I know it is not necessary to have really good tools in the kitchen or a state of the art restaurant range or a monster mixer. I have cooked for lots of years on cheap ranges, cheap mixers, and regular pots and pans.
I have found as I grow older, I appreciate having some better things for cooking. I bought a set of All-Clad that I positively love! The only negative is they are very heavy....I need help sometimes with the large skillet with food in it. They clean easily and I appreciate them each time I use them. I don't regret the very high price and feel that my children can inherit them like fine china. I know they will outlast me!
I have bought some inexpensive but good quality small tools that I wonder how I got by without;
A spider skimmer, a really good stainless steel sifter/strainer, a maslin pan for jams and jellies, and I am starting a set of high quality wooden spoons. Mine are stained, chipped and very inexpensive....usable but being replaced.
I bought a couple of new bread pans by Chicago Metallic and a new sheet cake pan with matching rack. I still kept my old blackened tin ones too.
On my list next are a Bosch Mixer and a Nutri-grain mill. If any of you can think of some really great kitchen tool or appliance let me hear from you. I bought a Foodsaver....still not convinced about that one though!!
None of these are necessary to making outstanding food, but at this stage of my life, I am splurging and tell myself I deserve it. My older sis keeps telling me I don't need to justify anything at this point. I try to listen to her; she is older and wiser (and she does not ready my Blog!)
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| From Interior house |
Small tools:
I must mention my new range....not a real expensive one, but I am still loving it totally! Such a relief to have one that works well, is easy to clean and the oven door fits properly (remember my lemon Jenn-Air?).
I guess I should list here the new counter-top oven....still using it and enjoying it. These biscuits were cooked in it just a few days ago.
The weather has been so cold and rainy that I have not gone outside since Sunday morning. I think today is supposed to be slightly better....up to 60°.
More iris are blooming now.
Champagne Elegance
Fragrant Lilac
and Dashing
There are more, but enough is enough!
I love wooden handled kitchen utensils. I have some wooden spoons my brother made years ago and I treasure them.
ReplyDeleteYour iris are beautiful.
Our weather is cold and rainy too. The high yesterday was 53ยบ. It's raining now and supposed to rain all day.
Great post! Gorgeous pictures, as always.
ReplyDeleteI would put on the list a Squeeze-O! Can't live without mine at canning time.
I bought a steam juicer but the jury's still out on that one. Everyone on CITR swears by them.
I bought a bunch of bag material when it was on sale to go with my FoodSaver, but I don't use the bags much. I'm using the heck out of the jar sealing attachments though. I had a bag of masa in the freezer and the bag developed a leak, so I poured the masa in several quart jars and sealed them up. Also sealed some jars of tea leaves. And some dried fruit. They all went on a shelf in the pantry. You can re-use canning flats if you're careful not to bend them up when you remove them. For what flats cost nowadays, it's good to be able to get extra use out of them.
Oh, and I use my Cuisinart food processor daily. My Kitchenaid mixer not as often but when I do use it, it does a wonderful job quickly. And I use bread machines, bought at garage sales for $5 or less each, to mix up my bread dough in. I like that I can just toss in the ingredients, set it on the dough cycle and walk off. Next trip into the kitchen, I've got risen dough ready to shape. Most of the time I run two of them at the same time. Once in awhile, I use the third one also.
This is really interesting very good article, if this is your new blog then really you working is appreciative keep it continue hard working...Thank you
ReplyDeleteKitchen Equipment