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Contest: What is Your Kitchen Essential?
Last week, the luminous cookbook writer, Marion Cunningham died at the age of 90. Cunningham’s updated edition of The Fannie Farmer cookbook has become a classic. The original Fannie Farmer was also a visionary in the kitchen, and one of the first celebrity chefs. (See my profile of Farmer from the “single woman’s hall of fame.”)
To win a copy of this wonderful cookbook, answer the question: What is your kitchen essential? I realize it’s absurd to narrow it down to one, but that’s what makes it a challenge. What item or tool couldn’t you live without? Submit your entry using the Comments section. Include your first name. (If you win, we’ll get in touch by email for your U.S. shipping address, and telephone number.) Deadline: July 27, 2012.
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112 comments for “Contest: What is Your Kitchen Essential?”
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a sense of humor! and my newfound love is a little swiss covered saute pan. it cooks just enough for one or two. and it does a great job on everything from fish to greens.
Wendy, I would like wood, but the large one I have is made of platic (it was a gift). I also have an acrylic one I use for food prep such as making sandwiches. I do have a neat small wooden one that’s called OCD Chef — good for precise cutting. 🙂
Trixie, who commented earlier, loves her flexible cutting boards. And I’m tempted by that.
Definitely would be my beloved spatula scraper. It gets every last little bit of food from bowls, cans etc. Can’t live without it !!
My stainless steel mixing bowl and my silicon/bamboo mixing spoon.
I love my set of stainless steel mixing bowls. On my wish list right now is a GIANT one for when I’m making food for a crowd.
So many to choose from, but I would have to say my cocktail shaker. It’s essential to make cocktails for the guests (or partner, etc.) for whom you are cooking and/or to make one for yourself. After the chopping of course.
I’ll take a Manhattan up, please.
While good knives, le Creuset, glass bowls, recipes & great equipment all help, I think a sense of curiosity and experimentation really enhances the cooking experience.
I love my Le Crueset Dutch oven.
Wendy,
Surfas had great reasonably priced giant stainless steel mixing bowls.
Great. I’ll check it out. Thanks!
Ooh, cutting boards. I’ve got a bamboo one and love it. It’s easier to clean & sanitize than wood without actually being, well, plastic.
I’ll have to look into Bamboo. I know I should be more concerned about the sanitation of my wood cutting board, but it doesn’t bother me. And I don’t like the sound of cutting on plastic.
measuring spoons and cup
Fannie Farmer would love that. She’s considered the “mother of level measurements.”
Cannot live without cooking chopsticks! Flip, stir, strain, it does it all!
Strain? I’m trying to imagine that.
Not sure I know that I know what cooking chopsticks are. Can someone explain?
So, I forgot to include my first name in my kitchen essential post – sorry about that. I’m so used to posting with a different name. Cheers!
I could live forever w/just my VitaMix if I had to; a good knife is an essential 2nd if I got to choose that too. 🙂
I just drank a smoothy (a little too much on the chunky side) and fantasized about a Vitamix
At my house, cooking chopsticks are the cheapo bamboo ones (the nicer, fancy ones are the eating chopsticks) used for turning bacon or flipping whatever needs to be flipped, testing vegetables, mixing/mashing small things, etc. They really are SO handy!
I get it now. I too use the cheapo wooden ones for may cooking tasks. I thought you were referring to some new utensil I didn’t know about.
I learned from a cooking show to use a chopstick (cheapo kind) to test if your oil is hot enough. Just used one yesterday when I was searing pieces of meat for beef stew.
My Cutco Chef’s knife. Followed closely by my cast iron skillet and my Pampered Chef Mix n’ Chop.
The knife looks amazing. And I’d never heard of the Pampered Chef. Thanks for clueing me in.
I would not survive without my MINI FOOD PROCESSOR. It has made many leftovers into amazing next night dinners 🙂
I like that there’s much less of it to wash!
I know it is frowned upon by many, but I really rely on my garlic press – oops – confession time – don’t tell
!
If I need to process lots of garlic, I’ll definitely turn to the garlic press.
I’ve already entered with my must-have for the kitchen, but wanted to share this charmingly sly poem I found today while reading the works of Elizabeth Bishop:
“You won’t become a gourmet cook
By studying our Fannie’s book–
Her thoughts on Food & Keeping House
Are scarcely those of Levi-Strauss.
Nevertheless, you’ll find, Frank dear,
The basic elements are here.
And if a problem should arise:
The Souffle fall before your eyes,
Or strange things happen to the Rice
— You know I love to give advice.”
And then, after the later edition came out:
“P.S. Fannie should not be underrated;
She has become sophisticated.
She’s picked up many gourmet tricks
Since the edition of ’96.”
Love this poem, Rebecca!!!
My Joseph Joseph baking set!