Frequently I am asked a similar question: What should I have in my kitchen to cook the best? What do you have that you can't do without?

Lots of food writers have spoken to those questions over the years. I'm not going to presume to have better answers than folks like James Beard, Julia Child and Elizabeth David, to name but a few. But I am going to talk about some things that sure make cooking easier in my kitchen at home. Things I wouldn't want to do without. Things I actually use. I think they will help you too.

First off I like items that do double duty – multi-taskers. A single use gadget tends to stay in a drawer or cabinet rather than us spending the time to find it and then clean it afterward.

No question a few good knives are extremely important. I use a 10-inch chef's knife for most everything.
 
I also have serrated cheese knife. These are great. They have a blade that cuts well and the sides are mostly holes. That way soft cheese (or anything else) doesn't stick to the blade when you slice. The same is true for pies and cakes. A cheese knife makes a perfect bread slicer and tomato knife. Deli meats are no match for it either.

A long thin blade slicing knife is a good one to have for carving and making delicate slices. My paring knife comes out sometime. My boning knife sees little use.
 
Make sure you have full weight knives that fit you hand. They need to be carbon steel or stainless that can be sharpened to a keen edge. Which reminds me – make sure you have a sharpening steel too. Use the steel every time you pick up a knife. It keeps it sharp so you can cut easier, quicker and better.

Before we go further, let's talk about how many of everything you need. In a restaurant we have multiples of many items. I have 12 sauté pans within easy reach. I use most of them regularly. Yet I can get by with half that many if the ones I use are washed and returned at once.

In home kitchens we use something and wash it after the meal is over. That way we can use it again tomorrow. So it makes sense to have 2 of some things just to have one that's not in the dishwasher.

You need a couple of 14” to 16” slotted spoons and 2 solid models. Then have some wooden stirring spoons and plastic spatulas. A long metal flipper and a regular nylon one are important. A pair of long tongs gets lot of use from me. A wire whisk is nice.  So are a hand strainer and a skimmer. A 2 and a 4 ounce ladle round out the little tools. I keep mine in the old blue pitcher my mother used to make iced tea. It’s my way of keeping Claire in my kitchen. I spent lots of time in hers.

You must have a scale. Mine is a digital model from My Weigh. Measuring by weight is much better than volume. A thermometer is critical. I use a digital instant read variety.

I use a 2-cup and a half-cup measuring cups. With those 2 you can do anything. And I have a set of measuring spoons.

A simple flat grater gets lots of use. I also have a micro plane grater that is a good one to have. Having a sturdy can opener and jar opener is mighty nice. The bulb baster gets called on occasionally.

A sturdy rolling pin is a good addition. No handles please. Add 3 metal mixing bowls and a stack of work plates.

My cutting board is wood - a 2 inch thick piece that’s 20 x 28 inches. You can cut anything on it. It won’t slip and slide and it won’t dull your knives. Hot soapy water and a spritz of bleach keep it safe. If you want a separate poultry board, put your thin nylon model on top of your heavy wooden one.

As to sauté pans, I use 3 most of the time. If you have an 8, 10 and 12 inch set, you are fine. Non-stick is probably better. They are easier to use and clean. I also have a 12 inch cast iron skillet that comes in handy for hot cooking. My egg pan stays separate and is used for just that and maybe a pancake or crepe.

I use 2 to 3 quart sauce pans. I have 3 of them. Sometimes you need to cook or hold more than one thing at once. A 5 quart heavy Dutch oven gets lots of use. Mine is oval and is 40 years old – good old orange Le Creuset. The bigger pans I have get little use except a 12-quart stock pot for boiling pasta and making stock.  

A couple of sheet pans and a roasting pan are good to have. So is a muffin and cake pan.

I use a ceramic baking dish often. I have 4 of them. You can cook and serve lots of things using these.

My griddle gets used. It’s an electric model and comes out for pancakes and for things that a large flat surface is best. The most-used small appliance in my kitchen is a food processor. After that is the espresso maker, then the mixer.

With the holiday gift season quickly approaching us, consider a special kitchen tool for a foodie or cook on your list. Most of the things I talked about are reasonable in cost and will be greatly appreciated. Your thoughtfulness and generosity will be remembered over and over again.

Re-gift that fruit cake to a friend on a diet. Then it can go uneaten for yet another year. I wonder if the Guinness folks have an oldest fruit cake category?

Fall is here. It's my favorite season. There's something energizing about the crisp air and pure sky.

