Equipment I Simply Cannot Do Without

Never before in history have more people had more kitchens, more equipment, more ingredients to cook with, and more time to cook than the average American today . . . so why not relax and try a few recipes that span over four days?

Cooks in the United States are without doubt the most catered to in the whole world—if they have the cash. They have a bewildering choice of machines, gadgets, pots, dishes, and knives—most of which will never be sharpened—to choose from. Much is of excellent quality and design, while there is a good share of junk, too—my pet aversions are that thin enameled ware in absurd shapes painted with flowers that resemble camouflaged chamber pots, and light, fancy kitchen knives. Across the country from coast to coast there are hundreds of cookware stores, large and small, encouraging the cook to make more adventurous meals.

Three giants in the field emerged in the early 1970s: Carl Sontheimer, Chuck Williams, and Fred Bridge. Though no longer with us, they should be marked as national culinary treasures to whom we are still most indebted. Fred, proprietor of the Bridge Company, first made us aware that we should use good, serviceable kitchenware in our homes, and he and Chuck Williams, of Williams-Sonoma, above all dedicated time and effort to bringing the best of Europe, and the United States, into the average American kitchen. Carl Sontheimer’s Cuisinart machines created a revolution in food preparation. I cannot think of anyone else who single-handedly adapted a machine, constantly updating and modifying it, to fulfill the needs of the present-day cook. Let’s take our hats off to them.

Although I live a greater part of the year in rustic surroundings, with an erratic electric supply and where primitive volcanic-rock molcajetes and metates are my constant kitchen companions, I love new and shiny machines that work well. My first prize for design, shared with Cuisinart, would unquestionably go to Hobart for their KitchenAid mixers of whatever model. No other industrialized country has anything to touch them—not England, nor France, nor Germany. Only too often, other mixers are of light weight, and the fancy bowl has such a broad base that the beaters never touch the mixture around the bottom.

Several smallish coffee/spice grinders are an absolute must. I keep one for coffee and others for spices, sugar, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sesame seeds, and the like.

A Moulinex food mill is a must, with three different-gauged disks, but get one made entirely of metal and not colored plastic, which is not as strong.

You’ll need a good, heavy blender with two glass jars—eschew those countertop devices and plastic jars—but the bottom of the jar must be detachable for easy cleaning. I’ll take a Waring or Osterizer anytime.

I like heavy cast-iron frying pans of all sizes.

For heavy casseroles or Dutch ovens, I would choose Le Creuset’s enameled heavy metal. The most useful sizes for my cooking needs are an oval casserole, 11-1/2 inches (29 cm) long, which will take one large chicken, and a large round one, 11-1/4 inches (28.5 cm) in diameter.

Of course I have Mexican cazuelas and bean pots galore of different shapes and sizes.

No metal griddle can compare with a soapstone griddle—I have a 14-1/2-inch (37 cm) circular one—for making English muffins, crumpets, oatcakes, and potato scones.

When you can’t find whole wheat flour of the right consistency, then grind it yourself. I have a heavy electric wheat mill that grinds with stones, albeit artificial ones—alas, an unmarked brand.

Of course you’ll need an ice cream machine; I wouldn’t be without one, but not one to stick in the freezer. Who has room, anyway?

A 4-quart (4 L) pressure cooker, while not for everything, is indispensable for some recipes here.

I like lots of spatulas with wooden handles and plastic dough scrapers, along with a couple of paint scrapers, which also serve a culinary purpose.

I like a selection of wooden spoons and stirrers with broad bases and differing lengths of handles. White rubber spatulas, no colored plastics, please.

Palette knives are useful in three sizes, the most useful of all being the large 10-inch (25.5 cm) blade, 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) wide.

A small diet or postal scale is needed for weighing small amounts of yeast or whole spices, etc.

A good workmanlike pair of scales that gives both pounds and kilograms is essential, as is a diet scale for very small quantities. Do not choose one where the container keeps falling off, or one that hangs on the wall.

If you don’t have an elaborate flour mill equipped for corn, then you can very easily obtain a Mexican corn grinder that is operated by hand—it is tough work, mind you, but it does the job. This type of corn grinder is sold in leading Mexican or Latin American grocery stores.

Apart from a normal-sized rolling pin, I often use a dowel about 12 inches (30 cm) long and 3/4 inch (2 cm) in diameter for rolling out crackers, crispbreads, or cookies.

Some regular household air-temperature thermometers are very useful when you are raising dough.

A large stainless-steel preserving pan is a must if you are going to cook many jams, jellies, and ates. In Mexico, I have a series of different-sized, heavy unlined copper cazos, which apart from being practical are very decorative in the kitchen.