The highlight of our annual vacation this year was the wedding of my youngest sister Iffat’s son, Yusuf, in North Brunswick, N.J. Many of us brothers and sisters — from a brood of 15 — as well as cousins and their sons and daughters descended on the New Jersey town for more than a week’s festivities involved in a traditional wedding of the Indian subcontinent. They came from several states and Canada and as far away as Bangladesh and India.

The formal Muslim marriage itself is a solemn and simple exchange of vows in a ceremony officiated by a cleric in the presence of witnesses. But it is the extended “hulla gulla” (fun and frolic) in the setting of family and friends, often recorded and photographed, that will form the basis of fond memories in the years to come.

In my role as the family elder, being the first-born in the family, and a veteran of counseling in affairs of the kitchen, it is my duty to advise on setting up an efficient kitchen. I could talk about appliances and counter tops, but renters have no choice there.

That leaves the choice of small appliances and implements. I say small but they do make a big difference. The most important among the small things are pots and pans and knives, where quality varies widely. More often than not “sets” for either is not a good deal.

For a starter kitchen, I would choose these in pots and pans: frypans — one 7- or 8-inch; one 10-inch (perhaps a 12-inch also if you entertain). Pots: one 5-quart Dutch oven; one 2- or 3-quart; one 1- to 1 quart saucepan.
All must be of heavy-gauge aluminum, hard-anodized or with a quality coating, or heavy tri-ply stainless steel. Some good brands are Calphalon, Anolon, Circulon, Cuisinart and All-Clad (expensive). Macy’s, JCPenney and Sears offer some decent house brands, especially attractive when on closeout sales. Discount stores such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshall’s or Ross often have great deals.

The same goes for knives. Three are all you need now: an 8- or 9-inch chef’s; a 7- or 5-inch utility; and a 3-or 4-inch parer. A 10-inch slicer comes in handy for bread etc. Look for forged, rather than stamped, high-carbon stainless steel material in straight edge, not serrated, which cannot be sharpened. Never fall for those cheap saw-tooth wonders that say “never needs sharpening.”

Every good knife needs sharpening after a while, and “steeling” in between. So buy a sharpening stone and a steel. Some good brands are Henckels and Wusthof (expensive), Tramontina, Calphalon, Cuisinart and Farberware. JCPenney’s own brand, Cooks, is decent, too. Learn to sharpen. Go online and you can find even videos on the subject.
When choosing small appliances such as a microwave oven, toaster (and/or toaster oven), electric kettle and percolator, apply the same principles above. Do your research before investing — on line and at the library. Magazines such as Consumer Reports should be of help.

NOTES FROM MY KITCHEN: Before trip, prepare for return