Post by The Booty Disciple on Jun 29, 2007 2:51:22 GMT -5
So yeah...
I had a lengthy conversation with the new bouncer this evening about cookware in his kitchen. He found out that I'm a bit of a food-inclined kind of guy, and started asking about what I recommend he invest in.
Fast forward this to ten minutes later, when I'm explaining a couple simple (cast iron vs. heavy steel vs. non-stick, etc), and a girl walks up and wonders what the hell I'm talking about...
Which made me wonder...what the hell do most people actually have in their kitchens now? I know there was a time when having a few saucepans, baking pans, skillets, and maybe even cool things like roasting pans were the norm. But now, when I go to a house where I don't live, more often than not, I'm nominated for chow, and I find their kitchen to not have much in the way of cookware. Maybe a couple cheap non-stick skillets, a few cheaper saucepans, and a few cheap utensils. Man, is this ever annoying.
So I'm just curious as to what you all have in the kitchen...here's my abbreviated list:
2 steep sided, mid-grade non-stick skillets (1 ten inch, 1 twelve inch)
2 rather lame non-stick sautees (1 eight inch, 1 ten inch)
1 high end 8 inch saute (for egg dishes only. I encourage everyone to invest in one decent (not high end, necessarily, but over $3) 8 inch saute specifically for cooking eggs)
1 mid-grade 10 inch saute (my general saute pan for anything that I need a small amount of)
2 non-reactive sauciers (these are curved at the bottom. I have 1 one quart and a 2.5 quart, both with copper bottoms)
3 cheap saucepans. Used only for heating or steaming, usually.
1 fourteen inch composite steel wok, which I've spent hours seasoning properly.
1 six quart stock pot (used mainly for big patches of soup or pasta, since if I boil pasta, I'm probably using at a gallon of water).
One cheap chef knife. I won't buy something decent until the gf learns to use a knife properly (which is why I keep the one I have intentionally dull...I prefer she keeps her digits, she prefers not to learn. Strangely, we seem to have arguments about this every now and again).
1 restaurant grade whisk. 4 cheap Wal-Mart bargain whisks. My restaurant one cost me $10 US and is kept immaculately clean. The others...meh...I can always buy more at four for a buck.
Various spatulas and turners, including one silicone spatula for omelettes and things that require high heat.
That's abbreviated...I guess you guys can tell I've been in restaurants a few years.
That's pretty adequate, though there are things I'd love to have but aren't vital to home cooking. However, it is my opinion, after ten or so years off and on in the food service industry (and the last 3 years continuously) that these things are something everyone should have in their kitchen. Note I didn't mention my roaster pans or anything...we're talking strictly stovetop right now.
So what's everyone else got kicking around? And if'n ya got some good stuff, mind if I cook next time?
I had a lengthy conversation with the new bouncer this evening about cookware in his kitchen. He found out that I'm a bit of a food-inclined kind of guy, and started asking about what I recommend he invest in.
Fast forward this to ten minutes later, when I'm explaining a couple simple (cast iron vs. heavy steel vs. non-stick, etc), and a girl walks up and wonders what the hell I'm talking about...
Which made me wonder...what the hell do most people actually have in their kitchens now? I know there was a time when having a few saucepans, baking pans, skillets, and maybe even cool things like roasting pans were the norm. But now, when I go to a house where I don't live, more often than not, I'm nominated for chow, and I find their kitchen to not have much in the way of cookware. Maybe a couple cheap non-stick skillets, a few cheaper saucepans, and a few cheap utensils. Man, is this ever annoying.
So I'm just curious as to what you all have in the kitchen...here's my abbreviated list:
2 steep sided, mid-grade non-stick skillets (1 ten inch, 1 twelve inch)
2 rather lame non-stick sautees (1 eight inch, 1 ten inch)
1 high end 8 inch saute (for egg dishes only. I encourage everyone to invest in one decent (not high end, necessarily, but over $3) 8 inch saute specifically for cooking eggs)
1 mid-grade 10 inch saute (my general saute pan for anything that I need a small amount of)
2 non-reactive sauciers (these are curved at the bottom. I have 1 one quart and a 2.5 quart, both with copper bottoms)
3 cheap saucepans. Used only for heating or steaming, usually.
1 fourteen inch composite steel wok, which I've spent hours seasoning properly.
1 six quart stock pot (used mainly for big patches of soup or pasta, since if I boil pasta, I'm probably using at a gallon of water).
One cheap chef knife. I won't buy something decent until the gf learns to use a knife properly (which is why I keep the one I have intentionally dull...I prefer she keeps her digits, she prefers not to learn. Strangely, we seem to have arguments about this every now and again).
1 restaurant grade whisk. 4 cheap Wal-Mart bargain whisks. My restaurant one cost me $10 US and is kept immaculately clean. The others...meh...I can always buy more at four for a buck.
Various spatulas and turners, including one silicone spatula for omelettes and things that require high heat.
That's abbreviated...I guess you guys can tell I've been in restaurants a few years.
That's pretty adequate, though there are things I'd love to have but aren't vital to home cooking. However, it is my opinion, after ten or so years off and on in the food service industry (and the last 3 years continuously) that these things are something everyone should have in their kitchen. Note I didn't mention my roaster pans or anything...we're talking strictly stovetop right now.
So what's everyone else got kicking around? And if'n ya got some good stuff, mind if I cook next time?
?? ;D