Inside the Kitchens of Real Chefs

GEORGE DURAN
The cooking expert: Chef George Duran, host of Food Network's Ham on the Street, was born and reared in Venezuela and attended culinary school at the École Supérieure de Cuisine Française Groupe Ferrandi. He now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The pick: "One of my favorite gadgets in my kitchen is my cutting board holder. Everyone asks me where I got it. And I reply, 'You can't find this in any kitchen supply store. In fact, the only place you can find it is at an office supply store!'"

What I do with it: "It organizes my cutting boards upright so that I don't need to pile them up anywhere. Also, once a board is washed it's easier for them to air dry on it."

Personal glimpse: "I had a friend who was moving and happened to have a couple of them that he was throwing out. I grabbed it and knew exactly how I wanted to use it. Now every time my friend comes over for dinner he regrets having given it away — he wants one, too."

ERIC TANAKA
The cooking expert: Eric Tanaka is executive chef for the Tom Douglas Restaurant Group in Seattle, which includes rotisserie offerings at the Palace Ballroom, definitive Pacific cuisine at the Dahlia Lounge and also the Dahlia Bakery.

The pick: "A Staub Dutch oven, a thick-metaled unit that heats evenly and holds the temperature well."

What I do with it: "I use it to prepare stews or a straightforward classic pot roast. For that I use chuck roast, which has a little more fat and tastes delicious cooked in a Dutch oven."

Personal glimpse: "I have two kids, so we have to eat, but after working in the kitchen all day the rule at home is one pot or pan per meal. I'll start something, throw the pot in the oven and then take the kids to basketball or tutoring or whatever we have going on. The Dutch oven holds moderate heat really well and the slow, gentle cooking means the meal is optimal when we get back."