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Your roommate, the one who did all the cooking, got engaged and moved out of the house / apartment. All of the cooking supplies went along for the ride. You need to restock the kitchen from scratch, but -- truth be told -- you don't really know an eggshell from a Shell gas station.

What should you do?

We posed that question to a pair of local experts: Larry Corda, who works at Fein Brothers, Inc., 2007 N. King Dr.; and, Sandy Swanson, an award-winning home economics teacher at Menomonee Falls High School.

"It might seem a bit intimidating, because there are so many choices," Corda said. "But, it doesn't have to be that way. You can get things in steps.

"The best way to do it is to find out what you like to make and then buy equipment that is good for making that item and go from there."

Although he admits that bundled cookware sets offer convenience, Corda advises against purchasing pots and pans in a single box.

"Some pans are good for certain things," he said. "But, if you buy a set, then you're stuck with the same characteristics across the board. It's important to feel comfortable with whatever you've got.

"If you watch Rachael Ray, she uses one knife for everything. She's comfortable with it and she does fine."

Swanson, a popular instructor who started the Culinary Olympics for high school students in Waukesha County, listed her first must-have item as a good wooden cutting board.

She also advocates buying a chef knife and sharpener (non-electric), a serrated bread knife and a paring knife.

Corda agreed. "You can spend a lot of money on knives," he said. "But, you can also get perfectly good ones for about $9."

Here are a look at other essential items recommended by Swanson and Corda:

Frying pan and a sauté / sauce pan -- Swanson advocates Faberware, non-stick coatings. Corda advises buying a pan with flared sides and one with straight sides.

Stock pot -- "You need a four-quart or a two-quart, depending on how many people you're cooking for," Corda said. "You may want to have two, so you can have one for spaghetti and one for sauce."

Utensils -- You'll need measuring cups, or at minimum a two-cup liquid measuring cup, along with wooden spoons and a high-heat rubber scraper. A bottle opener and can opener is a must.

Mixing bowl -- It's probably good to have different sizes, but you can start with one. Swanson recommends a set of three.

Baking dishes -- Swanson advocates and 8-inch square and a 9x13 oblong model in microwave-safe glass.

Baking sheets -- The classic cookie sheet is OK, but Corda likes pans with a rim to keep food from sliding around.

"It's important to buy things that you like and are comfortable with," Corda said. "Cooking is not a difficult skill to learn. In most cases, you just combine ingredients and add heat. But, I hear so many people say 'I hate to cook.' Well, if you're just dumping ingredients together, that's not really cooking. But, if you take your time and think about each step and what it's doing to the food and the flavors that are being released, it can be a lot more fun."