How to simplify your kitchen

By Megan Stuke, Special to The Sunday

Sunday, May 15, 2016 | 2 a.m.

The Williams-Sonoma catalog, the storefront at Sur La Table, and most of the floor space at Bed Bath & Beyond are full of fun and enticing shiny objects that seem, to the home cook, like the best thing since sliced bread, or the best thing with which to slice bread. But before you go buy a fancy bread slicer, consider buying a plain old knife — which can do more than just slice bread.

Ever heard someone singing the praises of his new panini press? Doesn’t a brick or a heavy book work just as well?

Before you buy an egg separator, a strawberry slicer or a margarita machine, consider what you already have in your kitchen that could serve that purpose, often with better results. Most kitchens can get by with a short list of basics. The rest, while sometimes fun or convenient, are superfluous. Moreover, the extras create clutter and can be difficult to clean up.

Sure, it’s nice to have casserole dishes, a melon baller, baking pans and a nonstick skillet, but you could survive without them.

Here are kitchen items, though, that can make any kitchen complete.

• A well-seasoned cast iron skillet can be almost as good as non-stick. It replaces the need for any sort of indoor grill, can go from stovetop to oven with no problem, and is a great vehicle for baking. You can make cornbread or even a cake in it after you cook your steak and vegetables.

• A good stock pot (not too tall) is essential. You can make soups and large batches of sauce but also cook a whole chicken, braise short ribs, make stock, boil water for corn, and about anything else that requires volume. Be sure to get one that can go from stovetop to oven for even braising.

• A good set of knives means three knives — paring, chef’s and serrated for bread. That is all you need.

• A good food processor. This is the splurge item. Use it to shred cheese, which tastes better from the block than preshredded. Get a block, put the shredding blade on the processor and have lovely cheese in seconds. It also can be used to put together pie crust, make pesto and even to knead bread dough. It slices, shreds, blends and more.

• A quality cutting board, composite or bamboo. Don’t cut on counter tops, metal, glass or your plates. Get rid of the heavy marble. It’s awkward and it dulls your blade. Plastic holds onto bacteria, and wood warps and splinters.

• A medium-sized saucepan. Get a nice one with a lid. Macaroni and cheese from the box, dessert sauces, béchamel, gelatin, rice and practically everything else goes in here.

• A big measuring cup, like the glass one that holds six cups, serves many purposes, such as mixing, measuring and storing food waste headed to the compost heap. It should almost always be within arm’s reach for home cooks. It goes in the microwave and has a nifty handle for pouring. Essential.

• A stick blender. Throw your other blender away. This is portable. You can make a smooth soup without transferring hot liquid into a blender that might not hold it all. You can attach a beater and whip up your cake batter right in the mixing bowl. Use this to make salsa, marinara and margaritas. Bam! You just saved $200.