Kitchen Equipment

A food blog is nothing without pictures- on holiday in Brazil we had two camera's with us and both only just made it to the end of the holiday . My own camera has since given very poor quality photo's, somehow the setting were all over the place. It doesn't help that I am 'camera illiterate!' But I have given it a good clean, changed the settings, with the manual close at hand (in English- but it may has well been in Chinese) and now finger’s crossed I hope the problem is solved and I am back!
Tools of the trade.
How well is your kitchen equipped?
There is a saying that a good craftsman never blames his tools but is the same true in the kitchen? How important is the equipment and how important are the skills?
A bit of both perhaps- good and quality utensils won't necessary make a good cook out of you- and it is possible to create a culinary delight on a simple camp fire!. But good equipment help to make your life somewhat easier and will greatly assist you, whether you are working on a true masterpiece, making a simple omelet- or even opening a tin can!
To simplify things, a sharp knife is so much easier to work with, not to mention safer, than a blunt one! I believe quality and durability is very important as far as kitchenware goes (as it is regarding most other things) But equally important is of course the quality of the ingredients as well as some skill and knowledge- and practice does make perfect!
You need to 'know' your ingredients and you learn to use your 'tools'. Which explains how you may whip up a gourmet meal at home and struggle miserably in someone else’s kitchen.
I think my kitchen reflect my style fairly accurately - fusion cooking- a mix and match of different flavours. I make what pleases me, I don't stick to rules or recipes. I cook to feel. My equipment is equally diverse, from an old fashioned wooden citrus reamer / juicer to a Jamie Oliver flavour shaker and from a pestle and mortar to pasta machine.
As far as equipping your kitchen I would say go for quality, shop around and try to buy 'versatile' kitchenware.
As far as knives go- it is very much a personal thing. They must feel good in your hands. My favourite knife is not even an expensive one- brand: Kitchen devils by Fiskars- it is small and I can manage it good. (I guiltily admit to not being able to handle a cooks knife like the chefs do)
You can however go way over the top equipping your kitchen and this often only results in over full cupboards, jammed drawers and cluttered work surfaces! My general rule is not having to move more than three things in order to reach something at the back of a cupboard. And it works for me.
You can get by with just the basics. I try to avoid too many cooking helps and steer away from gadgets that have just a single use. I look always for items that can multi function: I have for example a large Tupperware (NO-I am NOT a Tupperware freak) bowl with lid that can be used for storage, as a lettuce spinner as well as an independent colander. Don't buy those cute little ramekins if you know they'll only be collecting dust and taking up precious space at the back of your kitchen unit. Keep your head and your commonsense. Those beautiful decorated plates may well look fantastic on their own but may clash horribly when filled with food! I favour white tableware, it is better to have a 'blank canvas' to work with- the focus will be on the food and not on the dinnerware. And don't be lead astray- round plates are fine- and fit nicely in the dishwasher!
All those 'amazing discoveries' may look handy but by the time you have located them at the back of your cupboard, assembled them (and washed them up after use) you may well find you would have been quicker using a knife and be left with much less food waste. I'm thinking of the various cutting devices available. How many do you have? And do you use them- be honest now...
You don't always need to opt for the top end- I use inexpensive wine glasses because I know they have a short life expectancy in my household.
My all time favourites:
I have a few items in the kitchen that I couldn't possibly live without- one is my Zyliss cheese grater- There is nothing so good as freshly grated (hard)cheese. I had one for years, it was extremely durable but it eventually broke but luckily I managed to find a new one, the design was roughly the same- only the colour had changed from black to white.
One thing I can do without is a food processor. I seem to manage with a hand held mixer to whisk and a stick mixer to blend. I like the hands on approach and get satisfaction from a simple whisk or kneading with my bare hands call me a sucker for punishment but I find it therapeutic.
I have a decent set of saucepans (and rarely opt to use my non-stick ones).
I am a huge fan of Bodum- 'make taste not waste'- is their current slogan. Visit their website- their new catalogue is worth flicking through- it all seems very well thought out- and it's fun! I have a beautiful Bodum wok pan that I use a lot. It is cast iron so is extremely heavy and I do have to wash it up by hand- but that is a small price to pay. It makes a perfect Thai curry. It has a 'stable' flat bottom but visually resembles a wok. I also have a Bodum griddle pan- a 'grilled' steak with the characteristic ‘stripes’ always tastes better somehow.

