nylon-coated wires are safe to use on nonstick surfaces. Longer whisks can
reach into pots and pans; shorter whisks are useful for mixing in bowls.
Tongs
Designed like giant tweezers, tongs can be used to hold and lift all
kinds of food, hot or cold; they can also reach high-heat places, especially
on the grill or in the oven. Tongs are ideal for turning meat as it cooks,
removing baked potatoes from the oven, lifting lobsters and ears of corn
out of hot water, or tossing and serving salads and pasta. Buy two pairs
of tongs, one that’s medium in length and the other that’s long. Look for
professional-grade ones (which are heavy duty and don’t bend) with scalloped
edges and rounded tips.
Oven thermometer
Having an oven thermometer is critical to successful cooking, especially
baking—oven thermostats can be off enough to affect results dramatically.
Place it in the oven to make sure that what you set the dial at is what you get;
if not, adjust the temperature or cooking time accordingly. Mercury ther-
mometers, which fold flat, are a compact alternative to the clip-on variety.
Sieve
A sieve is useful for draining liquids away from solids. It’s also won-
derful to have on hand when cooking with hot oil—foods that sputter and
spatter as they fry, such as bacon and soft-shell crabs, can be a hazard to
the cook and anyone else within close range. If you don’t have a spatter
guard, a large sieve can stand in for protection—just place it facedown
over the food cooking in the pan. For safety, turn both handles toward
the back of the stove, resting the sieve’s handle on top of the pan’s.
Peeler
Peelers are an essential part of any cook’s collection. The ultra-sharp
blade of a harp-shaped peeler is ideal for thick-skinned produce such
as butternut squash, while a traditional vegetable peeler is still the best
choice for thin-skinned vegetables like potatoes.
Rubber spatulas
Rubber spatulas are indispensable tools for cooking and baking.
They’re perfect for scraping dough and batter down the sides of bowls,
and are safe to use with nonstick surfaces. It is only necessary to have two
sizes: a large one and a small one (to work in narrow spaces), both with
long handles.
Stainless-steel spatulas
You need a few of these inexpensive utensils: Choose at least one thin,
flexible spatula in stainless steel, and one or two long, wide heavy-duty
models. Use the flexible one for turning pancakes and removing cookies
from cookie sheets. Long, wide ones will prove to be ideal for lifting fish
out of a pan and moving it to a serving dish, or for transferring a deco-
rated cake onto a cake stand.
B
asic b akew are
Every cook needs basic bakeware, such as pie
dishes, tart and muffin tins, and baking and
cake pans. Here are my recommendations:
Two 9-by-13-inch baking pans
8- or 9-inch square baking pan
Half-sheet pan and/or jelly-roll pan
Two cookie sheets
Two 9-inch round cake pans
Springform pan
Angel food cake pan
Loaf pan
Bundt cake pan
Pie dish
