Fellow chefs: is a $100 chef knife too much? I have handmedown Chicago Cutlery for everything else (except for a bread knife/offset serrated and a santoku or Chinese cleaver), so it's the only knife I really need to shell out for.
This Global is my top choice right now. Saving some money and getting something cheaper or sharpening the low-end Henckels and Cutco chef's knives could also work, but I feel the Global is the best choice.
The Henckel International Classic is the knife that I use, and I love it. It's hefty and very well balanced. The description says stainless, but it's actually stain-resistant carbon steel. It can actually be honed and sharpened pretty easily. I highly recommend this knife.
I bought them in person at this store, and I basically got the set of two for under $150. Totally worth it. You bring either of these knives close to any food, and it will part like the fucking red sea. I feel like Goemon from Lupin III any time I cut.
Fellow chefs: is a $100 chef knife too much? I have handmedown Chicago Cutlery for everything else (except for a bread knife/offset serrated and a santoku or Chinese cleaver), so it's the only knife I really need to shell out for.
This Globalis my top choice right now. Saving some money and getting something cheaper or sharpening the low-end Henckels and Cutco chef's knives could also work, but I feel the Global is the best choice.
Hard to say, without having any chance to play about with that brand, but it's all down to whatever you feel comfortable with. My two main knives at the moment are an old wiltshire trinity that I keep to a razor's edge, and my handy old meat-axe - but they work well for me, and I'm comfortable with them. I'll go for a ten dollar no-name brand over a hundred dollar super well known brand any day, if the knife suits me better. It's much more about you than the knife - sure, a good knife helps, and if your knives are too shitty, it will be a problem, but in all honestly, that is only about 15 percent of it at most, IMHO.
I'm tempted to take some photos of all the knives I've katamari'd up over the years, now.
Yeah, go to a store and use the knives you're considering. I bought the Henckel because it was a hefty motherfucker, and I like that in a chef's knife. Quality does matter, and $100 is not too much for a knife, but it might be more knife than you need.
TheHenckel International Classicis the knife that I use, and I love it. It's hefty and very well balanced. The description says stainless, but it's actually stain-resistant carbon steel. It can actually be honed and sharpened pretty easily. I highly recommend this knife.
I think we have one of those here; the blade might be slightly chipped in one place, but it's nothing a professional sharpening can't fix. Also, the tip is ever-so-slightly blunted; no idea how. Hopefully the sharpener fixes that.
The Global is lightweight, but what it lacks in heft it makes up for in perfect balance. Gripping the knife with your index finger and thumb on the blade, it feels like the thing is an extension of your hand.
So on Saturday, I made something awesome that is both Indian and Vegetarian.
My brother made Butter Chicken (On the right) while I made Aloo Saag. It came out just about perfect, even though he looks very odd. (And I bet using Yukon Golds would be weird too) It was a great side-dish, and it helped me learn good tips about cooking. Like, for once I cooked Indian Food without burning the bottom of my pan. And, I added chilis (with slivered holes) into the oil, cooking them for about 2-3 minutes and it gave the spinach/potato mix a great amount of heat. Very happy with that. And the two surprisingly taste amazing together.
Made a Burmese-Style Curry on Friday...and it's so delicious I'm making it again today and my brother wants me to make it. It was absurdly good, like, eating the perfect kind of chicken gravy. Coconut Milk and Chickpea Flour make a godly combination.
Don't ever mix canned tuna, green beans, butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and mayo. It's extremely not good. Like, wow.
I'd blame the butter in that mix
It was the mayo/Worcestershire that did it. It would have been fine with either one on its own, but the combination of the two was like an unholy symphony in my mouth.
Homemade chorizo tostadas last night. I have also dubbed them "the overworked college gourmet's best friend." I worked maybe 30 minutes making them, and that was only because I was washing utensils as I finished using them. They were fucking delicious. The entire process boiled down to "Uncase chorizo, cook chorizo, cook beans, slice lettuce ribbons. Tostada, beans, chorizo, sour cream, cheese, salsa, lettuce. Make 4. Eat."
