Knives Cooks Love

How to Buy, Sharpen, and Use Your Most Important Kitchen Tool

by Sur La Table, Sarah Jay

Price: $25.00
ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-7002-9
ISBN-10: 0-7407-7002-0
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 1/2 X 10 1/2 in.
Page Count: 192 pages

“In just under 200 pages this book delivers straightforward information such as various materials from which knives are made. Anchored in a bit (just a bit) of history and covering the knife-making centers of Germany, Japan, France, Italy, England, and the US. This book also helps cooks select knives by function and design. This is a book for everyone who hasn’t been to culinary school.” ––Gourmet Food, Suite 101, by Jacqueline Church http://gourmetfood.suite101.com/article.cfm/buying_kitchen_cutlery_just_got_easier

“The most important thing in a kitchen is your knife. You need to choose it well, treat it well, and use it well. Knives Cooks Love prepares you for all that and more. By nature, every cook is eager to learn, and this book provides everything you ever wanted to know about knives. Filled with culinary history, techniques, and supporting recipes, this book covers it all.” —Ming Tsai, host and executive producer of Simply Ming and chef-owner of Blue Ginger

“I like a clunky heavy European-style knife, like a Wüsthof. I have big hands. It’s uncomfortable for me to work with a really narrow blade.” —David Waltuck, chef-owner of Chanterelle, New York City

“Indulge in every chef’s obsession of finding the perfect knife. Knives Cooks Love contains great advice on technique, how to keep knives sharp, which knife to use for what, and a lot of personal insight from the professionals who use them every day. This book answers the question that I am most frequently asked: What knife should I buy?” —Nancy Oakes, chef-owner of Boulevard Restaurant, author of Boulevard, The Cookbook

From chef’s knives and santoku knives to paring knives, bread knives, boning knives, fillet knives, tomato knives, cheese knives, steak knives, meat and vegetable cleavers, and even shears and sharpeners, Knives Cooks Love helps chefs of all levels find the right knives for their needs. It also features step-by-step instructions for trimming, paring, slicing, dicing, pitting, chopping, mincing, scoring, coring, and butterflying a variety of meats, vegetables, and other foods.

Readers will learn what to look for when purchasing high-quality knives, the different blades for every purpose (from sectioning a grapefruit to carving a turkey), how to keep them razor-sharp for years to come (hint: Don’t put them in the dishwasher), as well as how to properly clean and store them. With sidebar advice from renowned chefs, including tips, tricks, and notes on their favorite knives, Knives Cooks Love is the ultimate primer for choosing and using the most important tool in the kitchen.

The final section of the book contains a complete range of recipes for everything from vegetables and fruits to meat, poultry, and fish. Put the knowledge of Knives Cooks Love to the test with mouthwatering dishes to help you practice using a variety of knives and techniques. Learn how to chop and chiffonade fresh herbs to cook Crispy Roasted Potato Wedges with Parsley, Rosemary and Lemon. Perfectly slice an apple in just four straight cuts to bake Flaky Apple Pinwheels with ease. Or fillet a salmon and make your own Lemon-Dill Gravlax, sure to be a hit at Sunday brunch.

As Chef Emeril Lagasse says in the foreword: “Although many folks may proudly possess nice kitchen equipment, knives included, they have little or no knowledge about how to properly care for or sharpen a knife. That’s where this book comes in.”

Seattle-based Sur La Table has kept its finger on the pulse of America’s cooks since opening its doors in 1972 at Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. Since then, chefs and home cooks with a taste for adventure have flocked to the culinary mecca. A destination for iconic chefs like Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Martha Stewart, and Mario Batali, Sur La Table entices aficionados and curious beginners alike with its amazing selection of cookware and tools. With a successful catalog, Web site, cooking class program, and stores from coast to coast, Sur La Table continues to share Sarah Jay its passion for the traditions and tastes of the world with people who love to cook and entertain. For more about Sur La Table, see surlatable.com.

About Sarah Jay

Sarah Jay was the executive editor of Fine Cooking magazine before becoming a freelance food writer and editor. She is now a contributing editor to the magazine. A former newspaper reporter, Sarah has published articles in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Saveur magazine. She received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and is a graduate of Brown University. Sarah’s passion is Spanish food, and she maintains a small side business importing paella pans and other products from Spain. She lives in New York City with her husband, two daughters, and a drawer full of very sharp knives.

