Prosciutto di Parma Like Parmesan cheese, this is a classic ingredient from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in the province of Parma. Prosciutto means “ham” in Italian, and salt-cured prosciutto di Parma is the best available. The secret is the pigs’ diet of chestnuts and whey.
Tomatoes Delectable raw or cooked, tomatoes pair beautifully with so many foods and flavors: cheeses, meats, onions, garlic, peppers and herbs; pizza, pastas, salsas, salads, soups, stews and on and on. For a well-stocked pantry, keep whole, diced, petite diced, crushed and stewed tomatoes (as well as tomato sauce and paste) on hand for everyday cooking.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR ITALIAN COOKING
When I was little, we didn’t have the fancy appliances available in modern kitchens. Even now, when you travel through Italy, you’ll see women making pasta and bread by hand. Gadgets are fun to use, but you don’t need them to make healthy Italian Paleo recipes. That said, I think every Italian cook, whether professional or amateur, should have handy at all times a strainer, a pizza stone, a mandoline, an espresso maker, a large pot on the stove and a glass of wine!
The following are tools and appliances that I consider essential. I keep them close at hand and use them often. The items are listed in order of importance, by my estimation. Other tools, such as a spiral vegetable slicer, food mill, handheld immersion blender or a pastry cutter, are nice to have, but I don’t include them in my “necessary” list. Italian cooks have done without them for centuries, and there are other ways to get the job done.
A four- or six-quart / liter saucepan to keep on your stove at all times This size pot is perfect for cooking meatballs or braising chicken or short ribs. Keep it handy.
An eight- to twelve-quart / liter pot for soups, sauces and stews An Italian cook keeps a pot of sauce, a soup or a stew going on the stove at all times.
A good set of knives, including a chef’s knife and paring knife See page 22.
Grater/zester (either a box grater or the grater disk of a food processor) I find I use my grater frequently for grating garlic, ginger, lemons and Parmesan cheese, and for the dark chocolate on my favorite desserts.
Wooden spoons, ladles, kitchen scissors, whisk, can opener I keep these utensils on my counter for easy access.
Large wood block and poultry-safe cutting boards You only need one large wooden board for chopping vegetables, but keep several polypropylene boards handy for cutting poultry and other meats.
Colander This is an essential kitchen tool. You can use it for draining vegetables and fruits after washing, draining boiled foods, or as an attractive way to store fruits like apples.
Wooden rolling pin When I was a little girl, using the rolling pin was my biggest thrill. I loved rolling out the dough for pies with my Nana. I still have the one we used together fifty years ago!
Meat tenderizer or mallet Sure, you can use a cup, a wine bottle, a hammer or some other household item to tenderize your meat—but why not get a mallet? They’re not very expensive, and they make short and easy work of thinning out a flank steak or chicken breast.
Mandoline I love my mandoline. I use it to slice sweet potatoes and other vegetables. Of course, a chef ’s knife works too, but a mandoline makes perfect, consistently sized slices every time.
Espresso maker You don’t need a fancy espresso maker that takes up your entire counter. All you need is a stove-top espresso maker like the Moka Express from Bialetti. These come in different colors and sizes, and are very affordable.
Baking pans Find a nice starter kit that includes a variety of baking pans.
Timer Even if your stove has a timer, it’s wise to keep a portable one handy if you like to multi-task while you cook. Setting a timer on your phone works well, too!
Mixing bowls Find a set of nesting mixing bowls of glass, plastic, metal, or ceramic. They’re easy to stack and keep at arm’s reach, and they come in very handy from breakfast to dinner and dessert!
Measuring cups and spoons Nana never used measuring cups or spoons when cooking, but she always used them for baking. You should have a set of cups going from ⅛ cup to 1 cup, and a set of spoons from ⅛ tsp to 1 Tbsp.
ADDITIONAL TOOLS, POTS, PANS, BAKING DISHES, AND UTENSILS
The following is a list of all the items that I use in my kitchen. While they’re nice to have, they’re not strictly necessary for Italian cooking, or even for cooking in general. Keep an eye out for these items at tag sales and consignment shops rather than going out of your way to buy them new.
• Baking dishes
• Baking sheets
• Blender
• Cast-iron skillet
• Food processor
• Hand mixer
• Immersion blender
• Knife sharpener
• Muffin tins
• Rubber spatulas
• Stand mixer
• Large stockpot
• Saucepans of different sizes
• Oven-safe skillet (sauté pan)
• Tongs
• Meat thermometer
A WORD ABOUT KNIVES
A good knife is essential for cooking, and using the correct knife for the task makes everything easier. Always keep your knives clean and sharp. I use Schmidt knives; the following describes my favorites and their uses.
Chef’s knife If you have to choose only one knife, get an 8- or 10-inch (20- to 25-cm) chef ’s knife. It’s the most universal knife in the kitchen, designed for all cutting tasks. Because the blade is curved, you can rock it back and forth on the cutting board as you chop herbs or vegetables. The weight of the blade allows you to cut meat off the bone as if you were using a cleaver. Ideal for: cutting raw meat, any meat with bones, racks, large fruits, large vegetables and other large