The Well-Tooled Kitchen

Owner of Bridge Kitchenware in New York City, Bridge knows what he's talking about where kitchen gadgets are concerned. Assisted ably by food writer Tibbetts, he has put together this compendium for ``experts and aspirants alike.'' The authors cleverly wrap fascinating and succinct descriptions of more than 240 cooking implements around a collection of recipes and techniques culled from the creme de la creme of Manhattan restaurants, food vendors and celebrities. The recipes include black bean soup from the Coach House; chicken hash from ``21''; Lutece's tarte a l'orange; and meat loaf a la Bill Blass. Culinary tools catalogued range from the purely professional (curved boning knife, flat ice chisel) to the thoroughly esoteric (zabaglione bowl) to the practically essential (food processor, omelette pan). Among the cooking techniques contributed by experts is ``On Caviar Table Service'' by Christian Petrossian, presumably a Bridge Kitchenware customer. But Bridge and Tibbetts are at their best when most direct. On the filter drip coffee maker they concisely reflect: ``You're best off with the simplest one, the less there is, the less there is to break.''sic Photos not seen by PW . (Dec.)