Southern Appalachian Herbs: From The Omnivore's Guide To Home Cooking: Measuring and serving, odds and ends

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

From The Omnivore's Guide To Home Cooking: Measuring and serving, odds and ends

We have pretty much covered the basics of what you need to cook, but there are a thousand other things you may need depending on what you are cooking. If you roll out dough, you will want a rolling pin. You may want a blender if you like soups, smoothies and mixed drinks. You may want a serving platter and chafing dishes if you entertain. A couple of odds and ends I find very useful are a mortar and pestle for grinding spices (and herbs, since I am an herbalist) and a pepper grinder. While a fork can somewhat substitute for a whisk in very limited ways, a real “balloon” type wire whisk is an essential kitchen tool.

Most folks will need a measuring cup and measuring spoons. A kitchen scale can also be useful, but I generally estimate measurements. Ladles and serving spoons however, are essential. You need a ladle to transfer the soup to the bowl. You need a large, flatter, serving spoon to put food on a plate. Spatulas are also essential. I like heavy metal spatulas for flipping eggs and pancakes, fried rice, or meat such as for a cheese steak or fajitas.

A pair of tongs is nowhere near as essential as television chefs would lead you to believe! You can and should actually touch your food with your hands. Touch is a very important part of cooking. Where they do come in very handy is burning the spines off of prickly pear cactus or lifting a ramekin out of simmering water. Otherwise, I just use a kitchen towel or potholder for handling hot things. Ramekins, by the way, are just small casserole dishes or heavy, heat proof bowls - they are very nice to have.

Various strainers, from slotted spoons to wire strainers and colanders really come in handy and are sometimes necessary. I do a lot of pickling and fermenting, so various crocks, jars and fermentation air locks are part of my basic equipment.

Beyond that… well, I love my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but anything it can do, you can do by hand… more slowly and with more effort. The same is true for food processors. If you like kebabs, you might want to have some skewers on hand. In other words, your kitchen equipment is very individualized to your tastes, beyond the basics.