I’m always on the hunt for the perfect kitchen knife. Do you have a particular brand favorite? Which type of knife do you prefer for general prep? Also, do you sharpen your own knives? – Kim
Hi Kim, I’m a Wusthof Classic series kinda gal. I use my 8″ chefs knife and paring knife most for prep, although I’ll usually have a carving knife in my kit when I got to client’s homes too.
Always buy the best quality knife you can afford. Good knives will last you a lifetime, so when you think about the price per use, you’re getting great value for your money when you go for the best. I recommend starter sets (chefs knife and paring knife), because they’re the two most used knives, and you usually get a bit of a discount when you buy the two together. You can always add to your collection as needed.
Here’s a Gordon Ramsey clip on how-to sharpen a knife the classic chef’s way with a sharpening steel, but you can also get electric knife sharpener, or have your knives sharpened professionally. The important thing is that you do keep your knives sharpened – accidents are much more likely to happen with dull knives, because they’re more apt to slide out of control, rather than cut through the food.
As a teenager, I used to spend hours helping my mother slice potatoes paper thin to make Potatoes Anna when she would entertain. This simple French classic never fails to get nods of approval from dinner party guests. I recently decided to layer the potatoes with sliced sun chokes, in individual servings rather than one big pie dish full, for a romantic dinner for two (and of course I had to do a taste test myself). Verdict? The sun chokes perked up the earthiness of the dish with a tinge of artichoke flavor, while complimenting the texture.
Ingredients
Potato & Sunchoke Anna
Directions
Potato & Sunchoke Anna
Serving Suggestions
Heat To Eat
Variations
Notes
10:16 am
Fellow Wusthof gal here too!! Wonderful, well balanced knives that stay sharp with a quick run on the steel before & after use. I buy mine in a Catering Suppliers – expensive but it’s worth it. I’m a firm believer in “Buy Expensive & Buy Less Often” when it comes to Knives, Saucepans, Baking Tins and Kitchen Machinery.
In the January sales in Dublin there was a full block of 8 Wusthof knives reduced to €195 – I saw at least 3 Chefs in Whites sidle in on their break to snaffle one 🙂
1:00 pm
WOW! That is a great deal JT!