I am often asked what makes a great kitchen. A great kitchen doesn't mean having the largest kitchen with the best appliances. Sure, that would be awesome, but I've seen many larger well equipped kitchens that suck! I've also seen smaller kitchens that had everything that you would ever want in a kitchen, but the person that owned the kitchen sucked as a cook!
You only need a few very well planned items for your kitchen to make your area Iron Chef worthy or at the very least, family an friends worthy! Think of all of the cooking shows that are currently on the Food Network. What do they all have in common? They have great nonstick cookware and/or cast iron; They have great cutlery with the addition of a good knife sharpener; They have spices galore; And they have a good (small or large) food processor. Now, all of those items will make your time in the kitchen much more pleasant and actually cut back on the amount of time that you spend prepping food.
When purchasing cookware, think about what type of cuisine you are going to be doing. Cast iron cookware and cookware that doubles its usage for stovetop as well as being oven ready are great to use. Non stick is a definite plus, but a GOOD nonstick cookware set is essential for every kitchen. I warn my family to use non scarring utensils when cooking on my nonstick cookware. That preserves your investment for years! I only purchase cookware that I can use in and out of the oven. That makes it so much easier while working in the kitchen, especially when you do your initial mixing and searing on the stovetop and then put it directly in the oven. You retain all of the heat from the skillet or pan! I'm partial to cookware sets such as Master Chef by All Clad, Chef's Classic by Cuisinart and Simply Nonstick by Calphalon. All doubles as stove top and oven ready cookware.
Your knives are one of the most essential items in your kitchen by far. How many of us had those dull, but pretty knives that could barely cut a piece of paper, let alone an actual tomato? How many times have you tried to cut a sweet potato with your current knives, only to quit in utter frustration because it was virtually impossible to cut? My wife used my knives when cutting sweet potatoes one day and ran into the living room afterwards. She had this huuuuuge grin on her face! She said, "Good knives make all of the difference in the kitchen! It took no time to cut those sweet potatoes! Now I don't have a problem cutting sweet potatoes!" All I could do was smile and say,"Yes, my child. My job is done!"
You can purchase a good set of knives at stores such as Williams-Sonoma or most other higher end stores. Shopping at high end stores at outlet malls also will help in finding great cutlery at incredibly low prices. I've found that you need at the very least (this will cover most of your cooking needs) a 3-inch Paring Knife, 3-inch Serrated Bar Knife, 3-inch Peeling Knife, 4.5-inch Utility Knife, 4.5-inch Tomato Knife, 5-inch Boning Knife, 6-inch Meat Cleaver, 6-inch Sandwich Knife, 7-inch Santoku Knife, 8-inch Bread Knife, 8-inch Cook's Knife, 8-inch Slicing Knife, Sharpening Steel, Kitchen Shears and virtually any knife that you would need for your particular cuisine. Also, a good grater and food processor is always needed in every kitchen!
I personally am partial to Goetze Knives. My knifes were about $700 if I would have purchased them from one of the specialty or high end stores. However, I purchased all of my knives from an auction at a cost of less than $125! Henckel and Wusthof knives are also very good knives that any chef, whether classically trained or not, would enjoy. Wusthof, with their laser forged blades are an outstanding addition to any kitchen. Now, for all that is holy to you and the Kitchen Gods....DO NOT PUT YOUR VERY EXPENSIVE KNIVES IN THE DISHWASHER!!! That is one sure fire way to damage your knives and make them dull and ineffective. My kids were nearly flogged and tarred when they washed my knives in the dishwasher! They learned though! Quickly!
The other essential item(s) that you MUST have in your cupboard....HERBS AND SPICES! While I prefer to use fresh herbs and spices, you should always keep dry spices as well. Get fully stocked with the herbs and spices that are essential to your specific style of cooking and/or your particular cuisine.
Spices come from the bark, roots, leaves, stems, buds, seeds, or fruit of aromatic plants and trees which usually grow only in tropical countries. Pepper, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, ginger, saffron, and turmeric are spices.
Nowadays you can find herbs such as fresh basil, coriander, chervil, tarragon, rosemary, and dill pretty much everywhere. Since herbs are at their best when they are young and freshly picked, it is well worth growing your own. Again,you don't need a lot of space to create a table top or window sill garden fill with fresh herbs and spices.
Think about this when buying spices and herbs:
~Don't buy herbs or spices that look faded or uneven in color.
~For whole spices, check that there is very little powder or broken bits in the container.
~For ground spices, the finer the grind, the better the quality.
~When buying spices and herbs from a large bulk bin, make sure there is plenty of aroma.
~Don't buy more than you can use with 6 months to 1 year.
There you have it. All that you need to help create an effective kitchen. It doesn't matter the size of the kitchen, only the essential items that you have IN the kitchen. My kitchen in my townhouse is a 1/3 of the size of the kitchen that was in my two story house. However, my small kitchen is much more effective for cooking than my larger kitchen was! Go figure!
Hopefully, this information will help in "building" the perfect kitchen, no matter what the size of your kitchen may be!
From my court...to your kitchen...ENJOY!!!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Man vs Woman...In the Kitchen
I had a very interesting conversation about man versus woman in the kitchen. My wife stated that most women that cook will not get the same response as a man that also cooks. I beg to differ because I know many women that can flat out throw down in the kitchen and I am mesmerized at what they do! My wife is a great example of that as well as her mother and a host of other women chefs that I know.
