At work today, doing some monotonous task, daydreaming about what to write about next for the website, it occurred to me that the answer was right in front of me. My knife kit. I use it every day, whether or not I`m at work, and given the shortage of equipment my hotel, it basically has to have everything I need for whatever the day may throw at me. It seemed to me that my kit has most of what a home cook needs in terms of small wares.
First off, knives – 4 basic knives for pastry (more for cooks – boning, tournee, fillet…); 2 serrated and 2 standard knives.
10 Inch Victorinox Bread Knife
A large 8-10 inch serrated knife, called a bread or pastry knife, is ideal for slicing breads, loaves, peeling melons, and even slicing pies and squares. I like a longer blade for the extended reach across items to get an even slice without having to cut twice.
Small Serrated Knife
A smaller serrated knife is also handy to have. Mine is longer than most and was a freebie from a baking supply company that I was lucky enough to get a tour of. I find myself using it a lot, and even though it was free, and has a plastic handle, it is still really sharp (serrated knifes hold their edges longer than ordinary ones, but can`t be sharpened at home without a mechanical sharpener.)
I use this knife for cutting packaging and cardboard, but also for smaller bread and pastry items that the bread knife would be too large to handle nicely. A small serrated knife, say 3-5 inches is useful for slicing tomatoes, bagels and other items that it`s nice to get some bite into. You wouldn’t want to be halving cherry tomatoes with a 10 inch bread knife.
My next knife is the one I would say that I use more often than any other. My French or Chef’s knife. It’s also the knife that I keep sharpest as it gets the most wear and tear. This knife did cost a bit (around $100), but it`s one of the best purchases I’ve made. I see people chop with the wrong knife for the job (my mother uses a fairly dull boning knife for chopping veg, which makes me cringe), which is usually totally unnecessary. If you’re going to be doing any cooking at all, you should get a chef`s knife that feels comfortable to you and a honing steel with which to keep it sharp.
For the record, it’s true that a dull knife will cut you more often than a sharp one, but that said, give a sharp knife the respect it deserves, keep it covered in an edge guard, and watch your fingertips when using it or any other knife. I have fairly large hands for a girl, and an 8 inch blade is more than enough for me, but if you’re going to be chopping a lot of dense vegetables, squash, celeriac…, you might want to consider getting a 10 inch with a taller blade, but only if it feels comfortable in your hands, and isn’t too heavy to easily manipulate. It should be mentioned that a heavier knife, correctly used, can make it easier to get through tough vegetables.
Lagostina Paring Knife
Finally a small paring knife. Mine didn’t cost too much and isn’t the best brand, but it’s made of a soft steel and can get a nice sharp edge on it, though it does dull quickly. I use this knife for strawberries and other small fruit as well as for smaller tasks such as taking the hard white area of a tomato. (Chris: I have Victorinox paring knife made of similarly soft steel, and I love it. The soft metal is very easy to sharpen and get a razor sharp edge on. )
From the first part of my knife kit: Spatula, Silcone grabbers, Citrus reamer, Microplane
A microplane comes in handy all the time, from grating citrus zest to garlic to hard cheeses (parmasan…), it`s a real multi-purpose tool. I also have a citrus juicer which also comes in handy at home (I have 2, one for work and one for home) when making cocktails.
A silicone spatula is another lifesaver. From stiring to scraping the bowl clean after, this tool does everything. I recommend this style as it’s what’s most often used in kitchens and as it has a heat resistant plastic handle. This type also has a head that’s not too flexible which sounds counterintuitive, but is actually better for scraping.
The blue silcione things are to grab pans out of the oven. While they don’t get too hot, they don’t really give you enough room to get a good grip on heavy things, but they are perfect for things like cookies or scones.
More tools: Lighter, wooden spoon, bench scraper, paintbrushes, and scissors
Also seen in the first leaves of my wrap are an assortment of small paintbrushes for painting chocolate on 3D moulds, a decent pair of scissors. Mine are just sharp all purpose scissors as I don’t get called to cut chicken and things like that.
The wide metal blade with the wooden handle is a bench scraper or dough divider. It’s very useful for scooping things after you’ve chopped, and as the names suggest, scraping tables or cutting boards, and dividing lumps of dough into the sizes you want.
A long handled wooden spoon is indispensible.
The barbeque lighter is for lighting gas elements on the stoves at work, and maybe the occasional torch if the ignitor ins’t working.
The knife wrap itself is wonderful (both Chris and I have the same one, but mine is gray and his is black) and is available online from www.Koobikit.com
