Make Your Home Cooking Taste Like a Restaurant With These Simple Ingredients and Kitchen Tools

Tasty home cooking doesn’t necessarily require high-end groceries or a top-of-the-line kitchen. All you really need are delicious recipes; a large assortment of spices; some basic cooking tools; and a few kinds of appliances to cook your food. Making good home-cooked meals just requires patients, and a few simple ingredients and kitchen tools. But, you can truly find everything you need at Amazon, Walmart and Target.

A few of our suggested items come as recommendations from Woman’s World Food Director, Julie Miltenberger, who also reviewed the article for us, so you know you’re getting the best of the best. Before you know it, you’ll be equipped to create meals anyone would be proud of.

5 Cookbooks That Will Teach You the Joy of Cooking

1. The Essential New York Times Cookbook: The Recipes of Record by Amanda Hesser
Not only is The Essential New York Times Cookbook a New York Times best-seller, but it also won a James Beard award. Written by former New York Times food editor Amanda Hesser, it includes thousands of recipes that you’ll absolutely love. It’s available in formats for Kindle, and in hardcover.

2. Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
There’s a reason why Ina Garten is so popular: Aside from being hilariously herself, she writes simple, delicious recipes that just about anyone can follow. Modern Comfort Food includes 85 new recipes, from cocktails to desserts. And many of them are inspired by dishes from her childhood, with a deliciously sophisticated twist.

3. Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day by Padma Lakshmi
Former Top Chef judge Padma Lakshmi isn’t only a beautiful human being and a fantastic TV host — she’s a fantastic cook, too. Inspired by her travels and Indian heritage, Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet is full of incredible flavor and fantastic photography. The writing is incredible, too, with fascinating stories from her exciting life.

4. Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day by Moosewood Collective
You don’t need to be vegetarian to enjoy Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. It’s filled with more than 150 meatless recipes from the iconic Ithaca restaurant, that are both delicious and versatile. It won a James Beard award in 1995 for Best Vegetarian Cookbook.

5. The Best Simple Recipes by America’s Test Kitchen
America’s Test Kitchen is known for writing full-proof, easy-to-follow recipes. So it was no question to include their book of The Best Simple Recipes. The book includes 200 recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less, offering delicious flavors and variety. It’s available in Kindle format, and in paperback.

5 Seasoning Options That Can Make Your Meal

1. Simply Organic Starter Spice Gift Set
Get your spice rack started with the basics. Simply Organic’s set of 12 spices includes cayenne, Italian seasoning, Oregano, cumin, crushed red pepper, all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, chili powder, cinnamon, basil, onion powder and thyme. Each is 100% organic and made with harmful pesticide-free and fresh ingredients.

2. Saltworks Bag of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
Be your own Salt Bae with Saltworks’ five-pound bag of pink Himalayan sea salt. With more minerals than regular salt, it’s may be better for you — and definitely has more character than plain table salt. It’ll add some delicious flavor to just about anything. If you buy it online from Target, it’s $2 off, so get those savings.

3. Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder Set
Take your seasonings to the table with electric salt and pepper grinders. They’re low-noise, to keep things peaceful at dinner, and come with built-in LED so you can see your food when you’re seasoning it. You can also adjust the coarseness for the pepper grinder, if you like larger or smaller flakes.

4. A Spice Affair Pro Kit Spice Set
Complementing the Simply Organic set, A Spice Affair’s Pro Kit comes with all the seasoning blends a pro cook needs: Spaghetti, guacamole, bagels, steak, persaillotte (a classic French blend), salmon, taco and more. And if you’d rather opt for something different, like the keto kit or plant-based kit, for meatless cooks, they have those options, too. For $88, you can officially say goodbye to bland meals for good.

5. Culinary Herb Seeds Variety Pack
Nothing augments a meal quite like fresh herbs. So start your own herb garden with Sustainable Sprout’s culinary herb seeds variety pack. It comes with seeds for 10 different spice herbs for indoor hydroponic gardens or for your backyard, or if you don’t have one, add Barnyard Designs windowsill pots or a Best Choice Products planter for even a small patio or deck space. With parsley, sage, oregano and more, all of your dishes will have the fresh restaurant taste in seconds.

