cooking tips

march 2001

We've been getting lots of e-mail from all over the world asking us how to equip a kitchen once one is diagnosed as having diabetes. I took stock of my kitchen and here's what I most often use: nonstick cookware and bakeware (buy the best you can afford) in assorted sizes a soup pot a Dutch oven a variety of heavy baking sheets and oven-proof casseroles in different sizes We both have built-in 900-watt microwave ovens in our kitchens. We also use a wok, a vegetable steamer, and a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet for crispy flash-in-the-pan cooking of chicken or fish without fat. Other kitchen essentials to make our recipes: food processor or blender kitchen scale sensitive to 1/4 ounce (7 g) a good set of knives and a knife sharpener a couple of sets of measuring spoons; glass and metal measuring cups in assorted sizes wooden spoons, rubber scrapers, and wire whisks in assorted sizes stainless-steel, glass, and pottery mixing bowls in graduated sizes citrus zester, kitchen shears, potato peeler, brush to scrub vegetables, pastry brush, rolling pin, melon baller, garlic press, and hand-held grater Handy, but not essential: electric mixer spice grinder Come back next month when we'll give you a list for turning your pantry into a healthy pantry for cooking our diabetic recipes. FG