Yikes, it's been over two weeks since I've posted. In that time, we've had several unremarkable meals and several pizzas made with Trader Joe's wheat pizza dough. I keep thinking it's going to be good this time and it keeps not being good. I need to make my own dough. I know.
The SO recently asked me to marry him, I'm happy to report. We have decided to have a very small and private affair in order to avoid all those complications that make shows like "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?" and "My Big Redneck Wedding" so fun to watch. No showers, no parties. Just a "do you and do you?" followed by a nice dinner. And a kick-ass honeymoon (which has yet to be booked).
Regardless of the fact that we're not having a big to-do, it was requested that we have a gift registry. What started at one registry has become now four registries because no single store has all the items (and there are not many, believe me) that I want. Williams-Sonoma has the box grater and KitchenAid mixer I want, but their flour sifter is definitely not what I want. And Macy's has the Dyson I want, but not the mixer I want. And Target has a lot of basic stuff we could use, but nothing we really need. Sadly, you can't register for Feline Pine cat litter and Gain which is what I buy the most of from Target.
And then there's Bed Bath & Beyond. We generally have no trouble spending an hour or more in the store (usually in a massage chair), but I've wasted a lot of hours creating my registry online. Though there are very few items because I've been talking myself out of many of them. Because as much as I love gadgets, I know that I have no room for them in my tiny kitchen. So I have to say no to those dessert plates (I already have some!) and to the bamboo steamer (I have a steamer basket!), sushi set (I never make sushi!), and all the other countless gadgets and gizmos making my head spin. I'd have to rent a storage unit for all the stuff I've been salivating over.
And though I've got a reasonably well-stocked kitchen, I'm curious to know what others think. What should I register for? What's the essential kitchen item you think I may not already have?
13 comments:
Congratulations Lesley!!
Congrats! And, small weddings are the best!
Hmm, kitchen gadgets. I totally love them. I registered at Crate and Barrel mostly because they have the best kitchen gadgets and we didn't need a lot of stuff.
we got a mango pitter, which was the most unusual and I must say love it. congrats again. When is the small affair taking place?
Woohoo! Best wishes to you both! Do you have a bench scraper? Useful for dividing that massive ball of pizza dough you'll be making into manageable orbs. And for scraping benches.
congratulations! any idea where the honeymoon will be?!? (i'm a total travel voyeur.)
as for absolutely necessary kitchen items -- my must haves are a couple of rimmed aluminum baking sheets, which i always find new uses for, everything from baking, to roasting vegetables, to spreading out homemade pasta to dry, to .... you name it.
Congratulations!
I'd have to say, see if somebody is carrying MAC knives -- my Mighty santoku is my most favorite thing in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD.
P.S. Epicurean cutting boards are pretty cool. So are Bamix stick blenders.
Congratulations! Hubby and I had a similar low-key ceremony and it turned out perfect.
I agree with you and the TJ's dough. I wanted to like it but after trying a few times (for the convenience factor alone) I've given up. I have a great pizza dough recipe that comes together quick. It makes a thick crust though so if you're a thin crust person you may not enjoy it. I'll post it in the next week or so because I just got some Teese mozzarella that I'm dying to put to good use.
Hey, congrats! I follow your blog b/c I'm a vegetarian living in M'Boro and like your restaurant reviews.
My most used kitchen tools are: quality microplane, garlic press, vegetable peeler, heavy stone mortar and pestle, trivets, and good knives!
We're getting married January 31. A date that should be hard to forget and is far enough away from other holidays so as not to get combo gifts. :)
Thanks for all the suggestions. I definitely have some new Airbake sheets on the list, but had avoided the mortar/pestle, hand blender and mango pitter. I'm reconsidering now!
Melissa--I'm leaning towards Cancun right now. Seven days of warmth should be a great antidote to wedding stress and Tennessee's January weather.
That's so funny! Someone just asked me about this exact same thing on my blog. So here's what I told them (hope it helps):
It depends on how you like to cook. Certainly you will need a sautee pan and a pot, at the very least. The more copper, the better. But it is also a bitch to clean and insanely expensive. So I'd look for something with copper in it or, at least, decent heat conductivity. Try a good line, such as All-Clad. You'll also need a dutch oven and, perhaps, a casserole dish. Le Creuset weighs a ton, but it will last so long it will make it into your will! If you bake, you'll need all sorts of forms (pie tins, etc.). I tend to like the French lines, such as Emile Henry.
None of the above are cheap (in fact, they are all expensive, alas). But they are all quality and will work well (if you've only been using cheap stuff, you will really notice a difference), give you good results (good cookware really makes a tangible difference), be easy to clean (much easier than cheap cookware), will easily last a lifetime, and looks good.
And congratulations!
Best wishes -- do you have a grater? ;-P
Fluff--the only two reasons I registered at Williams-Sonoma were the KitchenAid Pro 500 (I think 475W is enough for me) and that wonderful microplane box grater!
Congrats! That's awesome! Getting free kitchen stuff is always good (and I've some good things about marriage as well). Kidding. Haha... I hope it's a very happy union. :)
And if you want to really make you own pizza, maybe register for a good pizza stone?
Definitely add a Le Creuset dutch oven to your Williams-Sonoma registry. We have the 5 1/2 quart and the 3 1/2 quart and use them very often. No pot I've ever cooked with is as good as this ... and I agree with the previous poster, you can put them in your will. Other great W-S items, even if you already have some of these ... these are better: All-Clad measuring cups and spoons set and the glass prep bowls (set of 8).
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