f13.net

In a week I'm moving out into my own place and have decided I'd actually really like to start learning how to cook. I'm 22 and unfit as all hell. The amount of shit I eat is unbearable and starting to take its toll. I'd rather stop it now before it becomes something of a serious health risk to myself. That and good food tastes.. good. I'm looking for all the food aficionados and cooks advice on what tools are necessary to setup the perfect kitchen. I'm mostly looking to start cooking whatever is in The Joy of Cooking (http://www.amazon.ca/Joy-Cooking-75th-Anniversary-2006/dp/0743246268/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/701-7673727-7054742?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187241338&sr=8-1) and some Vietnamese/Chinese/Japanese food. Hopefully that helps give you a good idea what kind of stuff I might need. I have no idea if the Joy of Cooking actually gives you a list of stuff you might need as I don't have it yet. I'm not looking for the top of the line cookware cause as Voodoolily pointed out when I get married the family will just dump a crap ton of fancy cookware at my feet and that'll be that.

Recipes are good too. I'll try just about anything.

Edit: Maybe a bit late since a lot of you have pointed some suggestions. I'm in Canadia so Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target don't exist up here.

Videos...

http://www.imcooked.com/view_video.php?viewkey=5ff68e3e25b9114205d4

Hit a Bed Bath & Beyond or similar as you can find pretty good deals there. Or keep your eyes open on Amazon. Target is also surprisingly good for kitchen stuff.

You can find 8 or 10 piece sets that are pretty decent. I picked up an Emeril set of cookware that is pretty nice if you overlook the goofy labeling of every piece with his damn name. Stainless with copper cores.  For beginner, look for nonstick or anodized as they are easier to maintain and clean.

Anyway for cookware, I would suggest a 12" saute pan with cover, an 8 or 10" frying pan, two suacepans (a combo of 2, 4 or 6 quart) with cover. If you are going to make roasts, a decent roast pan with rack is essential. Also want a couple of decent cookie sheet pans for other baking needs.

You'll want a good knife set. You don't need to go nuts, so a decent Henckles set with a block will work. Get a decent cutting board.
 
Hmm, other stuff: couple of spatulas, slotted spoon, ladle spoon, cheese grater, measureing cups, measuring spoons. Also want a good colander for draining pastas.

I'll add if I think of more, but I would think these are the very minimal basics for cooking.

EDIT: Oh, and a cheapo wok can be very useful.  A rice maker/vegetable steamer is handy as well.

A Panasonic rice cooker, the little bitty one. Buy rice in 5 lb plastic bags and never look back. (and this is from a dago). Add anything to it and it will work great. Rice goes with anything and is really cheep. I like slow cookers but that could be an enquired taste. I like things that cook for me while I play games , well badly but play.

The main essential is a wife, girlfriend, gay buddy, maid or something of that sort.

Seriously though folks - I would probably just get a couple of things to start with and buy things as you need them rather than trying to put together the "perfect kitchen" from the start. If you make a huge production out of it you are likely to lose interest after overwhelming yourself and hyping it up too much.

If you are just starting out it's better to start simple and expand as you go. Until you actually start cooking you won't know want you really need and if you buy a lot of stuff up front you might find that much of it you'll never use.

But before I talk about equipment I suggest you go out and rent Once Upon a Time in Mexico and watch the "Ten Minute Cooking School" by Robert Rodriguez. What he makes in the video is not as interesting (though it does look tasty) as his cooking philosophy which can be simplified as "you only need learn how to make a few things but keep practicing until you can make them well."

Other people have covered the basic equipment but don't forget the spatula, wooden spoon and can opener.

For a chef's knife you should go to a good store and try out as many as you can. They can differ quite a bit in how they feel in the hand and how they are balanced. Back when I went shopping for a knife in my youth I tried out a bunch of the standard German knifes (i.e. Henckels and Wusthof) before picking one made by Sabatier, a French company, cause that one fits my hand the best. Of course you won't really know what to check for in the "feel" of the knife until you start using it but you can certainly tell if it's uncomfortable in your hand or not.

If you are going for a set you don't need lots of different shapes and sizes. Beyond the Chef's knife the other ones you'll typically need are a bread knife (assuming you like to eat non-precut fresh baked bread), a small serrated blade for cutting tomatoes (and bagels, though you can use the bread knife for that) and some steak knives.  The small serrated blade can be used for peeling fruits and vegetables though you might want to get a dedicated blade for that. If you do end up needing to peel lots of vegetables (maybe you like carrots or something) you'll want a vegetable peeler.

For the pots and pans make sure the fry/saute pan has a lid (saute pans typically do but frying pans typically don't). You'll want a big pot (at least 6 QT) if you plan on cooking pasta which you might have to get it separately since most of the "sets" don't include pots that large.

If you are going to be cooking Asian food you'll probably want to get some specialized equipment eventually. E.g. if you do get a wok you'll want a spatula that has a curved edge on it so it'll fit against the curved side of the wok.

For healthy, easy to make recipes I suggest you look into Italian/Mediterranean olive oil/tomato-based pasta dishes. Pasta, of course, is trivial to make as long as you can boil water and operate a timer or can keep track of time with a clock and the sauce is typically a one sauce pan affair which makes cleanup a lot simpler since you only have to wash one pan and one pot (and you can skip the pasta pot if you are really lazy) afterwards.

Here's a list that isn't too bad. (http://www.kitchenconservatory.com/essential.htm)

Of course, your equipment list will vary with food tastes and will grow over time. 

It's not top of the line, but it's the only way to go if you really want good rice. Since you're looking at Asian Cuisine, you will.

Zojirushi 5.5 Cup Rice Cooker (http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NS-MYC10-Micom-Cooker-Warmer/dp/B00009K3TA/ref=pd_bbs_11/105-7291744-4069265?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1188122314&sr=8-11).

It's expensive, but you'll thank me later. Everything that isn't Zojirushi is total total shit. Shitty like Two Worlds. Zojirushi is awesome like God of War and Resident Evil 4.

No.

Yes.

What do you recommend? I have a keen interest in believing that Zojirushi has worthwhile competition in the same price range.

I also have an interest in who knows rice as well as they do.

Almost my entire kitchen is stocked with Cuisinart stuff because I am impressed with how well their products work for the price. I picked up a pots/pans set at a discount retailer for somewhere around $45 USD and they work amazingly.

No one has mentioned knives yet, and since I work around them most of my day, I'll weigh in. If you know of a knife supply store, try getting the Victorinox series knives. You can find them for close to $10 USD apiece. They are pretty inexpensive and they last for a long, long time. If you have to shop retail outlets, Henckels knives are about as nice, but you won't find the curved blades that are good for DIY meat cutting and they are also close to triple the price. Finally, don't get caught up in the "You will never need to sharpen these for life!" garbage. That is a load of shit. Serrated utility knives are only good for cutting cooked food -- nothing else.

Oh, and don't forget to pick up a sharpening steel. If you need a description of how to use one (steels don't actually sharpen knives, they straighten blades), message me off forums and I can explain it to you.

If you are just cooking standard Chinese-style long grained rice pretty much anything will work though a non-stick insert is highly recommended. I've used quite a few rice cookers in my time and as long as you practice a few times by trying out a few water levels for a given amount of rice (and writing things down so you don't forget) and measuring carefully each time you'll get the rice you want every time.

If you are trying to cook short grained sushi rice for sushi, however, you might find it easier to get consistent results if you have a fuzzy logic rice cooker like the Zojirushi since sushi rice is much more sensitive to the various inputs. I tried and failed to get consistently good results with the standard "one button" rice cooker so I went out and got a fuzzy logic Zojirushi like the one you linked above (though mine is a lot older now) and that worked much better.

A rice maker. A cheap one will be fine. Non-stick inner bowl is a help. If you have trouble it's probably because you have crappy rice.

