KITCHEN.ESSENTIALS

All-Time Kitchen Essentials 

in 1993 when i moved to perth into a student dorm and needed some kitchen essentials from scratch, i had to get the basic list figured out. (for the bedroom and bathroom, there should be a list too!)

so... i used 1 small sauce pot and 1 tiny rice cooker, bought a mug, a few plates, bowls, cutlery, knife, cutting board, some very very basic ingredients for the kitchen and i was set to cook my own meals in the dorm! i could make sar poh fan for up to 3 persons, cook 3-4 dishes for each meal and even noodle soups with fresh ingredients.

here is a list to start off... 

(and might need updates when i discover that i've missed some things...)

Kitchen Must Haves:

1. Kitchen Tools

- kettle & mugs

- rice cooker

- sauce pot with handle

- metal ladle if pot is stainless steel, 

- wooden ladle if pot is coated

- metal tongs

- knife x1 (chinese chopper is best) or chef's knife

- metal teaspoons, tablespoons, fork, butter knife

- chopsticks - wooden or plastic

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2. Kitchen Cooking Condiments 

MUST HAVE:

- sea salt

- white pepper and black pepper

- sugar - choose either coarse or fine

- oil - vegetable oil, eg corn oil or soya bean oil

- baking powder (good for tenderising meat)

- soda bicarbonate (good for cleaning)

from Asian Stores:

- light soya sauce

- dark soya sauce

- oyster sauce

- sesame oil

- shaoxing chinese wine (best from Shaoxing, China)

- rice vinegar (good for seasoning and cleaning)

- dried chinese mushrooms

- chinese cabbage

3. Kitchen Basic Food Ingredients

- onions, garlic, ginger

- rice, noodles, pasta

- cornflour

- eggs 

- chilli - red and green (optional) - can grow from seeds

Veggies that can last about 1-2 weeks

- potatoes, carrots, tomatoes

- round cabbage 

not very important but good to have:

- all purpose flour or self raising flour

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