Kitchen Essentials | The Firsts

When I first moved out of my parents' house and started cooking for myself and my roommates, a few people recommended getting one of those giant sets of pots and pans. The 20-in-1 every-pot-you'll-ever-need kind of things. After taking a look at some of the selections at BBandB, they felt kinda cheap and didn't seem to be made to last. I knew the big set wasn't for me. I did some research on well made kitchenware, and cast iron skillets kept popping up in my findings. Cast iron has been used for a couple hundred years now, so I figured if it was good enough for my great grandma, it was probably good enough for me. I decided to purchase a Lodge 12" skillet and see what all the fuss was about.

Goddamn is it a beast. It took a bit of setting up, but after seasoning it for a few rounds it has become my go to pan in the kitchen. To season it, I poured a bit of vegetable oil into the center then wiped it all over the cooking surface, including the walls, with a paper towel. You want to leave a thin layer of oil across the entire surface – not too much though or it will get a bit gummy. Turn the oven to 500º and put the cast iron on the middle rack face-down for about an hour. The oil will char and turn a nice shiny black on the cooking surface. Do this a few times over a couple days and it will be ready to go. Once it's seasoned, it becomes a monster for almost anything you throw at it. Searing chicken thighs, frying bacon, sauteeing vegetables; it does it all and releases the food perfectly. The best part is that every time you cook with it and are using any amount of oil, you're seasoning it even more. Just be sure not to use soap when you clean it! Use super hot water and the rough side of a dish sponge to break up any bits that have stuck to the pan.

As my cast iron's right hand man, he needed a solid knife sidekick. I was in college, like a lot of people when they first move out, and I didn't have a lot of cash to spend on a badass kitchen knife, so I had to spend wisely. I did a TON of research on the most cost effective knives, and I kept hearing about one knife above all for the price - the Forschner Fibrox 8" chef's knife. This thing is a commercial kitchen workhorse and is meant to be used, dropped, stepped on, honed and ready to go on the daily. I'm pretty sure America's Test Kitchen uses this knife. It's about $28 and comes with a razor sharp edge that is easily restored with a quick pass on steel. It doesn't hold it's edge as well as other knives I have used, but again, a quick hone to line up the edge before you dice your onions or slice your tomatoes makes it a dream to work with. I love this knife and recommend it over my Shun Premier to anyone who asks about a good knife in their kitchen. I have owned the Forscher and my Lodge cast iron for about 5 years now and they could not be better. I truly cannot recommend these two items enough to anyone who is looking to build out their first kitchen.