Wondering about knives and pots/pans preferences

I've got a mix of Henckels and Wustof and generic knives and a mix of stainless (Revereware I think), cast iron, and Calphalon non-stick pans, as well as two Le Creuset pieces which are my current darlings. Different materials cook different things better/worse.

I just solved the perpetual dull-paring-knife problem with a ceramic paring knife by Kyocera, $25 and gigasharp and never ever goes dull. Is that posh of me?

Otherwise, Ally's right, you can keep a $10 knife sharp and usable but it'll require way more attention to do so than a $70 knife will. Really though most foods can be torn apart with your hands so owning any knife at all marks you as a rather frivolous type, I'd say.

A good chef's knife is an utmost necessity and I'd say a good butcher knife too.

I have a Mundial 10" knife which was great but I foolishly chucked it in the rough and tumble of the big utensil drawer without a sleeve or anything - ouch - now it is all nicked and dull. I suppose I could get it ground and resharpened but it'd need so much it would probably unbalance it. So I might invest in a Wusthorf perhaps.

The article also bigged up Mundial, Global, Furi (I dont know if Furi are maybe only australian?) and some v fancy mega sharp Japanese knife called Shun.

They dissed ceramic knives as too easily chipped/too brittle, but also pointed out that in Aus we cannot get the special sharpening tools needed for ceramics (god knows why).

http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/the-cut-above/2006/07/03/1151778841791.html?page=fullpage

They both make a real difference. It was so much quicker and easier to cut and prep things once I got good knives.

I bake a lot, so I'm thinking of finally getting a good bread knife though.

I'm scared to fuck up my edges, basically. Although this would give me an excuse to get a new knife with more--is 'rock' the word? I want to be able to rock the blade more than I can with my Wusthofs. Any recommendations

Oh and hi Paul!

I've gotten into sharpening with a Sharpmaker. It took a little getting used to, especially for bringing severely dull blades up to snuff, but now I have to keep an eye on my sharpening habit lest my knives become TOO sharp for casual kitchen use.

The other knife thread has lots of info/opinions about these subjects too.

I had pretty good success turning that grill into a hot smoker a few weekends back. I'm getting ready to do sockeye salmon with a friend - he's got a little cool smoker that will handle 7 or 8 pounds of fish at a time, so we'll set up and tend it from deck chairs with copious quantities of mildly alcoholic and refreshing beverages in about a month.

I'm horribly torn between wanting to move back to Seattle (and the west side of the Cascades) and the various benefits of continuing to live here. One huge plus of our current situation - I have time to cook. If I make the changes I'm contemplating w/r/t work/location/etc, cooking opportunities revert to few and far between.

I probably shouldn't mention the cherry/apricot/berry bonus of living where such things are grown :) And also - the heart of Washington's wine country. (I can see now I really need to make a list of pros and cons...)

Great stuff at the Dupont farmer's market today, and Ally and I are growing all manner of stuff in our community garden plots. I have way way way more swiss chard than I know what to do with, so suggestions there would be appreciated.

I just saute it chopped up in olive oil with garlic, a little chili oil, and some red pepper flakes. The leafy part makes a nice green in light soups, chopped and added at the very end of cooking.

I typically separate the leaves from the stems, saute the leaves per Jaq above and meanwhile slow-simmer the stems in a little broth. I serve the leaves with dinner and then nibble the stems cold after midnight. Or toss stems with oil and garlic and roast at 450 for fifteen minutes.

Caldo verde made with chard is great too. Practice your knife grip on the chiffonade.