The knife is the single most important tool a cook can have in the kitchen. It can make cooking faster, safer, more fun, and more successful. Still, some use the same cheap knives that they have had for years. The main reason for this may be that quality cutlery can be quite expensive with some knives costing more then $100 a piece. But what most people fail to realize is that, if cared for properly, these knives will last a lifetime.

KNIFE TYPES AND USES

The right knife should be used for the job at hand. This makes the job easier and safer to perform.

Chef’s Knife - Also called a French or Cook’s Knife, this is the most useful and versatile knife in a chef’s kitchen. It can slice, dice, or mince any ingredient. The slight curve toward the tip of the blade lets you cut pressure on the top of the blade and cut in a quick, rocking motion. This method is best for dicing or mincing
Length – Between 8 and 10 inches.

Slicing Knife – Sometimes called a Carving Knife, this knife has a narrower blade then the Chef’s Knife that is the correct knife for carving thin, even cuts of meat. They are perfect for carving roasts, turkey, chicken, ham, etc
Length – Between 10-14 inches

Boning Knife – This thin, pointed, and flexible, knife is perfectly designed to trim away meat from bones or joints without harming the meat or the knife. It can also be used to fillet fish.
Length – Between 6 and 8 inches.

Paring Knife – Its straight edge and small size allows for maximum control making it ideal for delicate work such as garnishing, peeling, or paring.
Length – 3 to 4 inches.

Bread Knife – Most knives require a downward pressure to cut effectively but this knife has a serrated edge and is designed to cut with a back-and-forth sawing motion. These work great cutting breads, pastries and anything that would be otherwise smashed using any other knife.
Length – 10 to 12 inches.

In addition to the standard knives available, new knife types include hollow ground or granton edge steel knives. These knives have small ovals running the entire length of the knife that help to reduce drag and allow for more uniform cuts. They are perfect if you slice a lot and need to work fast. Ceramic knives are the newest rage with professional chefs around the world because of their sharpness and ability to hold an edge but tend to break easily.

KNIFE CARE

Fine knives should be stored in a wood block or on a magnetic strip and not loose in a drawer. They can easily be nicked and lose their sharpness if tossed around with other kitchen tools and utensils.

Sharpen your knives whenever you feel any drag or resistance. Using a sharpening stone or steel, hold the knife at a 20-degree angle against the surface and draw toward you, applying light pressure and keeping the angle constant. Repeat this about 6 times on each side. Electric sharpeners make this procedure easier. Chef’s Choice (800.342.3255 or in the web at www.chefschoice.com) makes very good electric knife sharpeners, starting at $60.

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST KNIVES

The best selection of professional-grade knives are offered by:

F. Dick (631.454.6955 or www.dick.de), J.A Henkels (800.777.4308 or on the web at www.zwiling.com), Kyocera (800.537.0294 or www.kyocera.com), and
Wustoff (800.289.9878 and at www.wustof.com)

To prevent rusting, “season” all of your uncoated cookware and baking pans with an unflavored vegetable oil. Spread oil on all surfaces, place in a warm oven for one hour, then remove and wipe off excess oil. After each use, wipe a little oil on the sides and the bottom.

To choose the ripest melon, pick a heavier one, which tends to be juicier and riper. Look for the end of the melon where it was attached to the vine. Press lightly at the opposite end. It should be soft and give slightly to your touch.

Grill these tasty treats at your next barbeque and you will not only be offering your picnic guests a different and more flavorful burger, full of beefy flavor and juices, but you will also be serving them a healthier one with less saturated fat. Note that each recipe below makes two good-sized burgers.

ASIAN BURGER

Ingredients:
6 ounces of fresh ground sirloin
2 tbs of soft tofu
1 tbs of low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dried ground ginger

Preparation:
Mash ground sirloin and tofu together with a fork or by hand. Add soy sauce and ginger. Form to even-sized burgers and grill as instructed below.

SOUTHWESTERN BURGER

Ingredients:
6 ounces of fresh ground sirloin
2 tbs canned red kidney beans
1 tsp of ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tbs of tomato sauce

Preparation:
Mash kidney beans in a bowl and add ground sirloin, cumin, chili powder and tomato sauce, mixing with a fork or with the hands. Make into two patties and grill as instructed below.

SWEET AND SOUR BURGER

Ingredients:
6 ounces of fresh ground sirloin
1/4 cup of frozen, pitted dark cherries
1/4 cup of raisins

Preparation:
Puree the cherries in a food processor or press through sieve. Place in bowl and blend with ground sirloin then make two burgers and grill as instructed below.

Grilling Tip: To maintain the burger’s shape and to retain all of the juices, start with a hot grill. Place burgers on the grill and DO NOT press down on the patty. Only turn them once until they are finished grilling to the desired doneness.

For cooking sweet corn (the perfect thing to have with those burgers!), simply line a Dutch oven or heavy skillet with washed cornhusks. Do not dry as the remaining droplets of water provide the steam. Place ears of corn over the husks, sprinkle with salt, and cover tightly. Heat until steam appears, reduce heat ad cook another 18-20 minutes.

Season all of your uncoated cookware and baking dishes with an unflavored vegetable oil to prevent rusting. Spread oil on all surfaces and place in a warm oven for one hour. Remove and wipe off excess oil. After each use, wipe a little of that oil on the all of the sides and the bottom.

APPLE CRANBERRY CRISP

Try this yummy Fall dessert. It is both sweet and tart (and much lower in fat then similar recipes). The cranberries add an extra burst of Vitamin C, too.

FILLING
Ingredients:
6 large tart apples peeled and sliced. (Granny Smith and McIntosh are the best of the firmer apples)
1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup of sugar
2 tbs of all-purpose flour

TOPPING
Ingredients:
1 cup of rolled
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 o F. Oil a 9X13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, sugar and flour. Toss together until well coated. Spread this mixture over the entire bottom of the pan. In a separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, and butter and, using a fork, fully incorporate all ingredients until mixture is crumbly. Add pecans and mix again thoroughly. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the fruit filling and pat down firmly with fingers. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and topping is browned. Serve warm with a scoop if vanilla ice cream, if desired. Serves 12.