One big sharp knife. Buy one knife, make it a good one, don't buy a set, because you don't need two knives. Forged > Stamped. High carbon > Stainless.
http://www.sabatier-k.com/uk/au-carbone-vintage_15__carbcui25pol.html

Knife sharpener.

Someone above mentioned a bread knife, yes, you need one of those, but it can be cheap as you like.

Cheap plastic chopping boards from Walmart work fine - don't waste money.

You mentioned oriental food - you don't need to spend a lot on a wok, it just needs to be non-stick and quite thin (and you'll probably need two, one for nice/noodles, one for main). For recipes, this book has never let me down yet: http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Hom-Cooks-Thai/dp/0747276099/ref=sr_1_26/002-3844175-3104024?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188130305&sr=8-26 and has a section on what shit you need to buy.

For pans, fewer & better pans is the way to go, but make sure you have one fucking big overn-safe pot. Consider how you feel about pans needing to be dishwasher safe. If you don't mind washing the big pans, Anodised pans are teh awesome.

Non-metallic implements for using in non-stick pans, this are basically going to be used as sticks, so cheap as you can find, wooden spatulas/spoons are fine.

Oh, and an electric kettle. Seriously, how the fuck people in US make food without being able to boil water efficiently beats the hell out of me. Not to mention the inability to make tea that comes along with this lack of basic equipment.


But in general, make the effort to find good places to buy good food and look for good recipes. That will make a lot more difference than kitchen toys.

Non-stick woks are teh suck. First it's almost impossible to brown food properly in them. Second real wok cooking requires very high temperatures which will burn off the non-stick coating turning it into a highly toxic substance. If you have an electric range you probably don't have to worry about that but if you have a gas range you might.

Real woks are "seasoned" to give them a stick resistant coating the same way you would season a cast iron skillet.

Water.  Pot.  Heat.  It just works.

Trippy is right about the wok.  Cast iron skillets are nice, too.  They retain heat well and you keep them oiled so you don't have to worry about food sticking.  If you leave them wet, however, they'll rust.  I bought a lovely old rusty one at a flea market once, and fixed it up by rubbing the rust away with salt.  Eldaec is right about a nice sharp knife and sharpener.  God, the worst thing in the world is having to chop and hack at food!  I also understand about the electric kettle.  They are more popular in Britain than in the US but I couldn't live without mine. 

The internet is FULL of recipes.  Also, you can find guides for cooking meats.  If you're going to roasts, I'd invest a fiver in a meat thermometer, too.  At least until you get used to it all.  Half cooked roast pork is icky.

@ NiX

What are you doing for breakfast?
you making your own lunch?

what you're looking for, as others have mentioned, is to get good tools for items that need to be quality and go cheap on items that you can.

If you have a resturaunt supply store near you, look there for your inexpensive items. You'll normally find it for a good deal less.

The cast iron skillet is the Western version of the wok.

The Chef's knife is the most essential, you'll do 60-80 percent of your prep work with this. Find the one that works the best for you.

The serrated bread knife just needs to work. it's going to be too thin to get real quality, and you're going to be using it  in ways that aren't going to be wearing it down. You'll use this for more than bread, as mentioned.

A utility knife for smaller jobs.  if you're working with a lot of vegetables, I'd suggest a good peeler. A good peeler can  also be user for different things. Alton Brown would call this a multitasker. Multitaskers are good.

You need to cut that food somewhere, so cutting boards. Yes, boards. You want to keep your food separate until cooking. Cross contamination is NOT your friend.

I use a bamboo cutting board for my veggies and bread, as it's easier on the knives. I have three  cutting mats that I use for everything else. I've labeled them  for meat, fish, and everything else (fruits, berries, etc.) I use mats because they're cheap, and you can throw them in the dishwasher.

The pots and pans everyone else has covered.

Avoid gadgets. Exept the rice cooker. Schild speaks the truth. And there's nothing worse than bad rice or cleaning up burnt rice from a cheap cooker.


If you want to learn to cook well, you need to get into the habit of having everything prepared to cook before you start.  Get a sturdy set of measuring spoons. It doesn't have to cost a lot. I'd avoid anything that could rust or won't clean easily. Measuring cups as well. There's a type of measuring cup that  is adjustable and can push up which works great for more viscous liquids like honey or sour cream. A reccommended option.

Something a lot of new cooks overlook is a set of prep bowls. for larger quantities of ingredients, you can use a storage container, but for smaller things like salt, pepper, spices and whatnot a set of prep bowls (small sturdy bowls designed for holding ingredients) I got a set of six for a buck fifty at the local supply store. I use them every day. If you're going asian based, it would make cooking much easier.

I"m an American and I use an electric kettle. Eldaec is right.  It's quick and much more efficient than the pot and water method. Safer too.

Eek.. my mom would freak if I bought a rice cooker that expensive.  lol.  Speaking as a Filipino that eats rice at every meal pretty much.  Just go to an Asian market and you can find a decent rice cooker for less then 100 bucks for sure, this is very similar to what my family has http://veryasia.com/jaz-a10u.html (we have the 10 cup model tho).  You don't need anything that has more then one button... that when you press it, it cooks the rice.  The real trick to rice is basically washing it thoroughly and making sure you have enough water.  This can also change on how "new/fresh the rice you get is" that usually requires a tad bit less water... but usually it's a 1:1 ratio rice to water.  Mind you my family generally only eats long grain jasmine rice. 

As for pans, I love cast iron skillets, but if you buy a new one you'll have to season it, same with a real wok (don't get a non-stick).  Wok's and cast iron only gets better the longer you have it and if it's taken care of properly.  Generally though you'll only need like a saute pan, a sauce pot, a stock pot.. and a couple other basic ones.  Some kitchen equipment can be pretty expensive... actually most of it is.

I would say that bamboo cutting boards are bad because they retain more bacteria than just plastic. The foodservice industry can't even use wood blocks, bamboo or otherwise.

Also, no board should be tough on your knives. You'd literally have to run it in some floor grout or something like that from normal kitchen use. Learn to use a sharpening steel if you have 'dull' knives. Your edge is probably rolled to one side.

Wood is safer than Plastic, but both need to be cleaned well (http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/faculty/pbird/keepingfit/ARTICLE/BOARDS.HTM)

Rule number one in the kitchen: Keep your kitchen clean!


Also, there's sharp, and then there's "sharp".  if there's an opportunity to keep the knives in better condition, especially one where  you're not putting anyone at risk of getting sick from a bug, use it. Do you send your knives off to be sharpened? A sharpening stone wont fix an edge that's  gone. If you spend good money on your knives, this will become an issue. One of the things that comes with owning a premium set on knives is the annual  trip to get them reworked. It's cheaper than a trip to the ER. IF you're just using the one, it won't cost too much and you only need to do it once a year or so.

I need lots of measuring things.  Cups, spoons.  Otherwise you have to wash your one tablespoon a lot.  Rest of this info is pretty solid.  I have two knife sets from the wedding, both are serrated, and after nine years I could really go for a normal, sharp knife.

I got rid of most of the non-stick stuff I used, other than some muffin pans.  I use stainless steel now, and it is just peachy except for how I had to relearn how to cook in them.  Cleanup is easy, just dump some water in there while it's hot and do some scraping, even the hardest shit will come off like that.  However, if you are boiling water you should not put salt in until it is rolling, otherwise you will etch pits in the steel.

I have two hard plastic spatulas that I love.  I don't care for the floppy ones.

You might think "I don't need an electric mixer, I will just use a whisk", but after once or twice you will want the electric mixer.

Lots of bowls.  I have glass, but I think I'd like stainless steel if I wanted to bother replacing them.

Tongs.  I have a nice (wait for it) stainless steel pair that I'd fight zombies to keep.

You probably want some sort of steamer contraption for steaming vegetables.

