In my home, the kitchen is not a showcase, it’s a work horse, bruised and battered on a daily basis. I prefer that everything stays accessible, clean, and neatly stocked. Items are a blend of old and new, with function being the main criterion for each.
I keep appliances like the mixer (a wedding gift from my parents) and food processor on the counter and at the ready so I’m not tempted to whisk and chop by hand, which might happen if they lived in a cabinet.
My salt bowl, a gift from a work colleague many years ago, is filled with kosher salt, and the pepper mill that I bought at Williams-Sonoma about 20 years ago (because when you find the right one you never part with it) is always on the counter. So is a bottle of olive oil, and I keep a large-format balsamic vinegar in a nearby cabinet, close at hand. I can quickly pull out and use the balsamic to my heart’s desire, employing a quality pour spout from Bozeman Oil & Vinegar that I leave on the bottle.
Recently, I found a set of potholders and oven mitts thanks to La Cuisine owner Tina Cusker. These beauties are by Thieffry and seamlessly fit into my kitchen ethos: They protect my hands and counters but are thin enough that I can easily grab a hot pot or dish from the oven.
Pots and pans live underneath my range in lower cabinets. I have many sizes of All-Clad frying pans so that I can match the size to the purpose: small nonstick for an omelet, medium stainless steel for a sauté, and a large, deep pan for making thick, saucy dishes.
A high-quality stockpot is a must in every kitchen, and this one is a Le Creuset that I purchased at Owenhouse Ace Hardware. Whenever I cook animal protein, I save the bones to make my own stock, and I also use the pot to prepare fresh vegetable stock; this is so much better than store-bought. I have a collection of canning jars that work well for storing stock in the freezer until needed.
My copper pot traveled home from Italy in a suitcase. It’s from Bottega del Rame in Montepulciano. My husband and I wandered in and met the gentleman who makes them and thank goodness my husband’s Italian is pretty good or we wouldn’t have gotten the full story of how the maker forges these pots. The patina on this one clearly indicates that it’s one of the most-used items in my kitchen.
I store plates and bowls in the upper cupboard next to the range for quick access. Heath Ceramics from Sausalito, California, are my beloved daily dishes.
Having soft butter at the ready is important to my cooking regimen, so I keep my butter dish—complete with a bunny on top—at room temperature on the counter. This dish is from ABC Kitchen in New York City, a store I love to visit for its beautiful curation of kitchen essentials.
I cherish my mortar and pestle from Chinatown in San Francisco; milling herbs and spices by hand releases flavor in an exceptional way. While I do have an electric spice grinder, I can assure you that the mortar and pestle produce superior results.
My Montana Block cutting board is another well-used kitchen item. The handmade block is a piece of art that I use daily, therefore, its home is on the counter between the range and sink.
I keep a combination of wood and metal utensils at the ready. Many of my wooden ones are from local purveyor Earlywood, purchased from The Kitchen Shop on Main in Livingston. The tasting spoon is an oft-used favorite.
Certainly, everything in my kitchen serves a purpose and has a story, and each time I use an item, I’m reminded of something lovely from my past.
