The One Kitchen Tool Scott Conant Can't Live Without
Per Food Network, Scott Conant has built his reputation as the "finicky" judge on the food competition show "Chopped." It might surprise you to learn cooking wasn't this celebrity chef's first choice for a profession. According to a Forbes article, Conant's career path wasn't a straight shot, but he knew he wanted to work with his hands.
Conant had applied to a plumber's training program, but wasn't accepted. This ultimately sent him down the road to study at the Culinary Institute of America and later on to Germany where he learned the ins and outs of being a pastry chef, all of which set the stage for the winner of "Chopped All Stars" to open his own restaurants focusing on his love for the Italian fare his grandmother helped him cultivate. And while Conant doesn't use a basin wrench or faucet key in his daily life, the author of "Peace, Love, and Pasta: Simple and Elegant Recipes from a Chef's Home Kitchen" has other tools of the trade that he works with, including this one kitchen gadget that he can't live without.
Conant and other chefs hold hand-held blenders in high regard
Food Network asked Conant about the one kitchen appliance he can't live without and he revealed it is his hand-held blender. Hand-held blenders are definitely a convenient way to blend, puree, beat, or whip a wide variety of recipes, and their convenience helps minimize excessive dirty dishes. Conant uses his when he makes his Pici with Shrimp Ragu and Rosemary Breadcrumbs, according to Iconic Life.
Plenty of other celebrity chefs agree with Conant that a good hand-held blender is a must. Per From Cook to Chef, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, and Gordon Ramsay all find this kitchen gadget to be a must have. Additionally, Alton Brown is a fan of the hand-held blender when making delicious soup. Brown wrote on his website: "In addition to providing your finished product with a pleasant consistency, blenders (both immersion and conventional) do a marvelous job of emulsifying and aerating, that is, blending flavors and incorporating air into your food for a lighter, silkier texture."