The most dangerous piece of equipment in the kitchen is a dull knife. If the blade isn’t sharp you tend to put more force behind the cutting. If the knife slips, the end result could be a trip to the hospital. Maintaining a sharp knife is also beneficial in making smooth, straight and even cuts. When carving or slicing, a sharp knife prevents tearing the flesh on the item being cut. Fish, meat and vegetables are more likely to cook evenly. A true edge will enable you to scrape the flesh of fish and poultry to remove excess moisture that results in a crispy skin.

Knife sharpeners are available in electric, oil, or wet stones. Some units are not designed for the delicate material knives can be made of. High-speed electric sharpeners can cause stress to the blade by the heat and friction they give off. This can result in an unbalanced dull blade, a ruined knife. Some sharpeners use a three-stone method similar to sandpaper; others are lined with very fine shavings of diamonds that produce a quick, very sharp edge. Using sharpening steel is the best way to get longevity out of your knives without having to sharpen them as often.

Options for sharpeners are as follows. Be sure to know the material your knives are made from to make the best decision. If you have spent time and money on choosing your cutlery, spend the same time deciding what the best sharpener is for you. You might just need sharpening steel. Sharp knives are the best tools for the job.

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 15, 2010 – The internet by far is one of the best tools known to man in today’s society. Berkeley, California rapper Lil B (also a member of the group “The Pack”) is one of few rappers who have broke down the internet and taken advantage of how powerful of a marketing tool it can be. He has over 100+ myspace pages and goes under the alias “The Based God.” Lil B’s marketing plan has been a success being he has gained a large fan base from posting over 100+ music videos on youtube & portraying to the world how he can be a goon AND a “pretty b—h.”youtube.com/watch?v=dYIaABV3Eu8

Along with Lil B getting his name buzzing in the music industry, he has developed a new dance which he calls “The Cooking Dance.” The dance doesn’t require much movement besides the swinging of the arms and shouting of “woo, swag, chef, steak, knife.” Brooklyn, New York based group YPB (Young Pretty Boys) (Hollywood Rome & T-ReQ) were quick to receive a creative spark with the dance being they created the song “Teach Me How To Cook” over Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How To Dougie” instrumental. YPB’s song features slick metaphors and a steady flow over the beat describing how one may show their “based-ness” & actually learn the dance. The group also made a viral music video for the song which has reached well over 2,000+ views on youtube.

YPB (Young Pretty Boys) aren’t just any random group trying to make a name. They’ve been grinding hard trying to make a name in the industry. They’ve met Lil B once before during his concert in NYC, but he didn’t it was the young boys from the youtube video. Lil B has even commented on plenty of YPB videos, tweeted both of them and even posted their videos on his site (basedworld.com). YPB has one of the hottest singles online for the ladies called “In Ya Dreams” & a single called “Hometown” taking the net by far. Both YPB and Lil B both are destined for greatness being both parties are making a name and grinding hard!

For more on YPB (Young Pretty Boys) or Lil B:officialypb.comFacebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=162479120430974Twitter: @YeahReQ & @

basedworld.comTwitter: @lilbthebasedgod

I am a collector of hobbies. A dabbler of the worst kind. One minute, I’m knee deep in a knitting project, the next minute I’m beading a shark tooth necklace for Jade. (Don’t ask.)

This makes me not great at any one thing. But it has taught me a very important lesson. Whether it’s cooking, painting or foraging for ants in the jungle, you are only as good as your tools.

I’ve also learned that the best tools aren’t always the most expensive but they’re almost NEVER the cheapest.

Today, I want to talk about knives. If you’ve never thought of yourself as a cook or ever uttered the words, “I can’t really cook” I want you to stop right now and go look in your utensil drawer. In that drawer, is there a quality blade of forged steel? Do you have at least one quality chef’s knife that you purchased for more than, let’s say $40-50?

If not, then I want you to refrain from disparaging your cooking or claiming you hate the task until you have attempted to cook with a good knife. Obviously, a good knife isn’t going to make your mashed potatoes creamier but the time and stress it alleviates in the kitchen will allow you focus on what you’re cooking, instead of spending an hour peeling potatoes. Also…it kinda makes you feel chef-y.

