If you've recently wandered into a kitchen store or found yourself perusing an online gourmet shop, there's a good chance you've been inundated with myriad cooking gadgets. Everything from pizza slicers to apple corers. While kitchen gadgets are fun, the bottom line is that you actually don't need much at all for basic, everyday cooking.

There are many useful kitchen knives, but if you’re going to invest in one good quality knife, make it an 8-inch or 10-inch chef’s knife. It can get almost any job done. Keep it sharp.

Spatulas are great for everything from stirring sauces to sautéing vegetables. Make sure to purchase a heat-resistant variety.

Tongs can be used like an extension of your own hands. Use them for turning meats and vegetables during the cooking process, and tossing together pastas and salads.

Use whisks with eggs, cream, batters and sauces, and to combine dry ingredients.

Kitchen shears are an excellent multi-purpose tool. They're useful for everything from quickly cutting fresh herbs over a salad to deboning a chicken.

While not an absolute kitchen essential, it's useful to have a cheese grater on hand. A microplane zester is a good alternative because it can be used for zesting citrus, grating nutmeg, and finely grating small amounts of cheese.

Slotted spoons are also not technically essentials, but they are very handy for blanching vegetables or separating foods from their cooking liquid.

Now that you have the tools, try your hand at making some of these delicious everyday recipes.

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