Neccessary Kitchen Items

[guids]

Here is what is found in my kitchen at all times:

cumin
onion powder
garlic powder
worchester sauce
brown sugar
salt
pepper
Kosher Salt
chilli powder
extra virgin olive oil
peccorino romano (in freezer, do not buy that fake parm [censored] as suggested earlier)
butter
eggs
onions
garlic
hot sauce
ketchup
brown mustard
various BBQ sauce
large bottle of Carlo Rossi Sangria (cooking/drinking)
Breadcrumbs (freezer)
Lemon Juice


and most importantly

a good daily routine. This is all I have, no meats, no veggies, etc. Im in a routine where I stop by the market everyday for 5 minutes to p/u whatever Im going to cook.

[howzit]

starter kitchen

[howzit]

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my apartment has NO usable chefs knives. No set, nothing big, everything is dull. I'm willing to spring a little. What should I get? (kit should include sharpener)

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wet stone is cheapest and most effective. since all your blades are dull, the easiest way is to take your knives to a cutlery store.

[jeffnc]

If you add up all the lists in this thread, you're going to have a ridiculously long that will contain plenty of stuff you won't use.

By far the easiest thing to do is simply find recipes you like, then buy the ingredients for it. The way you're doing it is like looking for a question to an answer.

You don't need fancy tools. But over time you'll decide that you really don't want to deal with this dull thingy any more, and spring for a good one. That's better than buying an expensive thingy before you know how much you'll use it or if you'd notice a difference between that and a cheapy, or improvising with something else altogether.

I've chopped enough garlic that I finally realized I wanted a garlic press, because it's so much faster. But there's no reason you have to go out and buy a garlic press when you have a knife. And some say a knife is better anyway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic_press

Anyway, you get the picture.

[pokerbobo]

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I would also add some fridge necessities...
Soy sauce
worchestershire sauce...
vinegar

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you don't actually need to keep these things in the fridge, right?

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I keep soy and worc sauce in the fridge, not vinegar..... growing up my mom never put soy in the fridge... mine just ended up there cause the wife likes it there.

[XXXNoahXXX]

cayenne pepper makes everything better.

[HDPM]

Gadgets. As others have mentioned the one I tend to use the most is a garlic press. I got the one recommended in the America's Test Kitchen cook book, which brings up my other point. Oh yeah, one more gadget. I like my expensive French made enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I noticed Lodge is now making an enameled cast iron Dutch oven in what looks like a really handy 6 quart size for much less money. I like mine, but I can see saving a bunch of money and getting what I would guess is very good, given how I like my lodge cast iron frying pan.

Anyway, I am also in a small town without a high end grocery store. We do have a specialty kitchen store with a few food items, but no big luxury grocery stores. I have found that America's test kitchen cookbook to be pretty good. You can find a recipe with things available most places. They will offer substitutions for hard to find things. They have equipment recommendations, often for things that don't cost huge money. I am starting to try more recipes out of it although I have had it for a while and so far like most of them. One area the book has helped is on sauces and gravy and such. I can botch one of these quickly, but the ideas and instructions in the book help. I am not a great cook but like to try to make something decent. I am not usually willing to start a recipe 4 days in advance. When the first step is to slaughter a calf to get the veal stock going or whatever, I tend to think about making tacos. This cookbook IMO can get you making some pretty good stuff with common things and will give you details to get things right.

[ElSapo]

You don't need specialty kitchen shops or high-end groceries to make really good food. Patience and practice makes up for a lot of that.

[Slow Play Ray]

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large bottle of Carlo Rossi Sangria

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[gumpzilla]

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a good daily routine. This is all I have, no meats, no veggies, etc. Im in a routine where I stop by the market everyday for 5 minutes to p/u whatever Im going to cook.

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Yeah, this is great if you can swing it. It's easier when I'm at my fiancee's, since she lives right by the grocery store, and I tend to operate in that mode when I'm staying out there. And guids is also right that you should spring for the actual cheese, it annihilates the Kraft powder.