This is a description of some basic equipment and ingredients that I always have around so that when the mood or occasion strikes, I can cook something delicious.
Source: Cooking with Moby, pp 3-4
For the most part, so long as you have a knife, a couple of pots and pans, a wooden spoon or two, and some bowls for mixing, you should be able to do it. A mixer or food processor helps, but there's nothing wrong with your elbow. Elbows have been serving Italian grannies for thousands of years, and I don't see that ours should be any different.
I've found, though, that with deserts, a weighing scale is important. You can find them for under $25. And with the various almond cakes and tortes I'll be including (which are incredibly simple, I kid you not), if you don't have a food processor (or coffee grinder, which works just as well), you may need to find a way of pulverizing almonds. (Maybe you have a friend who has one you can borrow for 3 minutes.)
Otherwise:
Olive oil is always extra virgin. It may seem expensive for a decent one, but the cost is spread over the 10 or 15 meals you'll use it for. I've been buying one by the name of 'Frantoia' which has a deep, woody taste (goes for 16-19 dollars, depending where). That's just my preference. There are much lighter oils. It's simply a matter of what effect you want.
Canned tomatoes are San Marzano (it's always written on the tin). This is not a brand, but a type of tomato. Several companies produce them. The regular ones I find much too acidic -like biting into a lemon - something to do with the way they're preserved. If there's a decent Italian deli anywhere around, give them a ring. It makes, for me, all the difference. Otherwise I spend too much time trying to balance the acidity.
If you're making pasta by hand, try to find "Tipo OO' (type double-O) flour. Again, a good Italian deli will have it. Otherwise many people use all-purpose unbleached.
If you can, always buy pancetta in one piece, as opposed to pre-sliced. I like the Boar's Head brand.
Butter is always unsalted.
Anchovies: I use ones packed in salt, but that usually means buying them individually (if you find a place that sells them), or a large tin which lasts a bit too long. You have to rinse the salt off, and de-bone them. But buying the ones in oil -unless you really want to get into them as an ingredient - is fine.
Salt is always sea salt, or kosher salt. I use a flaky one which I can crumble with my hands. I only use table salt for pasta water, or blanching veg. This isn't a big deal, but once you start using it, it's difficult to stop.
If you can, one large pot for boiling water, and making stocks. Too many people boil pasta in a saucepan that wouldn't hold four cups of milk. I found a very good one at IKEA (where, like most men, I wonder around hallucinating in agony). It holds around ten liters. It was under 35 dollars. a real bargain.
Always use fresh herbs! For parsley, use flat-leaf (aka Italian). Not that crinkly stuff.
View line-by-line Nutrition Insights™: Discover which ingredients contribute the calories/sodium/etc.
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Serving Size: 1 Serving (80g) | ||
Recipe Makes: 1 Servings | ||
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Calories: 458 | ||
Calories from Fat: 365 (80%) | ||
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Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
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Total Fat 40.6g | 54 % | |
Saturated Fat 15.6g | 78 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 17.8g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 3.6g | ||
Cholesterol 93.8mg | 29 % | |
Sodium 1361.5mg | 47 % | |
Potassium 345.1mg | 9 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 0.9g | 0 % | |
Dietary Fiber 0.1g | 0 % | |
Sugars, other 0.9g | ||
Protein 21.7g | 31 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 458
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