What Works For You?

Food styling and cooking for human consumption are two very different activities, each requiring their own unique arsenal of tools. Go-to items in the food styling kitchen include torches, tweezers, and brushes. Pans scarred with burnt sugar and Kitchen Bouquet hang with honor on the pegboard. These are the workhorses, the unsung heroes. At home, the hardest working player is a sharp chef's knife, followed closely by a 12" stainless steel skillet. While the knife has one essential purpose, the skillet performs several different tasks, proving it's necessity on a daily basis. Working on both the stove top and in the oven, this powerhouse has endless culinary possibilities. For exactly the same reason, my dutch oven is also a favorite. Deeper, lidded and enameled, it offers an additional range of cooking options. Under the radar flies one of my favorite tools in the kitchen, the Microplane zester. It can be used for chocolate, cheese, citrus, ginger, garlic or nutmeg. Amazing finishing touches come from this humble handheld gadget. Finally, the most over-worked and under-appreciated soldiers in my kitchen are glass mason jars. Whether they are used for canning, storing ingredients or stylishly organizing miscellaneous trinkets, they are the perfect union of form and function. Consider this post an open call to assess the workhorses of your kitchen... give them their 15 minutes of fame.