"FIT FOODIE" BASICS

1. stainless steel pots and pans

Learning to cook without non-stick pans is a great skill because it reduces your toxic load, and creates a much better sear on sauteed veggies.  Also, because there's no special finish that can wear off, stainless pans last FOREVER compared to non-stick.

2. a sharp chef knife

A sharp knife is a safe knife.  Seriously, the sharper the better because you can be more accurate with your cuts and the knife will be less prone to slipping.  A chef knife is perfect for cutting just about anything.

3. cast iron pans

Just like stainless steel, cast iron is another non-toxic cooking tool.  I generally use my cast iron for meats because they give you an exceptional sear and flavor.  I'd start with a basic pan, like the one listed.  If you want something else later on, try a dutch oven (basically a deep pan with a lid).

4. wooden cooking utensils

Wooden utensils are my favorite to cook with because you never have to worry about them melting...  Cooking utensils are subject to very high heat, and this heat can leach plastic taste/toxins into your food, so I advise saving plastic tools for serving, once foods have cooled a bit.

5. lots of mixing bowls

Mixing bowls can really help with mess prevention.  If I am adding lots of veggies to a pan but need to chop them first, I cut them all up first, put them in the bowl and walk the whole bowl over to the stove, rather than carrying things by hand.  What I like about these is that they have lids, so if you're making pastured chicken wings, simply add your wings and seasoning, put the lid on and toss to coat!

6. plastic cutting board

If you're only going to get one cutting board, get a plastic one that has rubber grippers, like this one.  Even though I primarily use wooden cutting boards, I ONLY use my plastic board when cutting raw meat so that it can be sanitized (with heat) in the dishwasher.  NEVER cut raw meat on a wooden board.

"FIT FOODIE" ADVANCED TOOLS

1. wooden cutting board

Like I said in the previous section, a wooden cutting board is what I use most, because it helps to preserve the sharp edge of your knife.  This one is nice because it has an edge that can catch drips from juicy tomatoes!

2. mandolin

I really use my mandolin for only a few things, slaws, sauerkraut, and a dish called ratatouille.  This device quickly cuts veggies so they're SUPER thin, so even though I don't use it often, I am SO thankful I have it.

3. cast iron dutch oven

As I said in the previous section, a cast iron pan is a great place to start, but a dutch oven is the critical piece to my crispy chicken thigh recipe.  The lid and high sides help to prevent splattering!

4. wooden cooking utensils

Wooden utensils are my favorite to cook with because you never have to worry about them melting...  Cooking utensils are subject to very high heat, and this heat can leach plastic taste/toxins into your food, so I advise saving plastic tools for serving, once foods have cooled a bit.

5. lots of mixing bowls

Mixing bowls can really help with mess prevention.  If I am adding lots of veggies to a pan but need to chop them first, I cut them all up first, put them in the bowl and walk the whole bowl over to the stove, rather than carrying things by hand.  What I like about these is that they have lids, so if you're making pastured chicken wings, simply add your wings and seasoning, put the lid on and toss to coat!

6. plastic cutting board

If you're only going to get one cutting board, get a plastic one that has rubber grippers, like this one.  Even though I primarily use wooden cutting boards, I ONLY use my plastic board when cutting raw meat so that it can be sanitized (with heat) in the dishwasher.  NEVER cut raw meat on a wooden board.