Fall also brings two food favorites for me: butternut squash and Arkansas Black apples. A case of each arrived recently. I've already gotten into both of them and look forward to many great treats because of it.

Butternut squash is a great winter or hard squash. It has lots of flesh and a small seed pocket. Its shell is thin which makes for easier cutting. When really ripe, butternut squash become softer, sweeter and have deeper orange flesh.

These squash are excellent roasters. Cut in half length wise, spoon out the seeds, season and place cut side down on an oiled sheet or roasting pan and cook in the oven at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour. You can serve them just like that with some butter if you like.

My first dish this year was soup. Butternut squash bisque is outstanding. It is so easy too. Roast the squash and scoop out the pulp. In a large pot, sauté a large chopped onion until transparent. Then toss in some chopped garlic and continue cooking until soft. Add in the squash pulp and just cover with veggie or chicken stock.

Now puree the mixture. The easiest way is with an immersion or stick blender right in the pot. Otherwise pulse in batches in a food processor or blender. Make sure the mix is smooth yet remains thick.

Bring back to a simmer and add milk. This will calm the squash flavor and add creaminess to your soup. Stir in some fresh herbs. I used basil and tarragon. Then balance the seasoning with salt and pepper.

A really nice thing to do is stuff butternut squash. Roast cut ones like above and let cool. Then scoop out some of the flesh but leave enough to keep the shell firm. Mix the squash with a stuffing and place the mix in the squash shell. Pop back in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes and you have a perfect luncheon dish or a light supper.

How about that stuffing? You can use something from a box but stuffing is so easy to do. Rice is just right. Sauté onion and mix with cooked rice, a favorite herb and seasoning. That's it.

Cheese is a good addition. Try a flavorful one like feta. Cut into cubes, it will melt in the oven. Or use blue cheese on top and your dish will say “AU” without a doubt.

If you want to make a meal, add meat. Cooked beef, pork or chicken mixed with rice works perfectly. If you don't want rice, try fresh bread crumbs. Or take leftovers from the fridge, mix with the squash pulp and bake. Add some shredded Cheddar and you will have a treat. Serve with a salad.

Butternut squash can be peeled and then cut in half. Seed them and cut into cubes. Roast those and serve as a side. You can also use those cubes just like sweet potatoes in your favorite recipe.

How about those apples you say? I've told you before that Arkansas Blacks are my favorite. They are a wonderful balance of sweet and tart, firm and soft. They cook well and are good raw as is or in a salad.

At Jimmy's we make a cooked chutney using these great apples with raisins and red peppers. Sugar and vinegar round out the ingredients with a touch of our own seasoning mix. You can also make fresh chutney with the same things. Simply soak the raisins in sugar dissolved in the vinegar. If you want more kick, add some chopped chilies.

Sautéed apples make a great side. Season with a savory blend or make them sweet with a bit of cinnamon. We are serving an apple waffle this month that uses caramel syrup with the apples over a Belgian waffle. All of this is topped with slices of smoky bacon. It's a perfect Sunday treat.

Apples have a great affinity for curry spices. Sprinkle before cooking. This is where your grill comes in handy. Apple slices also do well in a foil pack. Treat them just like corn. Toss them on the grill or in the oven with salt and butter.

Substitute chopped apples for grapes in a fall grape salad. Better still use some of both. All you do is whiz cream cheese, sugar and mayo together in a food processor for the base. At Jimmy's we add cream and some of our seasoning at this point. Put the mixture is a bowl and stir in seedless grapes and the chopped apples.

This is an outstanding mix of sweet and savory and creamy and fruit.... Bowl licking is required after making this one.

Apples also do wonderful dessert duty. That “salad” we just talked about works for dessert at a luncheon. Serve it in a pudding dish or a cooked pastry shell.

Pies, tarts and other pastries make apples shine as a dessert. Apples also make for great companions to cheese as before meal fare or instead of dessert. This weekend I am making apple gelato. I'll let you know the outcome.

Winter squash and apples make great decorations. You get double duty since you eat them down the line.

By the way, a butternut squash makes a super pumpkin alternative. Yes the flesh is a perfect substitute. You can also carve an effective surreal jack-o-lantern from one. The long face you get is quite unusual.

Give these two fall stars and their friends a place on your table and more. You will enjoy the rich full flavors and the attractive dishes you make from them.

Just got back from a quick trip to Italy with friends. We went on Monday night using a great dinner at Jimmy’s as our vehicle. Just think – no security or jet lag. Simply good food and friends did the trick.

