In a small kitchen, you don’t need a lot of equipment to cook great food. Still, you do need some pots, pans, utensils, and dishes–obviously. In the BGSK book ^[1], you’ll find a bare bones list of necessary tools, but I’ve long wanted to bring you a similar resource on the web.

So we’re going one by one ^[2], stocking up our virtual pantries and maybe our real ones too. You can see the whole “set” here ^[2].

Over the weekend, I brought a rainbow chip cake ^[3] to a birthday party (recipe soon, of course). At the last minute, I decided to carry it to the park on my large slate cheese board ^[4]. An odd choice, you might think, for a cake! But no: since I got the board over a year ago, I’ve used it to serve cheese, crostini, cake, and much, much more. (Food bloggers: it also makes a great photo backdrop.) Having a flat surface, rather than a plate or platter with edges, is part of what gives the board its versatility to suit anything from cheese to your spread of party cocktails. Of course if you host a lot of wine and cheese parties, ^[5] you’l find the board particularly valuable.

Unlike the salad spinner ^[6], the board’s flatness also means you’ll have good luck finding a place to stow the rectangle away, even in a small kitchen. (I rest it on the floor, wedged between a shelf and the wall.)

Here are a few ways you’ll use the board:

• Rainbow Chip Sheet Cake ^[3] (or any sheet cake)
• Brie & Red Pepper Crostini ^[7]
• Make-Your-Own Bloody Mary Station ^[8]

^[8]