St John Villa Kitchen Essentials - St. John Catering

Kitchen Essentials

So many people, especially owners, ask me when I visit their rental villa, “What do I need in my kitchen?” So I’ve compiled a short list of basics I think everyone should have regardless of your level of culinary expertise.

Hardware

-A gas range with plenty of BTUs. Unless you’re assisted by an (explosive) oxygen tank, gas is a must for ease of control and in case of power outages, which are frequent here in the islands.

- At least ONE good chef’s knife and steel. You don’t need to drop a fortune on a whole set, but investing $100 in a great blade will save you countless hours at the prep table and last a decade or more. Do the research and find one that fits your hand and cutting style.

- A large food processor or a great blender. A bajillion possibilities from dressings to cakes to soups and more.

- A thick wood cutting board or butcher’s block (at least 1 ½”). Something with heft. Your knives will thank you and its makes such a gratifying sound.

- A solid pepper mill. Pre-ground sucks because all of the essential oils have evaporated by the time you buy it.

- A slotted fish spatula for getting under those delicate items (like, uh, fish).

- Heavy-duty tongs. Classic French chefs would frown upon this (they do everything with a spoon), but I find them invaluable.

- Clean, dry rags for wiping counters, holding hot pans, and whipping your cohorts into shape.

- Insta-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of food safety and costs about three bucks.

- Heavy pans. Iron and stainless good. Aluminum bad. Get a nice non-stick for eggs only.

Software – Stuff you should always have on hand

* If you cook at least a couple times a week, you should have a good idea of your basics: Onion, carrot, celery, tomato, eggs, butter, milk, sugar, various spices.
* Kosher salt. Sea salt is great for some applications, but I prefer the smaller yet still coarse kosher for everyday cooking.
* Extra virgin olive oil adds great flavor, but don’t use it for frying or pan-searing as it has a low smoke point and burns (aka ignites) easily, negating its flavor and scaring the crap out of rookies.
* Fresh herbs add brightness to just about any dish. Think about spaghetti and meatballs. Now think about it – with herrrrbs…Keep a few small plants on your window sill and pick as needed or buy in small quantities. Like olive oil, these are usually added at the end of the dish.
* Cooked rice lasts for days and softens up nicely in the microwave with a few spoons of water. Also great for rice salads, fried rice, rice cakes, and rice pudding. You know, recipes that call for rice…
* Bacon. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is better with bacon. Just ask anyone about the bacon-cheddar-jalapeno-brownies we did for poker night. Seriously.