Kitchen Tools Part I

Cooking can be faster and easier with the right kitchen tools. I recommend getting familiar with the myriad of kitchen supplies and tools available to learn which ones will work best for you. I've collected a number of amazing kitchen tools that make cooking a lot more enjoyable for me that I would like to share with you! Today I am going to share a few of my favorite knives and cookware...

I've been using Wusthof knives for the past seven years and absolutely love them! I own the Wusthof Classic. Classic is the type of handle. There are many other types of handle options you can choose from. It's all preference as to what feels comfortable in your hand. I use all of the knives in my 27 piece knife set (8 of them are steak knives). They sit in a great looking wooden block and are conveniently ready to use without searching in a drawer full of knives. Each knife is uniquely designed for different uses. I recommend purchasing a wooden block and collecting the different types of knives in order of what you need and use the most. The knife that I recommend that you start with is the 7-inch Wusthof Classic Santoku Knife. I use it the most for my everyday chopping, mincing, slicing and dicing. Another one of my favorites from the same line is the 5-inch serrated tomato knife. It makes slicing tomatoes easy. I also use it for thinly slicing other vegetables like peppers, cucumbers, and onions.

The very first pot that I invested in was a Le Creuset 9-Quart Red Round French Oven pot. I remember looking at it and thinking "what am I to do with this heavy thing?" Turned out it is my very favorite. Made of enameled cast iron, which distributes heat slowly and evenly, I use this pot for making all of my soups and stews. Everything you make in this pot will taste better. It is also great for frying and browning. It is oven proof so I will frequently start my dish on the stove top then move it to the oven. This pot is a must! It is heavy so you will not thank me when you are lifting or cleaning the pot but it is well worth it. My second favorite Le Creuset piece would have to be the square grill pan. I use it for indoor grilling, especially for grilling veggies. Le Creuset offers a number of different cookware pieces to choose from in many sizes and attractive colors to fit your needs.

Another recommendation of mine is the Scanpan line. I own the 10 and 14-inch fry pans as well as the crepe pan. They are great for omelets, frittatas, pancakes, quesadillas, and more. The Scanpan uses a newer type of non-stick coating called ceramic titanium technology. You can use very little butter or oil when cooking with this pan which is great for healthy cooking. The Scanpan is oven safe and also browns food very nicely. Lastly, they are my easiest to clean!

You have probably heard of All-Clad, a very well known brand that has kept its reputation as a professional line of cookware. I have many of the basic cooking pieces from the Stainless All-Clad line such as the fry pan, sauce pan, sauté pan and stock pot. I recently purchased the new All- Clad D5 4- Quart sauté and simmer pan sold exclusively by William Sonoma. This particular pan is perfect for sautéing, simmering, and braising. I used it for my new Chicken Cacciatore recipe and it worked perfectly. I love the structure and shape of it because it's deep enough to fit chicken pieces under the liquid without overcrowding, and wide enough to reduce liquids quickly.

You can find my recommended kitchen tools online and at various local kitchen supply stores. Be sure to shop smart to get the best priced deals. If you are a local San Diegan I recommend shopping at Great News Discount Cooking Store and Cooking School in Pacific Beach. They sell just about everything that you need for your kitchen. Their prices are competitive and the staff is helpful and informative.

Great News Discount Store and Cooking School
1788 Garnet Avenue
San Diego, CA. 92019
(858) 270-1582

http://www.great-news.com/

New to CookingWithMelody.com this month...

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