When thinking about setting your kitchen up you need to have some basic key ingredients and equipment. A well stocked 'pantry' with the right equipment will enable you to cook anything in hurry!
Seasoning is essential when cooking. I use Malden sea salt. These salt flakes are perfect for straight seasoning direct onto any food product. When cooking say mashed potato or cooking vegetables I always season the water with normal table salt. I use ground white pepper when making something like mashed potato. I would use freshly cracked black pepper for seasoning meat, fish or serving fresh vegetables.
Spices need to be kept away from sunlight in sealed jars. Having the right spices is essential. I have the following spices in my cupboard: Madras curry powder, curry powder, cardamon pods, cloves, vanilla pods, ground cumin, ground ginger, ground coriander, paprika, ground cinnamon, nutmeg,coriander seeds, mixed spice, chinese five spice. There are so many more spices out there you might want to experiment with choices of your own.
Vinegars are used usually to de glaze pans as well as to make vinegarettes, dressings etc. I have malt, raspberry, balsamic & white wine vinegar.
Rice and pulses. I only use basmati rice for my curries. I also have aborio risotto rice and short grain rice for my 'rice pudding'
Chocolate. You have to have a good quality solid chocolate and cocoa powder at all times. There are so many different types of chocolate I'm not going to give you a brand but suffice to say only buy a chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids
Oils. As much as extra virgin olive oil is great I think it is too strong for dressings so I always add a touch of vegetable oil. I use pommace oil which is the second press of the oilves for all my frying. Walnut oil is another oil I have in my store. You can use other flavoured oils for many other things just play with them and see what you like best.
Baking: Self raising flour, plain flour, Wholemeal flour, Tipo '00' flour (for pasta), arrowroot, sugars; caster, soft light brown, icing & demerara, honey, maple syrup, dried fruits, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder. When looking at cooking with nuts or any other fruits buy and use straight away, fresh is best.
More essentials: Stock cubes meat, veg & chicken, bovril cubes, gravy thickner chicken and beef, worchester sauce, tabasco, mustards; english, dijon, coarse grain & french, capers, maple syrup, treacle, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, brown sauce....any others you can think!
Equipment: When buying your equipment please do not buy the cheapest thing you can buy. It just doesn't pay in the end. Look at buying good quality equipment from your pans to your knives. Pans should last lifetime and come with a good warranty. Look out for the warranty as this will give a clue as to what the manufactuere thinks of there product. The most expensive doesn't mean the best. You need a good steele to keep an edge on your knives. The diamond steele is what I have in my kitchen or you could buy one of those automatic knife sharpning machines (bit expensive though). Working with a blunt knife is dangerous keep them sharp.
Minimum equipment list:
Sauce pans non stick x 4 varied sizes
Casserole dish x1 large
Frying pan non stick small and large
Roasting trays various sizes
Wok
Pestle & mortar
Chinois (conical sieve)
Sieve
Food prosessor
Kitchen blow torch
Speed peeler
Pastry brushes
Digital scales
Hand held stick blender
Mixing bowls plastic and stainless steel
Zester
Grater
Rolling pin
Yorkshire pudding tray
Pasta machine
Hand held electric whisk
Muffin tin
Whisk various sizes
Pie dishes enamel
Loaf tins x1lb & 2lb
Cooling racks
Lose based sandwich tins 18 cm, 20cm & 23cm
Knives you will need:
Paring knife 5-7cm blade
Cooks knife 10cm & 15cm blade
Serated / carving knife 25cm blade
Chopping knife 20cm blade
There are many other types of specialist knives but the list above will cover you for pretty much all work carried out in you home kitchen.