Learning to use  an oil stone  (http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Norton-3-Stone-IM200-System-P31C0.aspx) is an amazing help. You will never have to send out for them to be sharpened again, but this is pretty advanced stuff. For most people not looking to use knives a ton, it might be a waste. But, if you fancy having a "favorite knife" or keeping your knives able to shave hair, it is definitely for you.


There are more inexpensive ones, but this is the one I use all the time. It is amazing. I'm not even close to as good as some people I know on an oil stone, but I can get my knives to where they shave hair easily on it.

That is way too much for me, can't I just get a "regular" sharpener?  I don't really need to shave with my kitchen knives, just cut flesh and vegetable matter.

I've never used a  pocket stone  (http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Pocket-Arkansas-Stone-P79C8.aspx) but apparently they work pretty much on the same principle.

You have and know how to use a sharpening steel, right?

Schild likes his Japanese rice cookers, I like my Japanese knives. If anyone knows how to make good steel, it's them.

Shun makes a nice knife (http://www.amazon.com/Shun-Classic-7-Inch-Santoku-Knife/dp/customer-reviews/B0000Y7KFO)

The Japanese don't mess around with food, but I can't go as far as they can.

Wow. Y'all are suckers. I'm shocked how so many smart and thrifty people have completely missed the obvious. Every single person here (Edit: Except Sigil) is caught in the retail trap. Forget the expensive retail knives, pots, pans, and all that crap. You can get virtually everything to stock a kitchen for $200-$300 with the exception of a few optionals like a rice cooker.

Find your nearest restaurant supply store and pick up everything you need there. Chef's knife? Walk into any restaurant kitchen and you'll find exactly what you should get -- an eight inch, high carbon, stainless steel alloy knife with a plastic handle. Incredibly sharp and completely disposable -- they cost $10 each and you replace them once a year.

You can find absolutely everything you need -- High quality plates, glasses, silverware, cookware -- on a budget and PERFECT for someone learning to cook.

Read this article. Watch the video. Live the life. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?ex=1336363200&en=e39e14cf6af1b0bc&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss)

I mentioned that earlier.

You sound like me, except for the knives.

I've used those. I've used the good stuff,

The good stuff wins.

Actually, you are right, he should be going there. But I use my knife a lot, pretty much every day since I prefer my cooking to my wifes. I use the knife I use because it's sharp, comfortable, and works for me. Good steel isn't cheap though.

I don't spend a lot on kitchen stuff.  I have a set of really nice knives I got for peanuts from a supply store that over stocked (can't remember the name).  I don't use a lot of plastic and I bought several glass  refrigerator dishes (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.crateandbarrel.com/is/image/CrateandBarrel/RefridgeratorStoreBwls3C%3F%24lg%24&imgrefurl=http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx%3Fc%3D850%26f%3D5413&h=290&w=290&sz=11&hl=en&start=1&sig2=Aleq5o9Hc4WyShbuymCvHQ&um=1&tbnid=9lbFheh8Zxe_uM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=115&ei=NRvSRpLvBaSCePOL5JgJ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drefrigerator%2Bdishes%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1B3GGGL_enUS176US232%26sa%3DN) in different sizes for leftovers, which I can use in microwave, too.  I use cast  iron cookware (http://www.castironcookware.com/fryers-skillets-woks.html) which is inexpensive and heats evenly.   A seasoned Wok will cost you a bit more but you'll probably use it a lot.  A stir fry is always easy, quick and you can put just about any thing you like in it.  Use nice oils and fresh meats and veg.

I frankly disagree with going to a restaurant supply store for a beginner. They tend to be disorganized and the staff isn't very helpful. You are likely to get stuff that is good for pros, but not for beginners (like stainless stuff). Most of the deals in such stores is for buying in bulk anyways so you won't get it that much cheaper than hitting a good sale at Target or BB&B.

If you know what to look for and have a list ready,most supply stores are great. All the ones I've been too have been good experiences. Also, cheap pots and pans like you'll get from target or walmart will cause as many food accidents as the novice cook. Thin, cheap shit shouldn't used by beginners, but that's what you get from a place like that.

Wow, I probably should of kept up with this thread earlier. Here goes...

As I pointed out in my edit there isn't a BB&B or Target up here. Wal-Mart and... Zellers? That's the only alternative I can think of. We have tons of places like Home Sense (http://www.homesense.ca/en/index.asp) and Home Outfitters (http://www.hbc.com/giftregistryHO/) that specializes in homely things and I'm sure has a vast kitchen area, but whether or not it would be at a good price is beyond me or good quality.

@Sigil - I never really thought about doing stuff for breakfast or lunch. As I mentioned I'm probably not eating the best. I barely make it to two meals a day right now, so I'm sure I'll be doing something for both, but haven't really put any thought into what I'd be making though.

To those saying I should wait and see what I need - I have nothing right now. I've been using my roomies cookware and now I need to get my own and I know there are essentials that every kitchen should have. Obviously a pattern is showing up with everyones advice and that's really what I was looking for was a general idea of what I'll need that'll get tons of use no matter what type of food I look to make.

Couple questions that have come up from reading all this:

What kind of material is best that I won't put to waste with my beginner skills? I see stainless and all these other materials about, but would it really be wise for me to go out and get everything in one material over another?

Cutting/dicing with a knife (veggies mainly): Uh, how? I'm seriously new to this. I'd rather not suffer the loss of part of my finger or a huge hunk of skin in favor of trial and error.

Also, what are proper cleaning techniques? I know you're not supposed to use wire brush on certain types of pans, or is that all types? Either way I'm sure someone here has some advice on how to clean everything properly using the proper method that'll get me the most life out of my cookware.

All in all I didn't expect so many people to be all about cooking, but that's F13 for ya. As a side note I'm a clean freak, so keeping my kitchen clean is and has always been number 1 for me even when it was my mom cooking. The thought of crap getting on my food turns my stomach in horrible ways.

As far as chopping vegetables go, get a big chef's knife with a flat blade and keep it nice and sharp. The curvy ones and short ones are mostly for boning stuff out like chicken and beef. However, know that if you do the work yourself (i.e. bone out your own rib roasts/chuck roasts), you can save a TON of money. PM me if you're interested in becoming a cheap but savvy meat consumer -- I cut the stuff pretty much every day :)

I wouldn't recommend stainless. They are somewhat tough to use and are a pain in the ass to clean and maintain. Find a good deal on cheap anodized or non-stick. These aren't your "lifetime" tins.  Experiment with stuff and don't feel bad about it because it didn't cost you that much.

I again disagree that buying relatively cheap stuff will cause you problems. I used a 10" saute pan I bought at basically a grocery store for over 10 years. One of the best pans I've ever owned and it just wore out. Buy some cheapo stuff until you figure out what you like and will use, then upgrade by priority of use. My stuff is all over the map because I still have uber-cheap stuff that works fine and then some really nice copper stuff for specialized applications. It's more about functionality in my mind.

As for technique, there are really only two ways to get it: 1) take classes or 2) just cook. I recommend number two. Just start mucking around and you will pick it up. You will mess up lots of things in the process, but it's the best way to learn. The only thing you can mess up that is at all dangerous is not being careful with cross-contamination and chicken is really the only thing that it a serious problem. So pay attention to that (I treat raw chicken like it is nuclear waste) and the worst thing that will happen is that you will make something that taste like shit and you can always just go get a sandwich somewhere.

Adding a bit of bleach to the water when your cleaning your kitchen and bathroom is not a bad thing.   :-)  Well, the smell isn't great but I'm a bit freaky about germs.  Sometimes I wash my hands after washing my hands.

Yeah, my last knife was some cheapass, made in China, Henckles santoku that cost me $12 at Target.  I bought it because I lost my MAC and needed something for work, but didn't want to spend $100 on an impulse buy.  That thing was great, and held an edge for a long time.  I used it for 6 months before it disappeared from the kitchen.  One of my co-workers was actually sad it disappeared, because he used it when I wasn't around.