When the boarding call came, we set aside our glasses of Chardonnay and took our places at table. We got ready for our soon to begin feast.

The first course was a unique treat. It featured pizza rustica. You don’t see this dish often. I first read about it in Ada Boni’s book, “Italian Regional Cooking.” This book was written long before the trend for such things.

Pizza rustica is made with pastry dough rather than flattened bread dough like the pizza we know. It also has a top crust to seal in the goodness. Ours had a filing of sausage, ham, Sopressata, Feta, Havarti, Parmesan, Ricotta and fresh Mozzarella mixed with beaten eggs. Fresh basil and cracked pepper scented the whole. The golden brown crust and soft unctuous interior were a real treat.

Alongside the wedge of pizza rustica were two small stuffed tomatoes. One was filled with eggplant and zucchini and the other with artichoke and fresh pesto. They were bursts of flavor that set well against the richness of the main item.

Our wine was Giannelli Gutturnio (Goo-tour-knee-oh). This is a blend of Barbera and Bonardo. It was fruit-forward but with plenty of body for the food. This one is a good sipping wine for a cocktail party.

Our next course was a vegetable lasagne “Trufata.” That’s a traditional cream sauce scented with fresh truffles. For our lasagne, layers of fresh pasta were filled with a mixture of spinach, mushrooms, eggplant, artichoke, ricotta and mozzarella. The top was layered with our truffle cream and sprinkled with a touch of cheese.

This was pure elegant richness. The smell and flavors were so captivating. The earthiness of the truffle oil on top was truly mouth-watering.

Our second wine was another red. This time we had a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from the 2000 vintage. I tapped my stash for a few bottles of a mature wine for this great dish. They sure went well together.

Now it was time for a lighter course and a salad hit the spot. Ours was mixed greens tossed in olive oil and a hint of red wine vinegar. On top were salame, Fontina and ripe olives. Large croutons made from focaccia were set on the side.

This salad was just right for a break in the meal. It had nice sharp flavors but was light and pleasing.

The wine this time was a white – Taburni Falenghina (Fah-lynn-ghee-nah). This grape makes a fine tasty wine. This isn’t your typical light Italian white. It had a golden hue and lots of flavor. It balanced the salad exactly.

The main course was such an attractive plate. It featured Spiedini – things prepared on skewers. We had one uncooked of cucumber, apple and kiwi berries. The veggie one was zucchini and red pepper. The seafood offering was tuna and salmon that had been marinated in garlic and rosemary. A mound of rice made with mussels set in the center.

This was such bounty. We made lots of mini meals with combinations of the various ingredients. Where to start and where to end were both good questions. The colors and textures seemed to never end.

The wine was a red blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo form California – l’Uvaggio Il Lupo. This one had layers of flavor that were just as interesting as the food.

As we do most times, we had two desserts. One was the apple gelato I told you last week I was going to make. It turned out perfectly. Its pale green color and heady apple aroma were intriguing. A thin slice of an Arkansas Black garnished the top. As a guest who enjoys Italian food and travel said, “You got the creaminess just right.”

The other item was a glass filled half way with orange custard and topped
with chocolate ganache. Chopped strawberries marinated in Grand Marnier
were set on top. When you mixed them together, it was an explosion of
flavor that was a sensuous delight. This pair made a great dessert offering.

The last wine was an Italian bubbly or Spumante. This wine was made from
Prosecco grapes but not from the actual region. It was from Lost Vineyards.
Being an organic wine its name was Tree Hugger Brut. It plenty of small
bubbles and taste to match. This is a great party wine that has a modest
cost.

So we had a quick Italian visit by way of food and wine. In case you didn’t notice, there was no tomato sauce used. Even though we tend to visualize Italian food as having tomato, such is not always the case. Ours was rich and full all on its own. So if you have a tomato aversion, there is plenty of Italian cuisine from which to choose.

As I have said before, it sure is easy to visit, or even better, re-visit a place by way of a few well-chosen dishes. Make something you had on a great trip or get your favorite chef to do it for you. Let Christine suggest a wine. Get out the pictures and have a wonderful day reliving a previous experience. Those memories are hard to equal.

Next month our special dinner is “any bird but turkey.” Since it’s just before Thanksgiving, it ought to be just right. Think squab, duck, goose and pheasant. Yum.

One of the best seasoning additions is no doubt anchovies. This piquant tool brings interest and flavor to so many dishes. They are easy to find and quite simply - so good.

Let's look at the anchovy. There are over 100 varieties of these small shiny fish. They mostly range from 1 to 8 inches in length. They form an important part of the food chain for many other fish and some aquatic birds.

