The Perfect Kitchen

Back in May there was an article in the New York Times called "The Minimalist: A No Frills Kitchen Still Cooks." Unfortunately, I cannot set up a link because it is a Times Select article. However, the basic premise is that a good cook really just needs a minimally stocked kitchen of low cost items- no designer wares necessary.

I started thinking about this because I am trying to cook dinner in someone else's apartment in a few weeks, and they have an extremely bare kitchen. Can I really pull off pasta with shrimp, garlic and anchovies with little more than a pot and a fork? It seems unlikely, but I might have to give it a try.

So here is the challenge: if you were limited to five items for cooking, what would they be? My picks are:
  1. A good medium sized knife
  2. A mixing bowl set
  3. A pot for boiling water / making sauces, etc.
  4. A deep sauce pan
  5. A spatula or a whisk- I can't decide?!?

So what am I forgetting? (And I promise that I will take pictures during the making of said dinner. I suspect it will either be hilarious, or I will cry. Maybe both.) - LG

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A colander would be helpful for draining pasta, vegetables, lettuce, and fruit.

Anonymous said...

Assuming that the things you are going to eat with/on don't count and can be used in the cooking process, here are my picks:

1. large skillet
2. large saucepan or pot with lid
3. sharp knife (chopping knife or medium size knife in a knife set)
4. liquid measuring cup (>= 2 cup size)
5. colander

MC said...

When I lived in France, I had to buy everything for my apartment and leave it there when I came home, so I had a very minimalist kitchen. I had:
1. A medium sized pot with lid
2. A medium sized knife
3. A small casserole dish(had to get it, I was the only person I knew with an oven)
4. A plastic spoon
5. A spatula