Just get a decent chefs knife that is comfortable in your hand.  I would suggest a 10".  I got a good deal on a minimally used 10" Global, and it works fine for slicing fish and sushi rolls, but I hate it for general kitchen work (though the 8" Globals feel fine for that).  Skip the superlight ginsu block set and get one good knife - something with some heft to it.  Chopping is much easier when gravity can do the work for you.

ALSO, get a stone and learn how to sharpen a knife on it.  A good knife is worth shit if it is not sharp.  I bought my parents an electric knife sharpening machine that cost like $100 and it doesn't do shit.  Just get a stone.

I used to think good knives were these holy things to be revered, but after working where I am now and seeing a good knife get burned in in about a year, I'd rather go for a cheaper knife and a good stone/steel.  Now I see knives as a disposable commodity, instead of something that's supposed to last a lifetime.

I can't stress enough actually getting out and trying the knife. In addition to being comfortable with the weight, make sure you have enough clearance for your knuckles. It can be the most awesome, for a lifetime, uber chef's knife, but if you're slamming your knuckles every time you have to mince something, it's not worth a damn.

Rice cookers? Hmm, never thought of one and we have rice all the time. I've always just used a pot. For starters, I highly recommend Cook's Illustrated for reviews (they aren't supported by ads) and recipes/how-to. Recipes are just a starting point, the how-to is great because once you get some experience, you'll only use recipes as a guideline, I hardly use them at all, just nip ideas from here and there.

I'm a huge fan of cast iron cookware. That shit will outlast you. I've had girlfriends with those non-stick surface pans that didn't outlast out relationship and cost three times as much. A little care is involved, but I feel it's more than worth it. Just got a nice dutch oven, cast iron with the porcelain coating, for reactive sauces. Contrary to what Evilrider says, you can buy pre-seasoned pans. In fact, I don't think Lodge (one of the big two makers) sells unseasoned pans anymore. You can get Lodge at walmart for under $20 a pan, the dutch oven was maybe $40.

I'm real simple. A few good knives, keep them sharp. For me this means a set of stones and oil, learn how to sharpen blades, it's a useful skill. I do need a good steel, I use the back of a long bread knife for honing and it works ok for now. I'll also echo knuckle clearance, my first decent knife was a gift and a total knuckle-slammer. Things are much better now. I have a chef's knife, a thin boning knife, a medium sized all-purpose, and a couple paring knives. Pans, a variety of cast iron: 2x12", 1x10", a couple 4-8". Pots, dutch oven (aforementioned). Need a couple good saucepans, waiting to find a good deal on one of those layered copper-core deals from the local copper shop.

That's it for core cookery. Some measuing cups and spoons, a 2c liquid measure. Two whisks, large and small (pan sauces!). Serving spoons, spatulas, tongs, wooden spoons. At some point getting some good thermometers is a good idea, at least a quick-read to check roasts. Cutting boards, I have several: lg plastic reserved for raw meats, lg wood all-purpose (except raw meats!), sm plastic, medium bamboo. I used to use my bamboo steamer alot, I need to break it out again. Probably be good to have a few oven dishes, I have one 2" dish and one 6" dish plus a couple cookie sheets and wire racks (for cooling). Just got a pizza stone I'm happy with, but I'd go with basic terra cotta tiles next time (it was a gift). Veggie peeler mentioned, and be creative. I love slicing elephant garlic with mine (stolen from Jacque Pepin). I love the silicone revolution.

But really, with just a couple good pans, knives and a single pot, I do 90% of my cooking.

I learned to cook watching Pasquale years ago on tv. Then Pepin, Alton, general Food tv stuff. Chill out with some good Food tv and you'll get in the swing of things. I started with a Good Housekeeping cookbook that is still my standby even though I've got about a dozen cookbooks now. One thing to remember about using professional gear...they have professional dishwashers :) As a musician, I've spent more than my fair share of time washing dishes (actually another place where you can learn a lot about cooking if you're pro-active, I usually would move into food prep in any restaurant).
Heh. Same. I sneak into my mom's house when she's on vacation and sharpen her knives with my stones now. She thinks they are great knives that never get dull. Before I did this, she was always cutting herself because her knives were dull.

Late to the thread, but thought I'd add my $.02:

Anodized aluminum cookware set ($100 or so) - Surface lasts forever, and it's non-reactive

Cast-iron skillet ($15-30) - A splatter guard ($2+) is a good idea too.

Cast-iron Dutch oven ($20-40)

Stock pot ($15+)

Chef's knife or Santoku for bulk work, Paring knife for small work, Bread knife ($50+)  Big knife sets look cool, but these are the essentials

Stone and steel for knives ($25+) - Cheap stamped knives you take care of are tons better (and safer) than expensive forged ones you don't.

Y-handle Peeler - ($5-10)

Big Poly cutting board for heavy work and a bunch of those flexible cutting sheets in varying sizes for everything else ($20-30) - One advantage these have over wood is that you can throw them in the dishwasher, and you can roll the flexible ones to make moving stuff around after you've cut it a ton easier.

Tons of cotton dishrags ($5-10) - Used for cleanup, as substitutes for cheesecloth, and if you dampen one slightly, they make any cutting board non-skid.

Pyrex baking dish - The large rectangular one is a must - add others as needed ($15+)

Nesting glass/Pyrex bowl set for prep work/ingredients/mixing ($10+) - 'Organization will set you free' - Alton Brown

Stainless Steel mixing bowl or 2 ($5-10)

Board scraper ($5-10) - I can't recommend this enough, especially at the price.

Sheet pan or two ($10+)

Measuring cups/spoons ($5+)

Tongs - get 2 ($10+)

Potato masher ($5)

Plastic/wooden utensil set ($5-15) - Spoons, spatulas, ladles, etc.

Balloon whisk ($5-10)

Box Grater ($5)

Optional, but I love mine - Microplane grater ($10)

Also:

Parchment paper, Heavy-duty aluminum foil, plastic wrap - keep some of each handy at all times.

One thing I'd also recommend for making life a bit easier - Corningware or similar dinnerware (Corelle makes a number of styles for ~$30).  It's tough as hell, easy to take care of, and almost imposible to break without seriously attempting to do so.  Later on, you can buy heavier/fancier stuff to pull out for company, but I still use the Corning/Corelle stuff for day to day eating.

A Dutch Oven is a kitchen essential? 

I'd rather replace that with a crock pot.

Not essential, but I've been digging Mjolnir lately. That's what I call my kitchen hammer/tenderizer. Made some great scallopini chicken last night. I'm the leftover king, you'd never know half my dishes are just crap lying around the fridge, which is why I was pushing theory over recipes earlier.

Last night I had intended on making garlic lime chicken, got home and remembered I had a bunch of fresh basil to use and make a tomato/basil thingy with some leftover tomatoes, garlic and shallots. A bit of mozz over the top from pizza sunday night (my killer tomato/basil/pepperoni/mozz quick pie).

Ignore these people.

Go ask your mom for her old pots and pans and a couple of dishes and whatever she can spare.  You know, the old crap in the corner under the sink.  Buy the cheapest set of utensils you can find.

Use that crap for a couple of years until you get married and your (new) wife will get all that stuff with the wedding registry and save you the hassle.  If it turns out you're gay or un-marriageable you can start picking up pieces here and there as you need them/the old stuff wears out and you actually have a clue as to what you need/like.

It is true that your wife will systematically eradicate who you were before you married, including your kitchenware, so all this is likely temporary.

