TOOLS

Before I get into the Art & Cooking on this blog, we have to start with some basics: Tools

Tools are a tricky subject; I by no means think the tools make the cook, but they can certainly help. I also think there are a lot of misconceptions about tools, many of which are driven by marketing campaigns and structures of power that really have nothing to do with actual cooking.



Where to buy your tools:

When most people think about buying “nice kitchen supplies” Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and Sur La Table often come to mind. While I have shopped at these stores in the past, and all of them have nice things, consumers often pay a "status tax" for saying that they’ve purchased goods from a bougie kitchen store. The fact is some of my best tools were bought in restaurant supply stores, are of a much higher quality, and cost a lot less than what I would have paid had I purchased a similar product at a kitchen store for the social elite. MY ADVICE: Google “Kitchen Supply” or "Restaurant Supply” in your area, and take a field trip to what will become your new favorite hardware store. Another trick is to stay in touch with these places to be aware of what kind of specials they’re having. Often times these stores have difficulty in turning over inventory as quickly as the big chains, and you're bound to get a great deal on kitchen gear almost any time of year. Example: We purchased some All-Clad pots from one of our favorite supply stores, Perfect Edge Cutlery in San Mateo, CA. The store was having an inventory sale and we got all of our pots for half of what we could find at Williams-Sonoma, Macy’s, and even online.

Also, new does not mean better. Other great places to find gear are antique stores, yard sales, Ebay, and Etsy. Why pay $120 for a boring fondue set when you can get a pristine Danish Modern one for less than half? Remember, buy quality but enjoy your tools.

Buy high quality without overbuying:
Post-War American marketing did a great job of creating an identity for the status quo: Two Cars, a Suburban home, DEET protected food, and a full set of pots and knives for the kitchen; We know how wrong they were about the first three, you think it’s any different for the last? Here’s the truth: YOU DON’T NEED A FULL SET OF KNIVES, YOU DON’T NEED A FULL SET OF POTS! BUY ONLY WHAT YOU WILL USE. UNUSED UTILITARIAN OBJECTS ARE MEANINGLESS.

Let’s do a break down:
The average quality knife set costs between $400 - $2000
But you’re thinking “I don’t need fancy!” Fine. The average low quality set costs between $20-$100
The high quality set, well taken care of should last you nearly forever, and the low cost set will probably last you six months…seriously. The fact is one should invest in quality without overbuying. When I started graduate school I swore that I would not poison my body with bad food while simultaneously exhausting my mind during my education. I decided to invest in some cooking gear without breaking the bank. I bought a MAC Santoku and paring knife at a local Japanese hardware store for $80…. and I’ve never needed another knife for anything. Now you tell me, $80 for knives that will last forever and will do anything I need vs. $80 for crap that will die in six months, or $300 worth of knives I’ll never use. Which sounds better? This same rule applies to pots, and almost everything else you could ever use in your kitchen. How do you know something is high quality? I hate to say it, but consumer reviews in quantity almost always tell the truth. See what people are saying on the net, and don’t give in to impulse buys.

NOW….MY FAVORITE, CAN’T-LIVE-WITHOUT, ULTIMATE KITCHEN TOOLS:


1) First and foremost, my Kitchen-Aid mixer.
Anyone who even remotely likes to cook should have one of these and invest in the attachments. I use mine daily, and the cost of the machine has already paid for itself. Seriously for less than the cost of a gaming system that will kill your brain you can invest in a tool that will enrich your soul. As far as attachments go here’s what I have to say: The rolled pasta attachment is a must. Having fresh delicious pasta was never so easy. The meat grinder…I’m not so sold on, but it came with it when I bought it. I wish we had registered for the ice cream making attachment rather than a whole different ice cream maker for our wedding….in my kitchen, one machine is better than two. I’ve also had discussions about what model to buy. We purchased an Artisan mainly because of the color…..retro turquoise is just too cool. However, I think there are many benefits for the higher-end models. If I were to do it again, would I buy a different one? Not a chance! If mine decides to die on me some day, would I upgrade? Absolutely.


2) My Knives.
I have a couple different knives in my arsenal. As I said I have some Mac knives, but my wonderful wife spoiled me when we were first engaged with a Kikuichi. Kikuichi is the Ferrari of cutlery as far as I’m concerned, and like a Ferrari they require regular maintenance. This has actually become a joy, much like the pleasure of washing one’s own sports car before taking a Sunday drive. In addition I also have a monstrous cleaver I bought from the Wok Shop in San Francisco for $20. At the end of the day, if stripped of everything, the only knife I would really miss would be my Kikuichi.


3) My Braun Hand Blender.
I got my first hand blender to make protein shakes when I was 18 (I know….such a meat head! I promise I've changed!). Since then I have used it to make countless sauces, dips, soups, and anything else that needed blending. As a testament to it's quality, I’ve also never needed to buy another one. A hand blender is a must in my book, and cuts out a lot of the mess that can occur with a Cuisinart food processor…but we have one of those too.











4) My Cast Iron Pans.
Gone are the days of carcinogen-lined frying pans, here to stay are the old way of frying eggs. We have two Lodge cast iron pans: a 12” square and a 6” round. Yes they’re heavy, but I’ve used them in fire pits and gas ranges alike, and they only get better with age. Furthermore they’re cheap; we picked up both for $30. We have some Le Creuset and All-Clad, but we use our cast iron 95% of the time.

5) Our Pressure Cooker. We were given a Cuisinart digital pressure cooker as a wedding present, and I didn’t know what to do with it when we first got it. My wife, a devout believer in the powers of the pressure cooker was ecstatic. I flipped through the recipe book that came with it and found a recipe for pasta e fagioli, or as I like to say “Pasta-fazzu!” Of course I decided to use my own recipe, but was simply amazed at what this pressure cooker could do. With almost no work we were able to make an amazing dish, and have created many others since. This 'lil baby will eliminate the necessity for half the things in your kitchen. ARTISTS: Should you find yourself living in a studio without a kitchen, this would be a significant step up in improving your health and time to work over the pharmacy-bought hot plate.


Of course the best thing to do is follow your curiosity into a dish, and try to be innovative in the tools you need to create it. I own a gnocchi board, but I find the back of a fork often works better. I've thought about buying a pasta drying rack, but clothes hangers work just as well for me. In the end it is really about having tools that you will love to use, because after all, the more you enjoy what you cook the better it will taste.