Utilizing Kitchen Tools

Even the particular kitchen equipment used can affect the flower of the finished product. Gray Kunz uses only the freshest herbs, and wants the same freshness from his spices. “That’s why we grind all our spices at the restaurant, using a small coffee grinder,” says Kunz.

Mark Peel believes that using simple tools often results in better food than is possible from high-tech gadgets. “If you take exactly the same recipe and you make pesto or an aioli with a Cuisinart, and then you make it with a mortar and pestle, they’re completely different,” explains Peel. “You can see—and taste—the difference.