Here’s a NY Times article by Mark Bittman about cooking gear. (Check out his list of kitchen item you CAN live without – including what Joey V. has been saying for years, the microwave.) I heart Mark Bittman: He’s so much more useful to the average person than Frank Bruni or New York Magazine are.

It’s coincidental with what I’ve been thinking about lately. I’ve been obsessing about knives and knife brands. But having a kick-ass, impressive knife won’t make me a better cook. Of course, it’ll help make my prep work easier and faster. But I think in the end, for home cooking, as long as your one chef’s knife (and maybe a paring knife) is comfortable and consistently sharpened, you’ll be alright.

Minimal kitchen gear and multi-taskers.

This why I’m going to be stubborn and stick to my guns about not buying a salad spinner.

Keep it simple, stoopidhead.