Cooking Louisiana - Hardware
Pots and pans are your basic types found in most
stores. I like heavy (thick walled) pots to cook in.  Just about every
Louisiana kitchen has some cast iron cookware also, especially a big Dutch
oven. To the right is my pride and joy. A cast iron frying pan or two is also common. I have one that
I use only for corn bread. [Cast
Iron Seasoning]. Also used widely is a good stock pot,. two or
three gallon will do. Non-stick cookware is great but keep the steel utensils
out of them. A deep fryer is
also good to have.
Knives consist of at least one chefs knife, a boning knife and a paring knife. When purchasing knives spend a little more on quality forged and stainless steel types. Read More...When buying a set of knives that come with a block holder look at the description on the package carefully if the knives are hidden in the block. You want to be sure you're getting the knives with the cutting edges you need. Some sets come with all serrated edge knives. Along with this get a sharpening tool and LEARN HOW TO USE IT! If I have to work with a dull knife I just as soon throw the stuff on the ground and run over it with the lawn mower. Fact is, when I go somewhere and I know I'm going to cook I bring my own knives! Read more.. Spoons are also essential. A few gravy spoons and a nice big ladle for those soups and gumbos is a must. When purchasing these spend a few more dollars on solid stainless steel types. Chrome plated spoons (usually the real shinny ones) are okay but sometimes the chrome plating will come off with heavy use and it will start rusting. There is also a roux spoon you may like. Spatulas are a "can't do without" in my kitchen.
Although good for flipping cackle-berries (eggs) I use them to make rouxs,
sauté vegetables or just about anything that requires scraping the bottom
of a pot or pan. Forks and Tongs can't be forgotten. Having a few of different lengths of each won't hurt. Remember: Forks are for holding meat as you cut it. Tongs are for turning as it cooks. Not vice versa! If you pierce a piece of meat that is cooking with a fork here, you get on your knees in front of the house (so your other chef friends can see you)! Cutting boards come in various materials. I like the wooden
ones, but, it's your preference. Get something you can handle easily. Some
people don't like wood because it holds things like salmonella (when
cutting chicken). You can wash the
board using soap and very hot water (the hot water should run over the
surface for at least 30 seconds continuously). Note: The hot water
principle holds true for all cooking utensils. Shown here are wooden and
polyethylene Whisks are useful to blend liquids, and, a couple of sizes will do fine. A clip-on cooking towel. A WHAT? Otherwise known a golfer's towel (small towel with a clip on it to hang on your belt loop). I just can't do without mine when the going gets tough!!! Don't use it to wipe fresh meat juices on, use paper towels. Cooking Twine, used to tie stuffed & rolled meats and poultry legs, is handy. It's 100% cotton twine.
Bakers stuff. I'm not much of a pastry guy (yet) but having a good mixer is required (I heard)! Maybe you can help me here! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As your cooking grows so will your tools. Each of us finds the tools that work right for us and we use them. Whatever you buy spend a few more bucks and get something good, you won't regret it.
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It's just logical, a flat bottom pot, a flat scraper! I
use the plastic type because they can conform to uneven surfaces, and,
they don't make that "fingernails on a chalkboard" noise!
boards.
Both work fine but polyethylene is USDA and 