The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 71

amazon.com). I have about half a dozen in sizes ranging
fromacoupleofquartsupto5quarts.They’relightweight
and easy to handle, shatterproof, stainproof, breakproof,
odorproof, and microwavable.# Add to that their shallow
design, which makes whisking and tossing a snap, and
you’vedonemadeyourselfanewbestfriend.
5.WoodenSpoons
Short of being born a woman in Italy and waiting for your
daughtertohaveachild,nothingmakesyoufeelmorelike
an Italian grandmother than slowly and deliberately stirring
alazilysimmeringpotofragùwithawoodenspoon.Blood
runs deep between a good spoon and his cook. I nearly
cried the day I cracked the handle on the spoon that had
lastedmethroughnineyearsandthirteendifferentkitchens
—a flat-headed beechwood model that I think I stole from
mymother’shiddensecondaryutensildrawer.Itwassowell
used that the handle had conformed to the shape of my
hand, and the head had been worn into an angle that
perfectlyfitthecornersofmyDutchoven.
Whetherstirringsauces,tastingsoups,orgentlywhacking
cheeky spouses who disturb you in the kitchen, a wooden
spoon is the tool you’ll want 90 percent of the time when
you’re cooking on the stovetop. I have half a dozen of
variousshapesandsizesthatIusealmosteverytimeIcook.
ButifIhadtopickasinglespoontoperformeverytask,I’d
chooseonewithacuppedsectionfortastingandaheadthat
comes to a point, rather than being completely round,
makingiteasiertogetintothecornersofpotsandpans.
Whetheryouwantaspoonwithacompletelyflatsection

ontheheadoramoretriangularprofileistotallyuptoyou.
LikemyfavoriteBeatlesalbum,myfavoritewoodenspoon
tendstowafflebackandforthamongthedifferentspoonsin
myset.
6.SlottedFlexibleMetalSpatula
Flexibleenoughtofliptenderpiecesofdelicatefishwithout
breaking them yet sturdy enough to get every last bit of a
smashedburgeroffthebottomofyourpan,aslottedmetal
fishspatulaisanabsoluteessentialinyourtoolkit.It’sideal
forblottingexcessgreaseoffcookedsteaksandchops.Just
pickupthemeatfromtheskilletandputitonapapertowel,
still on the spatula, then transfer to the serving plate—the
wideslotsallowthegreasetodrainoffeasily.Thespatulais
lightweight and maneuverable enough to flip fragile
eggplant slices in a skillet of oil, but it will also handle
whole grilled pork chops with ease. Its slight flexibility
lends it agility and control, unlike stiffer spatulas (which
havetheirplaceinthekitchen—we’llgettothat).
And here’s some good news: most of the expensive
models are far too stiff to do the job well. I keep a $25
Lamsonsharpmodelinmykit,andtheevencheaperPeltex
(around$15)isthestandardinmostrestaurantkitchens.
7.Tongs
Asturdypairoftongsislikeaheatproofextensionofyour
fingers. Robust construction, slip-proof grips (ever try to
grab a pair of stainless steel tongs with greasy fingers?), a
spring-loaded class-3 lever design,** and scalloped edges
perfectforgrabbingeverythingfromtenderstalksofspring