Lesson 2 - The Tools for the Job

There are too many kitchen tools out there. Garlic choppers. Carrot twirlers. Asparagus whippers. Remember in the 90's when we all bought those massive, UFO style dehydrators that took up more space than our stovetop, and then realized we could do the same thing in our oven with the door cracked at 200°?

Same principle here when it comes to gear: Knife, Pan, Tongs, Done. Watch the video for details

Groceries: You know and I know you're at the store three times a week already picking up extra milk or something for the lunchboxes or party on Friday. But Americans treat meal shopping like the Apocalypse is coming. Buying two weeks worth of groceries ends in food waste, unnecessary spending, and guilt because we didn't make all the meals we'd planned.

Eating well and cooking fresh is a time commitment. Shop often - every three days or so. Just grab enough for a meal or two when you're restocking your milk or bread. You waste less food, and keep fresher ingredients. When you reach the point where you're not planning from recipes ahead of time, you can buy whatever is on sale that day or whatever's cheap. Because you'll know what to do with it, and you can do it tonight, even without a recipe.

Here's a short list of ingredients to keep on hand that you can use for almost anything we're going to do:

Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Grapeseed oil

That's it. Don't believe it? I've made everything from Italian gourmet pasta to French Coq Au Vin by rummaging in my pantry and having those three things on hand. Watch the vid to find out why.

 

RECAP: 

1. Shop often so you can use fresh ingredients.

2. Make sure to have a good chef's knife, stainless steel, flat-bottomed pan, and a pair of tongs. 

3. Staple ingredients to keep on hand: Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper mill, grapeseed oil.