Designed by: Natalie Coughlin
You may remember swimmer Natalie Coughlin as the winner of five medals at 2004 in Athens, and six more in Beijing in 2008. But you probably don’t know that she’s also an all-star in the kitchen. Instead of a pool, Natalie and her husband have filled their backyard with free-ranging chickens and an organic garden.
When she’s not eating her homegrown bounty, she’s perusing farmers’ markets for organic produce to prepare in her Lafayette, California, kitchen, which she describes as clean, contemporary, and uncluttered. Natalie recently took time out of her rigorous training to give us the inside scoop five kitchen goods she says she can't live without. Plus, enter to win one of the products listed below. Details at the end!
#1. Sharp Shooter
Photo Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Like all good cooks, Natalie knows the value of a quality knife. “Before I got married, I had several knives,” she says, “but my husband upped my collection when he gave me a Shun chef’s knife engraved with our wedding date. A good knife makes everything easier.”
Williams-Sonoma Shun Premier Chef's Knives, $164.95-$209.95; Williams-Sonoma.com
#2. Daily Grind
Photo Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
A mortar and pestle make it easy for Natalie to elevate meals with seasonings straight from her garden. “There’s nothing like grinding your own herbs fresh from your backyard.”
Kai Porcelain Mortar & Pestle, $39.95; Williams-Sonoma.com
#3. Egg-stra Special
Photo Courtesy of Green Grass Design
Natalie keeps fresh eggs that her chickens provide in a ceramic egg tray—but, she says, “you don’t have to have free-range eggs to display them like this. It looks prettier than a cardboard container, and you’re more inspired to use the eggs.”
Ceramic Egg Rack, $16; GreenGrassDesign.com
#4. Get Juiced
Photo Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
As an athlete, Natalie needs healthy drinks to fuel her intense workouts, so her Vitamix blender is a constant companion. “It’s the most expensive blender—but worth every penny. I use it every day to make almond milk, carrot juice, and my homegrown kale-spinach-coconut water concoctions.”
Vitamix Professional Series 300 Blender, $529.95; Williams-Sonoma.com
#5. International Flavor
Photo Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Natalie keeps her kitchen fresh with souvenirs from her travels: “I try to get little things from each country I visit. I have ramekins from Japan that I use for my mise en place; finishing salts from France; wooden salt crocks from France, Italy, Bali and Fiji; and glass bottles from France that I use for vinaigrettes.”
Olive Wood Salt Keeper, $49.95; Williams-Sonoma.com
FREE GIVEAWAY! Sign up for a Cultivate account, then leave a comment on this post saying what your favorite product for healthy cooking is and why by Tuesday, July 31st at 12pm PST/3pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random to win a Williams-Sonoma Olive Wood Salt Keeper, the same style that Olympian Natalie Coughlin uses.
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