There are a lot of things you need in a well-stocked kitchen: a metal colander large enough to hold a baby, at least three shapes of pasta, Genever, some romantic dish soap and maybe a clip-on light or two (optional: bay leaves).
But Cal Peternell, author of Twelve Recipes and restaurant chef at Chez Panisse, says there are at least three kitchen tools you don't need. "There are a few things that just puzzle me," he says.
I don't even know why it's called a cutting board. It's a piece of glass on little feet. Sometimes it's even pebbled on the surface. It's not useful as a cutting board in any way.
Another one that's quite popular that I don't quite get is the whole set of knives that are all different shapes -- a chef's knife, a paring knife -- but they're all serrated. One serrated knife is great for bread or maybe cutting tomatoes. But a chef's knife, which is the most commonly used knife, you don't want that to be serrated. That just does not work.
It makes the garlic too mashed up for sauteing and not really mashed up enough to use raw. I guess I just don't really get the point of it.
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