Long before TV chefs filled the airways, cook books lined our kitchen shelves and the latest cooking gadgets rested in our drawers, the role as family cook was a simple, often enjoyable role that was carried out with ease and confidence. Modern living has many of us searching for our inner chef, trying everything in sight to help us reach our full culinary talents, leaving the kitchen as yet another arena where both perfection and time are necessary.
No matter how inadequate your cooking skills are, or your cooking equipment is, cooking should be enjoyable. Nothing compares to serving a meal where every plate returns clean, and everyone is glowing from a full stomach — it is that constant re-fueling that breaks down walls, creates the family sanctuary where memories are made and your inner Kitchen Goddess is discovered.
Becoming a Kitchen Goddess is as simple as ensuring that you have the essential cooking equipment, a well stocked pantry and a little patience to guide you until you build up your confidence.
The Kitchen Goddess Tool Kit
- Cast Iron Skillet (can you smell your grandmother’s cooking yet?)
- Dutch Oven (one pot cooking to make life simple and delicious)
- Copper lined Pots & Pans (yes they are expensive, but will save you time washing up & make cooking enjoyable)
- Round Roasting Pan (perfect for roasting chicken, imagine those fabulous Sunday Dinners)
- Rectangle Roasting Pan (perfect for larger roasted or when roasting meat & vegetables together)
- Non-Stick Frying Pan (a modern delight, however I have never known a nonstick that I have not had to replace)
- A trio of mixing bowls (not just for baking, they are a trusty cooking tool not to be underestimated)
- A variety of cake pans (if you are not a baker, start with a round cake pan and add to your collection)
- Knives & Knife Sharpener (buy the best you can afford and always wash them by hand)
- Meat Fork (will prove invaluable with all those yummy roasts you plan to make)
- Graters (not just for cheese, these darlings are great for garlic, ginger, vegetables & spices)
- Kitchen scissors (invaluable chef tool, perfect for cutting meat, pizza or any other bite size morsel)
- Timer (who has time to watch the clock?)
- Pastry Brush (great for everything from laying a marinade on a steak to buttering a pie dish)
- Measuring Cups (cooking is not always exact, but sometimes you need to be)
- Kitchen Scale (Just like your grandmother had, baking is a science leave nothing to chance)
Recommended Reading
The Return of the family breakfast
Cooks Tools from the Savvy Host Market