I was a picky eater as a child. I ordered mozzarella sticks at nearly every restaurant I ate in and if I wasn't eating mozzarella sticks it was because I had ordered chicken fingers instead. It really wasn't until college that I began expanding my horizons and discovered that I really loved food.
In what might seem like a non-sequitur, I need to tell you about Johnny. Johnny is my dad's best friend and he is also a chef. Being my dad's best friend, Johnny and his family often vacationed with mine and, being a chef, my pickiness drove Johnny mad. Johnny would cook a gorgeous gourmet meal and I would ask for a hot dog. In retrospect, I can see why this upset him.
To tie it all together, when I finally discovered a passion in food and cooking, Johnny nearly took out an ad in the Philadelphia Inquire to announce it to the world. What he really did was buy me my first real Chef's knife, and for that I will forever be grateful.
But with great power comes great responsibility. Knives are one of the most important tools in the kitchen and often one of the most mistreated. To help with giving you knives a long life of happiness I have assembled some dos and don'ts for caring for them.
Don't leave your knife in the kitchen sink
Whether your knife is made from stainless steel or carbon-steel a prolonged exposure to water is damaging. Leaving your knives in the sink is not only dangerous to someone else, but it is also the best way to ruin a knife. While a stainless steel or ceramic knife won't rust as a carbon-steel knife does, the water wears down the edge and creates a dull blade.
Do clean your knife in hot soapy water and leave it to dry on a dishcloth instead of a drying rack.
Don't keep your knife in a utensil drawer
In a crowded utensil drawer, your knife will accumulate various nicks and dings that take away from it's life.
In what might seem like a non-sequitur, I need to tell you about Johnny. Johnny is my dad's best friend and he is also a chef. Being my dad's best friend, Johnny and his family often vacationed with mine and, being a chef, my pickiness drove Johnny mad. Johnny would cook a gorgeous gourmet meal and I would ask for a hot dog. In retrospect, I can see why this upset him.
To tie it all together, when I finally discovered a passion in food and cooking, Johnny nearly took out an ad in the Philadelphia Inquire to announce it to the world. What he really did was buy me my first real Chef's knife, and for that I will forever be grateful.
But with great power comes great responsibility. Knives are one of the most important tools in the kitchen and often one of the most mistreated. To help with giving you knives a long life of happiness I have assembled some dos and don'ts for caring for them.
Don't leave your knife in the kitchen sink
Whether your knife is made from stainless steel or carbon-steel a prolonged exposure to water is damaging. Leaving your knives in the sink is not only dangerous to someone else, but it is also the best way to ruin a knife. While a stainless steel or ceramic knife won't rust as a carbon-steel knife does, the water wears down the edge and creates a dull blade.
Do clean your knife in hot soapy water and leave it to dry on a dishcloth instead of a drying rack.
Don't keep your knife in a utensil drawer
In a crowded utensil drawer, your knife will accumulate various nicks and dings that take away from it's life.
This photo from Zknives.com shows the damage to a Chef's knife from sitting in a utensil drawer.
Do purchase a butcher's block to hold your knives. If you must keep them in a utensil drawer, buy a knife sleeve to minimize the damage to your knife.
Don't cut on anything other than a cutting board
I am guilty of abusing my knife from time to time by cutting straight on my counter top. I justify it by saying it's only a slice or two but every time you use your knife on an improper surface you're risking chipping and dulling the blade.
Do buy the cutting board that is best for your knife and for your kitchen. I use a plastic cutting board. While plastic isn't the best material for a cutting board, it's what fits best with my current kitchen and lifestyle. Check out this awesome guide to what type of cutting board will work best for you.
Don't let your knife dull
Besides begin incredibly frustrating to work with, a dull knife is dangerous in the kitchen. When your knife is dull you need more force to cut through food, which increases the risk of losing control. A dull blade is also more damaging if you cut yourself because they are more likely to impale rather than slice.
Do keep your blade sharpened and if you're not sure if your blade needs tending to try this paper test to check its condition
No comments:
Post a Comment