About materials, I went with stainless steel because I did not want to eat anymore teflon or aluminum.  You get what you want.  I have stopped using antiperspirant as well, that shit's full of aluminum.  The directions on the stainless pans say not to use anything really abrasive, but I haven't had any problems with it.  I use one of those green plastic scrubpad/sponge combos, works fine.  If anything is cooked onto the bottom, seriously just boil some water in there and it will come right off, just scrape it with your hard spatula.  Doesn't usually require more than a few scrapes, works just like the habachi at a japanese steak house.  The most efficient way to clean a motherfucker is to pour water into the pan right after you finish cooking, the water will lose its mind and remove everything you cooked into a black oblivion.

I also have some Vision pots that work pretty well but they cook very differently from a stainless pot.  I like using them for boiling things with lots of water but I wouldn't call them necessary.

Maybe not essential, but very very handy, especially if you like to cook chili/gumbo/braised Italian-style stuff you finish in the oven, etc.  And like the iron skillet, you only have to buy one, ever.

I've already tried to pry most of my moms cast iron stuff from her, but she won't let them go and if I stole them she'd come kill me. I fear her. Also, I don't plan on getting married any time soon. I still have 2 years left of school and I have to work off my $33,000 debt from said school before I invest in a wife.

YOUR WIFE IS NOT AN INVESTMENT, SHE'S YOUR SOULMATE.  Sheesh.

Also, if you enjoy camping (which I don't), a lot of that cast iron comes in handy.

Unless your wife doesn't know how to cook and her kitchen knowledge is how to microwave a hot pocket. I've got her right where I want her!

Very true.  I can tell you from experience that EX-wives are the investment.

Signe is 100 percent right.

A wife is not an investment.

A wife is an expense.

Cockles to all you grammar Nazis!

Should have, should have, should have!  Should've is not the same as "Should of".

Sorry... a pet peeve.

Great thread, though I think a lot of it is aiming a little over the head of a newbie in the kitchen. Especially if he's expecting a slew of wedding gifts in the future.

That being said, go through the thread and get what you can afford. Stay away from Home Outfitters/Home Sense - those are trendy homestores which equals markup. Stick with Sears, Zellers, etc.

I understand why everyone is saying cast iron, but personally I don't think its the easiest stuff to learn to cook with. A good big, well seasoned cast iron Wok is awesome, but I wouldn't live without my non-stick mini wok. Sometimes I just need to fry/heat something fast without hassle, and a small non-stick wok is awesome for that, and really fast to clean. For people like me that like to cook but hate to clean, fast cleanup is vital.

Yes to a rice cooker. I haven't made rice in a pot in years.

I also love my slow cooker. Great for chilli's, stews, soups, pulled pork, anything that needs to simmer a long time. Also works really well in the summer for doing roasts when you really don't want to be turning on the fucking oven and raising your aparment temp another 5 degrees! I did a top sirloin roast in mine last night in about 2.5 hours just by using the high setting. Took about two minutes to prep the roast before hand, and I'll be eating beef dip all week.

I agree with the idea of learning to cook by doing it, but you should get a few basic recipies to get the idea of what things work together. Also, and this is vital, learn the basic priciples of making a sauce. 1 cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon each flour and butter. Melt the butter, add the flour, add the stock. Learn it well, learn how it thickens, then play with adding other liquids and ingredients.

Or be lazy like me and keep lots of Campbells Mushroom Soup around.

Top sirloin for a pot roast? Must be a high roller :)

(I recommend chuck meat because it is less spendy!)

I just can't make myself by chuck. I grew up with a mom who really knows how to cook. For her, prime rib was the only type of roast in existence.

I can't afford a $30 prime rib, but that $15 top sirloin is going to last me most of the week.

What's so wrong with chuck meat? If it is too fatty for you, buy a first cut (closer to the rib rather than the other side) and seam a little fat out of the meat. It's what I do and sometimes if I catch a meat market that has no idea what they are doing, I get some delmonicos (chuck eye steaks) for $2.49/lb.

I definitely wasn't saying that it wasn't going to be amazing, but I'd say 95% of pot roasts are some sort of chuck roast and top sirloin just surprised me. :)


And as far as prime rib goes, sure you can. You just need to find it when it's closer to the top sirloin price. Where I work, rib roasts go on sale for $1/lb more than a top sirloin costs at full retail.

I have since figured out what a sharpening steel is, and that I don't want to pay $85 for a knife.  Nor $29 for a sharpening steel, surely these can be had for cheaper.  To Wal*Mart!

Keep in mind a couple of things:  You do get what you pay for in terms of quality with kitchen gear.  Being that most people keep it for years, the extra expense to own quality kitchen tools is quite low over the long run.  This becomes VERY apparent the first time you own a set of quality cookware.  Good heat distribution can make a world of difference in some dishes.

I usually look for what the supermarket calls a rib roast rather than a prime rib, as they are usually substantially cheeper. This was just a case of the store I was in only having three choices at the time: Blade, Top Sirloin, or Prime Rib.

I only moved back to my area a couple months ago, so I'm still finding the local meat markets and such. I did find a nice one that offers 1.5 inch think ribeyes (my favorite BBQ cut) so I'll have to see how thier roasts are.

No doubt, but I am hardly the Andre Agassi of cooking and am going to do my research first.  It seems unlikely that I am going to appreciate the differences in any two forged-german-steel knives, plus the ones I have now are just not good.  I do know that I do not need a Shin knife -- or anything Japanese for that matter -- and I am actually going to check Walmart for the sharpening steel.  When I do buy a chef's knife, I'm looking at something middle-of-the-road, or wherever the price-to-quality curve enters "I can't tell if this one is better or not" land.  Today I handed some very expensive knives, so next up are the very cheap knives.

Remember that a ribeye steak is only a sliced rib roast. At many markets it is less spendy to pick up a whole rib or a big portion and cut it yourself.

For example, I know that my local market sells pork rib end roasts at $1.89/lb which make EXCELLENT bbq pot pork (I say this because the country ribs don't fall apart like a boston butt does, rather, they make nice cubes) when you bone out the meat and cut the country ribs and get this, the rib roast leaves you with a half rack of baby back ribs -- $1.89/lb. I buy them by the twos or threes and just freeze what I can't use.

I can certainly say without a doubt you will notice the difference between a Henckel and a Kershaw Shun knife, have been give three Shun knives as a birthday gift from schild and friends.

I'm afraid of waving it around for I might cut a hole in time and space itself.  Onions stand no chance.

Maybe I should get one of those chainmail gloves when I get my $85 knife.

Knives are all about the handle feel. Go to a shop that stocks a lot of types and see which feel right.

I wasn't trying to suggest that you should go out and buy crazy expensive stuff.  I was more suggesting that if you consider it an investment over the life of the equipment, that good stuff more than pays for itself over time. 

The Global felt very nice.  It's on the consideration list.

EDIT: http://www.metrokitchen.com/product/GL-G-2

I think this thread is more kitchen porn than kitchen basics. I'd love that rice cooker too. I also want a kitchenaid stand mixer with the sausage and pasta attachment packages. A ceramic coated dutch oven...

Do you have Ikea? This is everything you need right here: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60065946

It's all junk. Get it now, figure out what you use frequently, and then upgrade the stuff you use to better stuff if you think you need it. As with everyone I'd recommend a cast iron frypan and a rice cooker. Our rice cooker, to be honest, is a $10 job from Target. If you're doing a lot of Asian food a better quality one might be a good investment.

For knives, find something that fits your hand and you're comfortable with. I used to love little utility knives and did everything with them, now I do everything including fine work with an 8" chef's knife. Bendy knives are of the devil so pick up something that feels solid. I've heard wonderful things about Global knives in particular, but I have a $20 plastic handled knife from Target. It doesn't hold an edge well, so I sharpen it more often. But it's solid and works well in my hand.

Kitchen porn is one of my weaknesses.  Hopefully the basics were covered way back.

Oh and I forgot, if you're strapped for cash purusing the non clothing section of Ross yields great results, especially in odd glassware.

Of course who knows if they have that up North; Whatever equivalent store that sells overruns and surplus clothing and junk would suffice.   

