by Joan Saunders –
I recently went all “Marie Kondo” in my kitchen: rooting through cupboards and drawers I reorganized, rearranged and revamped. It’s a small kitchen so there’s not much room for extras. Some duplicates, as well as some cooking tools that I never use and finally realized I didn’t need, ended up in a donation box.
Kitchen stores are so tempting. I am easily enticed by exciting new finds and often discover that the tool I picked up is exactly what I was looking for. But in the process of sorting, I also reflected on which cooking and baking necessities I would never get rid of.
The first that came to mind was my KitchenAid Mixer. I must admit, however, that when the mixer was initially given to me, I was afraid of it. I had been baking without such a beast for decades, so why did I need it now? It was so big, so shiny, so imposing. I placed it carefully on the counter and let it sit. For months.
When I finally pulled it out of the corner and plugged it in, emboldened by a recipe that told me exactly what to do and which attachment to use, it was a revelation. Recipes that state “mix for 12 minutes” are now a breeze. The dough hook is miraculous and, I geekily admit, fascinating to watch as it swirls and twists its way to bread dough fabulousness. I’m a convert.
The next item is a decidedly sentimental choice: my apron. Made in my Junior High sewing class over 40 years ago, it’s now slowly fading away. It’s neither especially pretty, nor is it a fabric I would choose today, but it’s part of my life and I appreciate the extra-long waist straps I sewed years ago that I can wrap around and tie in front.
I need an apron when I cook (especially when I bake) as I have the terrible habit of wiping my hands on my clothes. I once whipped out to the grocery store to grab an ingredient that I’d run out of, not realizing that I had floury handprints on my derriere. It’s not a good look.
Initially, I didn’t think much of the next tool when I bought it. It looked interesting, but it’s proven to be so useful and makes short work of jobs you might think you had to haul out a food processor for.
It’s a mezzaluna, with its accompanying cutting board. The mezzaluna is a simple knife created for a single purpose: it’s very efficient at chopping up piles of ingredients. The name is Italian for half-moon, which makes sense when you see the curved blade. The concave cutting board that came along with it keeps ingredients from escaping as it’s got a shallow dip where you place whatever you want to cut up. It’s become a favourite as it makes short work of herbs, nuts or dried fruit. It’s wonderful to have in the kitchen if you make fresh pesto.
This next kitchen necessity may sound boring, but it’s not. It’s a massive sheet pan, the biggest I can fit in my oven. Crazy, right? I bought it not long ago on a whim and it’s so darn handy. I can fit tons of cookies or scones on it and it’s awesome for my new go-to: Sheet Pan Meals. Slap some parchment or aluminum foil on it and it’s a breeze to clean up as well. If you’re looking for a new pan, my advice is “go big.”
When something feels right, you don’t change it. That’s how I feel about my rolling pin. I’ve used other ones over the years, but I keep going back to my old wooden rolling pin. I know just how much pressure to use with it, and how it moves on the counter. I feel the dough underneath and know when the pastry is not working as the rolling pin is now an extension of my hands. I’ll use someone else’s if I must, but I’d rather bring my own rolling pin to any baking party.
There are many other kitchen tools that I constantly use and I’m sure I’ll continue to discover new ones. Pulling everything out of my cupboards was a bit of a revelation. The result of my efforts? Now I need to remember where everything is currently stashed as I’m really getting tired of opening the wrong cupboard doors.
