|
Stock
kitchen with books and tools for healthy eating
Dear
Chef Kathleen,
I've decided to put more energy into cooking at home.
I've realized it's the only way I'm ever going to get this
weight off. What tools and cookbooks do you consider essential
for a healthy kitchen?
Tess
Dear Tess,
Your kitchen arsenal can facilitate healthy meals in a hurry
or sabotage your best efforts. Deciding which tools and
books to buy depends entirely on your needs, time constraints
and interest level. Must-have cookbooks are ones that encourage
you to cook as opposed to those that look great on the coffee
table or leave you feeling like you "can't" or
would rather not tackle any of the recipes. Essential tools
are those that truly serve your needs.
Evaluate the tools you have on hand. What condition are
they in? Are the handles wobbly? Is your Teflon pan Teflon-less?
Did the blender eat the rubber tip off your spatula? Do
your kitchen towels second as hot pads? Make a list of tools
that need replacing.
Next, think about easy healthy foods you like to eat but
never make because it's too hard or inconvenient. Once you
figure out what you want to eat, you'll know which tools
and cookbooks to add to your collections. For example:
- If
you love stir-frys but never make them because you don't
have a wok and don't know how to make them, put a wok
on your tool wish list and a stir-fry cookbook on your
book wish list.
- If
you never steam vegetables because you don't have a steamer,
put one on the list.
- If
you're a fan of grilling but don't grill very often because
it's a hassle, consider getting a counter top grill.
- If
you love smoothies but hate your blender, put a new one
on the list too.
She
who has the most (kitchen) toys wins
I admit that I'm a sucker for kitchen tools. But I'm able
to control my addiction because I'm a bigger fan of cleanliness
than I am of clutter. There's nothing more deterring than
messy kitchen cupboards and drawers. And there's nothing
more rewarding than preparing healthy meals for loved ones.
Here's my list of kitchen tools I can't live without:
- For
whipping up cool salads, slaws and veggie sides: my OXO
peeler and plastic
mandoline.
- For
"frying" just about everything with nary a teaspoon
of oil: my 8-, 10- and 12-inch nonstick pans.
- For
"steaming" veggies in the microwave: my 2-quart
Pyrex
clear glass baking dish.
- For
storing cut-up fruits at eye level in the fridge so I
grab them first: my see-through storage containers.
- For
freezing leftovers in individual portions so I have no
excuse not to eat healthy on nights I'm not in the mood
to cook: my stash of Glad freezer containers and lids.
- For
late-night snacks: my air popper popcorn maker.
One
can never have enough cookbooks!
I have books I cook from, books I scan through for inspiration,
books I use for reference and books I bought for the pictures.
My favorite books to cook from are anything by Mark
Bittman, Donna
Hay, Jack
Bishop, Martha
Rose Schulman and Richard
Sax.
Cookbooks I've been cooking from lately: "Italian
Soup Cookbook" by Joe Famularo, "The
New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook" by Roger Berkowitz
and Jane Doerfer and "The
Roasted Vegetable" by Andrea Chesman. Favorite
foodie cookbooks to cook from when I've got nothing but
time on my hands: Mario
Batali for his dedication to authenticity, flavor, freshness
and taste; Nigella
Lawson for her tendency to overindulge; and Jamie
Oliver for his simplicity and bold flavors.
Cookbooks I'd walk 100 miles in wooden clogs to get: "The
Joy of Cooking," "How
to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman and "Classic
Home Desserts" by Richard Sax.
Cheap
tricks
If you're anything like me, your wish lists will be longer
than Santa's at Christmas. Here are some good places to
look:
Have
fun setting up your kitchen, Tess!
kd@chefkathleen.com
|
