Tool: Miscellaneous Pots

Your kitchen is probably already equipped with pots and pans that would be fine for making the Southeast Asian dishes in this book. Broths, curries, and stews in the modern kitchen are often prepared in straight-sided pots such as small stockpots or Dutch ovens.

Aluminum alloy, enameled cast-iron, and stainless steel pots are simmering up some of the Asian world’s best dishes. Because of the poor economies in most of these countries, homes are usually equipped with inexpensive, thin-gauge pans. Many kitchens have only one or two cooking pots, which are used over and over for numerous dishes in a single meal. It’s not as limiting as it would seem, since there isn’t that much stove space either. Standard kitchens have little more than a “portable” two-burner propane stove. Once one dish is complete, it’s transferred to serving plates, and the next one begins. The food is usually served all at once, often at room temperature.