Gourmet Article

If you are just starting to cook
or are moving in on your own
chances are
you don't have much in terms of cooking equipment. Here is what we recommend for you to get
as you are starting out. As times goes by
you will
of course
get more kitchen gadgets. But here are five that we recommend starting out with:

- Chopping board. This is something very basic
as you can't chop anything without having a chopping board. It is very versatile
as you can chop pretty much anything on it - onions
potatoes
tomatoes
meat
herbs
etc.

Some people prefer to get separate chopping boards to meat
dairy items
vegetables
etc. Others get differently sized chopping boards
and use them depending on the volume of things they need to chop. Start out with one
and see what else you need.

- A knife. Again
this is very basic
but you will not be able to chop or cook anything without a knife. A good
sharp knife goes a long way to help you prepare food. You can go to some stores
and hold the knives in your hand
so that you know which one you are comfortable with.

- A big pot. You need a pot for pretty much anything - from boiling pastas to making soups to stewing to pretty much anything else. Some pots come with colander inserts
which makes it easier to cook pasta. Or
you may get a colander separately
and use that.

- A saute pan. We love saute pans
and use them all the time. Again
they are very versatile
and we recommend getting ones without wooden handles
so that you can put the saute in the oven as well.

Use the saute pan for preparing stir fries
sauteing meat and fish
cooking vegetables and much
much more.

- Roasting Pan. These are perfect for preparing things in the oven. From roast to roasted chicken to roasted vegetables
a roasted pan can help you cook your favorite dishes in the oven.

Don't be scared - cooking is fun. Start getting a few things that we recommended
and add to your collection of kitchen equipment as time goes.