Every profession has their accompanying gear, and the cook is no exception. You might possibly know one of these people who love kitchen stuff, who can't pass a Williams-Sonoma without stopping in to admire the rice cookers or mandolines. For Chef Kevin, any trip to Manhattan meant a trip to Bridge Kitchenware on East 46th, whether we "needed" anything or not. (Now that it's in New Jersey, the internet brings it dangerously close.) Also in New York, two of my favorite Chef's favorite gadget outlets - JB Prince and Korin. The later is one of the premier suppliers of the one tool every cook covets most - really good knives. Japanese knives, to be specific. This knife habit is not a cheap one, not if your tastes run to brands like MAC and Tamahagane. (Disclosure: I personally own a 6" MAC utility knife, which I use regularly at home, and which Kevin regularly borrows.)
At work we have many kitchen knives for the staff to use; most are handily reached on the wall:
Others are more hap-hazardly stored in a drawer under a work table:
Some of the cooks in our employ bring in their own knives, usually wrapped in a carrying case. One of the first questions Kevin asks a potential kitchen employee is if they own their own tools; if they do it is usually a sign that they mean business. Kevin keeps his personal knives in a box under the dough sheeter - no one dares remove anything from his tool kit without first asking, and then the answer is usually "no". The knives we provide for the crew are fine knives, kept sharp and straight, perfectly adequate to get the job done safely.
Lately, the Chef has had a hankering for a new knife. Partly (I think) because of his admiration for my MAC, and partly because he is a professional knife-head. The results: two Glestain knives, ordered from the aforementioned Korin. They really are things of beauty, and he cannot wait to put them through their paces. That's the best part about his knife habit - he uses them to create great food for us to eat!
The smaller one will be used primarily for vegetable prep; the larger "Chef's knife" is an all purpose knife for chopping and dicing; both are made special with those "dimples", or cullens, in the blade which serve to keep the food from sticking to it. They certainly are fine specimens, but the small one has such nice heft and balance, it feels like a part of your hand. One thing for sure, they will attain a place of honor in Kevin's knife box and won't be used to cut cardboard boxes...
At work we have many kitchen knives for the staff to use; most are handily reached on the wall:
Others are more hap-hazardly stored in a drawer under a work table:
Lately, the Chef has had a hankering for a new knife. Partly (I think) because of his admiration for my MAC, and partly because he is a professional knife-head. The results: two Glestain knives, ordered from the aforementioned Korin. They really are things of beauty, and he cannot wait to put them through their paces. That's the best part about his knife habit - he uses them to create great food for us to eat!
The smaller one will be used primarily for vegetable prep; the larger "Chef's knife" is an all purpose knife for chopping and dicing; both are made special with those "dimples", or cullens, in the blade which serve to keep the food from sticking to it. They certainly are fine specimens, but the small one has such nice heft and balance, it feels like a part of your hand. One thing for sure, they will attain a place of honor in Kevin's knife box and won't be used to cut cardboard boxes...
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