Not The Sharpest Knife In The Drawer!

John on vacation.

(Not you John!) Never underestimate the importance of the right tool! I was recently reminded of this when we went on vacation and rented a townhouse. The kitchen was fully equiped, and I brought up plenty of supplies, but I forgot to bring my favorite knives! Every night our group of 70 + shared dinner, with each family bringing a dish to share with the group. The first night, I made a simple Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, feta cheese, Kalamata olives and salami. Trying to hack through everything was a real chore! While tasty, the salad did not look as pretty as I would have liked.
John, former chef and Pasadena restaurant owner, brought HIS knife roll.  We spent Saturday night drinking an excellent  bottle of wine, talking about cooking, food, restaurants and of course, the importance of a sharp knife.

Good knives are a big investment, but they pay for themselves in the long run. Some top brands are Wusthof Trident and Henckles, but John also recommends Dexter Russell, which he considers an excellent value for the price. Choose your knives based on how they feel in your hand. I sharpen mine each time I use them.

John's traveling knife roll.

Here is what is in John's knife roll:
Counter-clockwise from left to right:
a zester, a Dexter Russell flexible fillet knife, (for de-boning fish) vegetable peeler (Zyllis), 2 1/2" paring knife(an essential knife) Wusthof 10" thin slicer, Deba Japanese 8" chef's knife (This puppy was super heavy and I would not be able to use it on a regular basis!) a  10" chef's knife,(an essential knife)  Wusthof 6" boning knife, instant read thermometer, micro-plane, tasting spoon, oyster shucker,(if you've never shucked oysters, don't try it at home! John told me that he's had to take more chefs to the emergency room for oyster shucking injuries than any other!) and a second flexible filet knife. Coming soon to a blog near you: What's in MY Drawers?