I work in a kitchen. Before I worked in a kitchen,
I had absolutely no idea what it would be like. There
are many important things I have learned or have come to
appreciate, and I’m not talking about how to make reduction
sauces or how to tourne vegetables.
I
have organized this series in the same fashion as Thomas
Keller’s new cookbook, Bouchon. Each chapter
in this inspiring book begins with the phrase “The Importance
of…,” which is then followed by such topics as “The Raw
Bar” and “The Pig.” Here, in this multi-part article,
I apply this idea to the kitchen in general and the important
things within. Bear with me.
The
Importance of Equipment
In
a kitchen, equipment is often taken for granted. It
is spilled upon with sticky substances. It is often
used beyond its fullest potential, resulting in the use
of masking tape, or even better, duct tape. Sometimes,
equipment (such as 40-lb fat capacity deep fryer) catches
on fire, a problem which unfortunately can’t be fixed with
duct tape. In extreme cases such as this, the unthinkable
has to happen: new equipment must be purchased, much
to the demise of many a restaurant owner. Here is
a tribute to certain essential pieces of equipment in the
kitchen.
•
The Knife: Undoubtedly one of the single most useful
tools in the kitchen. Although, I have once before
heard of some Asian chef who refuses to use knives, thus
processes organic substances, such as eggplant, with his
hands only. But we’re not all that talented.
So the knife, namely an eight- to ten-inch chef’s knife
(a.k.a. French knife), when sharp, is a cook’s best friend.
If the knife is dull, one might as well use their hands.
•
The Robot Coupe: In the fashion of Kleenex tissues
and Saran Wrap plastic wrap, Robot Coupe has taken over
the world of its kind (with Cuisinart taking a close second)
to the point of actually being synonymous with the words
“food processor.” Not just a noun, Robot Coupe can
be used as a verb as well, as in “Should I Robot Coupe
the pesto, or put it in the blender?” Or, “Just
Robot Coupe the parmesan using the grater attachment.”
Furthermore, Robot Coupe hardware can be temporarily repaired
with duct tape. Wooden skewers also come in handy
to extend the life of the tattered Robot Coupe; they can
be used to push down the thing when the built-in push-down-thing
is broken. Got it?
•
The Burr Mixer: The Burr Mixer is the industrial
version of those small hand-held “stick” blenders used
to make individual frappes or perhaps soy milk-shakes
in the glass. In size and power, the Burr Mixer
is about 10 of these stick blenders put together.
The Burr Mixer is often orange or a stark gray in color,
resembling a piece of equipment one may see on a construction
site. When used, usually to make hefty amounts of
pureed soups or sauces, one cannot help almost crying
out “arr, arr, arr,” like Tim the Toolman Taylor from
the re-runs of Home Improvement. Burr Mixer
caution: refrain from using this tool to make mashed
potatoes. Trust me.
•
The Ice Cream Machine: There is nothing like homemade
ice cream. Especially when the pastry chef at the
restaurant you’re working at makes flavors that contain
homemade cookie dough, peanut butter and various types
of alcohol such as Guinness and brandy. And there
is nothing like a good egg-nog ice cream for the holidays
and the weeks after. Or candy cane, made with real
crushed candy canes. Oh yeah. So
that’s why this piece of equipment is important.
Because who doesn’t love delicious, free ice cream?
•
The Salamander (A.K.A. “Sally”): The Salamander
is a giant self-contained broiler. The gas heating
element, a ceiling which mystically lights up like the
Alaskan winter sky during Aurora Borealis, sits
above a shelf which holds the desired product to be warmed,
cooked or gratineéd. This shelf
can be manually moved closer or farther away from the
heating element by way of a four-notched lever system
on the side of the appliance. Nachos, warm plates,
oysters Rockefeller, garlic bread, toasted coconut, melted
cheese on a burger; you name it, the Salamander can do
it. But the Sally is primarily a finisher; a plate
usually hits the Sally just before it’s put into the sensitive
hands of the server who gasps in pain almost every time
despite the clear “Hot plate!” warning.
•
The Sharpie: A permanent marker in a cook’s pocket
is like a security blanket; without it, the cook feels
naked, like they’re missing a part of themselves.
I estimate that I have gone through over 40 Sharpies (or
Super Shapelys, the inexpensive black market
Sharpie) due to misplacement and pilferage in my meager
2.5 year tenure as a cook. Why, you ask? What
is so important about a permanent writing utensil in a
kitchen? Labeling. The goal in the kitchen
is to label and date every food item, raw or prepared,
for many reasons which include: easy identification
and access, indication of spoilage, and avoidance of mistaking
corn starch for rat poison. Without a Sharpie, a
cook must ask to borrow another’s, which isn’t guaranteed.
If that doesn't work, he or she must scour the kitchen
for fallen Sharpies, a huge time-waster.
•
Plastic Wrap: Although it’s not technically considered
“equipment,” the versatility of plastic wrap in the kitchen
is immeasurable. I’m not talking about the household
stuff; restaurant wrap is big and sturdy and can be used
to make a practical, disposable belt. (I’ve seen
it once. Please see note.) Furthermore,
small compact balls of plastic wrap prove an inexpensive
alternative to drain plugs.
Note:
To make a plastic wrap belt, go to Costco and purchase some
heavy duty wrap that’s about as wide as your arm is long.
Pull a good amount of wrap and cut on the serrated edge
(be careful, it’s sharp). This next part is fun.
Crumple the wrap into a long snake-like mess and, starting
from the center, pull with both hands to stretch the “belt”
into a longer snake-like neat rope. This action can
be done in front of the body or even behind it, using one’s
shoulders for extra stretching anchorage. Continue
pulling outward until the belt is the desired length (excess
can be fashioned into a headband or play-whip for the kids).
A bow or simple knot is sufficient for fastening.
Recipe:
Robot Coupe Basil Pesto
If
one is lucky enough to own a Robot Coupe food processor,
this basil pesto recipe is a snap. Alternatively,
a good bar blender or Cuisinart will work just fine.
Ingredients
3
T. pine nuts, toasted
2 T. Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
Juice of half a lemon
1-2 cloves garlic
Sea or Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Enough good olive oil to cover the blade
Heaping 1 cup packed basil leaves, very green
Heaping ½ cup Italian parsley leaves (avoid stems;
they will become stringy)
More good olive oil
Ice water to stand by
Method
Add
pine nuts, cheese, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and
olive oil (to cover blade) to the Robot Coupe. Whir
and pulse until a sort of chunky paste is formed.
Add the herbs (basil and parsley) in a few batches, pulsing
between each addition. A little more olive oil or
a few drops of ice water (no ice, please) may need to be
added while whirring to encourage amalgamation. Taste;
make seasoning adjustments with salt, pepper and lemon juice
if needed.
Alternative
Ingredients
It
can be fun to change the herbs, nuts, acid and oils.
Try cilantro and parsley with peanuts, lime juice and peanut
oil (omit parmesan). How about arugula and spinach
leaves with parmesan, lemon juice, hazelnuts and nutmeg?
Or maybe parsley, Manchego cheese and toasted almonds with
a drop of good sherry vinegar and Spanish olive oil?
The possibilities are endless!
Kristin
can be reached at kristin@babblog.com. |
