Kitchen Essentials Part I

Cooking at home is a healthy and economical way to eat. Not only can you control everything in food you prepare, but you can also eat for a fraction of the cost of takeout. Having a well equipment kitchen makes dinners at home and last minute dinner parties a snap.

The list below is by no means inclusive, but it is definitely a good start. You should be able to cook most recipes without any trouble.

1. A 4-6 piece anodized aluminum cookware set including an 10 inch omelet pan, 2 quart saucepan with glass lid, 3 quart saucepan with glass lid, 4 quart saute pan with glass lid and an 8 quart stock pot with glass lid.

2. A good quality chef's knife and a serrated knife

3. A medium to large wooden or bamboo cutting board for vegetables and serving cheeses and a small to medium plastic cutting board for cutting raw meats and chicken (plastic boards can be sanitized in the dishwasher)

4. A blender/small food processor combination unit

5. A set of small to large mixing bowls

6. Long and short handled wooden spoons, heat resistant plastic spatula, spoons, slotted spoon, pasta spoon and a heavy duty set of tongs

7. A large aluminum cookie sheet, covered round glass casserole dish and a 9"x13" baking dish

8. A large metal colander and a medium mesh hand strainer

9. A 2 cup glass measuring cup and a set of metal measuring spoons and cups

10. A manual salad spinner

11. A hand mixer or stand mixer if you really are into baking

12. A cast iron grill pan for stove top or oven use

This is Part I of kitchen essentials. Part II will focus on serving and tableware essentials. Once you have your kitchen ready, cooking really does become a "Joy." Thank you, Irma Rombauer!