Knife Skills Illustrated (Cooking).

[arnisador]

A book review in the WSJ:

Knife Skills Illustrated (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118798920215808271.html?mod=todays_us_pursuits)

One might have thought that "knife skills" -- like chewing and swallowing skills -- come naturally. Even our Paleolithic ancestors seem to have mastered a basic cutting technique. But according to Peter Hertzmann -- who "teaches knife skills" for the Sur La Table kitchenware chain "as well as privately in both the United States and France" -- there is still a lot for us to learn. With "Knife Skills Illustrated," he has produced a meaty book with the dimensions of a modest cutting board. It is padded out only slightly: Do we really need mirror-image, left-handed versions of each knife technique? Otherwise Mr. Hertzmann offers a near-comprehensive guide to slicing, dicing and chopping -- and to selecting, caring for and sharpening cutlery. At times he is so thorough that the reader may be reminded of the Anal-Retentive Chef character on "Saturday Night Live" years ago. There are 26 individual chapters on cutting fruits and vegetables and nine pages on onions alone. A whole chapter is devoted to that not-so-hardy perennial, fennel. Mr. Hertzmann may go too far when he claims that, with good knife skills, "cutting a carrot is no longer a chore, but a meditation"; yet he provides a lot of useful information. The "pinch grip" -- "you pinch the blade with your thumb and forefinger and wrap only the other three fingers around the handle" -- is an astoundingly simple but effective way of adding firmness and control to knife use. And in an age of overpriced "trophy knives," Mr. Hertzmann exercises commendable restraint.

[arnisador]

I saw this in a knife magazine earlier today:
www.tacticalgrilling.com (http://www.tacticalgrilling.com)

[lhommedieu]

I remember seeing the WSJ article when it came out and thinking, "I'd like to get that book." It's on my Amazon.com wish list.

It reminds me of what a friend of mine used to say about how the best "knifers" were people who used knives all day long. The most to be feared, he said, were oyster shuckers....

Best,

Steve

[arnisador]

Shopping With Chris Santos (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/garden/11SHOP.html)

Proof That Storing Knives Doesn’t Have to Be Dull (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/garden/11SHOP.html)



FINDING a way to store knives that is both functional and attractive has long been a challenge for home cooks of every commitment level.
898

[lhommedieu]

Thanks for the link. I'm actually looking for a good kitchen knife carrying case at the moment but was thinking about having something made up in canvas to match the actual number of knives I'm carrying. (Keep in mind you should use plastic covers for the knives in addition to the case.) I keep an identical set at each place that I'm living: an 8" chef's knife, bread knife, fillet knife, small paring knife. Although it's fun to have lots of toys I find that I can do 90% of what I want to do with just the chef's knife. The reason that I want a carrying case is that it's easier to transport knifes than the water stones that I've been using to keep them sharp.

Re. Knife Skills Illustrated: I did end up getting it and it's very good - especially with regard to specialty items. The knife skills section in Jacques Pepin's La Technique is the classic, gold standard (and you'll learn how to make an omelet, as well).

Best,

Steve

[arnisador]

Wow, a separate set at each place--you're serious about kitchen knives too!