Sugars: granulated, brown, honey, molasses, maple syrup
Tamarind paste
Tomatoes: canned, sun-dried, sauce
Vinegars: sherry, champagne, apple cider, red wine
It is worth paying a bit more for good storage items, including glass and good-quality plastic containers, as well as resealable bags for the refrigerator and freezer. The investment will be made up in food that remains fresh. I don’t recommend using glass in the freezer, as liquid expands as it freezes and can cause glass to crack.
HERBS TO GROW
California has a year-round outdoor growing season. In colder climates, plant in a generous-size pot that can be moved indoors or outdoors, depending on the temperature.
Basil (spring and summer)
Tarragon (spring and summer)
Chives (all year)
Marjoram (all year)
Parsley (all year)
Rosemary (all year)
Thyme and/or oregano (all year)
A WORD ON FOOD SOURCES
Recent news about the origins of food, how it is processed, and its safety should not be taken lightly. Paying less for poor ingredients is a false economy, as you can end up with food that does not taste good or store well because it is not fresh.
Chicken and beef are often raised in cruel environments, and ranching has proved to be one of the most environmentally degrading processes affecting our water and land. In some cases, particularly with meat and eggs, you are eating food that has been raised with growth-producing hormones that may be linked to breast and other cancers.
Imagine what it requires to raise a cow versus a row of lettuce!
So consider eating more grains, fruits, and vegetables, and include meat as a condiment rather than the centerpiece of your meal. You will save money, possibly lose weight, and, if you eat products from smaller farms or ranches, you can be more secure about the health and quality of what you eat while supporting the local economy.
COOKING EQUIPMENT
To cook well, you need to invest in equipment. Even our son has a decent set of knives and pots and pans, and has really enjoyed his adventures in cooking. This list is presented here in order of the most basic to more specialized to respond to your developing abilities and interests. If, for example, you find that you are more interested in baking, you can build on this and treat yourself to some of the many specialty pans. They are beautiful!
THE BASICS FOR NEW COOKS
Apron
Basting brush, silicon
Blender
Can opener
Ceramic baking dishes: rectangular and oval (all ovenproof, varied sizes)
Colander
Corkscrew
Cutting board (I like a heavy wooden board for stability)
Dish towels, tea towels
Dutch oven; enameled cast-iron is the best, and worth it
Flatware, service for 6 (forks, knives, soup spoons, coffee spoons)
Frying pans: 8- and 11-inch nonstick
Garlic press (and here is the commercial: Zyliss is the only way to go)
Half-sheet pans, at least 2 (the most versatile piece of equipment I own)
Hand mixer
Instant-read thermometer
Kitchen shears
Knives: chef's 7- or 8-inch and paring
Measuring cups: American dry-measure and glass liquid-measure
Measuring spoons
Mixing bowls: 1 medium glass and 3 nesting melamine
Oven mitts, pot holders
Parchment paper
Salt cellar
Saucepans with lids: 1- and 3-quart
Sauté pan: 11-inch with lid
Scale for weighing ingredients (especially for baking, where accuracy matters)
Sharpening steel and stone for knives
Spatulas: metal, rubber, silicon
Spoons: large metal, slotted, wooden, silicon
Tongs: traditional locking, nonstick-surface friendly
Vegetable peeler (the serrated ones work best)
NEXT LEVEL—FOR EXPERIENCED COOKS
Cake pans: springform, Bundt
Chef’s long tweezers (more precise than tongs)
Food processor (I use this almost daily)
Funnels
Graters: fine and coarse (microplane is far and away the best)
Immersion blender, for making smooth sauces and soups
Knives: boning, an extra paring knife, serrated bread knife
Ladle
Mortar and pestle, aka molcajete
Pepper mill
Pie pan
Rolling pin, wooden-dowel style
Sieves: medium and fine mesh
Spice grinder
Stockpot: 9-quart with lid
Whisks: balloon and flat
Wok
SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT
Banneton (a coiled wooden basket for proofing dough)
Canning equipment: canning jars, jar “lifter,” slotted holder for inner lids, canning funnel, and the big splurge—a copper jam pan
Comal, for roasting vegetables and chiles on the stove top
Double boiler, or DIY with a heat-proof measuring cup fitted inside a saucepan
Offset spatula, for spreading frosting and smoothing out batter
Pastry blender, for cutting fat into flours
Pastry cloth, for rolling out dough
Stand mixer, if baking and pasta-making become a big part of your repertoire
Tart pans with removable outer ring, 10- or 15-inch
Tortilla press
EXPERIENCE EQUALS WISDOM THE WHY AND THE HOW OF THE WHAT
COOKING AND TIMING
It pays to read through a recipe a couple of times to understand the flow of the work. I remember many years ago coming home to my daughter, Nori, and her boyfriend (now husband), Anthony, cooking dinner. They had fried two pork chops to a burnt crisp and were just putting whole potatoes in the oven to bake. Cooking well requires some organization and multitasking, but