The Top 5 Things You Need In Your Kitchen

Welcome back, and Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the holidays, and got to do some fun cooking, without too much stress. And hopefully, if you're a relatively new cook, you got some of these kitchen essentials as gifts this season. :-)

If you are just starting to cook, or are moving in on your own, chances are, you don't have much in terms of cooking equipment. Here is what we recommend you use as a foundation to your kitchen, as you are starting out. As time goes by, you will, of course, get more kitchen gadgets. But here are five that we recommend starting out with:

- A chopping board. This is a basic need for your kitchen. It is very versatile, as you can chop pretty much anything on it - onions, potatoes, tomatoes, meat, herbs, etc.

Some people prefer to get separate chopping boards for meat, dairy items, vegetables, etc. Others get differently sized chopping boards, and use them depending on the volume of things they need to chop. Start out with one, and see what else you need.

Image via Wikipedia- A couple of good knives. Again, this is very basic, but you won't get very far in your cooking endeavors without a knife. A good, sharp knife goes a long way to help you prepare food. You can go to some stores, and hold the knives in your hand, so that you know which one you are comfortable with, or you can purchase them online - look for good customer reviews, or visit www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html for some recommendations.

You will want a large multi-purpose chopping knife like a Santoku, a small paring knife that is easy to maneuver, and a good sharp one with a serrated blade for slicing and boning meat - these should serve most of your needs to start with.

- A big pot. You need a pot for pretty much anything - from boiling pastas to Image via Wikipediamaking soups to stewing to pretty much anything else. Some pots come with colander inserts, which makes it easier to cook pasta and steam vegetables. Or, you may get a colander separately, and use that.

- A saute pan. We love saute pans, and use them all the time. Again, they are very versatile, and we recommend getting ones without wooden handles, so that you can put them in the oven as well, and they will last longer.

Use the saute pan for preparing stir fries, sauteing meat and fish, cooking vegetables, eggs and much, much more.

- Roasting pan. You will need one of these if you plan to roast anything in the oven. From roast to roasted chicken to roasted vegetables, a roasting pan can help you cook your favorite dishes in the oven.

This is just a start, and I know it can seem a little overwhelming to visit the kitchen of an experienced cook, with loads of equipment and all the latest gadgets. But don't be scared - cooking is fun. Start getting a few of the basic things that we recommended, and add to your collection of kitchen equipment as time goes by.

Visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html for some suggestions for simple, quality, essential cookware.