Some girls love to shop (you know who you are).  They take great pleasure in waking up early and driving far distances to visit stores with the words “outlet” on them.  They peruse the season’s latest styles— noting the subtle changes from store-to-store, designer-to-designer and hunt for last season’s bargains on the sale racks.  These same girls will try on endless pairs of pumps, sandals, work-flats, boots… and have to seek out the corresponding handbags, of course!

The same holds true for cooks… when a cook goes shopping, they stroll through a cookware store, checking out the knife selection, or the seasonal bakeware sales while secretly coveting the 16-piece All-Clad copper core cookware.  To a cook, the word “outlet” is synonymous with stores like Williams Sonoma and Le Cruset.  

For many years now, I have had the distinct pleasure of living within proximity to the FAO Schwartz (in its hayday) of cookware stores – Chef Central is located on Route 17 North in Paramus, New Jersey.  For years and years, I drove past it on my way home from work.  I would stop in whenever I needed a little “retail therapy.”   I have not once left there, yet, without spending at least $100.

During the holidays, before I started my cookie baking, I would stop off at Chef Central nearly every day to pick up something or another that I forgot – which of course I needed to complete my baking.  I would talk with my friend Stephanie while shopping (she’s quite the cookie baker too!)   

“Oh look, they have all three extracts I need, peppermint, orange and lemon” I would say.
“Where are you?” She responded.  
“They have a sale on Ridel stemless glassware,” I’d say
“I hate you,” she would respond.  “It’s just not fair.”

This week, I had meetings in Manhattan with a co-worker that lives fairly close to me.  I picked Heather up in a nearby town and drove into the city for our meetings.  As we were heading home, I asked her if she had ever been to Chef Central before… she hadn’t.  We had to stop!  Heather is not a cook and even she wandered around in awe of their vast offerings, thinking of every cook-friend she knew.

Located in a strip mall off a busy commuter road, Chef Central is the size of a wholesale club.  They sell everything from wine glasses (there is a wall dedicated to Ridel), wine accessories – even select wines (they pick out great bargains for $25 and under and I’ve never been disappointed); Cookbooks – their collection is a combination of serious books (Joy of cooking, Sauces, Escoffier, etc) and celeb cookbooks; small appliances (there are two chefs displaying a rainbow of Kitchen Aid mixers and all their accessories) like blenders, coffee machines, waffle presses and ice cream makers; cookware (name a high quality brand – any brand); Bakeware (marble and wooden boards, sheet pans, rounds in every size, any type of spring-form you can ever imagine, endless cookie cutters, molds of all shapes and sizes, brushes, pastry bags and tips, rolling pins…); Storage containers (their own plastic and glass containers, and anything relating to canning whatsoever); Cleaning supplies (they recently switched most of their inventory to organic cleaners – yay!); grilling equipment (from portable grills to $4,000 gorgeous stainless steel Viking grill powerhouses); and, of course gourmet food items.  

At Chef Central I find a lot of my baking ingredients – like high quality chocolate chips, bits, and bars), a multitude of sugars, extracts, spices, pre-made fondant, sprinkles, etc.  They have some amazing top-shelf balsamic vinegars, olive oils, coffee beans, teas, and all sorts of other gourmet goods a person could ever need.

A few times now, I have stopped in while they held cooking demonstrations (in the demo kitchen in the center of the store).  I first learned to make ice cream there.  I developed new tricks while watching the risotto demonstrations.  I’ve even had a book signed by Sara Moulton at one of their book-signing events.

Well, now that I have just described a cooks’ version of Candyland… you can understand why I cannot visit there very often.  I have tried not to spend a lot of money.  I have gone in with the mindset of “I only need one thing.”   It just doesn’t work.