I Can’t Live Without My…

Urban living guarantees one thing:  There is no space for stuff you don’t use.  When it comes to kitchen equipment, it’s all about multi-purpose.  The wine rack doubles as a book end while the salt dish is transformed into a tea-light candle holder should company stop by.  Somehow, it seems the hardest working tools in the kitchen fall upon the shoulders of just a few items.  Here are my TOP 5 CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT kitchen utensils.

1)  Vegetable Peeler: Not just for vegetables!  This guy slices hard cheese into thin elegant shreds, takes the peel off a mango for breakfast smoothies and shaves long pappardelle-like strands of zucchini for no-pasta bolognese.

2)  Mini Food Processor: This hard working appliance is dirty more than it’s clean!  Whip together cocoa-date-truffles, pesto, vinaigrettes or give a rustic dice to mirepoix.      

3)  Chef’s Knife:  You don’t need a 15-piece knife set to make good food, you just need a sharp chef’s knife that feels comfortable in your hand.  I prefer a 6″ blade as I’m 5’1″ and it’s easier for me to handle.    Go to a kitchen supply shop and handle a few options.  This won’t be your least expensive tool in the kitchen, but take care of a good knife and it’ll last a lifetime.

4)  Small Juice Glasses: Deliver chic shots of espresso or serve wine like the Italians.  These little glasses have the ability to make a beverage feel refined or casual.  Best of all, they can pinch-hit as shot glasses should you find yourself with more mouths than glass wear.

5)  Kitchen Towels:  There is nothing more coveted in a commercial kitchen than a clean towel.  Used on everything from wiping drips off a plate ready for presentation or cleaning your cooking area, these towels do a lot of work in a shift.  A home kitchen is no different.  From wiping away coffee grounds to cleaning cooking splatters, they preform the good, bad and ugly of kitchen duty.    

What kitchen tools can you NOT live without?