What you need to know about utensils, before you register

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Summer brides are flooding department and specialty stores adding

items to their wedding registries. If they’re anything like my

daughter, they won’t find too much in the way of assistance. My

recently-married offspring ended up with non-stick pots and pans and

stainless steel utensils, ouch! I could have told her that was a

mistake, but who listens to their mother?

Seasoned cooks are always on the lookout for a good sale. They

rarely pass up a chance to re-stock utensil drawers and cabinets with

items that help them do a better job. But, even experienced cooks

often fall victim to enticing discounts or over-zealous sales people.

I’ve probably conducted more research than I’ll ever use and have

worked alongside some very talented chefs. Cookware disasters still

lurk in dark corners of my kitchen. Hopefully, some of my experiences

will be helpful to summer brides and seasoned cooks alike.

Remember that quality cookware, knife or utensil may very well out

live you. I slice eggs with a plastic slicer from my mother-in-law

and serve soup from a wide, shallow ladle that belonged to my mom. My

favorite pot for braising was a wedding gift received decades ago.

Consider quality cookware a wise investment.

A good knife will last forever and an inferior one will never hold

a decent edge or do a good job. Look for knives made of high-carbon

stainless steel. Blade material should extend to the edge of the

handle and the knife must feel balanced in your hand. I’ve finally

pared down my collection to six knives and always have the right tool

for the job. Be careful when purchasing sets because you may end up

paying for stuff you’ll never use. A sharpening steel and electric or

hand sharpener are essential.

The enormous choices of basic pots and pans are overwhelming.

Professional chefs favor sauce and saute (frying) pans made of

stainless steel with an inner core of aluminum that goes up the sides

of the pan. This provides the most consistent heat, can withstand

high temperatures and has just enough weight for comfort. Of course,

handles that stay cool and go into the oven are an advantage.

“Non-stick” coatings that are added to the finished product are

getting much better, but still cut down on the transfer of heat and

don’t do the best job under prolonged high temperatures. Pots and

pans made with hard-anodized interiors are much better. Often called

“stick resistant,” Calphalon’s line of Professional and Commercial

Hard-Anodized is excellent. Unless you make a habit of leaving things

on the stove too long, non-stick coatings are really only necessary

for egg dishes, like omelets. I own only one saute pan with this kind

of surface.

Coated roasting pans are a mixed blessing. They’re easier to

clean, but their high sides, even with a rack, don’t allow the heat

from your oven to circulate as well around the roast. The best

roasting pans are ones with low sides made of lined copper.

Unfortunately, they won’t hold a Thanksgiving-sized turkey. Le

Creuset makes a good lower-sided large roaster and other wonderful

pots for braising. Made from enamel-coated cast iron, they’re heavy

and quite expensive but will be prized by your grandchildren.

I think many cooking tools are over-rated, but a few items should

be in every kitchen.

A mortar and pestle is still the best tool for crushing garlic

into a creamy paste and for extracting the most flavor from dried

herbs and spices. Microplane graters handle any grating job quickly

and with little mess.

You may already own more than one metal spatula, but there’s a new

one that works even better. Manufactured and sold under a few

different names, the stainless steel flexible offset turner has

beveled edges and a slight angle to lift and turn anything you cook

quickly and easily.

No well-equipped kitchen should be without an asparagus steamer,

and cooks who prefer grilling indoors could consider a stovetop

non-stick, cast aluminum grill/griddle. Perfect for grilling chicken,

fish and thin-cut steaks indoors, I recently purchased one made by

Nordic Ware and use it a few times a week. An electric coffee grinder

(not used for coffee beans) is the perfect tool for grinding spices.

Serious cooks won’t be without one.

Selecting the perfect small kitchen appliance like a food

processor, blender or coffee maker is never easy. I like my Cuisinart

processor but am not thrilled with the blender they make.

Unfortunately you can’t always assume the most expensive is the best

either. It’s wise to rely on the recommendation of a cooking buddy or

visit Web sites like Consumer Reports, epinions.com or cooking.com.

If you’re really confused, ask your mom -- provided she knows how

to cook, or talk to a friend who does.

* LILLIAN REITER is a Laguna Beach resident. A self-described

“shameless foodie,” she is co-authoring a cookbook. She can be

reached at ldreiter@cox.net; at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652;

or by fax at 494-8979.