I often use my Bodum glass dishes with plastic lids which I bought in France- but given the chance I would buy many more. They are very versatile and go from fridge to microwave to table to dishwasher and can even go in the freezer. Yes they are made of glass but after 5 years not only are they going strong they are 100% intact.
Disappointed in a product.*
Sadly Bodum has recently fallen off the pedestal as far as I am concerned. After 15 years of using Cole and Mason salt and pepper mills- (the salt/pepper grinder specialist in the UK) last year I went over to Bodum. (bad decision) True the design is beautiful, and it does what it should but the pepper mill has unsightly hairline cracks in the acrylic body and the lacquer of both is blistering very slightly. Perhaps it is a flaw in the design since the cracks have appeared at the same position as the tiny screws but I don't know because as yet Bodum haven't even given me the courtesy of a reply! The 'Nissen' mills do have a 10 year guarantee- but I no longer have a receipt. I hoped for quality but didn’t even get run of the ' mill '! Very disappointing, especially when you are used to high standards from such a reputable company.
* Update: I have since received a replacement pepper mill from Bodum.

While I am on the subject of guarantee- if a piece of equipment has a ‘Lifetime Guarantee’ then take it with a pinch of salt. It doesn't mean your lifetime- it is the 'products lifetime' -basically the number of years that the article is reasonably expected to last- so very vague indeed! I think this is something that should be addressed.
Oil and vinegar.
It took me quite a while to find a decent oil and vinegar set- I've been through a few in my day, being eventually tossed aside because they don't quite make the grade. I love my salads and must always have (Cretan) olive oil and balsamic vinegar on hand. I now use a set by Cole and Mason, these not only look beautiful they do function quite well. They are not completely anti-drip but they do have a lot of advantages- easy to dose, easy to fill, the contents are stored fairly dark and sealed, easy to clean (in the dishwasher), large and easy opening to add flavours like peppers/herbs/ garlic.
A fairly recent new addition is a sturdy (vegetable) peeler from a make called OXO. It is American, nothing to do with the British OXO (if you were wondering)...their mission: "OXO is dedicated to providing innovative consumer products that make everyday living easier." They also offer a Satisfaction Guarantee- which shows confidence that surely must reflect from good and quality products. I like their style and so far love their goods. Website.
Mepal is also a great brand. Great for storage and they make a handy mixing spoon with a hole in the middle I use a lot. Sometimes it can be a bit 'top heavy' but that doesn't put me off only slightly annoyed as I am scrapping food of the kitchen units.
Searching for the perfect garlic press.
Another little kitchen help that has caused me a certain amount of problems is a garlic press- I have tried so many all with dissatisfaction, leaving more discarded goods in my path to perfection… Or it is too small, or the garlic escapes through the edges or the results just don't justify scraping out the device with my fingers- the cleaning sucks! Basically they leave me with a bad taste in my mouth as well as smelly hands! I currently have two (rejects) and what did I favour - a simple grater!
Things were about to change. Recently I was invited to a special evening in Den Haag. It was an initiative and coming together of three organisations who share common ground of enjoying good food and drink and making life as harmonious as possible in the kitchen (and bathroom). Marthijn, Bas and Misha.
It took place after regular hours at Bas Hogervorst a shop selling quality bathroom/ cookware/ & tableware. Brands include Bodum, Menu, Eva Solo, Zyliss. The atmosphere was very relaxed we were free to wander through the shop at our leisure gazing at all the beautiful, luxury and (mostly) practical products on display. (feeling like a child in sweet shop!) We were offered a discount but no pushy sales pitch. There were cooking demonstrations (and tasting) and we could sample the delicious Italian specialities offered by Food Valley Import cheeses and salami....and where there is good food there are of course good wines- the wine tasting was organised by Marthijn Loof from Porte Reffe. For more info. see my blog here.
Bad buy.
While scouring the shelves I did keep in the back of my mind the fact that I had just sold my Nespresso and Philips juicer (the wonder of www.marktplaats.nl ) in order to create more work surface. Just like weeding ones garden one must regularly access your kitchen aids and make the redundancies known. As great as the Nespresso tastes I couldn't justify what I had to exchange- valuable working space! It was the Senseo or the Nespresso. While the Nespresso has an certain air of 'exclusiveness', I like to have a supply of coffee capsules without having to remember to place an order. Call me down to earth- but I think it ridiculous that you have to join the somewhat elite Nespresso "club" in order to get a supply of your favourite coffee. Then take into consideration minimum orders, postal charges and delivery times....Senseo won hands down. Same goes for the Philips juicer- while you may envisage yourself drinking lots of healthy concoctions- in practice you don't. The washing up part is the big put off- although it all can go into the dishwasher. I used mine what twice in six months. Great tasting juice- true but I actually prefer eating my fruit and vegetables whole and I have gladly claimed back my work surface. The one I only recently obtained and was so readily willingly to fill! We extended our kitchen surface because my actual workspace measured a mere 95cm! Not enough for me!

