Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.
By Sur La Table and Marie Simmons
Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2008
$35.00
Sur La Table, a Seattle-based kitchenware store that now numbers 68 locations nationwide, has created an unusual book, one that simultaneously serves as a buying guide for setting up your kitchen and a recipe book that showcases the capacity of your equipment.
Handsomely photographed and designed, this book makes for a good reference book for determining which equipment you need, and for exploring the tools and cuisine of other cultures. It begins with the basics: an outline of the tools, appliances and other equipment that every kitchen needs. The list includes a brief description of each piece and what it can be used for, as well as elaborating on certain technical aspects, such as the different types of metals used in cookware. Another section explores the equipment used in ethnic cooking. Broken down into category and alphabetically, the list is a summary of more detailed explanations that appear later in the book.
Finally, the author goes into more thorough detail of different pieces of basic equipment, devoting one section to cookware and bakeware and one to handheld tools. Each piece of kitchenware is described in detail, with information on how to choose the best version, what it can be used for, how to care for the piece and, helpfully, alternatives to use in its place if you don't own it. Finally, there are a couple of recipes that use each piece of equipment.
Each ethnic cuisine gets its own section, including Asian, Mexican, French, Indian, Italian, Iberian and Moroccan, with an introduction of the ingredients that the cuisine uses, and an exploration of its most essential tools, followed again by several recipes that use the tools. For cooks eager to explore different world cuisines, these chapters are helpful and informative, particularly for people unfamiliar with unusual or exotic ingredients and tools.
The recipes are detailed and well-written, and even include a list of kitchen implements needed to prepare each dish—an apt touch for a book that focuses so heavily on kitchen tools. Try a sample recipe from the book for Fontina Fondue with Grappa and Chopped Broccoli.
The book glosses over most countertop appliances and cutlery (the authors have a separate cutlery book in the series) in favor of spending more time on non-electric pieces. But most people with a passion for cooking will likely discover new ways of using the tools they have, not to mention find new reasons to buy equipment they don't already own.
Recipe Highlights
- Creamy Leek and Ginger Soup with Carrot-Puree Swirl
- Jasmine Tea-Cooked Rice with Rice Vinegar and Scallion
- Fontina Fondue with Grappa and Chopped Broccoli
- Rosemary and Cheese Whole Wheat Breadsticks
- Oven-Braised Duck Legs with Toasted Pumpkin Seed Sauce
- Lemon Chickpea Dip with Mint and Dill
