IN THEIR KITCHEN 8: Paula Ray B

Curious about what the neighbours have in their kitchen? We are. That’s why we are taking a look into the kitchens of food lovers we know. Every other month, one of them will share 5 of their favourite ingredients and tell us why they love them so. This month we feature Paula Ray B.

I cook for the creativity and the passion that food brings out of me. With food, i get to paint on an empty canvas and i would love to master that art.

Paula is currently in her 3rd year of Culinary Arts at Prue Leith Chefs Academy.

As a chef, I am supposed to tell you that I don’t have a favorite ingredient in the kitchen
and that I love all the things that I use. However, I have to admit that some ingredients and tools are just so handy that I can’t help but put them in my top five.

1. BUTTER

Butter is simply a necessary add on in any dish. I know that sounds so unhealthy but I cannot resist the shine and extra richness it gives food. Adding a cube of butter to food that needs a little bit of love can take it a very long way. And you can use butter in so many ways; on breads, in breads, in curries, in pasta, on pancakes…

2. GARLIC

 

Now, this is a personal favorite. If a recipe calls for a clove, it’s only fair to put in the whole head. I am a huge fan of garlic and I do not believe in too much garlic. If your garlic is potent, you’re doing something wrong. There’s just something about garlic in a homemade soup with a piece of garlic bread on the side. Yum! And yes, I add garlic in everything that I cook, talk about diversity in flavors.

3. POTATOES

 

Okay, so I know I said that garlic was a personal favorite but I think potatoes take that spot. Potatoes are the most versatile vegetable to work with. Potatoes don’t have a defined flavor of their own, that means that they can take on the flavor of anything that you give them. If that’s not a chef’s canvas, I don’t know what is. This is why I believe you can tell someone’s personality through the way that they cook their potatoes. 

If you haven’t had potatoes fried in duck fat, I ask that you try this life changing experience. Thank me later. 

4. SPATULA

 

As much as I adore my knife, there are a couple of equipment that just make life much easier in the kitchen and a spatula happens to be one of those. I use my spatula for everything. Mixing, scraping and even passing things through a sieve. I don’t know where I would be without one. Scraping that extra bit of mixture into a piping bag can be cumbersome but once you’ve got yourself a spatula, it really is easy. 

5. PALETTE KNIFE

 

Lastly, I’ve got my trusty palette knife. This is one of those tools that can work as anything. I always have one on me and I never fail to find use for it. Need to pick up something delicate? Palette knife. Need to make cut marks on a cake? Palette knife. Need to taste something that you’re cooking? Palette knife. (Although I do have a tasting spoon) 

A palette knife is a must have for me. And another great thing is that they come in different shapes and sizes.

Follow Paula to see her amazing creations and food photography.