I’ve always been deeply passionate in the kitchen. I love cooking, I love food, and I love the artistic outlet it gives me. I’ve always found food to be an art form unlike any other..because while not everyone appreciates and needs the beauty of oil paintings, classical music, sculptures, or photographs in their life....EVERYONE needs food. Some people eat because if they didn’t they’d die. To them, it’s something as basic as breathing. While we all need to breathe, do we really find a profound joy in the act? Then there are some, like myself, who view cooking and food as self-expression, art, nourishment, and a celebration! For me, I get equal satisfaction out of completing work on a novel as I do in creating a healthy, tasty, colorful meal.
It’s no surprise to me that I cook for others as an expression of love, or that I chose a career in restaurant management. I’m sharing this tidbit from my life, because I have grown confident in my kitchen abilities. In sharing this, my intention is to let you know, that despite food being a central and important part of my life, I simply don’t require a great deal of kitchen tools. I think when people are starting out and aren’t quite confident in their kitchen skills, they fall prey to advertising ploys. You really don’t need all of the things that they tell you that you need. I hope by sharing the contents of my minimalist kitchen, you’ll find that you can get buy with far less than you think. So here are the components of my kitchen:
Cookware:
Large nonstick saute pan--(I use this for everything)
Cast iron skillet--(browning meat, cornbread, some cakes, transfering from stove-top to oven)
SS Sauce pan--(cooking sauces, soups, vegetables, small amounts of pasta, braising)
SS pasta pot--(pasta, making stock, as a dutch oven)
baking pan--(cakes, casseroles, chicken, lasagna, bread)
baking sheet--(cookies, kabobs, samosas, flat breads, pizza)
muffin pan--(cupcakes, individual meatloaves, quiches, muffins, small pies)
Small Appliances:
Rice Cooker--So this might not be something you personally use. Myself, I find that I make rice almost daily. I also use it for a variety of other foods, and find that it’s the perfect travel companion. (Every day uses include: rice, oatmeal, steamed veggies, scrambled/hardboiled eggs. On the road, I’ve made chicken curry, lemon chicken and rice, cakes, omelettes, warmed up soup, noodles...)
French Press/Teakettle (instead of a coffee maker. I use this for coffee and loose-leaf tea)
Blender (protein shakes, blending soups, food procesing)
Slow cooker
Cutlery:
Large chef knife
Small Paring knife
Large cutting board
Misc:
Colander
Cooling rack
Whisk
Rubber Spatula
Corkscrew/can opener
Mixing bowl
Glass pie plate (good for baking small cakes in a rice cooker!)
2 Wooden spoons
Meauring cup
Teaspoon/Tablespoon (If I need a half tablespoon, or ¼ tsp measure, I just wing it. It’s not an exact science, even if people try to tell you it is.)
That’s it. I don’t need an asparagus pot, crepe pan, lobster pot, pizza stone, pressure cooker, tart pan, griddle, wok, poacher, kitchenaid mixer, and whatever else the experts insist you need. I don’t even need a rolling pin.
The point is, you need to decide for yourself what’s enough for you. What are you content in owning? Your list may be longer or shorter than mine. Maybe all you need to be content is a tea kettle and a hot plate. Maybe you need an extensive array of bakeware. It’s up to you to decide!
I hope this glimpse into my kitchen inspires you! I’d love to hear what you use the most.