I am a planner. I am organized to the extreme...I have an unhealthy attention to detail, and am obsessed with having everything I need on hand BEFORE I begin any task. ...even if it is months in advance. Well, today, while sitting at a desk at my current job, I started mentally taking stock of the things I will need in this culinary undertaking I am embarking on...and I have come to a startling conclusion...
I don't have enough kitchen gadgets.
...no...that isn't quite true...I have plenty of kitchen gadgets, but according to the pros over at Cook's Illustrated, I don't have the RIGHT ones, exactly. Let's start with the big one...
I don't have a proper chef's knife. Well, here is the reality of the situation...I am NOT going to go out and buy the Wüsthof Grand Prix II 8-inch Chef’s Knife that retails in the U.S. for about $83...especially because I wouldn't even know where to look for one. The 8-inch chef's knife I DO have was a shocking $1.50, and was purchased for me by my mom the last time she took a trip to the Dollarama. I'll be honest...it isn't as terrible as you might imagine....but it didn't pass the slice-through-a-sheet-of-paper-test right out of the package. In fact, I have sharpened it twice now, and it STILL won't slice cleanly through the paper...and I am doubting that I have bought super tough, knife-resistant paper...and there are so many choices!! Handle sizes and materials, forged blades versus stamped...buying my car wasn't this complicated!
My garlic press appears to be crap. Now, I hear some of you more experienced cooks out there saying, "You don't need a garlic press! Mince it with your knife, you amateur!" Well, I would point out to those people that I have just completed a rather detailed diatribe about how I don't have a proper knife...and besides, when someone has a calculator, are they going to get a pencil and piece of paper (maybe that knife-resistant stuff) and do the long division? No. The calculator, like the garlic press, is meant to make things easier, and less time-consuming.
So, at this point, I start to panic....I have no v-rack for roasting poultry! Nor do I have the fancy-shmancy $120 roasting pan! What kind of monster am I? And how the hell have I lived this long without having an off-set spatula?!
Deep breaths...deep breaths....all is not completely lost. I DO have the KitchenAid stand mixer...and the ThermaPen thermometer...and the Tramontina cast iron Dutch oven (I was not ever going to buy the Le Creuset for $231...I don't think anyone should, really).
...man...I think it's time to shop online for some things....
Thursday, August 20, 2009
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Thursday, August 20, 2009
I know, I know...it's a poor musician who blames her instruments...
I am a planner. I am organized to the extreme...I have an unhealthy attention to detail, and am obsessed with having everything I need on hand BEFORE I begin any task. ...even if it is months in advance. Well, today, while sitting at a desk at my current job, I started mentally taking stock of the things I will need in this culinary undertaking I am embarking on...and I have come to a startling conclusion...
I don't have enough kitchen gadgets.
...no...that isn't quite true...I have plenty of kitchen gadgets, but according to the pros over at Cook's Illustrated, I don't have the RIGHT ones, exactly. Let's start with the big one...
I don't have a proper chef's knife. Well, here is the reality of the situation...I am NOT going to go out and buy the Wüsthof Grand Prix II 8-inch Chef’s Knife that retails in the U.S. for about $83...especially because I wouldn't even know where to look for one. The 8-inch chef's knife I DO have was a shocking $1.50, and was purchased for me by my mom the last time she took a trip to the Dollarama. I'll be honest...it isn't as terrible as you might imagine....but it didn't pass the slice-through-a-sheet-of-paper-test right out of the package. In fact, I have sharpened it twice now, and it STILL won't slice cleanly through the paper...and I am doubting that I have bought super tough, knife-resistant paper...and there are so many choices!! Handle sizes and materials, forged blades versus stamped...buying my car wasn't this complicated!
