About two months ago or so, I posted this in Facebook after purchasing THE knife at Sur La Table.
Welcome to the newest member of my family, Mr. Global! He is Japanese, sophisticated and has some “edge”. I am very lucky that I had the chance to pick him up yesterday with a friend of mine, Chef Eric Haruki.
Eric explained to me that “when selecting a chef’s knife there are many variables involved like weight, handle size and shape, blade length, whether forged vs. stamped, blade shape – curved for rocking vs. straight edge for chopping. You’re going to want something on the smaller size that fits your hand, but also has sufficient weight to impart the needed force to get through carrots, jicama, butternut squash, dense cabbages, etc. You don’t want a blade that’s going to flex or a handle shape that twists in your palm. Some handles are roundish like Globals and can be slippery. Some have square edges like the German knives, while some like my Japanese Miyabi have its edges curved off”
With all this information at hand, we headed to Sur La Table since they have a nice demo station. What can I say? I really felt like Harry Potter in Ollivander’s Wand Shop. Should I pick acacia or alder? ash or birch? Oh wait, we are talking about knifes here! After trying 8 different models on several potatoes, the knife chose me (just like the wand does to its wizard) ha! “
I must admit that my overall knife knowledge and skills have dramatically improved since I posted this. I have Rouxbe Cooking School and Chef Haruki to thank, as well as a couple of 20-pound bags of carrots and endless hours in my kitchen.
According to writer Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10,000 hours to become a master. If that’s what it takes, that’s what I am doing. My ultimate goal: To become a lean mean cutting machine!
My apologies to all my friends in North County San Diego. If you can’t find carrots at the local grocery stores in the next few months, you know where to find me. My kitchen will always be open to you!
