Shop Vanilla And Bean’s Kitchen Essentials
Take a peek inside my kitchen and pantry! I’m sharing my go-to cookbooks, kitchen tools, small electrics, and vegetarian pantry staples I can’t cook without.
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Cookbooks
Not a cookbook, but an essential resource for home cooks. It catalogs vegetables, herbs, legumes and spices and connects them to their perfect flavor/ingredient partners to inspire the chef in all of us.
Approachable, flavorful and creative, Ottolenghi’s Plenty is a trove of fabulous inspired flavors and fresh combinations that will have you coming back again and again.
I’ve been cooking my way through Molly’s book for years and have learned much about vegetarian cooking. Her recipes are unfussy, healthful and flavorful.
A treasure trove of bread baking wisdom. This book includes mostly yeasted breads with a smaller section of sourdough. All bread bakers to benefit!
This book changed my sourdough world! Emilie’s method is simple, approachable and it just works!
Tried and true family baking recipes from a beloved bakery in Seattle. From sweet and savory pastries, cookies, and tea cakes to scones, this book is a must.
From the popular vegetarian cafe in Seattle, Cafe Flora’s book is a modern take on vegetarian and vegan eats from more involved recipes to simple preparations, but always full of flavor.
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
This book was my introduction to vegan baking. Fun, simple and delicious vegan cupcakes! No one will even know they’re vegan!
Heavenly Vegan Dals and Curries
Flavorful and vibrant recipes from Rahkee Yadav’s kitchen. My go to for plant based Indian cooking,
Reinvented desserts with more than 100 wholesome gluten free treats utilizing alternative grains and flours for every taste and baking level.
The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
A must for every baker’s bookshelf. A reference, cookbook and inspiration to aspiring and well seasoned bakers.
A resource for gluten free eaters and those that bake for them. Alice Medrich created a masterpiece showcasing gluten free dessert classics and much more.
Sourdough Essentials
A beautiful tool to artfully slash your gorgeous sourdough. Easy to maintain and change blades when necessary.
My favorite proofing vessel. It creates beautiful concentric circles on the top of a baked sourdough boule.
Professional bakers weigh their ingredients because it’s more accurate. Home bakers have adopted this method too for the best results.
For accurate oven temperature monitoring, use the ThermoWorks DOT with an oven Air Probe. I have this attached (magnet) to the exterior of my oven and use it daily.
A baker’s most useful tool! The Thermapen delivers speed and accuracy in about one second! Use it to check the internal temperature of your baked sourdough before pulling it from the oven!
My go-to for Dutch oven for sourdough bread baking! It helps create that steamy environment for the ultimate crust.
A back up to my DO, this skillet with deep lid is versatile and creates beautiful sourdough.
Lodge 10″ Deep Cast Iron Skillet/Lid
This is what I use to lid my 10″ cast iron skillet when baking sourdough bread. It allows the sourdough to rise high while creating that steamy environment for the perfect crust.
A favorite flour for bread baking. King Arthur Flour is consistent in quality, high protein and produces the best crumb!
I feed my sourdough starter AP flour. I always have it on hand and Bob’s Red Mill delivers on consistency every time. It’s also fabulous in sourdough pizza!
I love adding whole grain whole wheat flour to my bread recipes. Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour has an earthy flavor and adds a bit of rustic goodness to baked goods.
Small Kitchen Electrics
I love this little kettle! It heats water in a snap, with an adjustable dial to get that perfect cup of tea (or the water at the right temperature for sourdough).
Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender
Vitamix owner for over 10 years! Worth every penny, it’s high quality, works hard and does it all. Their customer service is the best!
Brevelle Smart Waffle Pro 2 Slice Maker
This effecient kitchen electric churns out beautiful Belgian style waffles. Its non stick surface makes for quick release and easy clean up!
Breville Sous Chef 12 C Food Processor
A work horse in the kitchen, it chops, dices, shreds and purees. It’ll even kneads dough!
Puree’ soups, whip up icing and eggs in an instant, this immersion blender makes blending in the cook pot a snap. It’s easy to clean too!
In my kitchen for 15 years, this machine whips up everything from cookies, cakes, and bread to ice cream (the attachment is fabulous!).
Pantry Essentials
My go-to bread flour for sourdough baking. KAF is consistent in quality and produces the best crumb!
My favorite organic AP flour from Bob’s Red Mill. It creates the most consistent baked goods, is light in texture and has an earthy flavor.
Organic White Whole Wheat Flour
A light whole wheat flour made from whole grains. It’s delicious in my baked recipes where I want a little more nutrition and nutty flavor.
When baking gluten free, my easy go-to all purpose flour is from Bob’s Red Mill. It makes the best gluten free pizza and tender and light baked goods.
Love masa flour in Southwestern cooking! It thickens chili, acts as a flavor builder in tacos and is essential for making homemade corn tortillas.
Fantastic in bread, pancakes, crepes and waffles. Bob’d Red Mill buckwheat flour offers gluten free and whole grain goodness for our baked goods.
