Patty's Kitchen
Kitchen Set Up
To get the most (with the least harm) out of your home cooking you need to assemble a variety of utensils and supplies. For those who are beginning a macrobiotic practice it is sometimes difficult to know what these are and where they are available.
First (equipment-wise) and most important is a gas stove (calmer, energy transfers to the food). If you are stuck with electricity (excitable energy) you can use a two burner camp stove. They are found at outdoor activity stores like Any Mountain, Oshman's, Marin Outdoors, Target/Price-Costco, etc. Stay away from the one burner butane models for lack of efficiency. A more expensive alternative is to change your stove top. A solar oven is another possibility.
Second in importance, especially in this and colder climates, is the pressure cooker. Used mainly for cooking grains (our most important food), it provides the five elements of cooking; heat, water, salt, pressure and time, as well as containing all of the chi/life force present. Aeternum of Italy makes a durable, medium priced, stainless steel cooker (do not use any aluminum in cooking) in various sizes´.
Third is a high quality vegetable knife. MAC is a decent brand. This is the main knife in macrobiotics.
The rest of the necessities:
- Wooden utensils (better conductors of chi). Not all wooden bowls will hold water.
- Grater. Many different kinds. I recommend the 4 sided, stand-up, made in Sweden one. Does everything easily.
- Cheesecloth. For compresses.
- Chopsticks. Slows down eating.
- Cast Iron pots. Use all year around for iron but mainly in winter.
- Assorted enamel, stainless steel, and glass pots, pans, and baking dishes.
- Teapot.
- Heat diffuser. For pressure cooking after coming to pressure to prevent burning.
- Stainless steel veggie steamer basket.
- Salad press. Lightly pickles ingredients.
- Suribachi and surikogi. For making gomashio (sesame salt).
- Tea strainer.
- Wooden cutting board.
- Bamboo mats for covering food.
- Potato masher. (Not for potatoes)
- Measuring spoons (starting at 1/4 tsp). and measuring cups.
- Glass or plastic containers for storage or transport.
- Wide mouth steel thermos.
- Macrobiotic cookbook. Basic Macrobiotic Cooking, Ferre´, or The Self Healing Cookbook, Turner.
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By Bill Neall
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