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As many of you have probably already heard, we all lost an amazing soul, who loved Navarro and Freestone County – Melissa Smith. There was no one sweeter than Sweet M.
The best way I can think to honor her is to run a series of her columns – Pantry Confessions. Her own words may give us all a little comfort. Please keep her family – her sweet mama and daddy, who she loved dearly, and her siblings, as well as her friends, who may need a little grace in the coming days – in your prayers and kind thoughts.
The Tools of the Trade
It’s not happening. Not in my kitchen.
You may be asking, “What’s not happening?”
I’m here to tell you, no cooking of any kind is going on in my kitchen. Not without some very essential tools!
As a chef, I feel it’s my job, no, it’s my responsibility to be prudent and diligent when requiring that my kitchen be stocked with certain accoutrements, if you will, for completing the fine task of cooking a delicious meal or baking a sweet treat.
Most of my friends and family find it shocking how utterly fanatical I am about the essential tools of the trade I must have at my disposal in my kitchen before I will even begin to cook. And you know my sweet husband thinks I’m crazy most days when I freak out if he uses a fork instead of an actual spoon to mix something! Anyway, it’s just how I am. I feel like trained and professional chefs are taught to use certain cooking utensils for a reason. Therefore, I find it imperative that I do the same. Plus, there are just some things I can’t live without in this particular area of my life.
So, I’m going to give you a look into the drawers of my sweet and thoughtful kitchen.
Here it goes.
In my drawer of culinary weaponry, you will most assuredly find at least 5 whisks. A whisk is generally used to blend ingredients until they are completely smooth or to incorporate air into a mixture of say dry ingredients for baking, etc. using a known as whisking or whipping. I have 2 different sizes, but all the same. All made of some kind of metal and wire conglomeration. NO PLASTIC ONES. They are flimsy and they just don’t do the job as well for me. I use a whisk for any number of kitchen tasks. From whipping egg whites or making sure a sauce I am cooking comes out lump free, or just beating Carey Dean with it when he won’t get out of my way – all extremely important uses I might add. I also use my whisk while I am cooking to make gestures that prove a point when having a heated conversation with my husband or anyone else that may be in the apartment at that time. Now, this particular use doesn’t always turn out well for me because it typically will make a mess in some way. Just saying. Anyway, a whisk is an extremely important tool that you must have in your kitchen. Any high school graduates going off to college or moving into their first apartment will definitely need to add this to their shopping list for new things they need for their home.
Ok, next up is a chef’s knife. And let me tell you, there is no single tool for cooking that you will rely on more or use more often than a chef’s knife. Not for the faint of heart, this is an extremely sharp knife that I use for chopping, slicing, mincing, and dicing anywhere from cuts of meat to vegetables or fruit. Now, I have several but of course I have a favorite brand and they are kind of expensive, but for as much chopping, slicing, mincing, and dicing that I do and the shear skill it requires, you will want to spend the money for a really good knife. I don’t use my chef’s knife for gesturing or anything else, as it is very important to remember safety first whilst in the kitchen area.
A good pair of tongs is a must have for me. If there is any reason to up-level your kitchen “cred” by buying a good pair of tongs, this is it. Tongs can flip, toss, turn, and scrape. And by good pair of tongs, I mean ones with silicon grips on the handles and a lock switch on the end so there are no messes when they snap open, and you send a chicken breast flying across the room. Not good. I use them for tossing salads, flipping meat in the pan, I even use it when plating pasta. They are indispensable when preparing chicken. Keeps one from needing to handle the chicken thereby not only washing your hands 50 more times than you need to, but principally from cross-contaminating anything else you may be cooking. Tongs. Essential.
So, most kitchens will have the usual measuring spoons, wet ingredient measuring cups, and dry ingredient measuring cups. However, we don’t realize how capital these items become to a chef when you move into a new place, and you can’t find them when you unpack your boxes. I mean, this has been a literal nightmare for me in the past when I was trying to cook right after we had moved, and I couldn’t find the darn things! These items are imperatively like my right hand! Always, ALWAYS make sure you have these in your arsenal.
A flat wooden spatula is the ultimate multitasker and is a tried and true friend in the kitchen. Again, you don’t know what you’ve got, until it’s gone. I can’t tell you how much I love mine. The brand is Thyme & Table from Walmart, and it is fabulous! Not only is it pretty, but its sturdy and I use it for flipping, sautéing, and serving any number of things. This brand from Walmart is a good brand, not too expensive and high quality.
Of course, you need serving spoons, wooden spoons and any number of other kitchen utensils, but I promise you, the ones I have listed are some of the most important. To me, they are, anyway.
These are just some of my most required tools of the trade! There are so many more and I promise as we continue on our culinary journey together that I will introduce you to many more!
Now, here is a little gem of a recipe, that you can whip up in a matter of minutes using some of the very tools I have spoken of!
Sweet M’s Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad
1 Rotisserie Chicken, deboned and shredded
Salt
Pepper
1 large Haas avocado, diced
Thinly sliced green onions
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
½ jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
Freshly squeezed juice from one lime
½ cup of Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of honey
A little dash of hot sauce
Now, I know this sounds a little crazy, but I love the rotisserie chickens from HEB for this recipe! They are delicious and flavorful and just easy. And I am for nothing, if not making your life and mine a little easier.
They also sell the chicken already shredded if you choose to do so. I ain’t gonna be mad at ya either way!
If you go the deboning and shredding your own chicken route, the easiest way to do this is to just start removing the meat from the chicken just however you want to and shred it as you go along. I try not to make the pieces of chicken to big, but you don’t want to over shred either. You want your chicken salad to have a good base and that is the chicken’s main job.
Next up, you want to make the dressing.
You will want to whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, and honey together. Then, you will add a little dash of the hot sauce, taste the dressing and you can add more if you choose. The hot sauce just gives the dressing a little kick! You will also add salt and pepper, at this point and give the dressing one more taste before adding it to the chicken. Once you have decided that you like the flavor of the dressing, just pour it over the chicken and mix well.
Next, we will add in the chopped cilantro, diced avocado, and green onions and mix carefully. We don’t want to turn the avocado into guacamole. We want it to keep its integrity.
If you choose to add the jalapenos, you can add as little or as much as you want. I usually add in just half of one, just because I want to enjoy the actual flavor of the chicken salad, and not be crying over the hotness of the jalapenos. Just saying.
I enjoy this variety of Sweet M’s Chicken Salad with crackers or tortilla chips! It’s so fun and flavorful!So, I hope this little gem of an offering brings you as much joy as it did me!
As, always, I hope my latest finds you and your happy, healthy and full of sunshine and rainbows!
And, I wish peace, love and lots of delicious, fun food!
Love always,
Sweet M
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