| We wanted to know what the
pros use, so we asked top chefs around the country what tools
they use, and what tools they simply can’t live without.
Here’s what we found:
|
- Mario
Batali, known as “Molto Mario” by his
Food Network fans, says his home kitchen isn’t complete
without a solid wood cutting board, his Sabatier knives,
his hand held colander and a food processor. In his New
York restaurants Lupa, Esca, Babbo
and Otto, he makes certain each kitchen is filled
with good aluminum sauté pans. “They heat up
fast and I can beat the hell out of them,” says Mario.
- Marcus
Samuelsson of New York’s Aquavit, always
keeps a mortar and pestle handy for quick grinding.
- Charlie
Palmer's favorite item is his non-stick pancake
griddle, which he uses at home when he cooks for his kids.
- Japanese culinary giant Nobuyuki
“Nobu” Matsuhisa never works without
his special chef’s knife, which he had customized
for him in Japan.
- His favorite tools change frequently,
but at the moment Bobby
Flay says he loves heat-proof rubber spatulas.
- Chef Tony Mantuano of Chicago’s
famed Spiaggia is hooked on his favorite pasta appliance,
the Bigolaro pasta machine.
- Among other things, famed Pastry Chef
Jacques
Torres of Jacques Torres Chocolate in Brooklyn,
NY says he cannot live without a KitchenAid standing mixer.
|
- Pastry Chef Hedy
Goldsmith of Nemo in Miami Beach, FL covets
her microplane for zesting and grating.
- Thomas
John of Mantra in Boston, MA says "I
love to have a small electric coffee grinder on hand at
all times. It allows me to fresh-grind whole spices.”
- Robert Merrifield of The Polo
Grill in Tulsa, OK says the only tool he can’t
live without is a fork. “You can do almost anything
with a fork,” he says.
- Rick
Moonen of rm in New York, NY feels passionately
about blenders. His take is that more kitchens should have
varied speed blenders, to be able to control the amount
of air incorporated into a mixture when blending.
- Jody
Adams, award winning chef and partner of Rialto
and blu of Boston, MA says the three most important
tools in a kitchen are, “a great, sharp chef’s
knife, tongs, and a good food processor.”
- Aureole NYC’s Dante
Boccuzzi prizes his "oroshi," a sharkskin
grater for wasabi.
- Round and square cutters are essential
in Pastry Chef Jean-François
Bonnet of Atelier’s kitchen in New
York, NY.
- David
Carmichael, Pastry Chef of Oceana in New
York likes his offset serrated knives for cutting virtually
everything.
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