Survival Sunday 12

I didn't cook this week, guys. It wasn't that it was too hot, it was that I was too darn busy! Sometimes you're too busy to cook. That's life. Don't let anyone tell you you're a bad adult for relying on microwave dinners and cheap burritos when time is short or just when you feel like it. Whatever you have to do to survive is what you've got to do.

Sometimes depression can also keep you from cooking, and that's... well, it's not fine, it sucks, but it's a fact. Sometimes you cannot cook.

But for the times you can, here are some things you should probably have in your kitchen in order to cook the most things!

POTS & PANS

Pots and pans come in many shapes, sizes, and styles. You need a few different sizes of each, and if you're going to be very serious about your new life-skill, it pays to go fancy. On the other hand, if you're just starting out, you DO NOT NEED the fancy stuff. It's not necessary. It's just really nice.

For pots, you are going to need to consider what you're going to be making. If you like soup and want to make your own, you'll want a big pot to put the soup stock in (especially if you're going to boil whole chickens or hams or whatever). Think about the quantity you're going to cook in.

Basically, you want a pot that fits a whole turkey inside it, a pot that fits a head of cabbage inside it, and a pot that fits a brick of ramen in the bottom. Large, medium, small. Are you actually going to boil a whole head of cabbage or a whole turkey in your lifetime? Probably not. But it's a good idea to keep these three sizes on hand in case you want to make something just for you, for you and up to three friends, or for your whole madcap family.

As for pans, you're also going to want several sizes. You'll want one that fits a slice of bread in the bottom. You'll want to have one that fits two slices of bread side-by-side, and you'll want one that you're fairly certain you could kill a man with if he broke in. The last one should be big enough to sear a shoulder of meat in.

There's one more pan that you may want to grab, and that's the good old fashioned cast iron skillet!

There are a lot of opinions on cast iron and its upkeep, so I can only suggest doing a buttload of research before you buy any old iron. Make sure you research how to clean and season the pan as well as how to cook in it - do not just go out there and flub around with cast iron.

It'll probably be the most expensive pan you buy, unless you're going for full gourmet.


SMALL APPLIANCES

You're probably going to have a microwave. If you don't, then I'd ask the advice of other friends who have microwaves about what they like and hate about theirs and buy based off of that information. Pay attention to the wattage of the microwave - write it down somewhere if you need to! That will enable you to get the most out of a nuked dinner.

I love my toaster oven. I really, really love it. Pizza bites? Hot & crispy. Toast? Perfectly toasted. Garlic bread? Fast as heck. Hot sandwiches? Bam. Done. It's one of my two favorite appliances, for crying out loud! I have a fairly inexpensive one, too. We bought it at an Ocean State Job Lot, which means it was a discounted discount product. It's fairly good sized, too. You can use these puppies to reheat pizza to crispy, sizzling perfection. You can also cook nachos in it.  Basically, if you have to choose between a toaster and a toaster oven, take the toaster oven. Especially since our toaster ovens have broken down roughly 90% less than our regular toasters have. Less moving parts to worry about.

The single most useful appliance I've ever owned is my crock pot. You can make magic on the countertop while you are doing literally anything else. Want to make pulled pork? Put it in the crock pot. Want to make baked beans? Crock pot. Chili? Crock pot. For me, the crock pot is synonymous with comfort cooking. I'm about 88% sure there are recipes for slow-cooker bread, so that's a thing I'd love to try, too. You want a fairly good sized crock pot. The small ones aren't much good for anything but appetizers like dips or Swedish meatballs, but man, a good-sized crock pot/slow cooker? That can make miracles. Basically, you want one that'll fit a good sized chunk of meat (especially if you plan to make homemade pulled pork). Every time you use the thing, though, you absolutely need to perform a full inspection to make sure the metal lining isn't corroded at all (chuck it if it is), the cord isn't frayed (chuck it if it is), and the crock itself isn't cracked (you get the picture, chuck it if it is).

You probably want to get a blender or a food processor at some point. I'd go for food processor as it does more, so you save space. I've never actually owned one, though. I'd like to.

You're also going to want a stand mixer some day. Unless you have a disability, you do not need one right off the bat. They're hella useful for baking, and whipping, and all those things that require vigorous or continual movement. If you want to save your joints from the wear and tear of repetitive cooking injuries, you're going to want a stand mixer. For most things early on, however, it's absolutely possible to do the same work with strong arms, a whisk, a spoon, etc.


BAKING WARE

Okay, we've talked about what you need for stovetop cooking and for small appliances, let's talk about stuff that goes inside your oven.

You probably don't need a pizza stone right away, but they're super nice and versatile, so if you can afford one and you can find one, go for it. Even the blandest of store-bought frozen pizzas taste a little better on a pizza stone. But you do not need it.

You can also get away with using the disposable foil pans for most things early on. As you go on with your baking, though, it pays to get a reliable set of cake pans (you want lighter colored metal, since the darker metals can actually burn the outside faster than the inside bakes) in whatever sizes or shapes you like.

A springform pan is a good thing to have on hand if, like me, you love you some cheesecake. They're not too expensive, but you're going to want to have one at some point.

The lighter vs darker metal is true for cookie sheets and loaf pans, too. I like the Pyrex loaf pans my mother has because they are great for meatloaf as well as for breads. Her banana bread is truly legendary. Even if she does keep adding walnuts...

