Kitchen Confidential

Because I love to cook I used to receive a lot of kitchen gadgets as gifts—mostly from my mom who has never met a kitchen gadget she doesn’t love. I, on the other hand, read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential and was traumatized by the chapter about the garlic press.

I don’t know what that junk is that squeezes out the end of those things, but it ain’t garlic - Anthony Bourdain

I didn’t own one, and I damn sure didn’t want one. Plus, my kitchen at the time was very small, so I put a moratorium on kitchen gadgets.

I made a pact with myself to always use the flat of my chef’s knife to smash the skin off garlic before chopping it. Until I rediscovered the meat tenderizer my mom gave me while making chicken piccata, which is best when the chicken is flattened before being dredged through an herbed flour mixture. But I digress.

I have a larger kitchen these days. But, I still try not to overload on stuff. These items are what I think every kitchen needs—no matter the size. So, whether you’re lost about what to add to your wedding registry or you’re in need of an upgrade because you’re cooking more than you ever have in your life due to the global pandemic keeping us all indoors, I’ve got you.

Pounding, Chopping, Zesting & Juicing

• Reversible meat tenderizer - great for flattening meat, smashing garlic to remove the skin, slamming ginger or green onions to bring out their juices or fibers for a marinade or broth

• At least 2 cutting boards - Some cooks separate their meat, veggie, and dairy prep. I use a large (20”x15”), wooden cutting board for pretty much everything but if I’m prepping raw meat, I wrap the board with wax paper or foil so that I don’t contaminate it. And I prefer to use a plastic board for prepping messy fruits like pomegranates and tomatoes.

• Food processor - every mini food processor I’ve ever had has failed me (blenders to the rescue) but a standard sized one with all the blade attachments can help you make better dough, perfectly slice vegetables or grate cheese quickly

• Box grater - cheese tastes better and has less preservatives when you grate it yourself

• Microplane - easiest way to zest citrus; best way to grate Parmesan

• Peeler/julienne set - whether you’re peeling vegetables or slicing them into ribbons or little strips, this set will do the trick

• Citrus press - yes, you can squeeze citrus by hand, but this is easier, and who wants to get lemon seeds in their salad dressing anyway?

Baking & Cooking

• At least 2 nice rimmed baking sheets - for everything from baking cookies to broiling salmon and roasting chicken

• Cupcake pan(s) - I own a mini cupcake pan and a regular sized one—both Teflon-coated stainless steel (silicone is on my wish list). The smaller one is great when baking for toddlers. Whether you’re making muffins or egg bites, I spray mine down with canola oil in lieu of paper or silicone baking cups.

• Cooking/cooling/baking racks - you can’t make good chicken wings without them and I recently started using them to bake bacon and cool muffins, too

• Non-stick dutch oven - I have two, but my Calphalon one that allows me to drain pasta is my favorite for everything from poaching chicken to making tomato sauce

• Stock pot - great for making ends and stems stock from leftover veggies (and poultry carcasses) that you tuck into the freezer or boiling up some spaghetti; I like my Analon pot

• 2 non-stick skillets of varying sizes for making eggs, omelettes, and sautéing vegetables

• Cast-iron skillet - they’re cheap and indispensable for making a good steak or even a pasta bake

• Wooden spoons - nothing is better for sautéing vegetables and stirring rice or soup; I bought two handmade ones in Oaxaca City and wish I had more

• At least 2 silicone spatulas - you need a flipper or turner for grilled cheese and eggs and a stir-er for pretty much everything else your wooden spoon isn’t handling

• 1 silicone spoon - the foods done, are you really going to use your metal serving spoon to place It in your serving bowl and possibly scratch your good pan? Didn’t think so.

Measuring & Mixing

• Set of glass measuring cups - best when measuring liquids like stock or wine

• Set of metal measuring cups - good for baking and measuring dry ingredients and spices

• Silicone whisks of varying sizes - the smaller one is great for salad dressing and the bigger one makes it possible to scramble eggs in the pan

• Yes, another blender - even with a handheld immersion blender, I recommend having a more conventional blender on hand for making smoothies, slushy cocktails, and even sauces. I used mine yesterday to blend the ingredients to one of my all-time favorite chicken recipes.

• All. The. Bowls. - Whether you decide to invest in glass, metal, or ceramic bowls—even better if they have a spout—it’s always good to have bowls of varying sizes, including ramekins, so your ingredients have a place to hang out while you’re prepping everything.

Note: I don’t own a stand mixer, but I can understand how one might be indispensable if you are more of a baker than me.

A Few Extra Essentials

Ok, maybe these aren’t must-haves, but I definitely couldn’t live without them in my kitchen because of the kinds of foods I like to make.

• Paella pan - I make paella about once a year, BUT I’ve discovered that using this instead of my Dutch oven to cook chicken provides more surface area for better browning. Get one with a glass lid so you can watch your shellfish steam open when you do make the pan’s namesake.

• Kitchen scale - I survived many years without one, but now that I have one, it’s kind of nice to know exactly how many ounces of fish I’m eating or to measure dry baking ingredients instead of measuring