Kitchen Stuff

In a small kitchen, you don’t need a lot of equipment to cook great food. Still, you do need some pots, pans, utensils, and dishes–obviously. In the BGSK book, you’ll find a bare bones list of necessary tools, but I’ve long wanted to bring you a similar resource on the web.

So we’re going one by one, stocking up our virtual pantries and maybe our real ones too. You can see the whole “set” here.

How I try to keep the specialized kitchen equipment to a minimum! One of the items I was strictest about for as long as I could remember was the thermometer. We won’t have one, I promised myself anytime I read instructions for checking the temperature on the inside of your roast beef. And then Alex and I researched one to get my mom for a gift for a very specific reason-grilling outdoors in the summer, after the light is gone, when it’s impossible to see what color the inside of your chicken is. We got her the ThermoWorks Thermapen.

Not long after, I committed. And I’m happy I did. The thermometer itself is tiny, so storage really isn’t an issue. It takes the guesswork out of cooking meats like the garlicky pork loin I’ve been obsessed with since October. You can stick it into hot oil for a reading, should you decide to make French fries. And you can finally make those finicky candies you’ve been eying, like marshmallows and caramel. The Thermapen gives accurate readings quickly. It’s cute, easy to clean, and, as I already told you, small enough for a small kitchen.

Here are a few ways you’ll use your digital thermometer:

• To get the oil the right temp for fried chicken
• To make your own Cappuccino Marshmallows
• To get your pork loin cooked just right

In a small kitchen, you don’t need a lot of equipment to cook great food. Still, you do need some pots, pans, utensils, and dishes–obviously. In the BGSK book, you’ll find a bare bones list of necessary tools, but I’ve long wanted to bring you a similar resource on the web.

So we’re going one by one, stocking up our virtual pantries and maybe our real ones too. You can see the whole “set” here.

Though I’m always eager to create less waste in the kitchen, there are a few one-time-use products that I make an exception for. One of those is parchment paper. Here’s why: when I bake cookies or cakes, a sheet of parchment paper means the goodies have no chance of clinging to the pan. I don’t sacrifice my batter or my time to a confection that’s half destroyed by some old pan I used for baking. That’s how parchment paper can save stress and make you a better baker.

That’s just how it starts though. Now, when I roasted vegetables and even some meats, I give my pan a parchment lining too. That’s because fat and flavor tends to stick to the pan here as much as in sweets baking. With parchment, you get to scrape all the goodness right into your dish-plus, you save oodles of time on scrubbing off hard-to-release grime. And that kind of savings keeps you coming back to the kitchen, because when cooking and cleaning aren’t frustrating, they’re fun.

Last, I use parchment and some kitchen twine to wrap up quickbreads, brownies, and other edible gifts.

All that in a roll of paper!

Here are a few ways you’ll use your parchment:

• Granola Nuts
• Roasted Green Beans with Cider Vinaigrette
• Chocolate Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Gems

Update: this giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering! -C, 12/22/14

Confession: A funny thing happens when I shop for gifts. I wind up wanting a whole lot more for me.

So, this year, instead of a gift guide, I’m taking a moment to share five recent purchases that have quickly turned into BGSK small kitchen classics. You can follow suit and treat yourself to something practical, in the midst of shopping for others. Or, maybe you’ll find a good gift idea below.

Even better, you can enter to win the ultimate in practical indulgences, thanks to Food52′s Provisions: one Able Kone Brewing System.

Here’s why I love the Kone. After tiring of a single-cup reusable coffee filter that put hot water into contact with plastic, I searched high and low for a coffee brewing set that met two requirements: no plastic in contact with boiling water and no paper filters to buy and then toss. It wasn’t easy. But when I discovered the beautiful ceramic pitcher and stainless steal reusable pitcher at Able, I bought one immediately. I love it. Scroll down to see how to enter to win your own!

Before you do that, check out five more lovable, practical kitchen gizmos. They all reduce kitchen waste, because in a productive kitchen, the garbage can fill up really quickly-even if you pickle your chard stems.

Five Reusable Kitchen Gifts for You & Others

Able Kone Brewing System Giveaway!

I’m giving away one Able Kone Brewing System (a $160 value) from Food52, so you can reduce your coffee filter waste while enjoying the best cups of coffee EVER. Here’s how to enter:

• {one} Leave a comment below telling me your most beloved kitchen possession.
• {two} Be a subscriber to the Big Girls, Small Kitchen newsletter and leave a second comment letting me know you’ve subscribed.
• {three} Tell your facebook friends and/or twitter fans about the contest – post the link and tag @Big Girls Small Kitchen (facebook) or @BGSK twitter). Leave a third comment letting me know you’ve done so.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links that help support Big Girls, Small Kitchen.

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner, christophersorel!

In a small kitchen, you don’t need a lot of equipment to cook great food. Still, you do need some pots, pans, utensils, and dishes–obviously. In the BGSK book, you’ll find a bare bones list of necessary tools, but I’ve long wanted to bring you a similar resource on the web.

So we’re going one by one, stocking up our virtual pantries and maybe our real ones too. You can see the whole “set” here.

