I'm lucky enough to have a fairly well stocked kitchen. My Kitchenaid stand mixer, whom I aptly named Duncan, and a dozen of his closest attachments, a hand-crank pasta maker that rarely sees the light of day (I promise one day, squid ink fettuccine), a Cuisinart ice cream maker that allows me to freeze liquids at will. Yes, I should be able to make almost anything.
But recently, I've hit a wall because of a lack of kitchen equipment. How can I be expected to make savory madeleines without a madeleine pan? Or the multitude of Danish, Japanese and Vietnamese delicacies like aebleskivers and tako yaki without a pan with inverted domes? Paella: Not in a normal skillet, thank you very much.
Here are a few of the kitchen tools I'm currently lusting after.
9 Quart Dutch Oven. The gold standard in enamel dutch ovens is obviously Le Creuset. Without it, my world is devoid of properly braised dishes like Osso Bucco and homemade artisan 5 minute bread loafs. $335 at Le Creuset.
Paella Pan. I've watched enough Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain to know that paella needs to be nurtured to culinary perfection in a proper paella pan, preferably over a hand drawn wood fire. Pan sizes vary and my preferred size is 17" which serves 10. $39.95 at Sur La Table.
Madeleine Pan. My mother always had a fond place in her heart for madeleines, I think it's the French influence on Vietnam baked goods. How surprised will she be when I present her a dozen filled with bacon, chives and goat cheese? Totes surprised. $25.00 at Williams Sonoma.
Aebleskiver Pan. I grew up with a pan like this in my mother's pantry. She used it to make Bánh Khọt, a shrimp and pork cup held together by a coconut pancake batter. Later, I saw something similar in Little Tokyo where a women adpet at forming dough balls filled with octopus with a flip of her wrist and a wood skewer. When my husband's family bought a vacation home in Solvang, I experienced Aebleskivers and fanatic bees for the first time. All these will be possible in my own kitchen (less the bees) once I have this magical pan. $39.98 at Fjorn Scandinavian.
What are you lusting after for your kitchen?
