1 - Parchment Paper – A great pan liner for baking, it makes clean-up a breeze. It opens up a whole new style of cooking, en papillote, cooking fish, vegetables and other items in their own juices. Avoid the rolled paper which can curl during cooking. Go to the Mexican foods section and look for flat-folded sheets sometimes sold as tamale paper.

2 – Mandoline – The light saber of cooking utensils, essential for making precision-sliced, ridged, or julienne vegetables. Professional models can cost 200.00 or more, my Cuisinart model cost under 60.00 and performs beautifully

3 – Mortar and Pestle – Some consider pestos and salsas made with anything else to be at best, reasonable facsimiles of the real thing. I use mine daily for grinding whole spices just before cooking; avoiding the frequently tasteless pre-ground stuff.

4 - Poultry Shears – They pay for themselves with the first use. Buy whole chickens rather than pre-cut and save big $$. Safer than using a knife and cutting board to do the job.

5 - Silicone Whisks and Spatulas – Avoid scratching your expensive non-stick cookware. Caution – spend enough to get a high-heat-rated utensil (at least 500 degrees F). Less expensive ones can melt at temperatures as low as 300 degrees F.

6 – AccuSharp Knife Sharpener – The safest, easiest way to keep your knives sharp and ready to go. Mechanical sharpeners used incorrectly can damage your valuable cutlery. The chef’s sharpening steel can be difficult to master and the learning curve can be a dangerous one. I’ve owned an AccuSharp for over a decade and will never use anything else on my blades.

7 – Zester – An astonishing number of dishes, both sweet and savory can be greatly enhanced by the addition of lemon or orange zest. Zesters are inexpensive, compact, and easy to use.

8 – Mesh Gloves – Heat resistant gloves such as the Ove Glove are a great improvement over the quilted baker’s mitts. They are machine washable and offer greater dexterity than silicone mitts.

9 - Instant-Read Thermometer – Essential for precise cooking and food safety. Make sure to buy one that can be calibrated. The economy models can not be readjusted and are often useless within a year.

10 - KitchenAid Stand Mixer – The workhorse of any well equipped kitchen. A wide assortment of attachments makes this the most versatile kitchen machine ever produced.