Having accumulated drawers full of kitchenware and gadgets over the years, my list of most used tools is short:
- 8-inch chef’s knife (and spend some money—you get what you pay for)
- Cheap, red plastic-handled serrated paring knife
- 2.75-inch wide fine microplane grater
- 8-inch Peugeot salt and pepper mill set
- The most controversial: a manual vegetable chopper from The Pampered Chef, which my wife refers to as the “slap chop.” (There are more and less expensive versions out there, and while chefs might scoff and it’s no substitute for a perfect brunoise, it makes quick work of chopping small amounts of vegetables, herbs, and nuts.)
We asked several local chefs for their recommendations:
Alec Schingel, Robin: “Short answer but a long reason: The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller. No other American chef has been more influential due to the wisdom in that book. The sourcing, techniques, recipes, and especially the little vignettes of wisdom scattered throughout the book building on the craft and the reasons we do what we do. The importance of family meals, cutting the blue tape, the lesson in killing rabbits, etc. There’s a million influential chefs that came through The French Laundry and learned the same lessons: Rene at Noma, Corey Lee at Benu, Grant at Alinea, and so many more. If a young cook gets that book and doesn’t feel inspired, they shouldn’t be in hospitality.”
Jim Fiala, The Crossing, Acero: “Cooking by Hand: A Cookbook by Paul Bertolli. This book is not about the recipe; it’s about creating a mindset of a chef and teaching composition flavors. It deals with the entire orchestra of being a superior chef not just duplicating recipes.”
Qui Tran, Mai Lee, Nudo House: “As far as a cookbook goes, The Food Lab by Kenji Lopez-Alt is a great one, because it talks about some of the science behind home cooking. It saves a lot of time you would spend and limits a lot of common mistakes. You know I take my knives seriously. I probably own more than 50 knives made by at least 20 different knife masters all from Japan. One of my favorite knives I would definitely recommend for a beginner that requires little maintenance is the Takamura Chromax Santoku 170-mm knife. It costs anywhere between $150 and $200. It’s one of the best knives ever for that price. And recently, I bought an Instant Pot Pro. Crazy to say I don’t own a pressure cooker and I needed one for an event I was doing, so I looked into this, and it was on sale during the holidays. But, man, it’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sous vide, and warmer all in one. And you can make potato purée in, like, 10 minutes. You can even make yogurt! I mean, it does everything. I can’t believe I waited this long to get one. It also comes with a ton of recipes that are easy to follow for anyone from beginners to seasoned chefs.”
Natasha Kwan, Frida’s, Diego’s Cantina, Station No. 3, Bonito Bar: “The Vegetable Butcher and The Joy of Cooking are great for an 18-year-old or anyone for that matter. Equipment-wise, I highly recommend a good whisk, stainless-steel mixing bowls in various sizes, a Kyocera ceramic chef knife because it’ll stay sharp much longer, an All-Clad or iron skillet (already seasoned from a family member would be ideal), a wooden spoon, a metal spatula, a good bottle of extra virgin olive oil, filled salt and pepper grinders, chili flakes, marjoram (everyone should be using this spice), onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, a decent taco seasoning, madras curry, and Chicago steak seasoning along with a Post-It reminding them to keep their spices in a drawer, away from light. If we are going all out, a mini Cuisinart food processor or Ninja to make sauces and/or smoothies!”
Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe, Peacemaker Lobster & Crab, La Tertulia: “For books, I recommend two if you’re just getting into the field: Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertalotta and La Technique by Jacques Pepin. For equipment, maybe a gift card to the Korin store in New York—amazing stuff, and you can’t go wrong with it.”
Lou Rook III, Annie Gunn’s: “A well-made cutting board, a chef’s knife, and the cookbook In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs by Julia Child and/or Rook Cooks: Simplicity at Its Finest by Lou Rook III.”
Charlie Gitto, Jr, Charlie Gitto’s: “My recommendation would be to go to Bertarelli’s On The Hill and buy a good knife set. And pick up an instant-read thermometer while you’re there.”
Evy Swoboda, Porano: “A trusty cast iron pan allows you to make a restaurant quality steak at home. I also use it to toast my bread. I keep mine on the stove.”
Nathaniel Reid, Nathaniel Reid Bakery: “ For an aspiring cook or baker, I would recommend different kinds of silpat molds and mats (reliable, reusable, nonstick and distributes heat evenly, many different types available), microplanes (a very useful and versatile tool to have for sweet or savory applications), high-heat spatulas (a simple but essential tool), and a stand mixer (especially with attachments, it makes a wide variety of tasks easier and more efficient).”
Jason Tilford, Session Taco, LaPeZ Mod Mex: “Funny you should ask. I just did this yesterday for a 21-year-old wanting to start cooking. I bought him an 8-inch Cangshan Kita chef knife from Bertarelli. A few years back, I got my son a set of Global knives for his apartment when he wanted to start cooking. The chef’s knife is the most personal and important tool one can have in the kitchen. To hold it, use it, and take great care of it really helps to establish the foundation of kitchen fundamental thinking. As you get older, your collection will likely grow, but you’ll always remember your first one.”
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