Kitchen Equipment

All the equipment recommended in the recipes follows. No special tools, pots, or pans are needed for any of the dishes, but it is helpful to know what size pot to get out before you start cooking. All items should be heavy, durable ware; a good source is a professional hotel and restaurant supply store. If you’re buying in any quantity, more than two or three large items, do not hesitate to ask for a discount. You may not get one, but many stores will cooperate. Other than cast iron for skillets, most cooking surfaces should be inert: glazed porcelain, glass, stainless steel, tin, or enamel. Heavy aluminum is fine for baking and roasting pans; it will not do for any sort of pickling process. If you cannot afford an excellent, heavy-bottomed stainless steel stock-pot, buy a thin enamel one and some sort of flame tamer” and never turn your back on it, for fear of scorching. I recommend putting your money into good pots and pans rather than any number of electrical appliances. I use a blender for puréeing and grinding nuts and coffee, an eighteen-year-old hand mixer for whipping cream, and arm power for everything else. This list is also an almost complete census of my kitchen, and I have cooked dinners for as many as twenty people with the equipment at hand.