Kitchen Kit
I’m developing a list of what you need in your kitchen – no snazzy gadgets (well maybe the odd one) just really good tools for cooking.
For starters:
Lemon zester. The strong Cristel one is excellent and a joy to use
Long Sveico vegetable peeler (Swedish). The only one I can use: it’s very fast and easy to use. £2.50 from Amazon
Cast iron saucepans: Small and medium (Le Creuset last brilliantly and are worth the initial investment). Look out for special offers.
Non-stick frying pans: small (for Spanish tortillas) and large (for Crepes – and fry-ups)
Cast-iron griddle (Aga do a really good one) or search rural hardware shops for unbranded ones
Sharp, strong and well-balanced knives (‘K’ Sabatier or Robert Welch). No need to get a whole set – start off with a long (8″) wide blade for speedy, effective chopping, a bread knife and a smallish 5″ knife.
Zyliss Susi garlic press: sometimes you want your garlic thoroughly squashed and this is the tool for the job – strong and effective. The New York Times voted it ‘best garlic press’.
A solid ‘box’ cheese grater
Cake tins: if you’re lucky enough to be in NYC then head to Dean & Deluca in Greenwich Village (shops in Washington DC and California too) for their brilliantly solid long-lasting cake tins (and so much else). When looking for tins go for heavyish, metal tins which look like they’re going to last.
Fluted tart tins:8″ (for exquisite chocolate or fruit tarts) and 10 or 12″ (for large vegetable tarts)
Round sandwich cake tins: 2 x 8″ (loose-bottomed and about 2″ high sides)
Brownie tin
Heavy baking tray
Roasting tin
Jam tart tin (for any little cakes, tarts or even Yorkshire puddings)
Loaf tin x 2 (for all that bread you’ve been meaning to make – or for fruit cakes, banana bread)
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To be continued…
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Good suppliers – please send in your recommendations for excellent local kitchen suppliers
Kitchens in Bristol, Bath and Cardiff is excellent with a very wide range of modern and traditional gadetry
Kitchener in Cheltenham is an Aladdin’s cave of a shop
Jones Home Hardware, Castle Street, Hay-on-Wye – wonderful old-fashioned hardware shop with lots of unbranded cast iron pans and griddles