We have streets named after our Ikeas up here, I shit you not:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sweden+way,+richmond+bc&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.764446,81.738281&ie=UTF8&ll=49.19111,-123.081148&spn=0.00237,0.004989&t=h&z=18&iwloc=addr&om=1 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sweden+way,+richmond+bc&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.764446,81.738281&ie=UTF8&ll=49.19111,-123.081148&spn=0.00237,0.004989&t=h&z=18&iwloc=addr&om=1)

Epic chef's knife

http://www.amazon.com/Onion-Shun-8-Inch-Chefs-Knife/dp/B0007IR2MO

Get a Victorinox (Fibrox series is what I prefer) from a factory supply store and a stone. You can put an edge on it that is just as good once you learn how to use the stone. It's not hard at all, imo.

It's "should have seen all that coming" lol.

Uh, I would recommend doing what I do and learn to cook rice in a fucking pot on the stove. It takes 15 minutes and is free. What you do is this: take a small pot and stick your finger in it. Put in rice until it reaches the first knuckle on your fingertip. Then add water until it reaches the second knuckle on your finger. That is the perfect ratio of rice:water, no measuring required. Ask any Asian. Put it on the stove with a lid and bring to the boil, then as SOON as it comes to boil just turn it down to low. Come back in 15 and it's done. If you remove the lid during any of this time you set yourself back a few minutes because the steam escapes.

Wooden spoons I cannot live without. Ikea has those and other cookware/serviceware VERY cheap. You have Ikea, right?

These are the exact things I told Nix to wait for marriage for. Uncanny, actually, EVERYTHING you mentioned (except the rice cooker). We got the Kitchenaid w/ attachments, the Le Creuset, plus some nice Henckels steak knives, etc.

Kitchenaid is lovely.  I might just buy a new mixer because I want a pink one.  I don't know if you can get pink Le Creuset in the US, but you can in Britain.   Also, I'm sure VDL meant to remind you to remove your finger from the water BEFORE it boils. 

Just sayin'....

(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/4148VV09JSL._AA280_.jpg)

(http://www.bakersandlarners.com/catalog/catalog/images/chasseur-round-pink.jpg)

At $20-30, they're pure :heart:. (http://www.amazon.com/Forschner-Victorinox-Chefs-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B0009X667E/ref=pd_bbs_sr_8/105-5075780-8824430?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1188439861&sr=8-8)

Well, hell, for $20 I don't think I care so much how it feels in my hand.

Ehh, might work for you, but that seems like a lot of water with my fingers.  Using fingers for measurement is a fine thing, but nothing is set in stone.  Use common sense and adjust to your hand size.  Find something that works and stick with it.

Yeg, I use these (not the chef's knife per se) all day every day at work. I've even purchased a few through my employer (for $4 apiece :D) for home use. They rock.

They are nice, but that pink blender probably cost more than all of my appliances and cookware combined.

Kitchenaid is expensive and not something you need when you're starting out... maybe not at all, ever.  But if you bake a lot, it's invaluable and they last forever. 

I love this thing.

(http://www.texassports.com/images/wbbimages/2004_05/007/foremangrill.jpg)

* Stainless steel pots, if out of price range, ceramic will do, but no cheap aluminum or tacky nostick cookware
* Cast Iron Skillet - especially if you don't have gas range, and have to cook w/electric, makes for even cooking but you have to season pan (you can easily do this and figure out from net search)
* Decent set of knives, that can be sharpened
* Mixing bowls
* Measuring cups/measuring spoons
* A colander (especially if you like pasta)
* A strainer
* Wooden spoons and spatulas
* Spices for cooking - paprika, oregano, basil, onion, garlic, bay leaves, parsley, peppercorns, (sea)? salt, turmeric, sage, chili powder, cayenne pepper, etc.…… …this might be the most expensive part, but it can be built up gradually…

If you've never actually sharpened a knife you should be aware that it's not as easy as people make it sound in this thread. Some people just don't seem to have the knack for it, thus you have roaming knife sharpening trucks and knife shops that sharpen knives for people as a sideline.

I know a place to have one sharpened for maybe $5, so I'm not afeared.

It's cause of your sexy hanes shirt.

I've never understood all the love for cast-iron. I hate those things. Take too long to heat up, retain too much heat and require pain in the ass prep/maintenance. A pox on cast iron.

The shirt is jammed into your memory, isn't it?  I have others.  I will send pics.

The retain heat is the point. Let's you put a good seer on things without overcooking them inside.

Which is great if you are making Tuna Tataki. If I'm just trying to thoroughly brown a half pound of ground beef or heat up some left over rice into a quicky pilaf, I'll keep my nonstick frying pan or miniwok, thanks.

It very much is. I demand more!

For sear you need heat transfer, not heat retention. That's why copper core works better for searing.

EDIT: Actually, that is simplifying things. Yes, you can get a cast iron pan insanely hot and that will sear well, but you often get spalling from the surface that screws up the flavor. I must prefer copper core because you can get the fond going without worrying about that sort of thing.

You guys are starting to sound like Phantom Limb.  "Shopkeeper!  The lady would like to inspect the Wustofs!"

Alas, when our stove up and died on me, we weren't exactly flush and while I tossed in an extra $50 for a "power burner" it doesn't have nearly the BTUs to put a good sear on anything without using a pan that holds a lot of energy. And with electric, it's just a lost cause. (A gas range is now on my list of mandatory items for buying a house along with broadband and full digital television.)

Cast iron is for people who want to properly cook southern food. Cast iron skillet + bacon grease = the only way to bake corn bread. It also fills in nicely as a fry-o-lator when filled with oil or shortening (I used mine to fry up some hush puppies last night, as a matter of fact). Also, if you want to blacken anything it's the only pan that you can get white-hot without it warping or asploding.

And you can use it to keep your husband in line! (Mine, of course, is perfect and requires no line-keeping.)

I can also brown my meat and throw the whole thing into the oven to finish cooking.  Great for a shepherd's pie or just keeping things warm until your ready to serve. 

This is why cast iron pans rock.

Eh, if you need to maintain a steady heat on something you need a pan that stores heat well.  Cast Iron is a very good and very inexpensive solution for that.  I've ruined enough food due to an electric range and cheap thin pans to be aware of this.

Pancakes come to mind.  A nice even heat and you can make a stack with ease.  Start getting the frickin burner shutting itself off and the thin pan losing it's heat and it's a lost cause, not even real maple syrup can save burnt pancakes with mushy insides.

Cast iron is very easy to clean, just heat it and then stick it under the faucet and scrub.  Everything comes right off, it's not steel, you don't have to worry about the tempering.  Dry it and wipe with a bit of oil and put it away.

You have to keep it in the oven because stainless steel retains its heat better than cast iron:

The link! (http://blog.khymos.org/2007/03/01/staying-warm-cast-iron-vs-stainless-steel/)

Oh yeah, pan frying. Like for real fried chicken--which is pan fried not deep fried. Absolutely. Cast iron keeps the heat nice and even.

This is a thread for a newbie who would like to feed himself well and as cheap as he can. I would like to try to make some sense of the many arguments about pot materials.

1) There is no one perfect material for pots, for all uses, with all stoves.

First the stove top. Electric (I am talking coil elements. Ya, the cheep stuff) takes a while to heat up and really takes a while to cool back down. Some sauces require this kinda temp change. You are not going to make this on that kinda stove top.

Gas. Very fast temp change (flame has no inertia, who knew?) but suffers from turn down ratio. That is trying to get that really slow simmer the flame might go out. Having gas leaking out with no flame will raise your life insurance rates. It is generally regarded as a bad idea. I do not personally recommend it.

There is a new kid on this block but this thread was started by a collage kid so I am gonna ignore it. I am talking about the new generation of induction stove tops. It would seem to have the best of both worlds but does require magnetic pots.