Medium grind cornmeal is excellent in savory waffles and my go-to for corn bread! The grind is just fine enough to provide the best texture.
When not making homemade oat flour, this is my go-to. Fine enough to sub up to 1/4 C in many baking recipes.
Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) Flour
So versatile in the vegetarian and vegan kitchen, chickpea flour can act as a strong binding agent in many recipes. Delicious flavor and texture!
Similar to soy sauce, but is organic and gluten free. So flavorful delivering umami flavor in many savory recipes.
A umami flavor builder in the vegetarian pantry. Use it in casseroles, dressings, no-meat balls and so much more.
A splash of vinegar goes a long way to balance flavor in many recipes. ACV is delicious in baked and savory recipes.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
Savory, spicy and fabulous in Mexican and Southwest cooking. Leftovers freeze with ease!
Versatile enough for roasting, saute’, drizzling and for salad dressing. It has a spicy finish and is mild in flavor.
For Thai and Indian cooking, yes, but also fabulous in Morroccan recipes, and sweets! Rich, creamy and so delicious!
Brings SO much flavor to curry recipes. This is an ingredients you’ll always find in my pantry.
Spicy with complex flavors and so fabulous for curries, and dips. This is my go-to yellow curry paste.
A fabulous whole grain rice that’s chewy in texture and has a nutty flavor. Use it in sides and mains!
Fragrant, and a perfect partner with Thai and Indian recipes. It’s my go-to for Thai fried rice.
Flavorful, fluffy and aromatic, this rice is fabulous in casseroles, gratins, soups and sides.
The perfect breakfast and ground into oat flour, these rolled oats are nutty, earthy and so flavorful!
This ancient grain is actually a seed. It’s most versatile in salads, bulking up whole grain roasts, grain bowls, tacos and so much more!
Earthy, nutty and with a chewy texture, wheat berries add bulk to salads and grain bowls, but they also excellent in soups and stews.
A blond color, perfectly sweet sugar I use in cookies, cakes, pies and much more. It’s certified fair trade and nonGMO!
Makes baked goods extra moist with a rich caramelish flavor. This sugar is certified fair trade and nonGMO!
Fragrant, rich and absolutely delicious, Frontier Co-Op’s Vanilla Extract is a must in all my baked recipes.
Bakeware & Baking Tools
Sheet 16×12″ pans that do it all, from pizza, focaccia and sheet cakes to roasting veggies. These Nordic pans are sturdy and are a kitchen staple.
Perfect for muffins, cupcakes, rolls and mini quiches. These pans produce evenly baked goods and clean up with ease.
For snack cakes, cookie bars and their allies, this 9×9″ pan is durable and versatile in the home kitchen.
Easy release and evenly baked cakes, this 8″ spring form pan makes beautiful sponge, tarts and cheese cakes.
I use this 4.5″ spatula for so many things! From spreading icing and cake batter to pizza sauce and mayo. It’s a must in the kitchen.
Keep all those lose bits of flour in check with a versatile bench scraper. It helps shape dough and pastry and keeps your work area tidy.
I love having this set of 11 round cutters on hand to cut cookies, biscuits and pastry. They’re made of stainless steel, are durable and are of professional quality.
Similar to the rolling pin I use and love, this durable rolling pin is perfect for pies, tarts and cookies. It’s beautiful too!
A reversible large block for prep, chopping, rolling out pastry and working dough. It’s gorgeous on the counter and cleans up with ease.
Slide homemade pizza into the oven using a tool the professionals use! Making homemade pizza is a snap when using a peel.
For portioning cookies, yes but also no-meat balls, no-crab cakes and of course scooping ice cream. A versatile and durable must have!
My go-to large 4.5 Qt. mixing bowl for bread, cakes, quick bread and muffins. It’s durable and beautiful.
Line sheet pans like the pros to prevent sticking. I reuse individual sheets up to two times when baking cookies or granola for maximum efficiency.
I love these pretty muffin cups! Perfect for cupcakes or muffins, they allow the cake to rise just a bit higher and create a professional finish.
Reusable non stick baking mat for cookies, cakes, biscuits, scones and high heat candy! Versatile and easy to use.
Cookware
Cuisinart 10 Piece Stainless Steel Cookware
I’ve had my cuisinart set, similar to this one, for over 20 years. It’s been so durable. My favorite pan in this set is the large saute’ pan with lid.
Beautiful, functional and durable this Dutch oven goes from stove top to oven with ease. I love this size, perfect for beans, stews, soups and fried rice. It lives on my stove top.
Received the 2-quart as a gift years ago and it’s become one of my favorite pans for sauces, risottos and caramels. It heats evenly and so versatile in the home kitchen.
I love this small non stick pan for eggs. Specialized, yes, but it’s so effective!
One of my go-to skillets for pan frying, cornbread and skillet enchiladas! Clean up is a snap!
Beautiful, durable and versatile, this is a big pan. I love this large pan for paella, stir fry and pancakes! It can go from stove to table beautifully.
