Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Well-Equipped Kitchen

Let’s face it, with a food allergy, you have to cook more frequently than most people. Eating out is a pain in the patush. Prepared wheat-free foods cost way too much. The cooking you do is more successful, fun and efficient if you have the proper tools.

Baking: Get quality stoneware- Pampered Chef Rectangle Stone w/ the rack, the Rectangular Baker, and the Deep Dish Baker are invaluable. They truly get better with age. Mine seem to be constantly in the dish rack.

Pots and Pans: Calphalon is worth the price. Hard anodized without the non-stick coating. It kinda sticks just a little sometimes, but not very much. With just a few minutes soaking in hot water and a little bit of Barkeepers Friend the pans will come spotlessly clean.

Utensils: Bamboo—earth friendly, ecological and economical. A set of bamboo utensils is not too expensive,and hardier than cheap wood ones. Keep a basic pair of kitchen shears in your utensil drawer and you'll find you use them frequently. Another wonderful Pampered Chef item is their Food Chopper- not necessary but very useful.

For regular cutting, learn the basics of what makes a quality knife. One good 8" chef knife and a quality bread knife are really all you need. Use the "plastic" cutting boards, not glass or wood. You want to damage the cutting surface- not have the cutting surface damage your knives. They are very inexpensive and can be replaced regularly.

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