My Favorite Cooking Gadgets (Part 2)

I promised to make this a series, and I'm afraid I have failed miserably. Not only has it been a month since my last post, it's been even longer since I professed any affinity for a cooking gadget. I knew it was time for another post, so I started glancing around the kitchen. What gadget/tool deserves my praise? Seeing the Santoku knife sitting by the sink waiting to be washed yet again, I had my answer. You see, hand washing is necessary for good knives, if you want them to retain their sharpness. They tend to dull out quickly in the dishwasher. This knife spends a lot of time sitting by the sink, not out of neglect but out of good use. I end up using this knife daily. Even though I have knives that are properly labeled utility knives, this one is my 'go-to knife.' In baseball, it might be a solid middle reliever. In football, it might be a quality tight end that can catch and block. (I have to use sports analogies to further prove my masculinity since I'm writing a love post to my knife).

So, what makes this knife so great? First off, what makes any knife great is how sharp it is. For those of you who don't care about this, you don't know what you are missing with a sharp knife. I recently cut an onion, or I should say, attempted to cut an onion with a dull knife, and it was the most frustrating thing. I put so much force into slicing through it, that I was afraid I was going to slice right through the onion into my hand. However, I realized the knife was incapable of penetrating my skin. Sharp knives make you look like an accomplished chef. The above picture shows my knife with one of the most commonly chopped items in my kitchen, the zucchini. A good knife moves through vegetables like soft butter. Unfortunately, a good knife will move through your skin without you feeling it until you see blood. The key is knowing how to use it. Another tool that won't get its own column is the knife sharpener. It is essential in maintaining the sharpness of your knives. Maybe, if you're still reading this, you're saying to yourself: "who needs a good knife? I'm not an accomplished chef. I just cook every now and then." Well, why buy something that makes work harder? Buying a cheap knife is like buying a shovel with a hole in it. Sure, you're going to pick up some dirt, but most of it will fall through the hole making your task more frustrating. My intention wasn't to rant, but I want you to purchase one quality knife and put it to work for you. My suggestion for a cheap quality knife that does excellent work on meat or used as a paring knife. This one here comes in a set. Remember, just because it comes to a point and it's shiny doesn't make it a good knife.