Cooking With the Right Knives

When you watch the cooking shows on television you marvel at the way they can cut and chop food. Like any other art the result comes from the right tools and how they are used. As I was reading to prepare for this article I was surprised to learn a dull knife is dangerous. As any man will know if you shave with a dull razor it pulls and burns. A dull knife can slip off the food you are cutting and cut your finger. A knife sharpener should be a part of your collection.

High carbon stainless steel knives are more expensive but hold the sharpness longer and last longer. A new ceramic knife is being made that is sharper, last longer, and stays sharper. The drawback is they are very expensive and can only be sharpened by an expert and they should only be used on a cutting board. Also loose or worn handles can make using the knife dangerous. It is often recommended not to put knives in the dishwasher because it deteriorates the handles, especially wooden handles.

You have to have the right knife for the right occasion. The chef's knife is the largest one, usually 8 to 10 " long. The tip is used for small vegetables the most used part is the middle, which is used for soft items, with small chops and long strokes for tiny or large cuts. The paring knife is 2 ½ to 4" long and is used for coring fruits and vegetables, cutting small objects, slicing, and other hand tasks. I have made good use of our paring knife. For years we had a garden where we would grow flat green beans, we would set by the hour sniping the ends off before putting them in a machine to make them into string beans. A utility knife is longer than a paring knife and is used to cut meats and sandwiches. The bread knife is a long knife with serrated edges and comes 10" for whole loves and 6" for things like sandwich buns. You use it with a sawing motion to cut things. Some sets come with other knives like frozen food, cleaver, fillet, and garnish.

Last but not least is the steak knife. Sets usually come with 6 knives. Without a good set you may be embarrassed when your company can't cut through a steak. They can make even the poorer cuts taste better.

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