9 Basic Cooking Tools That Every Home Kitchen Should Have

1. T-Fal Two-Piece Nonstick Frying Pan Set
T-Fal frying pans have a ProGlide nonstick interior that makes for easy release and cleanup. Meanwhile, its thermo-spot technology shows when pans are properly preheated, and it heats quickly and evenly. They’re dishwasher- and oven-safe, too, so they’re durable enough to stand the test of time.

2. Cuisinart 12-Piece Knife Set and Block
Every home chef needs some quality knives, and Cuisinart’s 12-piece knife set comes with everything you’ll need. Including a variety of knives, shears and a block, it’ll help you chop, slice, dice and prep anything and everything. They come in multiple colors, but the white and stainless steel is perfect for a ~clean aesthetic.~

3. Silicone Slotted and Solid Spatulas
Whether you’re frying up some eggs or making a delicious stir-fry, you’ll need some silicone spatulas that won’t damage your pots and pans. Consider getting a pack of two spatulas tha tare heat resistant and BPA-free. They’re also dishwasher-safe, so you won’t damage them during cleanup.

4. Fish Spatula
Whether you’re frying or grilling a filet of fish, fish turners are a must-have, according to Julie Miltenberger. Each comes in a set of two, and they’re made from stainless steel, so they’ll last you a while.

5. Martha by Martha Stewart seven-quart Dutch Oven
Bake some bread or make a stew with Martha Stewart’s Seven-Quart Dutch Oven, made by none other than Martha Stewart. It comes in a wide range of colors, and the inside is made from enameled cast iron, which means it won’t degrade over time.

6. OXO Good Grip Tongs
Julie’s also recommends OXO tongs. They’re super strong, so you won’t drop whatever you’re mixing or picking up. And each set comes with two — one in nine inches and one in 12 — so you always have options.

7. KitchenAid Ribbed Soft Silicone Pot Holders
Pot holders and oven mitts are absolutely crucial for grabbing hot pots and pans from the stove or oven. So invest in heat safety with KitchenAid’s Ribbed Soft Pot Holders. Each set comes with two, and they’re a best-selling item. They come in multiple colors, too, to match the rest of your color scheme.

8. Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons
Cooking and baking is a science, which is where stainless steel measuring cups and spoons tend to come in handy. This set comes with five of each, to ensure all of your measurements are covered. And they’re stainless steel, so they’ll definitely hold up over time.

9. Microplane Grater and Zester
Julie’s final recommendation for a must-have kitchen tool is a microplane. Whether you’re adding pecorino to a salad or zesting a lemon, it’s great to have on-hand for fine grating. Just don’t lose the cover it comes with, microplane graters are sharp.

5 Appliances That Are Great for Making All Different Kinds of Food

1. Ninja Professional Plus Blender
Make smoothies, crush up some ice or even make a sauce with Ninja’s 1200-watt Professional Plus Blender. It comes with two additional kinds of blender cups, a book of 15 recipes, a guide (and a two-year protection plan for an additional $21).

2. Cuisinart Air Fryer
Air fryers can make any vegetable or pre-cooked meat deliciously crispy. They can also double as toasters, ovens and broilers. And Cuisinart’s Air Fryer can hold up to 4.5 quarts. The parts that hold food are also dishwasher-safe, so it will likely hold up for a while. You can opt for larger ones, too, if you’re cooking in large quantities.

3. Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Portable Slow Cooker
Slow cookers are great for making stews, dips, meat and more. And you can take Hamilton Beach’s Stay Or Go Slow Cooker on-the-go, if you’re attending a potluck, tailgate or anything in between. It can hold up to six quarts of food, and it’s dishwasher safe. Its lid locks, too, so it won’t spill on the way to wherever you’re going.

4. KitchenAid Classic Series Standing Mixer
Even if you aren’t delving into the world of baking, a standing mixer is great for scrambling eggs, whipping cream or simply shredding chicken. KitchenAid’s Classic Series Standing Mixer will look gorgeous sitting on your counter, and it can hold up to 4.5 quarts. It comes in white or black.

5. Black+Decker’s 2-Slice Toaster
Black+Decker’s 2-Slice Toaster is an Amazon’s Choice product, and for good reason. In addition to having extra wide slots for whatever kind of bread you choose, it has special functions for frozen items, a slide-out crumb tray and a super sleek design. It comes in black or stainless steel.