Utensils: Use ‘Em or Lose ‘Em
Last night I finally put into practice a suggestion from Alton Brown’s Gear for Your Kitchen. I had been getting frustrated at the tangle of cooking tools contained in various drawers in the kitchen. So last night I emptied all the drawers onto the counter, sorted the tools into groups (tongs, spatulas, scoops, etc.), and went over them one by one. If Pattie or I couldn’t remember when the last time we had used the tool was, it lost its place in the drawers and went into a paper bag destined for the garage. I realized I have three carving forks. I barely use one, let alone three. Next step may well be putting labels on the drawers. Obsessive-compulsive? Probably. But there are a fair number of people coming and going through the kitchen who may not remember the organization system. And believe me, when I’m cooking, it’s hugely helpful to know where things are.
For Christmas I got a copy of the new America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, so I’m going through my every-few-months ritual of going through my cookbook collection looking for chapters I previously skimmed over and recipes I may have missed. I’ve mastered a couple of good techniques over the last couple of years, but I definitely want to broaden the possible menus around here. (As opposed to broadening my waist line.) Right now I’m going back through Shirley Corriher’s Cookwise. This could take a while.
About Dave Thomer
Born and raised in Philadelphia. Studied philosophy at Fordham University in the Bronx, where I made many great friends and met my wonderful wife. We moved back to Philadelphia, where I studied philosophy some more and became a teacher. Online and off, I'm looking for ways that we can be better citizens and build stronger communities.