I am a curious person with a knack for asking unusual questions. I love seeking answers, mainly through my photography. We know surgeons use scalpels, plumbers use wrenches, lawyers use pens, and chefs use knives.
I wondered ‘What tools do chefs use daily beyond the knife?’ To find out, I reached out to a handful of chefs in Edmonton who shared fascinating insights. For instance, they emphasized the importance of specialized cooking tools for regional dishes or noted a preference for wooden spoons over metal ones. Here are a few tools used by talented chefs who consistently create exceptional food in the city.
Stephen Hlushak, Va
Va Caffè by the Corso 32 Group, introduced the Roman-style rectangular pizza with a thin, crispy crust called al taglio to Edmonton. Chef Stephen tells me his al taglio pans are his daily go-to. “These pans are very thin and lightweight but can hold high heat, which is needed for this style of pizza.” I noticed that Stephen always had a secondary tool—standard pliers from Home Depot.
“Ah, yes, these pliers are always with me. I use them because the dough is pressed right to the edge of the pan, you need a good grip, and when it is ready, oven mitts aren’t practical, so the pliers are perfect.”
Julia Kundera, Out of Bounds
Julia Kundera has been cooking in Edmonton for almost 40 years, from Café Mosaics in 1986 (the first restaurant she and her sister Zofia owned) to Out of Bounds Restaurant at Cattail Crossing. “I have used wooden spoons since I started my career. It wasn’t taught, they were always there. Even back in Poland when I was a child, all I knew was cooking with wooden utensils.” Julia prefers wood over metal because “wood is antibacterial, the handles never get hot when you leave them in a pot, and they don’t damage your cookware when used to scrape.” Julia even defaults to a wooden flipper for her eggs and omelettes.
Eric Hanson, The Marc
When you have generations of chefs in your family dating back to WWI, it makes sense to choose your great-grandmother’s plating spoon as a daily tool when finishing his French-inspired dishes at The Marc. “My great-grandmother Glad Day Kemp used this spoon in 1939 when she cooked for King George VI and Elizabeth in Victoria, and I continue to use it to this day. The spoon is by Wm. Rogers & Son and is over 150 years old. Wm. Rogers spoons may be a dime a dozen now, but this one, to me, is priceless,” says chef Hanson.
Doreen Prei, Glenora Park
Doreen Prei chose her Bron stainless steel mandolin. “I like using the mandolin because you need to be focused when using it; in a way, it connects you more to the dish. I use it mainly for vegetables, I like the precision it offers,” she says. “I spent a lot of time in my youth learning precision cutting, so when I discovered the mandolin, I realized it isn’t a substitute for knife skills, but the mandolin makes some things easier.” Since chef Prei works in an exclusive private residence, the public can connect with her food at charity events, competitions like the Great Canadian Kitchen Party (where she took the gold medal) and on CBC 740 AM Radio Thursdays at 4:40pm.
Paul Shufelt, Hayloft Steak + Fish
Paul Shufelt’s consistent tool is the Dry Ager at his steakhouse Hayloft. Purchasing an entire cow locally allows Paul to age his own steaks in-house. Dry aging creates a more tender, flavourful steak; the difference is noticeable. “Everything served in the restaurant is aged a minimum of 30 days,” says Paul. “Ribeye steaks often are aged 65 days. Our rare 120-day aged cuts have become quite sought after by steak aficionados in the city.” The Dry Ager is on full display in Hayloft’s dining room; it’s not uncommon for guests to see chef pulling perfectly-aged beef from it, and re-stocking regularly.
Winnie Chen, Fu’s Repair Shop
Chef Winnie uses carbon steel woks daily to make modern Chinese food at Fu’s. “They are designed for quick frying and sautéing and are so versatile, but using these woks for the first time was a learning experience. The most unique thing about cooking commercially with a wok is that the flame on a wok stove comes out like a jet engine—the flames are direct and concentrated. The wok master needs to work quickly, often with both hands, and you control the flame with valves by your knees. On a busy night, we have four woks on the go, it’s fast-paced and an enjoyable way to cook.”
Lino Oliveira, Sabor
It’s no surprise that chef Lino likes to use a cataplana when cooking seafood, he’s from Portugal after all. A cataplana is a Portuguese copper pot shaped like a hinged clamshell. “It’s more of a cooking vessel than a pot,” says Lino. Cataplanas, which are from the Algarve region, are essentially pressure cookers that lock in all the tastes, aromas and juices of the ingredients for an unforgettably rich flavour. Lino uses it to make various dishes, like a seafood stew, and often serves the dish right in the bottom half of the cataplana.
Tamara Solon, Chartier and Mother Bakery
It’s fitting that Chartier chef Tamara chose French onion soup bowls as her go-to tool. “I love the bowls, I find them at flea markets and customers give them to me. The deep bowls keep the soup hot before we put them under the salamander (commercial broiler) and bake the cheese on top.” Most people think that the handle of this traditional bowl is just for the cook to take the hot bowl out of the salamander, but it’s also used by the diner to hold the bowl steady. “Our French onion soup recipe uses three different kinds of cheese—swiss, provolone and locally sourced Lakeside Dairy Alberta Butter cheese. Therefore, one needs a sturdy handle to deal with the load of cheesy goodness, just make sure the handle isn’t too hot.”