Behind the Line
Topic: Help for Home Cooks/Bartenders
Batterie de Cuisine
What’s the number one essential tool you think home chefs should have in their kitchens?
- Sandra Holl
- Pastry Chef/Owner
- Floriole Cafe & Bakery
- Chicago, IL
You have got to have a good knife and a cutting board.
It's never a welcome sight to find an empty refrigerator at home. What do you think are the requisite ingredients for all home refrigerators, and why?
- Sandra Holl
- Pastry Chef/Owner
- Floriole Cafe & Bakery
- Chicago, IL
Cheese, unsalted butter, white wine, eggs, milk, olives, yogurt, bacon . . . well at least that is what is in my refrigerator.
If you could have only one knife in your home kitchen, what would it be?
- Matt Danko
- Pastry Chef
- The Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat
- Cleveland, OH
6 inch chefs knife.
What are the five tools you would bring to a desert island?
- Nathan Sears
- Executive Chef/Owner
- The Radler and D.A.S.
- Chicago, IL
A good knife, my meat saw, sharpening stone, salt, and a hand crank sausage grinder.
Let's face it. Some "innovational" kitchen tools are just plain useless. What do you think are the most overrated and unnecessary kitchen tools?
- Sandra Holl
- Pastry Chef/Owner
- Floriole Cafe & Bakery
- Chicago, IL
I once saw and add for an egg cracker. Nobody needs a gadget to help crack eggs.
Other useless tools are things like a cupcake corer, avocado slicer, garlic peeler . . . .
Take it back to Cooking 101. What's the cookbook that exemplifies this? What would you say is the quintessential basic cookbook for all home cooks?
- Sandra Holl
- Pastry Chef/Owner
- Floriole Cafe & Bakery
- Chicago, IL
Ad Hoc at home is a really great cook book with lots of cooking technique information and really great recipes.
Not many home kitchens are outfitted with deep fryers and espresso machines, to pick out a couple examples. What's one appliance or tool you feel that is underutilized in the home kitchen?
- Sandra Holl
- Pastry Chef/Owner
- Floriole Cafe & Bakery
- Chicago, IL
The stove. I am always shocked by the number of people who don't cook anything.
What cookware do you recommend for home use?
- Carrie Nahabedian
- Executive Chef/Owner
- NAHA and Brindille
- Chicago, IL
I use an assortment of cookware in my home, I prefer Copper. But, I think everyone should use All Clad since it is so exceptional.
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What knife brand/s do you recommend for home use?
- Celina Tio
- Executive Chef/Owner
- JULIAN
- Kansas City, MO
Depends on who is using them. I reccommend different things for different people based on how much they'll use it, size of their hand, etc...
What stove brand/s do you recommend for home use?
- Celina Tio
- Executive Chef/Owner
- JULIAN
- Kansas City, MO
I have a wolf, but also like the Aga (if you can afford to have your whole floor torn apart and built to handle the weight) because chefs are used to their ovens and flat tops being on all the time...
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What are some of the restaurant tools that would transform a home cook's kitchen (e.g., squeeze bottles, scrapers, tongs)?
- Gerard Craft
- Executive Chef/Owner
- Niche Restaurant and BRASSERIE by niche
- St. Louis, MO
Take whole limes, honey, ice, and a little water and puree. In Brazil it is considered Lime-Aid.
Lend some tips to the home baking novice. What do you feel are the basic essentials for home baking? And why?
- Sandra Holl
- Pastry Chef/Owner
- Floriole Cafe & Bakery
- Chicago, IL
Invest in a kitchen scale that weighs in ounces and grams. There are so many recipes out there that require a scale for baking.