Living organisms need fuel to have the energy to survive and replicate. Food is one of the main energy sources but as a human beings and a higher form of organism it is not just any substance. Somehow, we have improved and elevated its preparation and consumption. It may be either for very practical purpose of hygiene, health, and economic or for aesthetic purpose of stimulate and gratify our basal senses, consequently enrich one’s life.
Normal functioning olfactory and gustatory perception will result to appreciation of sumptuous meal. Food appreciation leads to more food digestion and/or preparation. Then we have foodies who take it to the next level: collect food recipes, watch baking and cooking shows, and aspire to cook delicious meals, as evident to home cook meals. Cooking your own meal is one of many simple ways to save money, if one can’t cook anything will be left with limited options either buying expensive pre-made food, ordering restaurants or food deliveries. Home cooking would most likely use fresh and natural ingredients, thus making it a healthy endeavor. In Addition, cooking is not a natural talent but a learned skill, a continuous one. As learning stimulates the brain and augment the effect of dopamine, a happy hormone, greatly help in maintaining motivation and satisfaction after learning activities [1]. Home cooking has it great benefits from being wise with money, staying healthy, keeping oneself motivated, and make one’s life a little sweeter.
Most prolific home cooks are guilty of being obsess in having a fully equipped functioning kitchen. Such passion can lead to dangerous addiction that will suck money from unnecessary spending on kitchen equipment and ingredients. So such tendencies drive the need to have a firm plan supported by honest self-assessment and diligent research. Always consider acquiring items with these following factors: functionality, quality, economic and aesthetic. Assembling a functional kitchen from ground up is slow but purposeful leads to well-being and long-term economical benefits. It will minimize redundancy, wastage and squandering of limited resources.
Here are recommendations in how to be smart in assembling a functional kitchen, starting with 6 basic essentials:
1. Sauce Pan
A high-quality 2 quarter stainless steel sauce pan with a heavy bottom with transparent lid cover and metal bar handle would be a great investment. It is just the right size for preparing one serving meals hence avoid food wastes and saves ingredients. As always choose stainless steel with heavy bottom for more equal heat conduction. Purchase the best one you could afford, take care of it and it will be a saving in the long run. Such sauce pan has multi-purpose from simple boiling water to preparing pastas, noodles, rice, soups, sauces and egg recipes.
2. Wooden Spoon and Spatula
A 14 inches wooden spoon and spatula would be long enough keep away heat while still adjusting to high temperature. Wooden or bamboo utensils help in preserving the longevity of metal pots and pans; it won’t cause scratches that could wear out the pan or pot surface faster.
3. Cutting boards
It is health safety to have 2 cutting boards to avoid contaminating ready to eat vegetables and cooked food with uncooked meat bacteria. The ideal surface size would be bigger than the knife, plus extra space for cut portion. There are various materials to choose from, it would depend on purpose and preference. I would recommend buying 2 cutting boards, one good-quality, wooden board for vegetables and display, another one hard plastic for meat. Wood and plastic would be less expensive, safer and would not dull knives faster, compare materials made of glass, marble, or pyroceramic.
4. Chef Knife
The first knife that a kitchen needs is a standard 8 inches chef knife to learn basic control and access one’s cutting style. Chef knife is mainly use for cutting and chopping on the cutting board. Choose a good knife that is basically one piece where the steel or blade is running through the handle or all the way back, and the handle should fit nicely in your hand. It would be great if it has a good grind where the knife has been nicely tapered from the thick bolster, part of the knife blade near the handle, to the thinner tip as well as a nicely tapered from the spin down to the edge. A cheaper knife does not have full face grind and only the edge has been grinned which is called hollow ground edge. Basically, it is for rough work, like breaking harder foods, like crabs and lobsters. For a beginner and economic reason, purchasing such knife would be fair, as long as the blade is in one piece and the handle fits your hand. Mercer is a brand that has this kind of knife and it is of fair-quality, while Victorinox and Dexter Russell are companies that have a good-quality commercial-grade-stamped steel, full face grind with medium price range knives. Resist buying an expensive knife until you have assessed your knife skill, cutting style and knife purpose. Once you have honestly evaluation could go find and buy good quality knives, even indulging with the knife shape: German, French or Japanese shape; the forming: stamped or forged steel; and type of steel: soft or hard. And designate your old cheap knives to its rougher purpose [2].
5. Large Mugs
Two large microwavable heat-resistant mugs are not only for coffee and/or tea. It could also serve as bowls for single serving meals, until one could afford and find decent and preferred dishware.
6. Cutlery or Utensils
Buy a good quality that one could afford and have at least two of each spoon, fork, knife and teaspoon. A good-quality is that it doesn’t bend with minimal force, so have a go.
For me these are the 6 kitchen essentials to start with in assembling a functional kitchen. One would be able to start cooking simple recipes and facilitate in assessing food interest and cooking skills. Look out for next month blog on “Kitchen for Beginners.”
References
1. Neve, K. (Eds). (2010). The Dopamine Receptors. New York, NY: Humana Press.
2. Hiroyuki Terada - Diaries of a Master Sushi Chef. (2017, July 9). How To Choose The Perfect Knife - 4 Things To Consider. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nTBEbMQBGQ
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