My Favorite Things

Top 11 Favorite Kitchen Supplies:

  • Tongs (this links to the exact tongs I have - couldn't cook without them, I swear)
  • All-Clad Stainless Saute pan (I have the 4-qt version)
  • Wusthof 8-inch Chef's Knife (I'd recommend this set because you should have a paring knife too.  I also have to add that my Wusthof 10-inch extra-wide Chef's Knife is my favorite...but the 8-inch is more versatile, especially if you're new to cooking.  It should also be noted that I did not pay this much for my knives - my knives were acquired either through a heavy discount while taking recreational classes at Institute of Culinary Education, or from my short stint in culinary school at ICE)
  • Cutting board (again, this is the exact board I have - I've had it for years - and I adore it)
  • Microplane graters (the zester is my go-to...I use it on lemons but it's also awesome for Parmesan grating)
  • Sheet pans (these aren't the pans I have but they're the ones I want! Nevertheless, I use the ones I have regularly)
  • Prep bowls (I actually have a ton of them in varying sizes and materials but these are my favorites - I also serve olives and nuts in them, among other things)
  • Mixing bowls (I love this set I have because they serve every one of my needs and don't take up a lot of space)
  • Seed remover (this Calphalon one is my unexpected workhorse: I use it on peppers (bell and jalapeno), all types of melon, and even on peaches to remove the center red stuff that creeps Bug out)
  • Dutch Oven (couldn't do without this - I own the less-expensive-than-Le-Creuset Mario Batali version - I use it for risotto, soups, braises, chili, you name it)
  • Butter Warmer (I thought this pan was completely frivolous when I bought it...but no longer.  I use it to melt butter, make garlic oil, create sauces.  It's also the perfect single serving size for drinks - I heat water and milk in it for tea and hot chocolate)
My Favorite Cookbooks:
My Favorite Reference Books:
My Favorite Food Memoirs:
  • The Art of Eating by MFK Fisher (the BEST food writing, in my opinion.  The Gastronomical Me is sheer heaven)
  • Blood, Bones, and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton (gives MFK Fisher a run for her money!)
  • Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (entertaining with incredible descriptions of food)
  • French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano (my gateway into the pleasures of food and wine - Pinot and Prose would not exist without this book and the path it sent me on)
To Satisfy My Inner Francophile:
My Favorite Wine Books:

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