My garlic press appears to be crap. Now, I hear some of you more experienced cooks out there saying, "You don't need a garlic press! Mince it with your knife, you amateur!" Well, I would point out to those people that I have just completed a rather detailed diatribe about how I don't have a proper knife...and besides, when someone has a calculator, are they going to get a pencil and piece of paper (maybe that knife-resistant stuff) and do the long division? No. The calculator, like the garlic press, is meant to make things easier, and less time-consuming.
So, at this point, I start to panic....I have no v-rack for roasting poultry! Nor do I have the fancy-shmancy $120 roasting pan! What kind of monster am I? And how the hell have I lived this long without having an off-set spatula?!
Deep breaths...deep breaths....all is not completely lost. I DO have the KitchenAid stand mixer...and the ThermaPen thermometer...and the Tramontina cast iron Dutch oven (I was not ever going to buy the Le Creuset for $231...I don't think anyone should, really).
...man...I think it's time to shop online for some things....
I don't have enough kitchen gadgets.
...no...that isn't quite true...I have plenty of kitchen gadgets, but according to the pros over at Cook's Illustrated, I don't have the RIGHT ones, exactly. Let's start with the big one...
I don't have a proper chef's knife. Well, here is the reality of the situation...I am NOT going to go out and buy the Wüsthof Grand Prix II 8-inch Chef’s Knife that retails in the U.S. for about $83...especially because I wouldn't even know where to look for one. The 8-inch chef's knife I DO have was a shocking $1.50, and was purchased for me by my mom the last time she took a trip to the Dollarama. I'll be honest...it isn't as terrible as you might imagine....but it didn't pass the slice-through-a-sheet-of-paper-test right out of the package. In fact, I have sharpened it twice now, and it STILL won't slice cleanly through the paper...and I am doubting that I have bought super tough, knife-resistant paper...and there are so many choices!! Handle sizes and materials, forged blades versus stamped...buying my car wasn't this complicated!
My garlic press appears to be crap. Now, I hear some of you more experienced cooks out there saying, "You don't need a garlic press! Mince it with your knife, you amateur!" Well, I would point out to those people that I have just completed a rather detailed diatribe about how I don't have a proper knife...and besides, when someone has a calculator, are they going to get a pencil and piece of paper (maybe that knife-resistant stuff) and do the long division? No. The calculator, like the garlic press, is meant to make things easier, and less time-consuming.
So, at this point, I start to panic....I have no v-rack for roasting poultry! Nor do I have the fancy-shmancy $120 roasting pan! What kind of monster am I? And how the hell have I lived this long without having an off-set spatula?!
Deep breaths...deep breaths....all is not completely lost. I DO have the KitchenAid stand mixer...and the ThermaPen thermometer...and the Tramontina cast iron Dutch oven (I was not ever going to buy the Le Creuset for $231...I don't think anyone should, really).
...man...I think it's time to shop online for some things....
1 comments on "I know, I know...it's a poor musician who blames her instruments..."
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There are many schools of thought of what utensils you actually need to be a successful cook.....I have them all I think...my friend Marcia has almost none of them...the only fancy tool she has is a hand immersion blender; and is amazing in the kitchen!!! As for the garlic press...well...most wannabe chefs would be horried to hear that I buy a huge bottle of chopped garlic and just teaspoon it out as needed. Way easier than cleaning the garlic press or trying to cut those cloves into fine little pieces!!!
A sense of calm comes over me when I am kafutzing in my kitchen...that's what I enjoy..and eating...did I mention the eating? -
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1 comments:
There are many schools of thought of what utensils you actually need to be a successful cook.....I have them all I think...my friend Marcia has almost none of them...the only fancy tool she has is a hand immersion blender; and is amazing in the kitchen!!! As for the garlic press...well...most wannabe chefs would be horried to hear that I buy a huge bottle of chopped garlic and just teaspoon it out as needed. Way easier than cleaning the garlic press or trying to cut those cloves into fine little pieces!!!
A sense of calm comes over me when I am kafutzing in my kitchen...that's what I enjoy..and eating...did I mention the eating?
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