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Introduction

Batterie de Cuisine

The usual panoply of pots and pans will serve to cook in. A variety of saucepans and stock-pots with lids; some oven-proof casseroles or timbales, also with lids, and a skillet or two will do. You’ll need a whisk (or a pair of chopsticks,) a wooden spoon, a ladle, a conical sieve, a mixing bowl, a colander and a rolling pin (or a wine bottle.) A paring knife and a peeler, if you like to use one.

A very sharp choy doh or French styled chef’s knife is indispensable. These are the only two styles of knife which you should bother with. Be happy with the shape and feel of the haft, you'll be holding on to it a lot. We recommend the practice of enjoying a meditatory moment zinging your blade up a steel or ceramic hone ere you begin. Keep your blades away from other cutlery in a rack or wrapped in a cloth. This is imperative. You can make a knife rack out of any two pieces of wood, just attach them to each other with a narrow spacer between at each end. Hang or screw it to the wall.

If you are going to go to the trouble of having a good knife, you will also require something to cut against. Nothing will dull a blade as quickly as being plied across the grain of hardwood. Traditional butcher's blocks and the like are always pieces of end-grain wood glued together. The traditional Oriental chopping block is a transverse section of the bole of a tree. These also provide an end-grain surface to cut against, but require a lot of care to maintain. They must be kept in cool clean water when not in use, to prevent their splitting.

One of the things most useful to the vegetarian household is a hand or powered grinder capable of dealing with all manner of grains, nuts and spices. A mortar and pestle is useful. Blender or food processor, refrigerator and everything else in the modern kitchen are wonderful but as thousands of years of history show, far from indispensable for the preparation of food.

For some techique tips, see our On the Board.

Table of Contents

More Intro:

On Frugality | On Cookery | On the Board | Keeping it Fresh | Keeping it Dried | On Nightshades | On Protein | On Water | Arthritis in the Kitchen |