RESOURCES

These are a few of my favorite things!

Whether you're just starting out or it's old (chef) hat to you, these are the items I trust and use in my kitchen daily. These items might also make great gifts for the cooks in your life.

FOR THE BEGINNING COOKS:

Get one as large as you can handle, in wood or plastic. Glass and other materials are destructive to knife edges. Personally, I like wood because it looks nicer longer, but plastic is dishwasher safe if that’s a priority for you.

A decent knife doesn’t have to cost more than $50 but it should cost more than $10 if you want one that will keep its edge and isn’t so flimsy that it’s dangerous.

Everyone should have one of these and use it weekly.

Easier to learn to use than a cast iron skillet, and much more durable than a non-stick skillet.

A 2-quart size works for most things.

A most excellent primer on learning to cook, learning to grocery shop, meal planning, and more. Includes over 150 recipes.

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FOR INTERMEDIATE COOKS:

Nice to have when you have a friend over to cook together. Maybe you want to upgrade now, too.

Cast iron is my go-to skillet. They take some breaking in (see my “how to season a cast iron skillet” instructions) but once you’ve got it, you’ll love it.

Blenders aren’t just for smoothies. Use the blender to scramble a dozen eggs for a crowd, to mix up pancake batter, to turn bread into crumbs, and to crush ice for cocktails.

(or two) - these silicon baking tray liners are a dream. They keep baked goods from sticking, they are reusable and easy to clean.

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FOR ADVANCED COOKS:

I find these more versatile than a spiralizer because you can use it to make thin slices or julienne “noodles”. These can cut you; use the hand guard, and sprinkle some water on the plate before you begin to lubricate it and keep food from sticking. (See the video on making “coconut zoodles” for a demo on this.)

Dutch ovens are wonderful tools for stews and braises. You can use them on the stove or in the oven with great results.

Great for making cakes, kneading bread dough, whipping cream or egg whites, and any number of more advanced techniques without breaking a sweat

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THE FLAVOR THESAURUS

Probably the most-used “cook book” in my house, this book is full of interesting flavor and ingredient combinations to experiment with.

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EXTRAS:

These are things you may find extremely useful, depending on your lifestyle.

I use my flow-cooker often, especially on busy days when I won’t have time to cook dinner. I even wrote a Slow Cooker Recipes book with 40 new recipes!

Use this for chopping large amounts of onions or other vegetables; grating cheese; even making pie crust

This is an electric pressure cooker/slow cooker/rice cooker. I have one and use it often to cook dried beans and meats on the pressure cooker setting. It’s safe, easy to use, and easy to clean.

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IF YOU LIKE THE VIDEOS, YOU'LL LOVE THE BOOKS!

Did y’all know I wrote some cookbooks? They’re not only useful, they’re funny as hell, too.

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