OK. Go in your kitchen and look at your stove top. It is cool we will wait.

Now pot material. Pros and cons. I do not sell housewares and it is all my opinion but here we go.

Cast iron - HEAVY. Do not wash this. All this seasoning stuff is DO NOT WASH THIS. That turns some people off. A well used well seasoned cast pot will add something to your dish. It does spread heat better than other cheep materials but it still gonna have a hot spot on an electric (coil) range. This pot will actually add iron to your diet. Which is a nice thing.

Stainless - Does not conduct heat well at all. Dish washer safe. A house wife's dream. Well if you do not mind raw food with a few burnt spots.

Alumnimum - Reactive, as in tomato and lemon will cause your food to darken (read as in look like shit). I avoid because of links to dementia (there is no proof). Conducts heat really well.

Black aluminum - we are getting pricey but a good conductor, non reactive, not heavy as pots go.

Stainless but with other materials (copper aluminum) layered in - We are not getting pricey, we passed pricey a while ago. I have no personal experience here but there are a lot of believers.

That glass shit you saw the ad where they melted another (metal) pan in? only concider if you need molten metal. Really bad about hot spots.

What do I use? Mostly stainless but I have a gas stove top. I also have a cast iron skillet. I left out porcelain coated steel. It is kinda OK, but chips easily then theres that whole rust thing.

I am late to this thread and have only skimmed it, but a few people have recommended getting a good German knife and I will second that.  It will make anything you cook that requires chopping go twice as fast, and you will be a tenth as likely to gash yourself.   :heart:

Sharp knives are safer than dull knifes. There is no question. But in the thread of a clueless collage kid I would tend to say "be carefull". Knife cuts hurt and can be serious. A lot of us like to play in the kitchen. And that is fun and makes for some good eating. But in a thread about a collage kid who would like to make a grilled cheese samwitch or something. Buy a pot, buy a knife and be carefull.

If the goal is to eat healthier, I would not recommend grilled cheese sammiches.   :|  Eating healthy usually means veggies.  Veggies mean chopping.  No way around it.

The New York Times ran a great article this summer on 100 simple meals.. They've got it locked up behind the pay wall but it's a great article, very useful.

As far as cookbooks go, I can't recommend the Silver Palate (now out in an improved anniversary edition) enough--vastly better than the Joy of Cooking, etc.

Essential gear: a couple of good knives. A good castiron skillet (follow directions on seasoning it properly). A pot for boiling water. A smaller pot for sauces. A drainer. A wooden spoon. A couple of storage and mixing bowls. That's the stuff I use pretty much any time I cook.

You can actually find some decent copper-core stainless without taking out a second mortgage. Once you get decent at cooking, it is really what I would recommend. Quick heat-up and good transfer. It easily goes into the over as well. My problem is I always remember to put the silicone mitt on when taking it out of the oven, but then proceed to put it on the stovetop to prepare to deglaze, do something else and then grab the handle. Not fun. Some hard anodized (like a Calphalon set or something) would be good to start out with because it has some of the same elements, but isn't as touchy and cleans easily.

Good point on the surface. I remember what a pain in the ass electric ranges were. I've gone from a 70's era coil, to a modern ceramic flat electric to now having a Viking Professional gas range.  It makes a huge difference in being able to control the temp.

I'm really not wild about Calphalon, after having had a number of their pots and pans over the years. I don't think they wear well.

I would again recommend a good-quality castiron pan. Once you know how to take care of one, they're extremely versatile--you don't need a no-stick pan if you have one, for example. Plus I think they contribute a good deal to good results for relative novices when it comes to frying or sauteeing. They're also much cheaper, on average, than good-quality high-end cookware of other kinds.

It's worth thinking about getting a good-quality food processor simply because of the range of things you can cook once you have one that might otherwise be labor-intensive or close to impossible. A lot of soups, for example, really need a processor or blender. You can't chop everything in a processor--they make a horrible mess of bell peppers, for example--but it does speed up frustrating jobs like grating cheese, chopping large numbers of onions very fine and so on.

I have some copper bottom pots and pans from my mother.  I love them, especially the big stock pot.  Creamy soups, desserts, spaghetti, sauces, ect. all go in there.  I'm lucky to have a gas cooker in a rented house.  It seems most rentals are all electric.  The thing I like the most is when I turn it off, it's off.  I would only ever buy a gas cooker.

Unless you acutally cut yourself.  Dull knives make it more likely that you will cut youself, but when it comes, believe me, a sharp knife does a lot more damage.

The worst scenario is when you have someone who is accustomed to using dull knives (pushing very hard on the chop), that grabs a very sharp knife from someone else.  Disaster waiting to happen.

(http://www.realitybbqforums.com/images/smilies/hellskitchsmiley2.gif)

Heh I love that show.

And just because I am currently eating some and it is quite delicious, find the Carol Shelby chili kit. It's basically just the spices, but it is handy and you can customize the recipe to your liking very easily (and it lists some suggestions).  If you go basic, you just brown 2 pounds of ground beef, drain it, drop in a can of tomato sauce, two cans of water, the bags of spices (which you can use the spicy one or not, or the thickening flour or not) cover and let it simmer. Really easy.

The one I made today is 1/2 of a chopped white onion sweated, 1 pound ground beef & 1 pound ground pork browned, the spices, then added a can of pinto beans towards the end. Mmmmm.

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/Abagadro/CS_chili_bag.jpg)

Oooh.  If his chili is as spicy as his cars, I'm sold. 

You can customize it as the cayenne comes in a separate packet. I use it all and it isn't outrageously spicy, just damn good.

Chili is one of the secret essential arts of cooking. You must kill anyone who learns the full secret of your chili.

I shall disclose several of my secrets. If you learn them all, you must die.

Balsamic vinegar
Pure ancho chili. Do not use chili powder, it will contain many things which must be applied precisely.
Italian sausage, skins removed, as well as ground beef.

Liquid smoke.

I've never been a huge fan of ground meat in chili - I prefer chunks (roughly 1 inch or so) of beef and pork cut from chuck/shoulder roasts.

As for 'secrets', I dunno if serving it over a bed of jasmine/basmati rice counts.  I've run into people that don't like the idea, but they're converts afterwards.

Righ always has his chili over rice.  For some reason, I like without rice and without too many beans.  I like it with broken up saltine crackers, though.  Beans and rice make it too heavy for me.  Same reason I enjoy moo shoo over most Chinese rice dishes.

I make the Shelby chili with chunks of sirloin as well. I wanted to try the two meats and thought it would blend better texture wise with ground.

I'll see your "over rice" and raise you a "with cheese melting on top".

Chili is basically goulash, made with American ingredients.  I like my goulash over rice, but my Austrian uncle, who showed me how to make it properly, says it is a sin to eat goulash over anything but boiled potatoes.

Cinnamon

Oh, and kidney beans, not those icky pintos.

I like using black beans.  I also use a combination of ground beef, ground pork and chunks of stewing beef.  I simmer it for at least 3 hours so the chunks of meat end up almost falling apart tender.

Guinness.

I cook on a 70's electric coil in my apartment, but I actually have very good temperature control after using it for years. I know the quirks of each burner, the hotspots, it's actually tough for me to cook on gas right now because I haven't done it in so many years. My mother's got gas and I'm always overcooking stuff on it because I'm not used to it.

Best way to go about finding those weird spots of an electric? That's what I have.

Damn it, now I am craving some chili over rice. It was one of my staples when I was a bachelor and it was the day of the month when I didn't order take out  :-D Chili mixed with good ol' Kraft Mac and Cheese was also a bachelorhood fav.

I know mine mostly from using it daily for years, moving bits of food around to heat or cool. I almost use it like direct/indirect heat on a grill, move more-cooked pieces off the hotspots to simmer.

I guess maybe you could put some steaks in a pan and take note of which areas brown quickest.