The more that I thought about that particular statement, the more intrigued I became! It is my belief that most women that are comfortable in a kitchen, are often surrounded by a gatherer...a male...a person to "hunt." This person is never expected to cook nor had any desire to learn how to cook. Males were always looked upon as being the hunters of the pack. We hunt and bring home the food and our mate was responsible for preparing the food. Men were an anomaly in the kitchen...rare that we were actually seen in a kitchen for more than just making a fresh cup of java.
During the early 1900's and prior, most folks in America did not see cooking as a noble profession. It was considered domestic work. Women would cook out of necessity, but often would forbid their daughters from following in their footsteps. This was the mentality fresh out of the Jim Crow era and well as slavery days as a whole. My child is going to be better than me; My child will learn to read and write; My child will go to school. Our African American fore-fathers worked tirelessly in an effort to have their children do better. Men were charged with slaughtering the animal and the women prepared the feast. It was interesting that men who cooked, even during that period, were quite rare. Another interesting fact was how male chefs were revered in Europe during the same period! It was a notable profession and paid quite handsomely as well!
Now, let's fast forward to the 21st Century! MEN COOK! Yes, we cook and do it quite well. Not all men cook, but not all women cook. Talk about great male chefs! Wow! The list is long and varied! We have Marcus Samuelsson, Gerry Garvin, Bobby Flay, Jeff Henderson, Mario Batali, Patrick Clark, Marvin Woods, Bernard Carmouche and a host of other male chefs that continue to pave the way for us self taught culinarist as well as degreed culinarist! I have no less than 100 male chefs on my Facebook friends list and frequently will peek at their food. Why? Because it looks so doggone good! I also do the same for my female friends and female chefs that post their food on Facebook.
Woman that have a mate that doesn't cook will always enjoy seeing a male that can cook. That's the nature of the beast. Women are "supposed" to cook. Wait a minute!!! Don't get excited ladies! I only say that as an example of the perception that our past has created. My mother-in-law is a great cook, but my dad-in-law did not cook...ever. They both worked and raised five boys a a girl, but he never cooked. The expectation was mom would be the cook for the family.
My dad was a cook. He married my mom, whom was an awesome cook. It worked for them because days that mom didn't feel like cooking, dad would simply assume the role. I was taught at an early age that I was to learn how to cook. My parents made certain that I could care for myself, with the hope that I married a woman that could cook as well. They did not believe in "gendered" positions in our home. Dishes were dirty, you washed them....clothes needed to be folded and put away, well just fold them and put them away.
I pass that ideology down to my children. As a result, they both (boy and girl) cook, clean, fold clothes and any other chore that we deem a life skill.
So, how do I close this male versus female issue? Nothing has changed for me! I continue to believe that it's not the male in the kitchen that will get the attention. I think that it is the dish that has been created that will get the attention. The male (in my case) just happenes to be the person to prepare and post the dish.
What do you think? Is it more interesting to see a male cook versus a female?
The more that I thought about that particular statement, the more intrigued I became! It is my belief that most women that are comfortable in a kitchen, are often surrounded by a gatherer...a male...a person to "hunt." This person is never expected to cook nor had any desire to learn how to cook. Males were always looked upon as being the hunters of the pack. We hunt and bring home the food and our mate was responsible for preparing the food. Men were an anomaly in the kitchen...rare that we were actually seen in a kitchen for more than just making a fresh cup of java.
During the early 1900's and prior, most folks in America did not see cooking as a noble profession. It was considered domestic work. Women would cook out of necessity, but often would forbid their daughters from following in their footsteps. This was the mentality fresh out of the Jim Crow era and well as slavery days as a whole. My child is going to be better than me; My child will learn to read and write; My child will go to school. Our African American fore-fathers worked tirelessly in an effort to have their children do better. Men were charged with slaughtering the animal and the women prepared the feast. It was interesting that men who cooked, even during that period, were quite rare. Another interesting fact was how male chefs were revered in Europe during the same period! It was a notable profession and paid quite handsomely as well!
Now, let's fast forward to the 21st Century! MEN COOK! Yes, we cook and do it quite well. Not all men cook, but not all women cook. Talk about great male chefs! Wow! The list is long and varied! We have Marcus Samuelsson, Gerry Garvin, Bobby Flay, Jeff Henderson, Mario Batali, Patrick Clark, Marvin Woods, Bernard Carmouche and a host of other male chefs that continue to pave the way for us self taught culinarist as well as degreed culinarist! I have no less than 100 male chefs on my Facebook friends list and frequently will peek at their food. Why? Because it looks so doggone good! I also do the same for my female friends and female chefs that post their food on Facebook.
Woman that have a mate that doesn't cook will always enjoy seeing a male that can cook. That's the nature of the beast. Women are "supposed" to cook. Wait a minute!!! Don't get excited ladies! I only say that as an example of the perception that our past has created. My mother-in-law is a great cook, but my dad-in-law did not cook...ever. They both worked and raised five boys a a girl, but he never cooked. The expectation was mom would be the cook for the family.
My dad was a cook. He married my mom, whom was an awesome cook. It worked for them because days that mom didn't feel like cooking, dad would simply assume the role. I was taught at an early age that I was to learn how to cook. My parents made certain that I could care for myself, with the hope that I married a woman that could cook as well. They did not believe in "gendered" positions in our home. Dishes were dirty, you washed them....clothes needed to be folded and put away, well just fold them and put them away.
I pass that ideology down to my children. As a result, they both (boy and girl) cook, clean, fold clothes and any other chore that we deem a life skill.
So, how do I close this male versus female issue? Nothing has changed for me! I continue to believe that it's not the male in the kitchen that will get the attention. I think that it is the dish that has been created that will get the attention. The male (in my case) just happenes to be the person to prepare and post the dish.
What do you think? Is it more interesting to see a male cook versus a female?
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