The next thing I want to make is Rick Bayless's adobo marinade. I've got some round steaks that could do with flavoring.
It was the mayo/Worcestershire that did it. It would have been fine with either one on its own, but the combination of the two was like an unholy symphony in my mouth.
It was the mayo/Worcestershire that did it. It would have been fine with either one on its own, but the combination of the two was like an unholy symphony in my mouth.
Over the weekend I made mini-meatloaf loaves that were cooked on the grill in foil packs with red pepper, onion, and sun-dried tomatoes. They turned out damn tasty. I also made a spinach and zucchini lasagna, which wasn't half bad either. Final project of the weekend was scallop squash stuffed with bacon & cheese. Good noms all around.
I will also add that either the theory in the last panel is wrong, or there is something drastically wrong with me. I'm leaning towards the latter.
Over the weekend I made mini-meatloaf loaves that were cooked on the grill in foil packs with red pepper, onion, and sun-dried tomatoes. They turned out damn tasty. I also made a spinach and zucchini lasagna, which wasn't half bad either. Final project of the weekend was scallop squash stuffed with bacon & cheese. Good noms all around.
I suppose this technically counts as cooking, and since I can't think of anywhere else to put it...
Last week, I had a strong craving for a really good, flavorful, old-fashioned root beer. I've had Virgil's before, and while it's good, I know it. I was looking for something new. Alas, the world of quality root beer is a small one.
Now, there are two kinds of lazy people. The first kind of lazy person would have given up and settled for cheap root beer. I'm not that guy. I'm the kind of lazy person that wants the best root beer but doesn't want to look for it. So, clearly, the only option is to make my own.
I wanted a really old-fashioned root beer, flavored with sassafras and not wintergreen like a modern root beer. So, I went to the co-op, bought some roots, and concocted deliciousness.
Here is the recipe.
Pete's Ass-Kicking Root Beer Warning: May Kick Your Ass
~1.25 oz sassafras root bark* ~1.25 oz sasaparilla root ~1/2 oz licorice root 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp allspice 1/2 tsp ginger 10 whole cloves 10 juniper cones (berries), lightly crushed 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/8 tsp (pinch) crushed red pepper flakes 3 cups honey ~1/3 cup molasses (NOT blackstrap) 4 lbs turbinado sugar 1 tbsp vanilla extract
5 quarts water
Pour the 5 quarts of water into a stockpot capable of holding at least 10 quarts; a 12 quart pot is ideal. Note the level of the liquid; you'll need to remember where it is later. Heat the water to near boiling, and add the sugar, honey, and molasses, stirring to dissolve it. Just as the water starts to boil, add everything else, stirring to get it all mixed. Let the water come to boil, and then back it off to a strong simmer/light boil for about an hour, or until you are back down to the 5 quart level. The sugar and such add roughly an extra 2 quarts to the volume.
After boiling, strain the syrup into another pot, add the vanilla extract, and mix well. Bottle the syrup in quart-sized Mason jars, plastic jars, or any other suitable container.
Mix the syrup with water in a 1:4 ratio. I'm not going to give you instructions for natural (yeast-driven) carbonation. Get yourself some seltzer water, and just mix the syrup with that. It'll taste great.
*A note about sassafras root bark: Sassafras bark contains a chemical called safrole. Regular consumption of safrole was demonstrated to cause cancer in lab rats in the '60's. This led to the stuff being banned for use as a food additive. You can get sassafras extracts that have the safrole removed. I used full-on sassafras bark, because it was all I could get, and rare consumption will not have any noticeable toxic effects. However, you should be informed of the risks prior to consumption. Consider yourselves warned.
