(And we mean kitchen drawers ...)
Short-handled tongs—the spring-loaded type will let you pick up something light and small like a quarter or something big and heavy like a chicken. It's all about control.
Garlic press—with a good one you won't even have to peel the cloves. Just throw them in whole and squeeze—the garlic comes out and the paper stays in the press.
Citrus squeezer—like a big garlic press for halved lemons and limes. Cocktail hour just got a whole lot easier.
High-heat spatulas—stop melting lousy spatulas on the bottom of pans. And you don't need 12 of them. One medium size one should do the trick.
Peeler—for cucumbers, carrots, jicima, ginger ... tons of things. Wait a minute, you've not had jicima? It's that sweet and crunchy veggie that's amazing in a salad—go get some—then use your peeler to get rid of the outside layer.
A high quality knife—that you keep sharpened will make your kitchen life way easier. But I don't really keep my knives in a drawer, and neither should you. Not only will you dull them in a drawer banging against everything else, but you can cut yourself digging for something. They should be stored in a knife block or on a magnet—better for you and better for the knife.
A decent zester—when it comes to getting a little lime zest for a margarita, or needing to shred a little Parmesan over some pasta, the new style zester is the only way to go.
The list isn't long, but it's pretty much all you need.
What's NOT in my drawers:
Measuring spoons—They're ok for baking, but for regular cooking, try to go without. You'll be amazed at how much freedom you'll find in the rest of your cooking once you free yourself from the spoons.
Gadgets—I have no time or room for crazy gadgets that pretty much only do one job. Like that special tool they sell for getting the avocado out of the shell. I already have a special tool for that—it's called a SPOON!!
Once again, the list is short but the gadget one takes care of almost everything. Resist the urge to purchase wacked items.
