Tools

With each trip to Southeast Asia I am more astounded at how the most minimally equipped kitchens (some of which are barely kitchens at all) turn out the most mindblowing food. Every cook has some tools that he simply can’t do without. Novice cooks soon discover certain pieces of equipment that become their friends, confidants, and partners. These are the implements that become associates in transforming a few vegetables into a vibrant salad or a few aromatics into an inspired marinade.

Although my kitchen is admittedly filled with electric gadgetry, pots and pans, countless knives, and steamers, I find myself grabbing the same fundamental equipment whenever I settle into a Southeast Asian recipe. You will build your own battery of kitchen weapons that will help you survive your personal kitchen adventure.