You don’t need a vast arsenal of special kitchen equipment to make the recipes in this book. Here are the basics. (You’ll find a list of specialty equipment.)
Double boiler: A double boiler is used to melt chocolate gently without burning or seizing, and to cook sauces or thick liquids that might burn if cooked over direct heat. It consists of an upper vessel (containing the food to be cooked) situated above a lower pot of water. When the water is heated, the steam produced transfers heat to the upper vessel. If you don’t have a double boiler, use a regular saucepan and set a heatproof metal or glass bowl on top of it; make sure the water in the saucepan does not touch the bottom of the bowl.