Anchovies have been a worldwide dietary staple for thousands of years. The Romans used a seasoning known as garum. It was made from preserved fish like anchovies. It was highly prized and a guarded possession.

A popular Asian seasoning is fish sauce. This sauce is made from preserved fish, too. This one is more liquid than garum. If what you have had is a thin amber liquid, you have not experienced real fish sauce and its complex layers of flavor.

Most anchovies we see are in flat 2 ounce cans. The salted fish fillets are packed in oil. These are almost the lowest form of anchovies. They are thin and quite soft. They soften even more with time in the oil. The only form below that is anchovy paste. All but the best is made from scraps and broken fish.

At Jimmy’s we use flat fillets of anchovies packed in olive oil. They are the International brand from Rykoff-Sexton imported from Spain. This is a 13 ounce can. The fillets are firm and have few feather bones. They are much better than the ones in the small cans.

You can also buy anchovies in jars. Then you can see what you are getting. These are often quite superior to the small cans. Brands readily available include Reese and Roland.

An even better way to buy anchovies is packed in salt not oil. They are firmer and milder. These are often whole not fillets. The little fish are headless but the fillets need to be taken of the bone spine. You will see these called acciughe salate or anchois salés – salted anchovies.

The best brand here is perhaps Agostino Recca. They have all types. They also carry salted sardines – sarde salate. These are Italian imports. You can source this brand from Capri Flavors. They are located in Morrisville, NC and have an excellent website. They are very cordial on the telephone.

If you are lucky, you can find white anchovies. These fillets have the skin on and are even milder in flavor and light in color. You will find them packed in seasoned oil. They are in shelf-stable sealed packages. The fancy ones are arranged in a circle in kilo containers. Super Market Italy is a good internet source. White anchovies are the best other than fresh ones.

Anchovies bring out the picky child in so many adults. Lots of people instantly cross off any dish containing anchovies. Except those that they don’t know anchovies are there. Some are rude about it. They say vile things about them. They push them to another plate as if they are radioactive.

Many recipes use anchovies for a punch of flavor where the anchovies are neither recognizable visually nor directly by the taste. Anchovies are often that secret ingredient that you just can't put your finger on, the one that really makes the recipe pop.

At Jimmy's we serve a couple of salads and some sauces that include anchovies. Sometimes they are ravished and at other times, not. The classic Caesar salad dressing has anchovy and so does ours. That's why it's so good. Traditional Remoulade has anchovies. The same is true for the best New Orleans version – and ours.

A major flavoring in Worcestershire sauce comes from anchovies. So our very popular Creole Meuniere we use on red fish has anchovies in it.

Some famous sauces contain anchovies like green goddess dressing. Anchovies are a perfect pizza topping, especially if you don't use cheese.

Anchovies are critical to the great pasta sauce puttanesca. They flavor the tomato just right. This sauce usually contains red pepper or chilies and often olives and capers. It has a real punch to it.

You see puttanesca referred to as harlot’s sauce. Anchovies are quick to use to flavor a sauce that doesn’t require long cooking. Time is critical when you have a crowded social calendar.

An equally good pasta sauce can be made from anchovies, crushed red pepper, garlic and olive oil. Put over long thin pasta and you have a treat. A touch of cream will temper the texture if you like.

Anchovies are a great snack food – as the snack itself or a seasoning. While writing this article, I put a few anchovy fillets on a plate with some crackers. I was happy for hours.

James Beard put a sliver on stuffed eggs. They are good as canapés. Roll them around a caper and place on a cream cheese coated base. The same is true for a small piece of puff pastry spread with Dijon and topped with an anchovy. Bake those for super nibbles.

Julia Child found them necessary in her Nicoise salad. They will add flavor and depth to your tuna salad, too.

The anchovy makes great bruschetta. Mario Batali makes a paste of them with garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs before spreading on thick bread and baking. If you are pressed for time, use mayo with anchovy.

Popular chef April Bloomfield uses anchovies in her fried egg and arugula salad.

Anchoide, a paste made from anchovy, garlic, olives and olive oil, is a classic dip for raw or steamed vegetables.

You can keep going with these versatile little fellows. You will find them in places you never knew about.

So the next time you see an anchovy, don’t assume it’s the same as one you had as a child and didn’t care for. Try it – like a grown up. Mix it in the dish. It will add flavor and complexity you didn’t think possible.

Buy some good ones like we talked about above. Give them a chance. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.