As you begin choosing your china, crystal and flatware, it's easy to dream about the elegant dinners you'll serve. You'll start with soup, of course, so you can use those beautiful rimmed soup bowls you registered for. Grilled fish and steamed asparagus will look delicious on your formal china. And chocolate mousse will be the perfect dessert in your crystal champagne saucers. It's easy to picture: flickering candles, great conversation, soft music in the background.
There's only one problem. You can't cook. Or more accurately, you've never tried to cook, for anyone other than yourself.
Before now, your idea of dinner may have been eating cereal out of the box or having pizza delivered to your door. But with the right tools -- and a few good recipes -- you and your husband can create the perfect dinner party. (And great meals for enjoying together every day, too.)
Selecting kitchen basics may not be as glamorous as choosing china and crystal or towels and sheets, but it's just as important. Here are some items to include on your gift registry wish list:
Cookware: There is a variety of cookware materials, each with different virtues, so you'll probably want to stock your kitchen with more than one type.
Copper is the ideal top-of-the-range cookware because of its ability to heat quickly and evenly, but it is expensive and requires extra care. Look for copper or copper-bottomed pots and pans lined with stainless steel, nickel or tin to prevent your cookware from reacting with acidic foods.
Aluminum is lightweight and, like copper, is a good heat conductor. Look for heavy gauge, anodized aluminum, which is less likely to warp and resists stains and scratches. Aluminum is especially good for cake pans and cookie sheets.
Stainless steel is extremely durable and resistant to stains, scratches, tarnish and corrosion. But it doesn't conduct heat as well as other metals, so it is best combined with other materials, such as copper.
Cast iron is great for browning and broiling. Though it heats slowly, it retains heat for a long time. It also requires more care than stainless steel or aluminum and may rust if it is not carefully dried after washing.
Porcelain enamel cookware is available in a wide range of aesthetically pleasing colors. The enamel, which is applied as a coating to aluminum, stainless steel or cast iron is dishwasher-safe and stain resistant.
Nonstick cookware is great for health-conscious couples who want to cook without a lot of fat or oil. The nonstick finish, which is actually a chemical coating applied to aluminum or stainless steel, also promotes easy cleaning.
Cutlery:
Good cutlery will make your job in the kitchen much easier. Knives with high-carbon stainless steel blades are expensive but an excellent investment. Combining the strength of stainless steel with the easy- sharpening qualities of carbon steel, these blades stay sharp longer than most knives.
Stainless steel blades are strongest but difficult to sharpen. And carbon steel is easy to sharpen but rusts, chips and discolors easily. Both are less expensive than high-carbon stainless steel, so choose these blades if you plan to replace your cutlery in a few years.
Small appliances:
There are all sorts of electrical gadgets that can make your job in the kitchen easier. A microwave oven is high on almost every couple's wish list, especially if you don't have a lot of time to cook. A coffeemaker is also a high priority. (Even if you don't drink coffee, you will undoubtedly have guests who do.) An electric mixer is another indispensable item, especially if you love to bake. And many gourmet recipes assume you have access to a food processor, but even a novice cook would want a mini- chopper.
Other appliances to consider include: toaster or toaster oven, electric skillet, espresso and cappuccino maker, coffee grinder, electric wok, ice cream maker, pasta machine, breadmaker, juicer, slow cooker, waffle iron, popcorn popper and electric can opener.
When you think about it, creating a cook's kitchen requires a lot of planning. But you don't have to have every pot or pan or every gadget right away. Register for the basics now and expect to add to your kitchen tools over the years. Before you know it, people will be begging for your recipes.
Reprinted with permission from: ELEGANT BRIDE MAGAZINE