Comments
This Global is my top choice right now. Saving some money and getting something cheaper or sharpening the low-end Henckels and Cutco chef's knives could also work, but I feel the Global is the best choice.
http://www.broadwaypanhandler.com/broadway/dept.asp?s_id=0&dept_id=2221
I bought them in person at this store, and I basically got the set of two for under $150. Totally worth it. You bring either of these knives close to any food, and it will part like the fucking red sea. I feel like Goemon from Lupin III any time I cut.
It's much more about you than the knife - sure, a good knife helps, and if your knives are too shitty, it will be a problem, but in all honestly, that is only about 15 percent of it at most, IMHO.
I'm tempted to take some photos of all the knives I've katamari'd up over the years, now.
The Global is lightweight, but what it lacks in heft it makes up for in perfect balance. Gripping the knife with your index finger and thumb on the blade, it feels like the thing is an extension of your hand.
My brother made Butter Chicken (On the right) while I made Aloo Saag. It came out just about perfect, even though he looks very odd. (And I bet using Yukon Golds would be weird too) It was a great side-dish, and it helped me learn good tips about cooking. Like, for once I cooked Indian Food without burning the bottom of my pan. And, I added chilis (with slivered holes) into the oil, cooking them for about 2-3 minutes and it gave the spinach/potato mix a great amount of heat. Very happy with that. And the two surprisingly taste amazing together.
Made a Burmese-Style Curry on Friday...and it's so delicious I'm making it again today and my brother wants me to make it. It was absurdly good, like, eating the perfect kind of chicken gravy. Coconut Milk and Chickpea Flour make a godly combination.
The next thing I want to make is Rick Bayless's adobo marinade. I've got some round steaks that could do with flavoring.
Last week, I had a strong craving for a really good, flavorful, old-fashioned root beer. I've had Virgil's before, and while it's good, I know it. I was looking for something new. Alas, the world of quality root beer is a small one.
Now, there are two kinds of lazy people. The first kind of lazy person would have given up and settled for cheap root beer. I'm not that guy. I'm the kind of lazy person that wants the best root beer but doesn't want to look for it. So, clearly, the only option is to make my own.
I wanted a really old-fashioned root beer, flavored with sassafras and not wintergreen like a modern root beer. So, I went to the co-op, bought some roots, and concocted deliciousness.
Here is the recipe.
Pete's Ass-Kicking Root Beer
Warning: May Kick Your Ass
~1.25 oz sassafras root bark*
~1.25 oz sasaparilla root
~1/2 oz licorice root
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
10 whole cloves
10 juniper cones (berries), lightly crushed
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp (pinch) crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups honey
~1/3 cup molasses (NOT blackstrap)
4 lbs turbinado sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
5 quarts water
Pour the 5 quarts of water into a stockpot capable of holding at least 10 quarts; a 12 quart pot is ideal. Note the level of the liquid; you'll need to remember where it is later. Heat the water to near boiling, and add the sugar, honey, and molasses, stirring to dissolve it. Just as the water starts to boil, add everything else, stirring to get it all mixed. Let the water come to boil, and then back it off to a strong simmer/light boil for about an hour, or until you are back down to the 5 quart level. The sugar and such add roughly an extra 2 quarts to the volume.
After boiling, strain the syrup into another pot, add the vanilla extract, and mix well. Bottle the syrup in quart-sized Mason jars, plastic jars, or any other suitable container.
Mix the syrup with water in a 1:4 ratio. I'm not going to give you instructions for natural (yeast-driven) carbonation. Get yourself some seltzer water, and just mix the syrup with that. It'll taste great.
*A note about sassafras root bark: Sassafras bark contains a chemical called safrole. Regular consumption of safrole was demonstrated to cause cancer in lab rats in the '60's. This led to the stuff being banned for use as a food additive. You can get sassafras extracts that have the safrole removed. I used full-on sassafras bark, because it was all I could get, and rare consumption will not have any noticeable toxic effects. However, you should be informed of the risks prior to consumption. Consider yourselves warned.