What You Need in Your Kitchen

Hi, again, everyone!

It occurred to me (as I was posting on another blog, actually), that here I was, telling you how to cook this, that, and the other, and I had never sat down and told you what you would need to do all of that.

I'm awfully sorry; sometimes you think people "just know" (I don't know why!), and forget to write it down for them. So, here's the list of what I think is absolutely indespensible in a kitchen:

WHAT YOU NEED IN YOUR KITCHEN:

FOR STARTERS:


Pots and Pans:

1 Dutch Oven
1 large (11”) skillet
1 small (7-8”) skillet
1 (1-qt) saucepan (also called a ‘saute pan’)
1 (2-qt) saucepan
1 (3-qt) saucepan
1 (4-qt) saucepan
1 4-qt) pressure cooker
1 set (4, 8, 12-qt) stock pots
1 small (12”) colander

1 set mixing bowls:
1 (1-pint)
1 (1-quart)
1 (1-gallon)

1 pasta server
1 wire cheese cutter
1 cheese knife and board
1 corkscrew
1 box grater
1 rasp

1 (2 cup) Pyrex or aluminum measuring cup
1 set of Measures (1/4c, 1/3c, 1/2c, 1c)
1 sifter
3 (8-9”) aluminum cake pans
3 (8-9”) aluminum pie pans
1 (9”x2”x13”) aluminum rectangular pan
(aka “lasagna pan”)
2 cookie sheets
2 muffin pans (2-1/2” cups)
2 round aluminum pizza pans

Utensils:
3 lg cooking spoons, metal:
(solid, pierced, slotted)
1 ladle, metal
3 wooden spoons
1-2 wire whisks (“whips”)
1 (3”) wire mesh strainer
1 (6”) wire mesh strainer
1 potato masher
1 rolling pin
1 pancake turner (solid)
1 egg turner (slotted)
1 set measuring spoons (1/4tsp—1 Tbsp)
1 metal spatula (for frosting cakes)
2-4 plastic or rubber spatulas
(preferably heat-resistant)
1 pair kitchen shears
12 (14”) metal skewers
2-3 metal tongs
2 (1-1/2”) brushes for greasing pans, brushing on
barbecue sauce, etc.
1 (6”) funnel
1 (10-12”) funnel
1 salad set, wooden or plastic (fork and spoon)

Cutlery:
1 (9”) French Cooks knife
2-3 paring knives
1 (11”) serrated slicer
1 large butcher’s knife
1 (8-9”) utility knife
1 knife sharpener (manual)

Oddments:
I kitchen string holder and sturdy string
Bamboo skewers (1 pkg)
1 powdered sugar sifter (the metal kind with a handle and pierced top)
Cookie cutters, various
Sugar bowl and creamer
1 bottle opener with triangular tip
(aka “a churchkey”)
1 nutcracker-and-picks set
Plastic decorating bags and various tips


Since you won’t have enough knives for a proper knife holder at first, why not take a new medium-sized clay flowerpot, sterilizeit by pouring boiling water into it, drying it well (air drying is best after wiping with a clean dishtowel) decorate it with acrylic paints to match your décor, and fill it with cheap wooden chopsticks.

Once it’s full of clean chopsticks, it’s a simple matter to store your knives,
blade downward, in this flowerpot for easy access and handy storage.

Your decorating bag will come in handy for piping a pretty edging of roasted
garlic mashed potatoes around the edges of a hot Shepherd’s Pie, and will be
helpful in “prettying up” your muffins and layer cakes. It’s a big help, too, in
filling devilled eggs and topping desserts with home-whipped cream or one of
those blocks of cream cheese, mixed with minced pineapple. Mmmm…

I'm sure these items will be of great help to you in your cooking and baking (even if you only cook at holiday time) and that you will enjoy using them as much as I have done.