Here is a list of some of my favorite things. I have not been asked or paid to mention these things, I just like them. I will add to the list periodically as I find something new and wonderful for my kitchen. If you have any questions, go to the contact page. Enjoy!
1). My giant mortar and pestle- I almost separated my shoulders to get this mammoth home to the Hamptons from the shop in Seattle where I bought it.
2). Spiral Slicer- I am not huge on gadgets in the kitchen, but I love this thing. Phil gave it to me for Christmas last year and I had stars in my eyes. Luckily it lived up to my high expectations. I can easily make noodles out of carrots, beets, even potatoes. Potatoes!
3). My big scary knife-I received this prop from a slasher film knife a few years back from my father in-law and it became an instant favorite. This knife is fantastic for everything from frightening little children chopping herbs to cutting up a particularly difficult squash.
4). Wusthof santoku knife- This is probably my most frequently used knife. I can blitz through veggies with ease and even do a certain level of precision work. Also, it’s pretty.
5). Nesting bowls- My friend Leslie gave me my set of nesting several years ago for a wedding present and I’ve used them every single day since. As I type this, the largest bowl in the set is holding pork in brine.
6). Basic baking sheet with sides- I firmly believe that every kitchen needs at least one of these as a part of it’s arsenal. I use mine almost every single day. You can use it for baking cookies and to roast veggies without worrying they will tumble off. I also use one under the carving board to eliminate a gigantic mess when a turkey or whatever meat needs to be dealt with.
7). Le Creuset cast iron frying pan- Nothing browns like these durable pans.
8). Saunier de Camargue Sel de Mer- I really love this stuff, it reminds me of the sticky sand on Kauai. I am appalled at it’s price here and am almost out of the supply I bought cheaply in Paris a while back. Guess I need to go back to Paris.
9). Dried porcini mushrooms- Porcini Risotto is my go to meal when either I am feeling lazy don’t have a lot of time or when I have an unexpected lunch guest. I always have a few packages of dried porcini’s in my pantry.
10). Stock- My freezer always has a supply of stock, usually chicken. Stock is dead useful and not having it is like telling me I can’t use my hands.
11). Larousse Gastronomique- Whether I encounter an obstacle in the kitchen, need a refresher or just a little inspiration, Larousse Gastronomique in my number one resource.
12). Maille mustard from Dijon- For years I was a Grey Poupon girl, until one evening while dining at Les Halles in Manhattan with my sister. I had ordered the pate du jour and it came with this wonderful creamy mustard that I just couldn’t get enough of. I asked the server to find out who the producer was and imagine my surprise when I found it was a name I new well, but had never enjoyed until then. Grey Poupon. . . well, I don’t buy it any more.
13). Black Peppercorns- I love pepper. In fact I would even go so far as to say that pepper is my favorite spice of all time. The rate at which it disappears from my cupboard is probably ten times what happens in most kitchens. Tellicherry peppercorns are great as well.
14). Microplane Grater- I use this guy to grate parmesan, chocolate, garlic, zest lemons, whatever I can think of. I do much more small scale grating and a large box grater just doesn’t work as well for this.
15). Sieve- I use this for everything from straining sauces to tea (I have bad luck with tea strainers). I don’t actually know what brand mine is.
16). Salumi Pancetta- This is the best pancetta I have ever run across. It is delicious, reasonably priced and a source of local pride.
17). Teensy Little Ice Cream Scoop-I have never used this for ice cream, but it is really handy for making truffles or measuring out dough for tartlets.
18). Le Creuset Silicone Basting Brush- A basting brush, is a basting brush, is a basting brush, until it comes time to clean it. This one doesn’t hold on to every little bit of food and just seems a whole lot more sanitary. I would not however use it for pastries.
19). Locking Tongs- It’s almost like getting in to that hot pot or pan with your fingers and easily manipulating what you want, instead of disturbing everything in the pan.
20). My old no name mandoline- My mother gave me this eight years ago and I still love it. I tried to buy a new safer version with a guard, but the first thing I did was badly cut myself on it.