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Tools They Use takes a look at local food artisans, such as chefs, bakers, brewers, and more with a simple photo displaying their signature items and favorite tools.
Brian Smith is the executive chef at Maynards Market & Kitchen. He has cooked in the kitchens of Acacia Real Food & Cocktails, Coi in San Francisco and McCrady’s in Charleston.
Smith represents not just Tucson, but North America as a culinary ambassador for UNESCO, with Parma, Italy and Belem, Brazil under his belt as UNESCO-endorsed travel locations.
To view one of his kitchen staples, click the tool on the image. Tools displayed in the photo have been explained below.
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“This circulator has been to hell and back. I’ve had it for many years and it has seen lots of use.”
“Everyone’s got to have a wooden spoon in their arsenal.”
“I will never buy another brand of kitchen shears, these are my favorite and I won’t use anything else.”
“Comfortable yet super stylish aprons. I say no more.”
Regular knife maintenance keeps a happy, sharp knife.
“I like using these spatulas because they are small and can really take the kitchen abuse well.”
“These peelers are my favorite. Really cheap so when you lose one you don’t get nearly as angry, but more importantly, they are sharp as can be.”
“Salt blocks are fun to plate things on. You can also heat them up to sear things like scallops.”
“What’s better than fresh shaved truffle? You can also use it to shave chocolate.”
“These little scales are a must if dealing with derivatives and hydrocolloids.”
“Escali scales are super solid, I use it for weighing anything and everything.”
“Gray Kunz spoons are really tough, weighted nicely and sauce plates very nicely.”
“This is by far one of my most favorite tools. This knife is so handy when working on the line during service. Takes up little space.”
“This knife is great for cutting fish or doing delicate knife work.”
“Learned to use a cake tester during my stints in san Francisco, now I never leave home without. My go to tool for temping proteins or other items.”
“This knife has been in my bag for nearly 9 years and I still use it everyday. Really strong, super light and sharp.”
The updated version of this knife is also a favorite of James Beard award-winning author J. Kenji López-Alt and David Solorzano, chef de cuisine at Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort.
“Our garden was planted about four months ago. It is all organic and GMO-free. We have a variety of heirloom products from Native Seeds/SEARCH planted including corn, squash, melons, peppers and tons more.
We are using these items in the garden in both our market and our kitchen as well as using the produce for many of our wine dinners and special events.
Myself and our team work closely with Robert Vincent, our resident gardener, to help teach our cooks about heirloom products as well as proper ways of harvesting. We are very excited to bring this amazing garden downtown.”
Maynards Market & Kitchen is located at 400 N. Toole Ave. For more information, visit maynardstucson.com.
Jackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon...
