More kitchen favorites, part 2 of my most used and loved kitchen items. Last week I shared 5 things I reach for almost daily in the kitchen and today I have 5 more items that I can’t wait to share with you.
As a teaching chef for over 20 years, I have used and used up a lot of kitchen equipment including smoking out my food processor and catching my oven on fire, whew! Nothing that complicated today, just tried and true items, that I believe every home chef can benefit from owning.
I’ll tell you why the product is awesome, I’ll add links so you can click and ship if you like and I’ll share a few of my all-time favorite recipes that call for these kitchen tools.
Let’s go!
I received a set of these colorful ceramic kitchen bowls for Christmas and I love them. As a cooking teacher, it’s impossible to have too many bowls.
Bowls are used in almost all of my recipes, like my Chocolate Pistachio Tart. I like ceramic bowls because they are heavy, this keeps them from sliding around your countertop while you are stirring. This particular set of ceramic bowls are chip and crack resistant and mine definitely put this to the test. I love the cute cheerful colors! If you are in need of a fresh set of bowls, this is a must have.
If you dont already have a kitchen scale, get one! This one is less than $15.00 and will pay for itself in recipe accuracy and quality of your finished recipes. In the beginning, I specialized in taking the recipes I learned while cooking in France and modifying them for the American home chef. This involved converting weight measurements to cup measurements but this process sometimes compromised the quality. These days, when accuracy is paramount, I weigh the ingredients. It’s simple and pays off in the quality of the finished product.
For years I was too stubborn to buy a Vitamix blended. I had used them in cooking schools around Texas so I knew they were fantastic but I would just not part with the cash.
I inherited my Mother-In-Laws Vitamix and discovered just what a game changer it is. If you need a blender, this is the one I recommend. They are wonderful for mixing anything that needs to be smooth like my Raspberry Coulis, that I use to top creamy Panna Cotta.
Did you know that spatulas with a red handle are heat resistant? I love stirring with spatulas. Anytime I am making a sauce or custard, I reach for a rubber spatula because it gets all around the edges of the hot pan and keeps the mixture flowing so no lumps form. The fact that they are heat resistant lets you do your work with no worry about melted rubber and plastic in your recipes.
I love my set of kitchen scoops, I use them for everything.
Portioning batter into muffin tins, serving side dishes, and portioning main course dishes onto plates like my Barbeque Chicken Tacos that are always a hit! The best thing about this set in particular is that the small scoop is 1 tablespoon, the medium is 2 tablespoons and the large is 3. this makes it so easy to gauge how much food or batter you are serving. If you don’t have a set, treat yourself, you will be glad you did!
I’d like to know what your favorite kitchen tools are. Will you share them below in the comments section?
Have a glorious day!
XO Lorie
