Ask a Chef: Favorite Kitchen Tools

INTRO by JUDITH MARA

ANSWERS by CHEF DALE LEVITSKI

Chef Dale Levitski (Frog N Snail, Sprout) had to think long and hard when we asked him what his favorite kitchen tools are. “I have

never been a cook who enjoys gadgets or specialty items” was his initial answer.

And we can guess why he answered that way. If you study his work, you’ll see ingenious ingredients cut with masterful knife skills, an egg that’s simply poached, or a perfect oviform quenelle. Certainly a pure approach to cooking that doesn’t require gadgets to get the job done.

So what kitchen tools does Dale rely on that could help us non-chefs perform better in our kitchens? All we can say is, the last thing you’ll be buying is a Manual Rotato Potato Peeler As Seen on TV based on his recommendations.

Chef Dale Levitski’s answers:

chinois (strainer) where to buy »

For sauce work, a chinois is an absolute requirement for getting the right texture and for getting the impurities out. It refines reductions and clears stocks as well.

boos wood cutting boards where to buy »

It’s the texture of a BOOS cutting board when you are working with your knife—the feel is much more sexy than cutting on plastic. They are so sturdy and your knife doesn’t skip as much as on plastic. BOOS boards are an amazing investment and a home kitchen must-have. Besides, it looks pretty left out on a countertop.

vintage spoons where to buy »

Chefs fawn over spoons. My spoons are my grandmother’s silver-plate serving spoons that she used on special occasions. For me they are food memories with a romantic connection. They are perfect plating spoons for quenelles and swooshes, and I use the slotted spoon for lifting poached eggs out of the water. A lot of chefs have a spoon that they so are attached to that they’ll search an entire kitchen for hours to find it if they lose track of it. And they all have their own spoon story—usually it’s about where they stole it.

boos wood cutting boards

chinois (strainer) vintage spoons