Kitchens and Kitchenware

Although some foods, such as fruit, nuts and even seafood, can be eaten raw, most of the food we eat is cooked. Most food is prepared indoors, in a space called a kitchen, although it can also be prepared outdoors, over a campfire or on a barbecue. Kitchens include unique accessories, appliances and a variety of kitchenware for chopping, cooking and preparing beverages.

Kitchen fixtures and furniture

Sinks for washing dishes and rinsing food, benches for preparing meals, and drawers for storing cooking utensils and food are examples of kitchen accessories. In addition to tableware such as dinner plates, soup tureens, coffee cups and wine glasses, kitchens may also contain shelving and cabinets for storing pots, pans and other utensils. In addition, they may have specialized furniture, such as a kitchen table and chairs, where short meals can be prepared and enjoyed.

Kitchen appliances

Stoves are the must-have appliance in any kitchen. In some kitchens there is a large built-in gas or electric cook top, a grill or broiler underneath and an oven underneath the grill for baking and broiling. Instead of a stove, there may be one or more hotplates on a bench top, along with a separate oven, microwave or toaster and electric grill.

A refrigerator with cooler to keep food and beverages cold and a freezer to store frozen goods are also standard in modern kitchens. They also have a blender to prepare fruit smoothies, a toaster and an electric kettle or kettle for making tea and coffee. Other typical equipment includes rice cookers, coffee makers, food processors and various types of dishwashers.

Kitchenware

In modern kitchens, there are two types of kitchenware: pots, pans and dishes for cooking; and kitchen knives and spoons for stirring. Although there are many types of cookware around the world, pots, pans, frying pans and woks are the most popular. In addition to heat-resistant ceramic or glass casseroles, pie plates and other oven-safe containers, cookware also includes metal baking pans, pie pans and roasting pans.

A spatula, a grater, a soup ladle, a handful of coarsely ground kitchen knives, a few wooden revolver spoons, a vegetable peeler and a few kitchen tongs are some of the kitchen utensils common in most households. Other common kitchen items include cutting boards, mixing bowls, measuring spoons, colanders, oven mitts, kitchen timers, dish towels, etc.

Cooking techniques

One of the most useful skills we can master is cooking. Instead of buying harmful fast food or expensive convenience or frozen meals, if we know how to cook, we can eat healthy meals prepared at home with fresh ingredients. Cooking at home is not only affordable and nutritious, but it can also be enjoyable if we learn new recipes from cookbooks and culinary websites.

Frying, steaming and boiling

You can make a delicious meal at home, even if you only have a small stove or stove with a few plates. Meat, fish or eggs can be fried in a pan with oil or butter. Vegetables can also be sliced or chopped and sautéed or stir-fried in a frying pan. Boiling or steaming vegetables and cereals such as rice is another method of preparation. Before cooking, you can peel vegetables such as potatoes and carrots, and even mash them. You can also steam fish and other seafood, such as crabs and mussels, or boil other things, such as spaghetti, eggs and some meats.

You can also make soups and stews on a basic griddle, these usually have salt and chopped vegetables and meats as ingredients. In addition, you can add herbs such as basil or parsley and spices such as pepper or paprika. You can also prepare sauces by combining butter, milk, flour and grated cheese in a frying pan.

Roasting and Grilling

You can also grill meat, fish and vegetables if you have a stove with a grill or griddle or an appliance such as an electric barbecue. Be careful when cooking food at high temperatures, because if you cook the dish for too long, it is easy to burn it. However, many people like to grill, and some even claim that it is the best way to prepare fish, steaks and other types of meat.

Some meats and vegetables can be roasted if you also have an oven. Roasting a whole chicken or a leg of lamb requires patience, since in the oven the food is surrounded by hot air that gradually cooks it on all sides. The roast meat is prepared, cut into pieces and usually served with roasted potatoes, carrots and onions. This type of dinner is sometimes called a "Sunday roast" because it was traditionally prepared every Sunday in places like England and Australia.

Baking

Foods such as bread, cakes, pastries, cookies, cookies and pies can also be baked in ovens. Wheat flour is the main component of most baked goods. Flour is used to make a dough that is put into a prepared baking oven after sifting to remove lumps. Baking is often considered difficult, but as the following recipe demonstrates, it can actually be simple if clear instructions are followed.