Know your knife

Most of us love to cook, but how many of us actually look at the equipment we use?   Most often, I use a knife that's comfortable to hold and is sharp, until S pointed out that I need to use a proper knife, so I chop the veggies and not my finger. As they say in management, right person for the right job; similarly the knives should suit the task in hand.

There are so many varieties of knives, and I can't seem to differentiate one from the other. There's a paring knife, bread knife, chef knife etc etc.

I used to hate to peel vegetables, and there are people that like potatoes peeled. And there are vegetables like raw banana that need to be peeled. I'd most often overlooked vegetables like raw banana for the sheer effort of peeling them. And then, when my friend and partner-in-crime, R, came back from the US, I'd asked her to get me a Farberware Pro peeler. Suffice to say, I now love peeling. (As a side note, R doesn't know to use a peeler and uses a knife. DUH )

What's equally important in every kitchen is a knife sharpener. It's very rare these days to see the guy doing rounds with his machine to sharpen knives. I remember those summer vacations, when I used to stand next to him, and watch the sparks fly as he sharpened our knives.

Thanks to S for these links

Skip the knife set and buy knives that suit your style of cooking. For example, a vegetarian house hold wouldn't need a butcher knife.

Various types of knives and a comprehensive price list - from Godrej Cartini

As important as knives and peelers are cutting boards. My dad still uses the ancient wooden cutting board, which is better than any of the plastic boards. It's said wooden cutting boards are anti-bacterial . At least two good bamboo / wooden cutting boards are essential in every kitchen.

Happy & Safe chopping !