My kitchen (and that is any kitchen I have ever occupied, really) has never been home to fancy equipment or expensive tools – I mostly use wooden spoons, a whisk and the same old knives which I can never manage to keep sharp (in fact, I have never really tried). My electric hand mixer is more of a hand-me-down mixer from my grandma’s (1950s) kitchen. It has three settings, all of which make the whisks spin at exactly the same speed.
Despite its rather humble facilities, my kitchen has been home to some damn good cooking over the last few years. This is due to the more (and most) important tools for cooking: resourcefulness, vigor, conviction and love. Those I always have in stock and ready at hand. I feel that truly good cooking is being able to appreciate the best and freshest products and to come up with the perfect way of preparing them, but even more (and ultimately): being able to throw a dinnerparty for your friends with only a seemingly empty fridge and a handful of bits and pieces at your disposal. That is what I do. And that is what I want to share with you on here.
Now this may seem like bragging to you. And if it does: you are absolutely right. And so am I in doing it. And so should you feel doing it. Good cooking to me is a matter of both humbleness and ostentation. It doesn’t (and shouldn’t) take the most expensive or luxurious ingredients or appliances, but if you are able to make something great from what you have at hand – why not be proud of it? I cook well. And I will talk about it.
brag & butter 
Your kitchen sounds like my kitchen and I agree with you 100% – you don’t need fancy gadgets to cook a good meal! I have a tip I can share with you about sharpening knives. My mother taught me this when I was a little girl. I don’t think many people know about it. It will be hard to explain by writing but I will try. Take two knives, this is good especially for paring knives but not serrated knives or bread knives, OK? You want to scrape the sharp end of the blades together. It’s like using the thing that professional chefs use that looks like a long rod. I hope you know what I mean. Well, pretend one of your knives is that long rod and you are scraping the edge of one knife against it, on both sides of the blade. Then, switch knives to do the same thing to the other knife. This will make both knives very sharp. Rinse both under water to remove any metal shavings. I’ve never seen any, but it’s best to be cautious. Be careful that you don’t cut yourself with your “new” knives. My paring knives are over 40 years old and still going strong!
Marcella thanks for sharing that technique! Actually, I have one of those sharpening things, and now and then I have tried to use it. I guess though, I’m just not very good at it so I have come up with a kind of Darwinian sharpening method: the knives that stay sharp without me doing anything stay in use, the other ones spend a lonely life in the drawer. But maybe I’ll get them out later when preparing dinner and let them cuddle up like you suggested. I’m looking forward to what’s next on New Food Friday.
You have knives that stay sharp? You must be rich! lol! I’ll stick with my method as it has been working for me for years and it’s hardly any bother. I’ve got a knife sharpener but it doesn’t seem to work as well as my method. I looking forward to what’s up next on New Food Friday too. I might have a special guest (my cousin in Italy) to co-author the post. It depends on how busy she is. If she can’t, I’ve got a nice light salad that is very different and very ethnic (as usual) that I will use. It is also Very, Very pretty! (and nutritious and delicious, bla, bla, bla.) Well, gotta go start dinner. I’m making a cabbage soup; a Martha Stewart recipe. Cheers!