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“People who love to eat are always
the best people.” – Julia Child
Because I work full-time any time spent in the kitchen is cherished. One day, I hope to become the Barefoot Contessa — actually make that the Chancleta Contessa.
My cooking journey probably didn’t start until the early years out of college; those days of grilling chicken in a George Foreman and boiling boxed quick rice doesn’t count. Interestingly enough my mother does not know how to cook but she does make a damn good sangria. I learned how to cook primarily from watching the Food Network and working in restaurants. Personally, I believe that everyone should work in a restaurant once in their life — from learning about upscale dining to dealing with the general public, there are no better life lessons learned than when you’re in the weeds because you forgot to ring in an order, you have a table of 6, a bottle of wine that needs to be opened tableside and a customer INSISTING that you ask the chef where the Idaho Rainbow Trout is from. Idaho, bro.
Throughout the years, I have picked up on some tips and tricks from the restaurant industry so I present you with the 5 unexpected items that you need for your kitchen.
Stainless Steel Fish Spatula
Ask me what’s the perfect kitchen tool and I’ll tell you it’s my fish spatula. Not only do I use it for effortlessly searing fish but it also makes flipping pancakes and burgers super easy. If your omelette always breaks during the flip, here’s your omelette saver; you won’t regret it.
Aluminum Sizzling Platter
When you’re short on storage and oven space, these sizzle plates are a great option for roasting veggies or cooking smaller cuts of meat. They’re reminiscent of the fajita sizzle plates when you go to a Mexican restaurant so WARNING they get HOT.
Kitchen Scissors
Kitchen shears are perfect for cutting herbs, meat and even pizza. I worked at a pizza place where you cut your own pizza with kitchen shears (genius!). You cut portions to your liking and it makes eating pizza an even more intimate experience. p.s. i ♥ pizza
Garlic Peeler
Sometimes the most simple tasks can seem so tedious, one of them includes peeling garlic. This silicone tube is the solution to save you time and frustration. Simply insert the cloves of garlic in the tube and roll on a flat surface…and voilà.
Do you know how to get rid of that garlic or onion smell from your fingertips after cooking?
You wash your hands with warm water and dish soap and while you’re lathering up, you rub your fingertips on the stainless steel faucet.
Kitchen Timer
Okay hear me out, we all have Siri, Google Assistant, etc. but there’s nothing more nostalgic than an actual timer going off when your meal is ready. This retro timer has a ton of color options to match your kitchen decor and looks super cute on your fridge. I especially love using it when I bake because when it dings that means some yummy goodness is ready.
What kitchen tool can’t you live without?
[…] Some of my favorite kitchen items used during this meal are my Le Creuset pan and sizzle pans. My Le Creuset pan is a workhorse — I use it on the stovetop to saute and grill but I also use it in the oven to bake and braise. It’s probably one of my most prized possessions. Now the sizzle pans, this an item that you see behind the scenes in a restaurant kitchen; they don’t take up a lot of storage space but they surprisingly fit medium to large cuts of meat/fish or large amounts of veggies. Since ordering a set of sizzle pans, my baking sheets have been missing in action because I hate washing them up in small apartment sink. For more information on my favorite kitchen items, check out my post: Top 5 Kitchen Items That You Didn’t Know You Needed. […]