Knives Cooks Love
By Sur La Table and Sarah Jay
Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2008
$25
For Cutlery Lovers and Budding Chefs
A good knife, and knowing how to use it, is essential to being a good cook. Knives Cooks Love, a follow-up to kitchenware retailer Sur La Table's book Things Cooks Love, offers an in-depth guide to cutlery. You'll learn how to identify different types of knives and what to use them for, how to choose the best knife for your needs, the three most essential knives to have in your kitchen, and, most important, how to use your cutlery to do everything from mince garlic to quarter a chicken.
The book goes into perhaps too much detail, like the lengthy sections about the world's knife-making capitals, and the history of steel blades. But other sections, like "how to decode a knife's function," which describes the different types of tips, blade lengths and edge curvature and what they're designed for, is useful and informative.
If you're just starting out, you'll appreciate the instructions on how to evaluate a knife and the list of must-have knives, in order of importance so you can build a collection based on your budget and your needs.
The second half of the book focuses on using your knife, with valuable information on how to sharpen and hone a knife, and detailed, illustrated, step-by-step instructions on how to grip a knife and how to cut up different types of foods. You'll even learn how to properly trim an artichoke, the best way to chop fresh herbs, and how to cut a pineapple into wedges or rings.
Recipe Highlights
A handful of recipes will let you show off your new-found knife skills, like a caramelized onion tart that uses slices of onion and steamed mussels in a sauce of sliced onions, diced carrots and minced garlic. Try the recipe for Classic Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons, which makes use of the useful skill of mashing garlic.
Recipes Include:
- Chard, Mushroom and Swiss Cheese Frittata
- Crispy Roasted Potato Wedges with Parsley, Rosemary, and Lemon
- Flaky Apple Pinwheels
- Quick-Roasting Butterflied Chicken with Warm Spice Rub
- Lemon-Dill Gravlax