I learned on CSI: Miami* the other day that that's called 'Cincinnati chili'.  Personally I can't even imagine chili on pasta but when you think about it, chili is really 'just' a meat sauce so I guess it's not that far fetched.

*Sue me, it's one of Tivo's 'suggestions' it automatically records and there was nothing else to watch while I ate dinner.

Ok, that actually sounds quite good, I may steal that.

I'll second the Carol Shelby's chili mix.  If you just want to make some quick chili it's a pretty good way to go.  I usually 'oomph' mine up a bit but it's pretty good right out of the bag.

I've added a little bit of whatever beer I'm drinking to my chili pot for years, don't go overboard though!

Beer braised steak is a another good bachelor recipe.  Buy a big piece of cheap meat (like 3-4 bucks a lb cheap).  Brown it with some oil in a pan (garlic, salt and pepper also - maybe an onion if you are feeling plucky).  Pour a beer in, cover with tight lid, reduce to a simmer and walk away for an hour.  Check to see if it's fork tender.  If so, eat.  Veggies and/or tater optional.

Yea and you feel really funny ordering it if you are not from there. I recall gigling as I said, "I'd like the chili in a 3 way."

I have to speak up here. You hit a nerve. I have been eating Shelby's chili for well over 30 years. Buy it a busy market. It will be fresher. I have never found a chili powder as good as what is in that brown bag. Buy some lean beef, Cut it against the grain. Brown it well.  Use it with that brown bag. As you dig your spoon in, say to your self (" IT JUST DON"T GET NO FUCKING BETTER THAN THIS"). Enjoy and as an added bonus enjoy some more tomorrow.

I'd rather drink the Guinness and skip the chilli entirely, but that's just me.

On topic again, I have three pots (anolon, non-stick, but great heat distribution), an 8 inch and 12inch cast iron skillet, a saute pan, a Le Crueset casserole pot, a $10 stell roasting pan, a $10 steel wok (not stainless), and a couple of old do-dad pots for rice cooking, boiling water etc.  I have a 20cm chef's knife, a 6cm paring knife, and a japanese two-sided whetstone.  My other essentials are a colander, a sieve, a plastic japanese mandolin (slicer thing), and a variety of wooden spoons.  Everything else in my kitchen I could live without (except for the baking stuff but that's a different story entirely).  I cook a wide variety of things ranging from simple one-pot stuff (chilli, bolognese, and the like) right up to more tricky stuff (deboned chicken, salt-crusted fish, sauces etc) and I've never wished for more gadgets.

My other suggestion, particularly if you are buying a sharp knife, is do a cooking class at adult education classes through a local college or cooking class.  You'll at least learn some simple stuff about how not to lop off your fingers and get some starter recipies which you've helped make.   Plus learning from a professional cook lets you find out stuff that you'd never find out about (like why add wine to a pastry dough or cooking times or easy-peasy reduction sauces).

My favorite chili is over a few lightly crumbled up tortilla chips, topped off with a dab of sour cream, salsa, and a little mexican cheese. ME GUSTA!

And meet local ladies!

Just think about what kind of people you are meeting at "adult school."


That is all.

Eh, you'd be surprised. Some people take classes for part personal enrichment, part finding people interested in personal enrichment. Sure the fuck beats clubs for meeting people.

Better than scooping up the leftovers come closing time…

You mean you might meet people interested in the same thing.  Who knows you might actually make new friends and have some fun. 

Or you could could just hang-out with Butthead and do the same things you've been doing for the last 20 years.

:P


I took a course at an adult school once. I needed it to graduate high school early. It was beginning computers, and my god, it was horrible.

'This is a 'floppy disk'' *passes one around the room*

The photography classes I took over the last couple years were great experiences. Learned some new things and met some interesting people with similar interests. Can't reccomend that type of thing enough.

Since this thread is about learning cooking, I shall share what I had for dinner last night. It was a classic whatever the fuck is in the fridge meal.

Two skinless chicken thighs - sliced up and browned. After browning, threw in one sliced red bell pepper, some fresh asparagus tips, and some snap pea pods. Looked around for what I was going to use for sauce - had nothing. Ended up adding a healthy shake of Chinese 5 Spice, and then a dose of Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing of all things. Stir fried it briefly, mixed in bunch of egg noodles. I then discovered I had no Parmesan, so in a further moment of lunacy I grated in a bit of Havarti.

It was odd to say the least, and I'll probably never duplicate it, but it tasted good. All comes down to be willing to experiment with what you've got.

That reminds me.   One of my all time favorite single guy meals to cook is to get a couple of pieces of fresh bone in, skin on chicken (I prefer a drumstick and a thigh, YMMV).  Heat some extra virgin olive oil in a large pan (a good bit of oil, like 1/8" or more in the bottom of the pan) to medium heat, put chicken in pan, add salt and pepper to taste, cook until golden brown turning often.

Simple, delicious, inexpensive, smells good, takes 20 minutes.  Serve with a salad and a light beer.

I usually use a lid to keep the oil from splattering, just don't put it on tight, leave enough of a gap so that the steam can vent.

The last time I went to the grocery store and needed to buy olive oil they had changed the name from "extra virgin olive oil" to "extra light-tasting olive oil", all references to virgin had been purged.  This political correctness stuff is going to far.

You were in high school, and it was beginning computers. That's hardly a way to form an opinion about something!

This thread really isn't about cooking, that's VL's snacky thread :) But I made some leftovers from the bbq monday. Had some hot sausage I de-cased and fried up with half an onion, half a bell pepper and half of one of those ridiculous long hots I mentioned in the VL thread (all local produce, and the sausage was local, too). Threw it on a sub roll and slathered on some german mustard (also local, woohoo! from the place that makes the besy conies evar). Mangia.

Oil

My god do I have a list of pet peeves. Take a frying pan add some extra virgin olive oil and {STOP as soon as the heat hits that oil its pure olive oil. Not extra virgin }. Use extra virgin only for cold uses. Its like balsamic vineagar, there are are many and they are tasty. Please do not fry with it unless you are willing to throw fistfulls of money down the drain. Try your recipe with pure olive oil. I seem to allways buy Filippo Berio pure olive oil in the 3 liter can. Sawed in half they make great pots for rosemary and basil. Your cooking will be just as tasty, you will have more spending money and the addition of fresh herbs will make you cooking efforts much better.

I disagree and think there is a very real difference in cooking with pure olive oil, light olive oil or extra virgin olive oil or whatever.  For one thing its a stronger a more pleasant, and mouth watering odor and the taste transfered to the meat is milder and sweeter and just better.

Here's a hint if you find it seems to cost a lot.  Don't buy it in trendy little bottles.

Also, heated extra virgin olive oil != pure olive oil.  Who ever told you that was smoking crack.  Pure olive oil can, and usually does, have chemically treated olive oil in it to remove or alter flavors and reduce the acidity (because it's CRAP, you see?).  Extra virgin olive oil is simply pure, unadulterated olive oil from the first pressing and that has been judged of higher quality and flavor than virgin or lower grades of olive oil.

YMMV but I'm very happy with cooking with extra-virgin on the RARE occasions I fry with it.

If you look at what I said the ONLY spices and flavors I used in that dish are salt, pepper and the natural the flavor of the meat and the olive oil.  The quality of the oil is a very serious portion of the flavor.  So, in short.  Fuck Off and Die Heathen!!!   :-D

From wiki-pedia

Olive oil does have a low smoking point so if you want to sear or brown meat crank up the heat on the empty pot, wait for it to heat up, then add oil just before meat.  And do not crowd the pan.

I use olive oil for salads and cold purposes, or to drizzle over a finished dish. I use cheap vegetable oil for seasoning my pots and pans. I use canola oil or peanut oil for cooking and frying.

Maybe it was a slutty year for the olives...

I checked last time I was at the market, and could not find a single bottle labelled such.