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.

Important Cooking Tools You Can't Go Without

Far too often people overlook the importance of using the proper tools when cooking fine meals. While there is nothing in the world that can quite compare to cooking with the finest and freshest of ingredients, these things can only be enhanced by making use of the perfect tools for the job at hand.

Image via WikipediaWhen it comes to pots and pans and skillets you should keep in mind that conductivity is of extreme importance. You should also select pots and pans that are made of a heavier gauge. This allows your pans to heat evenly avoiding hot spots, which can lead to food that may 'stick' to your pan or scorch during the cooking process. This means that simply stopping in at your local mass market retailer and purchasing any old set of pots and pans is probably not the best course of action for the best possible quality in your kitchen. I went ahead and purchased a great-quality set of pots & pans a few years ago - they are worlds above the cheap stuff I had before, and I am pretty sure they will last forever - they are not only beautiful, but incredibly sturdy and durable.

Kitchen knives are also important ingredients in the kitchens of today. If you plan to prepare many meals in your kitchen, then the quality of your knives is of the utmost importance. Your knives are an investment you shouldn't have to make too often in your lifetime. For this reason, select a really good set and be prepared to make a sizeable investment in your knives. You will never understand, unless you've tried to prepare foods with knives of inferior quality versus the good ones, just how important it is to purchase good quality and well-balanced knives for your kitchen. You should also try the handles in your hand if you can to see how comfortable they feel before purchasing a set of knives. If you do a lot of chopping and cutting during your meal preparation and cooking you will want to make sure that the knives you are using feel comfortable in your hands. And don't think you have to go out and purchase a 20-piece set. I have so many knives I never even use - you really only need 5-6 different knives at the most to cover all the different functions you are going to use them for (other than a steak-knife dinner set, if that is something you need). 

If you are like me and plan on cooking a great deal of meat then you should also invest in a jacquard. This useful tool helps not only when it comes to tenderizing rather rough and tumble cuts of meat but also pierces the surface so that rubs and marinades can penetrate for a more flavorful experience. This is by far one of my favorite kitchen gadgets and it isn't a sizeable investment for the added value it provides to meals.

A good quality grater is another tool that no kitchen should be complete without. There are many who feel that with all the pre-shredded cheese products on the market today this tool is obsolete but nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, pre-grated and pre-packaged cheese simply doesn't touch the quality of flavor that freshly grated cheese provides. Second, cheese isn't the only thing that these graters are useful for grating. Graters are excellent tools for grating citrus fruits, spices, garlic, chocolate, and even onions. If you do a good deal of baking in addition to your cooking you should not overlook the value of having a quality grater in your kitchen.

Image via WikipediaOf course there are many more cooking tools than I could possibly mention here. Those mentioned above simply happen to be among my personal favorites. There are all kinds of appliances that in my humble opinion no kitchen is truly complete without. In addition to these great appliances there are many tools that are simple matters of preference. Do you peel enough potatoes to warrant a special device for doing so or do you simply opt to purchase an ergonomically designed potato peeler and peel them by hand?

There are no one size fits all answers when it comes to kitchen tools and many of us are often limited by serious budget constraints and restrictions. My best advice if this is the situation for you is to purchase the best possible quality you can afford and build from there. Even if it means replacing one pot or knife at a time until you can manage a complete set of superior quality cooking tools you will find it well worth the price you've paid in the long run.

For some examples of great cooking tools no kitchen should be without, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html - it's a great place to find quality gifts for the special cook in your life (even if that's you)!

A Few Top-Quality Cooking Tools: