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Setting Up Your First Kitchen

Posted by bruce No Comments

Whether you are preparing to move into an apartment or a dorm room, setting up your first home away from your parents can be stressful as well as exciting. What should you pack? How can you know ahead of time what you will need? This article will outline some basic tips for setting up one of the central rooms of any home: the kitchen.

Step One: Get the basic utensils. Naturally the definition of basic may vary a little from person to person, as we all prefer different dishes and cooking styles. If you already have experience cooking for yourself, it may be easiest to choose three or so of your favorite dishes and buy the utensils you will need to make those. You can add to your supply as you try new meals or as new products grab your fancy.

If you do not have much experience in this area, the view of all those different supplies at the supermarket can be a little overwhelming. You will probably want to start with just a few items that most cooks use often, such as:

• A pot and pan, preferably with lids
• Spatula and serving spoons
• Colander
• Knives and cutting board
• Containers for storing leftovers

As a side note, you may want to consider investing in quality kitchenware if you have the resources. It is tempting to go for the cheapest supplies you can find, especially when you are first starting out, but good utensils can last more than long enough to justify their expense.

Step Two: Get the basic supplies. Again, if you have made meals regularly before, you probably have a good idea of what you’ll need on hand. If you are not sure, simply purchase the ingredients you will need for the three recipes you chose before. This will be a good place to get started.

If you have no idea how to prepare food, there are some basic supplies to have on hand that can be turned into many different dishes. Some good things to have around are:

• Pasta
• Rice
• Cooking oil
• Spices
• Flour

Once you have your kitchen in order, all you can do is practice. Don’t worry about making gourmet food or the perfect meal when you are first starting out. Just experiment, innovate, and be sure to learn from your mistakes.

For recipes and culinary inspiration, visit CDkitchen.

Joseph Devine