Easy Cooking : ISSUE # 2
Tools Of The Trade
In the last issue I talked about a few basics that every cook should know. In this issue I am going to go over some of the different cooking tools you can use and how they impact the way you cook.
Far too often people overlook the importance of using the proper tools when cooking fine meals. While there is nothing in the world that can quite compare to cooking with the finest and freshest of ingredients, these things can only be enhanced by making use of the perfect tools for the job at hand.
When it comes to pots and pans you should keep in mind that conductivity is of extreme importance. You should also select pots and pans that are made of a heavier gauge. This allows your pans to heat evenly avoiding hot spots, which can lead to food that may 'stick' to your pan or scorch during the cooking process. This means that simply purchasing any old set of pots and pans is probably not the best course of action for the best possible quality in your kitchen.
Kitchen knives are also extremely important in the kitchens of today. If you plan to prepare many meals in your kitchen, then the quality of your knives is of the utmost importance. Your knives are an investment you shouldn't have to make too often in your lifetime. For this reason, select a really good set and be prepared to make a sizeable investment in your knives.
This is hard to understand, unless you've tried to prepare foods with knives of inferior quality, just how important it is to purchase good quality and well-balanced knives for your kitchen. You should also try the handles in your hand to see how comfortable they feel before purchasing a set of knives. If you do a lot of chopping and cutting during your meal preparation and cooking you will want to make sure that the knives you are using feel comfortable in your hands.
If you are like me and plan on cooking a great deal of meat then you should also invest in a meat tenderizer. This useful tool helps not only when it comes to tenderizing rather rough and tumble cuts of meat but also pierces the surface so that rubs and marinades can penetrate for a more flavourful experience. This is by far one of my favourite kitchen gadgets and it isn't a sizeable investment for the added value it provides to meals.
A good quality grater is another tool that no kitchen should be complete without. There are many who feel that with all the preshredded cheeses available today this tool is obsolete but nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, although I love grated cheese for quick and easy snacks, it can sometimes lack the quality and flavour that freshly grated cheese provides. Second, cheese isn't the only thing that these graters are useful for grating. Graters are excellent tools for grating citrus fruits, spices, garlic, chocolate, and even onions. If you do a good deal of baking in addition to your cooking you should not overlook the value of having a quality grater in your kitchen.
Of course there are many more cooking tools than I could possibly mention here. Those mentioned above simply happen to be among my personal favourites. There are all kinds of appliances that in my humble opinion no kitchen is truly complete without. In addition to these great appliances there are many tools that are simply a matter of preference.
There are no one size fits all answers when it comes to kitchen tools and many of us are often limited by serious budget constraints and restrictions. My best advice if this is the situation for you is to purchase the best possible quality you can afford and build from there. Even if it means replacing one pot or knife at a time until you can manage a complete set of superior quality cooking tools you will find it well worth the price you've paid in the long run.
In the next issue I will be talking about the benefits of cooking classes, so you can decide if taking one is right for you.
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