Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Cooking Stuff

Recently, I received the following message from a reader:

Usagi,
You seem to be a guy with a well-rounded knowledge. I've read your advice on shooting, martial arts, tying a neck tie, and even cooking recipes. That last part is why I am writing you. Just became a single guy [details withheld]. Was wondering what cooking pots and pans you would get?

- Rob [name changed per request]


Thanks, Rob, for reading! This is actually one I have had the opportunity to discuss recently as my brother is also going through a divorce. To give a proper answer, I will put myself in your situation. If I woke up tomorrow with no pots, no pans, and no dependents, here is a list of what I would get:

Basics:
Plates, bowls, cups, glasses, forks, knives, spoons. FOUR of each.
Plastic / paper plates and cups.
Large knife & sturdy cutting board.
Kitchen tongs & grill tongs.

Cooking Devices:
Grill (I use gas)
Crock Pot
Blender (if you mix smoothies, or other such concoctions - I would not, but many do)
Microwave

Special Cooking Utensils:
Spatula - steel & teflon coated
Wooden spoon
Measuring spoons
Measuring cup
Teflon coated cooking spoon

Pots & Pans:
Large cast-iron skillet
Large oven pan
Wok
Small cooking pot
Small or medium teflon coated frying pan
Large cooking pot



Quick & Dirty:
If I had to really be minimalistic, this is how it would look-
Grill,
Crock Pot,
Large cast-iron skillet
Large oven pan
Steel spatula
Cooking spoon
Cooking tongs & grill tongs
Knife & chopping board
Wok (can take the place of a cooking pot and a second skillet for a single guy)


.

2 comments:

  1. Regarding pots and pans, I dislike Teflon lined pans for a couple of reasons. First, even with great care, I scratch the lining on them. The scratches accumulate and they end up looking dirty. Second, I like a very hot pan for searing meat. The high temperatures involved do bring some concern for the Teflon breaking down.

    My current preference (and the contents of my pantry) are Tramontina stainless steel aluminum core pots. After 6 months of use, these still look new and I suspect they will last a decade or more. I also have a number of old iron skillets.

    On Iron Skillets, the ones you buy new today are not great. The new ones have a rough as-cast finish on the cooking surface. In the old ones this surface was ground or milled flat. The smoother finish helps very much with cleaning and keeping food from sticking. I buy these nasty and dirty pans for a pittance from yard sales and auctions. After a run through the self-cleaning oven I rub them down with oil and they are like new.

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fantastic observations, as always, Ellie.

      Thanks for reading and commenting.

      Delete

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