Kitchen Essentials- Pots and Pans

It seems like there are about a frooglepoopillion kitchen gadgets and items...and it's becoming more and more difficult to figure out what you need and what you don't. I'm gonna give you a quick list of the things I think are essentials- these are the kitchen items I would take with me to a desert island, and they are the basics I recommend to college students and young professionals on a limited budget. I realize that there's an awful lot I could potentially write about- there's a lot of things you could potentially stock your kitchen with! However, I'm going to focus just on pots and pans today.

There's only a few pots and pans I think are absolute necessities. I think a set of pots and pans is usually a good investment- the various sized pots/pans are great for cooking for one or a large group. If you're just a chef who cooks once or twice a week, or if you're looking for a good starter package, a set of pots and pans is the way to go.

That being said, if you're someone who cooks more often or if you already have a set, there's one or two items that might be nice to have. First, I think a great pan that can go from the stovetop to the oven is important. I have a 12" skillet I can use in the oven, and I frequently do. This type of pan is excellent for cooking steaks, chicken, or pork. Below is a recipe for a pan-roasted pork tenderloin that I've made a few times:

Spiced Pork Tenderloin
1 pork tenderloin
1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, oregano, and nutmeg. Mix well. Trim fat and all silver skin from pork tenderloin. Season well with salt and pepper, then coat tenderloin with brown sugar mixture. In oven-safe skillet, heat 1 Tbs. olive oil over medium high heat. Brown tenderloin on all sides, being careful to turn it to prevent the sugar from burning. When all sides are browned, place skillet into the oven and cook 8-10 minutes or until center of the pork is just a little pink. Slice into thin slices on a diagonal. Serve with applesauce.


The second item I think is great for people who cook more often/enjoy cooking is an enameled cast-iron pot. This type of pot is amazing for cooking sauces and soups. I have used mine for making my homemade pasta sauce. Most types of enameled cast iron are oven-proof (to around 400-450 degrees), which makes them great for slow cooked meals like coq au vin or pot roast. They are extremely versatile, though they do have some significant downsides. First, they have to be hand-washed and dried very well; sometimes this is annoying (but really, most pans should probably be hand-washed, anyway). The other downside is that they are not recommended for use with high heat settings on stoves. My pot says to only use medium-high or lower. I have used it over high heat when I've boiled soups and the soup and the pot were fine. One other time though, I used the pan over high heat to brown a pot roast. The little bits of meat at the bottom of the pan were difficult to remove. But, if you're willing to hand-wash it and follow your manufacturer's suggestions, these pots are awesome for whatever you choose to use them for.

Alright, well, that's it for now. Next time, I'm going to offer up my thoughts on knives and kitchen utensils. Just remember, sets of pots and pans are great starting places, and it only takes one or two more to turn them into a perfect set for any use you can dream of.