my kitchen essentials

our galley kitchen is my favorite space in our sweet little home.  throughout the past few months we have made it uniquely ours by adding bits and pieces of what inspires us and what we find to be beautiful.  we have gotten many things from local fleas and surrounding thrift stores, along with odds and end of things we've collected throughout the years.  it's been a fun adventure making our house a home.

our kitchen is narrow, eclectic, colorful, warm, and resourceful, yet pretty simple compared to most kitchens of avid cooks.  it is not fancy by any means, and lends itself to being very practical.  it leads to our two bedrooms and is the place you can find glass jars full of grains, herbs, vinegars, lentils, spices, and beans.  it is where i make the meals to feed me and mine.  it's where i stir, smell, bake, boil, and nourish.  cooking one of the ways i show my love.  it's a creative outlet for me to make my crew a happy one.  food is most definitely the way to our family's heart.

it is where stella plays pretend chef with my wooden spoons and mixing bowls.  it houses exotic ingredients and homemade canned goods.  it is where leon patiently begs for a morsel or two, and where i do most of my humming.  it is where andrew bear-hugs stella and i real tight after work and where we talk about our days as ingredients find their way into the pot.  it is where i get to create and explore.  it is an extension of my heart, this kitchen of ours. 

i have found that it is much better to have a few quality classic kitchen items when living in a small home, rather than many cheap gadgets and or tools.  since i cook a solid three meals a day, these essential items are rather tattered from all the using and washing and using and washing and so on and so forth.  they are worn which makes them beautiful and imperfectly perfect.  moreover, my select vintage items tell a story of which i am eager to listen to with each meal i prepare.

below is a list of my kitchen essentials, how i use them, and where you can find them.

1. stainless-steel measuring cups: although i do not do a lot of baking, i find myself using these cups all the time when making sauces or preparing side dishes.  i like the professional look stainless-steel gives our kitchen so i display them on our open shelving rings from ikea, along with coffee cups, a can opener, and whisk.

2. baker's twine: isn't this twine darling?  if you take a gander around our home, you will find it everywhere.  i have used it to hang artwork in our dining room, for decorations on gifts, to help in labeling my canned goods, and for drying herbs.  just to name a few.

3. olive wood spoon: this spoon was a travel purchase made this summer when we went to northern california.  i fell in love with the olive wood products and figured a new cooking spoon would be just the gift for myself.  i use it daily and am happy i bought it.

4. microplane rasp grater: this grater is the key to flavor, let me tell you.  i always have all sorts of citrus on hand to brighten up my recipes.  this grater makes zesting easy and is a snap to clean.  it also works well for ginger and garlic.

5. volcanic mortar & pestle:  when i want to make a hearty sauce, meat topping, or nutty crumble, this is my go-to.  and of course for guacamole.  it does a real number on whole spices, too.

6. fleur de sel: this precious salt is the key to deliciousness when you have a really, really good ingredient.  i use it very sparingly, as a little goes a long way, but it will make any ingredient shine.  try a little bit on unsalted butter with warm crusty bread.  or on a ripe heirloom tomato.  you will thank me.

7. le creuset cookware: i will always and forever stand behind le creuset cookware.  i own about six pieces and use them daily.  anyone that knows me well knows that i have a special relationship with my pots and pans.  i really do.

8. salt keeper: i found this salt keeper at dean and deluca and adore it.  it sits right next to my cookware on the stove and keeps my salt fresh and handy.

9. chef's knife: this is not a fancy knife.  in fact, it is rather cheap.  we got it as a wedding present and it needs to be sharpened badly.  but i love how it feels in my hand and gets the job done.

10. pepper mill: peugeot makes one heck of a pepper mill.  did you know this company makes european cars?  well it does.

11. pot holders: these are a family heirloom and are one of my most favorite kitchen items.  i display them in a chicken wire basket on our open shelving right across from our stove.  they are used just as much as our forks and spoons and are just lovely to look at.

12. all natural cleaning spray: take your leftover citrus rinds (i had a grapefruit for breakfast one morning along with some lemon in my water) and put it in a mason jar.  fill the jar with white vinegar.  put the lid on tight and let marinate for two weeks.  you now have an all natural cleaning spray.  if you are feeling fancy put in a sprig of rosemary, too.