With the not-great news coming out all the time about plastic and our health, I’ve been switching to non-plastic storage wherever possible. I don’t make a big deal of it, but when I find good-quality glass containers that we can make space for on our crowded shelves, I rejoice. Especially when I know for sure I’ll be putting hot foods away or wanting to reheat something cold in the microwave.

Lifefactory makes three ideal sizes of glass container. The one-cup for small bits of leftovers or snacks. The two-cup for bringing lunch into work. And the four-cup for make-ahead delights that’ll feed you all week: beans cooked up from scratch, big batches of hummus, or a whole lot of quinoa to serve as a base for lunch’s grain salads.

Though pictured in my older storage containers, both glass and plastic, the three instagrams shown above and linked to below are examples of food you can store in glass instead of plastic.

• Simple White Bean Sauté
• Collards with Raisins & Hazelnuts
• Quinoa with Roasted Veggies & Feta

Even better, you can enter to win two four-cup Lifefactory glass containers. Here’s what to do:

• {one} Leave a comment below saying what big batch dish you’re most likely to want to eat for several meals in a row.
• {two} Be a subscriber to the Big Girls, Small Kitchen newsletter and leave a second comment letting me know you’ve subscribed.
• {three} Tell your facebook friends and/or twitter fans about the contest – post the link and tag @Big Girls Small Kitchen (facebook) or @BGSK (twitter). Leave a third comment letting me know you’ve done so.

In a small kitchen, you don’t need a lot of equipment to cook great food. Still, you do need some pots, pans, utensils, and dishes–obviously. In the BGSK book, you’ll find a bare bones list of necessary tools, but I’ve long wanted to bring you a similar resource on the web.

So we’re going one by one, stocking up our virtual pantries and maybe our real ones too. You can see the whole “set” here.

With summer in full swing, I hope you’re planning parties. And whether your parties occur at brunch, by a barbecue, or long past sunset, I hope you’re mixing some drinks. (Start with this week’s Strawberry Gimlets.) Yet one item I didn’t have for a long time was a glass pitcher from which to dole out the booze. If we made Bloody Marys, we poured them from plastic tomato juice bottles. If we mixed up Manhattans, we had to disappear into the kitchen and miss moments of the party.

And so, when we got a beautiful 84-ounce crystal pitcher as a wedding gift, I adored it immediately. Serving problems solved! Here’s a large glass pitcher that’s a bit more affordable, if a bit smaller. If you host a lot, you might even like to have two!

When not in use for parties, your pitcher doubles as a vase for all those flowers you keep in your tiny but lovely kitchen!

Here are a few ways you’ll use your shiny pitcher-two out of the three are alcoholic, but a nice pitcher holds non-boozy liquids just as well. Serve sun tea, iced coffee, and, well, water:

• Bloody Marys for a Crowd
• Teenage Dreams
• Peach Limemade

In a small kitchen, you don’t need a lot of equipment to cook great food. Still, you do need some pots, pans, utensils, and dishes–obviously. In the BGSK book, you’ll find a bare bones list of necessary tools, but I’ve long wanted to bring you a similar resource on the web.

So we’re going one by one, stocking up our virtual pantries and maybe our real ones too. You can see the whole “set” here.

Over the weekend, I brought a rainbow chip cake to a birthday party (recipe soon, of course). At the last minute, I decided to carry it to the park on my large slate cheese board. An odd choice, you might think, for a cake! But no: since I got the board over a year ago, I’ve used it to serve cheese, crostini, cake, and much, much more. (Food bloggers: it also makes a great photo backdrop.) Having a flat surface, rather than a plate or platter with edges, is part of what gives the board its versatility to suit anything from cheese to your spread of party cocktails. Of course if you host a lot of wine and cheese parties, you’l find the board particularly valuable.

Unlike the salad spinner, the board’s flatness also means you’ll have good luck finding a place to stow the rectangle away, even in a small kitchen. (I rest it on the floor, wedged between a shelf and the wall.)

Here are a few ways you’ll use the board:

• Rainbow Chip Sheet Cake (or any sheet cake)
• Brie & Red Pepper Crostini
• Make-Your-Own Bloody Mary Station

In a small kitchen, you don’t need a lot of equipment to cook great food. Still, you do need some pots, pans, utensils, and dishes–obviously. In the BGSK book, you’ll find a bare bones list of necessary tools, but I’ve long wanted to bring you a similar resource on the web.

So we’re going one by one, stocking up our virtual pantries and maybe our real ones too. You can see the whole “set” here.

We could probably all use some extra salad in our lives. For me, one of the biggest deterrents to eating more greens comes in the form of prep work: washing and drying the greens. That’s why-even though it occupies a whole shelf in a my cabinet-I own a OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner and wouldn’t trade it for anything. By spinning the greens with lots of centripetal force, the water flies right off, making the whole job less annoying. The alternative is dabbing each leaf with a paper towel til it’s dry and ready for dressing. Not fun.

If, however, there’s just no room for a spinner, you might try using a fruit and veggie drying mat. I’d recommend washing the lettuce an hour before dinner, then leaving it to airdry on the mat, flipping it once.

Here are the salads you’ll eat way more of now that you (top to bottom):

• Romaine and Radicchio Salad with Shaved Fennel and Canlis Dressing
• Kale Chef’s Salad
• Caesar Wrap with Tofu Croutons