keeping food warm. This is important when making large meals with multiple dishes that needs to stay hot until serving, as well as tenting meat to keep it hot while the juices redistribute. (See above tip under Meat Thermometer)
Leftover containers. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I tend to cook big and have leftovers. I currently cook for just myself most of the time and I prefer not to cook every day, so I have a lot of leftovers in my fridge and freezer at any given time. This is great because I have a nice variety of home cooked meals to choose from that are far better and healthier than preservative-filled convenience foods. I prefer glass bowls that are freezer, oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. These can be purchased one at a time, but I recommend investing in a set so you have several different sizes.
Olive oil. Olive oil goes in the bulk of my recipes one way or another. It's good for starting a recipe and adding to the pan, drizzling (for appetizers, etc.), adding to salad dressings, improving flavor, all sorts of things, even baking. It is a very versatile ingredient, and as one of the healthier fats, it is the oil that I most use in my kitchen. I have a cute glass dispenser my mom gave me that stores it attractively and makes it easy to pour.
Flavor boosters. This is a bit of a repeat from my Time Saving Tips post, but there are certain ingredients that add beautifully to recipes. If you don't have fresh herbs on hand, frozen is the next best thing. Broth, garlic, wine, balsamic vinegar, and sea salt are also items I never go without.
There are also a few things I have that are not necessarily essential, but that I love to have in my kitchen:
Ceramic coated nonstick pans. I have a set of stainless steel pots and pans, which work great for some things, but I am a really big fan of nonstick pans. I also try to be very health conscious, and am aware of the dangers of the nonstick coating coming off and getting into the food. That being said, my mother recently gave me a pan coated with green ceramic, and I cannot rave about it enough. I absolutely love it and there is little to no need for butter or oil. In addition to being safe and eco-friendly, another benefit of ceramic cookware is that it is oven safe. This is very convenient if you have a recipe that you start on the stove and finish in the oven. It's lightweight (unlike cast iron), wonderfully low maintenance, and without a doubt my favorite of any pan I have ever used.
Silicone. I love silicone! I have silicone cake pans, loaf pans, cupcake "papers," basting brushes, potholders, spatulas, and silicone coated whisks. There are tons of silicone kitchen items out there that I haven't listed here. I plan on getting more silicone coated utensils over time because they are so great for so many reasons. Silicone is low maintenance, easy to clean (dishwasher safe), safe for nonstick cookware, and heat resistant to 600 degrees. I highly recommend it.
There are plenty of great things to keep in a kitchen. These items are ones I find to be incredibly helpful to have. Everyone has different favorites and preferences of course, but I hope you find these kitchen essentials as essential as I do!
Until next time,
Jillian
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