Kitchen Independence begins with knowing Knife Basics
This week is one of change for many people, back to school time again. While my days of school were some time ago, the change is felt each year. For some this could be the year when your child first begins their days of school, for others it may be a change of pace from the summer schedule. As time moves forward each of us progressed through grade school, then to middle school, off to high school and for some even beyond. What did your first days of college mean to you? Was it a sense of independence? A fear of increased responsibility and self-reliance? Whatever the emotion it was definitely a time of change.
The independence after high school is felt on so many levels. While everyone’s circumstances are different you define your own path. For the first major section of your life you have always been told what to do; when to get up, possibly even what clothes to wear and most likely more often than not had food provided to you by a parent or a loved one. The independence of college or university is not only about continuing to grow yourself academically; it’s also about learning life skills. Skills such as getting where you need to go, on your own, with no mommy alarm clock saying “it’s time to get up”. Building your own schedule and probably closest to me, learning how to cook.
There is no shame in admitting your shortfalls, after all how else would any of us grow? To someone who has cooked for a large part of their childhood however, it initially dumbfounded me when I learned the limited culinary skills of some of my colleagues. There are people out there that don’t even know how to boil water, or make coffee in a coffee maker. Now yes, you could go through life dependent upon the local coffee shop for both these items, however, in this man’s opinion, these are necessary life skills.
It’s back to basics, kitchen 101 if you will, this September. I would argue that the most important skill sets when learning to fend for yourself is knowing a little bit about the styles, how to use, and care for, a knife. A knife in the kitchen opens up a whole world of food that would otherwise never be discovered if you lived in the pre-packaged, microwave aisle of the grocery store.
Three must have knives for any cook:
One of the primary knives of any cook is the chef’s knife. This general-purpose tool can be used for anything from slicing and dicing (no more slap chop for you) to carving up any size of meat or fish that you can imagine. I would also argue that the santoku knife could be used as a substitute, effectively it is a matter of personal choice even though there are certainly differences between the two. I personally decided on a santoku knife, but make your own decision.
The traditional chef’s knife is made of stainless steel, however you can find them made from carbon steel and ceramic materials. Average lengths range from eight to ten inches, and can be found up to fourteen inches in length. The bevel of a chef’s knife is generally between twenty and twenty-two degrees. The curved cutting edge of a chef’s knife allows for an easy and natural rocking motion when chopping and comes to a defined point at the end of the knife unlike the santoku.
Similar to the chef’s knife a santoku knife is often crafted from stainless steel but can also be found in ceramic or carbon steel. The blade of a santoku knife ranges, on average, between five and seven inches. The edge of the blade is also much more refined, with an average bevel of twelve to fifteen degrees. The look of the santoku knife is unmistakable. The back of the knife distinctively curves towards the tip coming to a point where the spine meets the edge. Another feature of the santoku knife is the dimples along the side of the knife (grantons) allowing it to not only have an eye-catching appearance but also prevent the foods being processed from sticking to the knife.
The second style of knife that should be considered is a paring knife. This knife is very small and nimble. The paring knife is typically used for finer cuts, detail work if you will. Deveining shrimp, coring tomatoes, removing the skin from potatoes and even carving details into your Jack-O-lantern at Halloween are all excellent excuses to purchase a paring knife. This knife is small, ranging between three and five inches. Do not let the size fool you, this can be an invaluable tool when working with smaller items as described above.
The bread knife, or serrated knife would round out my top three knives every cook should have. A serrated knife allows you to cut through items that are rough on the outside but soft on the inside; like your dad…or fresh bread. While there are other uses that can be advantageous. If you like soft, fresh bread this knife is a must.
“If you take care of your tools, your tools will take care of you.” I am not sure who initially turned the phrase but it is true. Knowing how to maintain your knives will allow you to have razor sharp edges. While this may sound a little intense, a smooth cut not only looks better, and requires less force but also is quicker to heal if the slice meant for your sandwich accidentally took a wrong turn at your index finger.
Storage:
While loose in a drawer may sound safe enough, a knife block or a sheath can allow you to maintain the knife’s edge much longer than if it was left to fend for itself next to other metal instruments. You can easily craft yourself a custom knife roll with some cardboard, some cloth and a string. Another quick idea I have come across for safe knife storage is a book, any book.
Sharpening:
Keeping your knife in prime condition is one concept that can be done with a little bit of effort, but is often overlooked. Sharpening is neither difficult nor does in necessarily need to be expensive. With an investment of fifteen dollars and fifteen minutes a month you can keep your knives sharp.
From electric knife sharpeners to a full set of whetstones there are many options to keep your knives in pristine condition. When you are using an electric sharpener life is easy, simply guide the knife blade as per manufacturer’s recommendations through the sharpener and the knifes’ edge will certainly be restored. Manual sharpeners work under the same principle however they will most likely require additional passes as the stone or sharpener is not in motion as it is with the electric variety.
The pinnacle of knife sharpening comes from whetstones. Whetstones, or wetstones, are stones of varying grit (roughness) that are designed to gradually restore any knifes’ edge. This is the most complex method for sharpening however it does allow for the sharpest of edges for those who take the time to learn the art. You need to have a feel for the proper angle to hold the knife, a steady hand to maintain the angle and time to spend, as this is the most time consuming of all methods.
Some may disagree with my point of view however learning how to work in a kitchen is a necessary life skill, not one reserved for the professionals. You don’t need to know how to hand craft a perfect pastry from scratch, but you should at least know how to boil an egg. One of the best ways to learn is by doing, and to do almost anything in the kitchen you need to know how to handle a knife. On the most basic level: keep them sharp, hold it with authority and keep your fingers out of the way. I hope this September, as the younger ones venture out on their own, they learn to grow both in the classroom and out. Explore your interests, examine your needs…we all need to eat.