Always know the inner dimensions of the oven you're using before you buy bakeware! You don't want to splurge on some fancy cookie sheets or an expensive roaster and then get home and find out it doesn't fit in your oven! This is especially true with small apartment or dorm appliances! Try to measure things out (and yes, you'll want the oven off for that) and keep the dimensions handy.

I recommend writing all the necessary kitchen numbers down (microwave wattage, oven dimensions, what the wattage of the lightbulbs in the fixtures are, whatever you don't think you'll remember) and putting them somewhere visible on the fridge. Magnets are awesome.

Back to bakeware...

You'll probably want a casserole dish or two in different sizes, maybe a pie plate, and definitely a roasting pan. I also like to have a Dutch Oven (cast iron pot with a lid, both clad in ceramic). It's great for roasting and baking things in. Again, you don't need to splurge on this stuff.

It's probably best to look for a lot of this stuff in a thrift store like a Goodwill or something. Just make sure to check for dents, scratches, rust, chips, etc. Any imperfections means it goes back on the shelf! Do not risk your health for a deal. It's not worth it!


ACCESSORIES & OTHERS

You need cutting boards. Plural. You want one for poultry, one for beef & pork, one for fish (if you cook with it), and one for veggies. You may also want one for bread products if you're extra attentive to detail. Basically, you want to avoid cross-contamination. Not one of these cutting boards needs to be expensive. Don't splurge. Do replace your cutting boards more than once in your lifetime. You don't want them to get super gouged up and full of bacteria. Basically, if you have a bad feeling about a cutting board while you're washing it, replace it. Your health is more important than a five dollar piece of plastic. Fortunately, a lot of the time you can get multi-packs of cutting boards. You also want to make sure they're big enough to actually use. They should probably be about as big as a school binder. Any smaller and you're going to run out of space.

Utensils can be made of any materials. They do not have to match. I have a yellow silicone ladle from an Umai crate, a bunch of black spoons & spatulas from a cooking website that my dad bought wholesale, and some random wooden cooking utensils I was given as a graduation gift. You just need to make sure not to use the wrong utensil for the job. Basically, if it's going to be hot, you want silicone, heat-resistant plastics, wood, or metal. Honestly, 90% of the time, metal will be perfect. Just not in a nonstick pan, since that will scratch the coating. Then you always use the silicone or heat-resistant plastic or wood. I stress again - none of these need to match. You find yourself some nice utensils at the thrift shop and they're cheap, you buy them. Again, check for imperfections first, and only buy them if they're not damaged.

You're also going to want measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, etc. Also buy these used. You want liquid & dry measuring cups. That means you have ones with spouts and ones that do not have spouts. You'll be best served by things that use both metric & US measuring systems (ml and cups). Do not use the liquid measuring cups for dry ingredients. Do not use the dry cups for wet ingredients. They're actually set up differently. Also, make sure you can read all the writing on the spoons & cups.

For mixing bowls, you want three sizes: Small, Medium, Large. You want one that looks like a cereal bowl (one of the fancy cereal bowls like you find at Target or whatever), one that looks like something you'd serve a bag of microwave popcorn in, and one that you'd probably serve salad in. If they have spouts, that's fantastic. If they don't, oh well. Maybe that'll come together for you some day! Thankfully, mixing bowls are basically the squirrels of the cooking aisle - there are a ton of them and they're everywhere. Unless your recipe calls for it, you do not need a metal bowl. Also, make sure to very carefully read recipes about what materials you should & should not use. I know copper reacts badly with some things and well with others.

Finally, you'll probably want a teakettle. These are a subjective thing. If you want an electric one, they can be pricey and in the US they do not heat the water any faster than the stove. We have the wrong electrical current for that. That's why we have our metal kettle on the stovetop. I hate whistlers. I hate the sound. They make me anxious. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to find a kettle without one. You also want it big enough that it will work for what you use it for. Hot water is a good thing to have in a kitchen. Especially when you drink instant like me.


LINENS & THINGS

You don't need a tablecloth. You don't need napkins that match. You don't need placemats. You do not need those fancy things you always see on tv. You do, however, need towels for drying dishes, towels for drying your hands (I use a fluffy towel for hands and a cotton cloth towel for drying), potholders and oven mitts. Anything that comes into contact with anything hot, like a roasting pan full of veggies, for example, must be heat-resistant! I find that anything made of pure cotton is perfect for this. If you have no pot holders, you can absolutely fold up a towel and use that. Avoid the heat sources (burners or the sides of the oven) and you'll be fine. You can fold a couple of towels in half and put them on the table/counter for heat pads to prevent damage to your table or countertop!

Basically, whatever's cheap and cotton. NEVER EVER EVER USE AN OVEN MITT THAT IS NOT COTTON. You will end up with the cheap, useless polyester seared into your skin. Seriously. It's not worth it. No matter how stinkin' cute it is.


Hopefully, this guide to stuff you should have in your kitchen has been helpful. As a final note, I can assure you that as long as you like using your utensils, they're the right ones for you. Even that ugly rolling pin your grandma bought you that has the weird flowers on the handles from the 70s. If it works, use it.


SPICE OF THE WEEK:

Ooops. I don't have one. Sorry guys.

I've gotta go do the dishes for my mom.

Go Enjoy Something!
FC