In the Kitchen 101

A dear friend asked me a couple weeks ago to write about the basic tools for a functional kitchen. He is interested in cooking more of his food and wanted some insight into what is needed for "cheffing". A couple months ago I was faced with the same question in my life, except it was with bike tools rather than kitchen tools. Now, the "Must Haves" list (to which I will probably add):

1. Paring knife: the smallest knife in the kitchen that can be used for just about anything
2. Two mixing bowls, one large, one medium: many recipes call for mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately
3. Big skillet: gotta have it for just about everything
4. A baking dish: if I had only one, it would probably be a 9x13 inch glass piece
5. Measuring utensils: The basic cup/half cup/third cup/quarter cup AND tablespoon, teaspoon, half teaspoon, quarter teaspoon
6. Basic utensils
a. Wooden mixing spoon
b. Flipping spatula
c. Scraping spatula

With these basics a huge selection of breakfasts and dinners can be made. Plus, forks can double as wisks, cutters, etc. A strong elbow can be an electric mixer. A plate can pose as a strainer for pasta. Versatility is only limited by your creativity.

Perhaps, and only perhaps, I will add some of my favorite recipes to the blog, however there are many better recipes out there with only a few keystrokes.

Favorite Recipes: HELP NEEDED

Inspired by a comment I made in response to a post over at margottobed (did that make sense?) I've decided to actively compile a list of recipes of favorite food dishes. To get the ball rolling, here's one of my favorites:

Ingredients: Zucchini, Big Onion, Tomato, Garlic clove (or two... or three), Olive Oil

Prep: Slice zucchini into 1/8" think circles. Slice onions the long way. Chop up tomato. Mince garlic.

• Heat the pan and put in olive oil. When hot, saute zucchini until browned then remove from heat.
  
• Add a bit more olive oil and saute onions. I prefer them less cooked, but some people really dislike raw onion so saute to taste at this step.
• Add garlic for a bit (minute or less).
  
• Return zucchini to pan and add tomato. Add any seasoning you like, even as simple as salt and pepper. Do not cook very long at this stage as the tomatoes are best without much time in the pan.
  

Delicious!

Now it's your turn. What's a favorite recipe or food that I should learn to make? Any meal of the day, any type of dish, it's all fair game. Go.