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As promised, Sophistimom has put together the quintessential kitchen essentials list for grads. And, should you need an extra recipe to tuck inside when you give one of the fun kitchen tools listed, I recommend this raspberry tiramisu, pictured below. Heavenly. And now, I’ll leave you to Jaime of Sophistimom (thanks, Jaime!)
1. One thing I can’t live without is a versatile baking dish. I like this 11 cup rectangular dish from Pyrex. It has a cover for storing leftovers, and is perfect for everything from casseroles, to marinating, to baking cakes.
2. The Spoonula from Williams Sonoma. This is an absolute must for me. I use it for baking, sauteing, and anyplace I would normally use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. It does the work of both. And it’s red. Very cool.
3. As much as I don’t like nonstick pans, if I’m making eggs, there’s no other way to go. I feel a little better about hard anodized nonstick, which won’t peel or scrape off and find its way into my food. These Calphlon Unison pans, are supposed to be fine for metal but I use my spoonula with them just to be safe. Hard anodized is expensive but Calphalon is having a special on this pair of these indispensable skillets.
4. Busy college students and anyone with an active social life won’t have time to cook all day. I would suggest a simple Crockpot and a gourmet cookbook to go with it.
5. This is a tool a lot of people forget until they’re making a pot of pasta. When it’s ready to pour out, don’t risk burning yourself by improvising. Use these fabulous strainers, which also double as flour sifters.
6. No kitchen is complete without a cutting board. I love a good wooden one, but this polypropelene one guards against bacterial growth and is dishwasher safe.
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Stop by next week. I have have a secret recipe to share, plus a couple others I consider essential for grads.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the Williams-Sonoma spoonulas. I have a couple that I use all the time. It’s the first thing I grab when I need to stir, saute, scrape the bottom of the pan, etc.
If you’re skittish about wooden boards, they actually inhibit bacterial growth better than plastic ones (all without chemicals) and in most cases, the germs die on the board as it dries. Bamboo is also a good, naturally antibacterial choice for cutting boards. I love mine.
I agree that a “cutting board” is a kitchen essential. I have about 5 in my kitchen actually…a little ridiculous perhaps, but I DO cut + chop + slice a lot. ;)