Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen_ An Indesp - Tyler Florence [4]
A few quality kitchen tools
To put together this list of kitchen tools I simply went to my kitchen and took inventory of the gadgets and tools were I used in creating the recipes for this book.
Flat spatula
Rubber spatula
Slotted fish spatula (Peltex)
Wooden spoons
Slotted spoon
Wire whisk
Fine mesh strainer
Box grater
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Wine opener
Pastry brush
Cutting boards
Tongs
Kitchen towels
Kitchen string
Wooden skewers
Mixing bowls
Chopsticks
Peppermill
Two 9-inch cake pans
10½-inch tart pan with removable bottom
9×5-inch loaf pan
Cookie sheets
Muffin tin
Wok with lid
Roasting pan with rack insert
Grill pan
Pots and skillets
Electric rice cooker
Bamboo steamer
Immersion blender
Tabletop electric mixer
Food processor
Coffee grinder
Whetstone
Oyster knives
Mise en place bowls: small to
medium bowls to hold
prepped ingredients
The Pantry
If you don’t have at least a modestly stocked pantry, you’ll never be able to cook with confidence and think on your feet at the market. The first thing to do is ask yourself, What kind of food do I like? Italian, Thai, Japanese, Latin American—whatever part of the world your taste buds gravitate toward, that’s what you should have on hand.
Asian Pantry
Wasabi powder
White miso
Low-sodium soy sauce
Hoisin sauce
Oyster sauce
Sambal (chili sauce)
Sesame oil
Peanut oil
Rice wine vinegar
Chinese black vinegar
Sake
Plum wine
Mirin (sweet rice wine)
Panko bread crumbs
Cornstarch
Sesame seeds
Short-grain sushi rice
Five-spice powder
Nori (seaweed sheets for sushi)
Bonito flakes (dried tuna)
Thai Pantry
Fish sauce (nam pla)
Coconut milk
Green curry paste
Red curry paste
Lemongrass
Dried chiles
Jasmine rice
Kaffir lime leaves
Soy sauce
Peanuts
Latin Pantry
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sherry vinegar
Canned chipotles in adobo
Dried chiles, such as ancho
Chile powder
Cayenne
Cinnamon
Cumin seed
Sweet paprika
Saffron
Dried oregano
Green olives
Almonds
Rice
Canned black beans
Chocolate
Italian Pantry
Extra-virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Anchovies
Capers
Raisins
Red pepper flakes
Dried oregano
Bay leaves
Dried pasta: fettuccine, spaghetti, penne
Canned cannellini beans
Canned whole plum tomatoes (San Marzano)
Tomato paste
Arborio rice
Cornmeal for polenta
Assorted olives: black and green
Pine nuts
Walnuts
Herbs and Spices
For me, there is no comparison between fresh herbs and dried—I use only fresh. They add an intense, bright flavor to foods and are widely available. With the exception of oregano, I think dried herbs taste muddy.
Winter herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and bay leaves, lend themselves to heartier foods (such as Chicken Pot Pie or Beef Bourguignon). These herbs add an earthy depth and hold up to braising or other long slow-cooking processes. In fact, you can’t really eat these herbs raw. Cooking releases their natural oils and mellows their intense flavor. Summer herbs, on the other hand, have a sunny flavor punch and are generally better if chopped and tossed in the dish at the last minute. Some of my favorites are basil, cilantro, tarragon, and chives.
Dried spices are a flavor vehicle for taking a dish anywhere you want it to go. Certain spice combinations are indigenous to particular regions. Clove, coriander, and fennel seed say Morocco (see Roasted Chicken with Moroccan Spices) while cumin, paprika, and cinnamon say Latin America (Arroz con Pollo). The key to getting optimum flavor from your spices is replacing them regularly— if you have spices that predate the current president, they’ve got to go. Store spices in airtight containers away from sunlight and oven heat. After sitting on your supermarket shelf losing potency, commercially ground spices may already be past their prime. I prefer buying whole spices and grinding them myself with a coffee grinder that I use only for this purpose. Unless you enjoy freshly ground coffee with a cumin zing, I would definitely have two grinders. This gives you