Davide Punto Cucina: Kitchen Essentials: Preparation Tools

Every kitchen needs these tools for a correct preparation.

Every cook, at the beginning of this delicious journey, is full of confusion about the essential cookware that is part of the kitchen. When you don’t have any knowledge, learning them all will be a long and intense task, but don’t worry if you don’t understand the terminology: having the right tool for the dream meal is the goal.

With these tools, you will be able to start making simple recipes and increase your ability to a full 4 courses meal, for all your family. Let’s being with the preparation tools, that are indispensable to get the ingredients ready for cooking or baking. Consider these as a starting point, especially if you are working by yourself, and surprise everyone with your new ability.

Preparation tools

-Chef knife: the first thing that every respectable cooker should have is a chef knife because it will help with any cutting that the recipes require (regardless the ingredient.) It has to be a quality knife, and you must learn how to take care of it, that way it will last you a lifetime.

-Paring knife: shorter and more practical than the first one, this tool will help you peel or chop smaller ingredients since the tip is excellent for precision work.

-Bread knife: it’s a special serrated knife to, obviously, slice bread. It’s a must because you can damage the blade of regular ones by slicing bread.

-Cutting board: now you have the knife, but where are you going to cut the tomatoes? Simple! You will use a cutting board, practically for every recipe. There are two types: polypropylene board that is odor-resistant and dishwasher safe; and the wood board that is durable and also the chef’s favorite. The downside: it’s heavy, and the odor can last a long time (like fish and onions.) So, pick the one that fits you better and start cutting.

-Measuring cups: you would think that those are for baking and pastry, but actually the measuring cups work fine with every recipe. For example, when it says ½ cup of oil, where are you going to measure it? For a perfect and precise cook preparation, it’s better to use them.

-Measuring spoons: they have the same use as the measuring cups, but they are for smaller amounts of liquids and solid ingredients. Try to buy every one of these made of stainless steel, that way they are going to help you cook for a very long time.

-Mixing bowls: for mixing salads, marinades, spices, sauces, or for storing leftovers; these bowls are a must, and you will find their utility pretty quickly. The glass mixing bowls are the best because they won't absorb stains or odors.

-Colander: a must if you are cooking pasta or washing vegetables and fruits for salads. A good colander will last you longer, especially the ones made of stainless steel.

-Vegetable peeler: this baby can speed up your preparation time, and if you don’t like or don’t know how to peel with a knife, it’s perfect for you.

-Can opener: this tool has a few uses, it pulls tabs, unscrews tops, and opens jar lids and cans safely, quickly, and spotless.

-Whisk: it’s one of the most used tools in the kitchen for whisking together salad dressings, sauces, eggs, desserts, and much more.You can use the whisk for whatever you need.

-Grater: there a variety of graters out there, but try to find a multipurpose one that can grate citrus, parmesan, ginger; also coarse, ultra-coarse, shave, and even slice. Any time that you need something grated for your recipe use it!

-Shears: they are like scissors, but with a different shape. They’re used for cutting up a whole chicken and other meats or vegetables, stripping herbs, even trimming the stems off from flowers. It’s a very practical tool.

-Garlic Press: we love garlic’s flavor on the food, but we hate the odor that remains in our fingers when we use a cutting board and knife. So, a garlic press is perfect for dealing with this smelly issue.

With these tools, your preparation will be perfect, and you can also save time to dedicate to your family and friends. Maybe the technology will upgrade them in the future; but, for now, they are a good starting point to improve your kitchen. Come to Davide Punto Cucina, and experience our dishes that are made with these tools, with unique flavors that combine the tropical and the Florentine culture.