Back on subject- on the evening I was good, my control was admirable- I came away with a healthy glow to my cheeks, a bottle of my favourite wine of the evening, a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano and my best find- my latest garlic press.

It was from OXO a brand that already gave me some confidence knowing the peeler had become an true asset in my kitchen.
This is a one good looking garlic press but what is it like in practice?- well while I am in am very positive I'm still not 100% happy. I'm a hard girl to please! One of the reasons for choosing this particular garlic press is because of the extra large chamber. I love garlic and use a lot of single clove garlic (also known as pearl /solo garlic). This kind is easier to use if you grate garlic. While the press is large enough to accommodate a whole garlic it was however difficult to press. It is clearly a man’s tool! I did try it with a couple of small cloves though and it worked fine.
As for cleaning it does come up trumps. It has a special 'cleaner' which does actually work. Just flip the handle over, and the residue of garlic ‘pulp’ peels out in one piece like a skin, rinse with cold water and it is (almost) clean. It can even go in the dishwasher.
An accurate measuring jug is a must in every kitchen- and that is not a joke. I have one measuring jug that is not accurate at all! It's almost too unbelievable to be true. So beware if your recipe is repeatedly too wet- view your jug with suspicion and get it checked for accuracy!
We have come a long way.
I was just thinking of how things have changed since granny's old basin, wooden spoon and a piece of muslin cloth! Style has come into the kitchen area. When did this happen? Was this a natural progression in the modern world- one that sees men not just at ease but excelling in the kitchen or was it the influence of the celebrity chefs?
It is indeed the power of the media that has enabled Jamie Oliver to single handedly change English school dinners for ever. His quirky use of language with catchphrases like 'pukka' and 'lovely jubbly' and his 'wicked' sense of humour has been his recipe to success. Notable is his natural ability to relate to, inspire (and I hope educate) the younger audience. He has even brought out a whole own line of kitchenware.
Delia Smith with her simple style has encouraged the beginner cooks and even caused massive sell-outs of particular ingredients and utensils across the UK after episodes of her TV series. She has even earned herself a place in the English dictionary with "do-a-delia"!
Charismatic Nigella Lawson has taken glamour into the kitchen. She has gained remarkable achievement as celebrity chef, food writer and presenter even more impressive considering she has no formal chef training.
Gordon Ramsay may have an unconventional approach and rather hostile demeanor but his Michelin stars reflect his exceptional culinary abilities.
Maybe the world has become a smaller place what with today’s easiness to travel the globe and the ever expanding internet.
Where we used to go out for 'foreign foods' or ‘take a ways’ we now skillfully prepare authentic Indian, Chinese or even French cuisine in the home. We are more open to new things, we have been introduced to many new ingredients/ dishes; Couscous and Bulgur, are just examples of recent new foods trends.
Our supermarkets continue to offer us a better and wider selection of products, once considered exotic foods. The increase in readymade meals is however rather worrying but I hope they are an occasional sunstitution and not a total replacement to healthy home cooked meals. Perhaps I am being naive because the statistics show otherwise. Convienience foods have had a bad effect on our diets. But hopefully the tide is turning. We are more aware of our dietary needs and that is positive because to put it simple- we are what we eat!
Our kitchens may well have gone from practical to design workspace. The methods of food preparation may have altered, as labour saving devices continue to make our life easier. Large refrigerator and freezers have replaced pantries, steam ovens have speeded up the slow process of steaming. Microwaves and dishwashers have become the essential appliances in the modern day kitchen. Internet has made it possible for us to now order online and have our groceries delivered! We have come a long way but one thing remains: the nutritional value must remain the major factor in our choice of food intake if we want to achieve optimum health.
It is regretful that obesity has been allowed to reach such epidemic proportions.
Here Jamie Oliver tries to get the message across to the Americans- I hope he succeeds. Go Jamie go.