(Sidebar: if you get a good knife and a set of prep bowls, you can pretend you’re the host of a cooking show! Just don’t let your family catch you talking to yourself or you might end up committed.)

I only have three good knives in my kitchen and truth be told, I really only use one of them. So, I am not encouraging you to go out cash out your IRA to buy a set of fancy knives. I use my paring knife once in a great while to peel something. I use my utility knife when my chef’s knife is dirty.

When it comes to selecting a chef’s knife, you have two main options: the Japanese or Santuko and the traditional French/German. Every chef says different things about what sets these two styles apart. What it really comes down to is comfort. I personally prefer a Japanese or Santuko cut to a knife. I think the shape and balance of this knife is somehow more suited to my smaller hands.  This is a really personally thing, though, so use whatever style of knife works best for you.

If you’re willing to drop $100-$300 on a knife, then I highly recommend checking out Shun or Wusthof. If you want to stay in the $50-$100 range, get thee to a Pampered Chef consultant. I used to be one, so I’m biased but I really don’t think you’ll get this kind of quality forged steel for this price anywhere else. Do be careful, because PC has a line of stamped knives, too. I know people who swear by them, but for the price I really think it’s worth splurging for a forged piece.

If you can’t bring yourself to pay even $50, I found a few websites that really recommend this brand of stamped steel. And remember, you don’t need to spend a lot on ALL your knives. I still use my less expensive knives for bread knives and other odds and ends and it works just fine.

Once you have a knife you love, treat it like royalty. Get a case for it or a knife block so it doesn’t scrape against all the other knives in your drawer. Always hand wash your knives immediately after each use. Never put them in a dishwasher and always dry them before putting them away.

Keeping them sharp is a snap, too! Wusthof makes an easy knife sharpener for around $20. Please don’t use it to sharpen a serrated knife. Which means you should never buy a chef’s knife that’s serrated (yes, I’ve seen them). Those have to be professionally sharpened.

When it comes to properly using a knife, well I’m no expert here. All I can say is: YOU TUBE! Alton Brown’s episode on knife skills is really good. Just watch and practice. Yes, you’ll be eating a lot of salads for awhile, but in the end it’ll speed up your prep time. And I really do find it relaxing.

One more tip: I strongly caution you against buying a knife that you’ve never tried. Ask your friends what kind of knives they use. Ask chefs at local restaurants or caterers. Once you have an idea of what you want, find someone–anyone–who’ll let you test it out.

Of all the tools you use and need in your life, can you really think of a more useful one than a good knife?

With the proliferation of low quality cutlery sets in the market however, choosing the right kitchen tools has become more difficult than ever. The key to getting the perfect sushi knife set is thorough research. Here is a set of criteria that you can use in shopping a set of cutlery that will help you create sushi the right way.

Take note of the material. The best tools are made from the best materials. You should choose a sushi knife set that is made from high carbon steel which is the same kind of material that is used to produce samurai swords since the 16th Century. If the blades made from high carbon steel is good enough for the battlefield then it is good enough for the kitchen. Knives made from high quality materials are sure to last for a long time.

Just a short bit of trivia. Do you know that sushi knives are sharpened only on one side? This is done to provide a cleaner cut to the fish and other ingredients inside a sushi.

The set should include different kinds of knives. In making different kinds of sushi, different kinds of knives are also used. There is a knife specifically designed for tuna and then there is one that is designed for puffer fish. A sushi knife set, therefore, should be complete if you want to have the versatility to make different kinds of sushi. One of the most versatile knife that any set should have is the sashimi knife which also known as an all-purpose knife.

Should come with a decent price. Though price should not really be your basis of quality, you should be suspicious of sets that are priced very low. You cannot expect a $30 set to compare well with a set that cost several hundreds of dollars. Cheap knives are not as sharp and as strong as more expensive knives. If you do not have the budget to buy an expensive set, then get one that is priced st the middle of the price range.

Get a sharpening stone. It is important to include in here a section on how to sharpen sushi knives. This kind of knives have only one sharpened edge instead of two. This is the reason why you should never use a mechanical sharpener with these knives or else, you may ruin their blades. To maintain the sharpness of the knives in a sushi knife set, get a sharpening stone. Better yet, get a set that comes with its own stone.

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This entry was posted on Sâmbătă, Mai 8th, 2010 at 13:48 and is filed under Villaware. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.