This punchy rendition of mussels in white wine offers a quick course on several cuts: slicing, dicing, mincing, and chiffonading. Serve the mussels with crusty bread for dipping into the peppery tomato broth, or ladle the mussels and broth over hot linguine. When buying mussels, ask the fishmonger for a bag from the refrigerator in back, which are often fresher than those in the front display.

Serves 2 to 3 as a main course

1 small fennel bulb
1 small yellow onion
1 carrot
3 cloves garlic
2 small tomatoes
10 to 12 large fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded (discard any that do not close)

Trim the stalks from the fennel and cut a thin slice off the bottom; then core and cut the fennel into 1/4-inch crosswise slices (see page 119). Put the fennel into a large bowl. Cut the onion crosswise into ¼-inch semicircles (see page 95) and add to the bowl. Peel the carrot and cut into 1/4-inch dice (see page 109) and add to the bowl. Peel and mince the garlic (see page 100) and add to the bowl.

Core the tomatoes. Cut them in half through the equator and squeeze out the seeds. Cut them into ¼-inch dice (see page 127) and put them in a separate bowl. Cut the basil into chiffonade (see page 133) and reserve for the garnish.

Lightly crush the peppercorns and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle. (Alternatively, put them in a small self-sealing plastic bag. Using the bottom of a cast-iron skillet, lightly crush them. Transfer the spices to a small dish.) Add the salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy 6-quart or larger stockpot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, carrot, and garlic, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spice mixture. Add the wine and the tomatoes along with any juices in the bowl. Bring to a boil.

Add the mussels to the stockpot (don’t stir), cover, and steam until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Scoop the mussels into individual shallow bowls, discarding any that remain closed, and then spoon some vegetables and broth over them. Sprinkle each bowl with basil and serve immediately.

Fennel

Trimming, Coring, Slicing, and Dicing

If you’re braising or roasting fennel wedges, leave the core intact so it holds the fennel together. But for slicing or dicing, do cut away the core first. Lengthwise slices emphasize the vegetable’s tough and fibrous quality. Crosswise slices are more tender and juicy, and better for salads.

1 Cut off the stalks close to the bulb (save the fernlike fronds for a garnish, if you want). Trim off the hard base. If the outer layer isn’t too blemished or fibrous, leave it on. Otherwise, remove it and discard (or save for stock).

2 Cut the bulb into lengthwise quarters. Stand up one quarter on its base, or let it rest on the rounded side, and cut away the core. Repeat with the other three pieces.

3 Set the pieces on a flat side. Cut crosswise or lengthwise slices of the width you need. (For a dice, cut lengthwise slices and gather a few strips and cut across them.)

There’s lots of dicing and mincing to do here, but once that’s out of the way, you just toss everything together and you’re done. This makes a fresh, colorful condiment for grilled or sautéed pork chops, chicken breasts, or fish fillets.

Makes about 2 cups

2 small, ripe mangoes
1/2 seedless cucumber (about 6 inches), peeled
1/4 red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (see page 132), plus a stem for garnish
1 green onion, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more as needed
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel and pit the mango and cut the flesh into ¼-inch dice (see pages 144 and 145). Cut the cucumber into ¼-inch dice (see page 109). Cut the bell pepper into ¼-inch dice (see page 116).

Put the mangoes, cucumber, bell pepper, cilantro, green onion, and jalapeño in a medium bowl. Toss to combine. Add the lime juice, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with cilantro stem if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

For such a succulent fruit, mangoes sure are a pain to peel and pit. Here is one option found in Knives Cooks Love.

method 1: dice first, then peel

The advantage to this approach is that you don’t have to grip the slippery flesh. It works best when you need ½-inch dice or larger.

1 Cut a thin slice off the stem end of the mango to create a flat base. With the knife a little off the center point, slice off one broad cheek of the mango. The knife should barely rub against the pit on its way down. Cut the other cheek off the same way.

2 Score the flesh with the tip of a paring knife in a crosshatch pattern, creating the size dice you want. Be careful not to cut through the skin.

3 Invert the mango half so the cubes pop out. Cut the cubes away from the skin. Repeat with the other half. Cut the two thinner sides off of the pit and handle them the same way.