Here at Great News! employees are often given training seminars for new product, and continuing education. During my second month on board, I was invited to get some education on knifes. Particularly Wusthof Knives. Harold, our wonderful representative gave background information on the company, and guided us through care, maintenance. The background information was very informative; for example, the company is still operated by family. Just your average Mom n’ Pop global company, still making their knives out of full sheets of metal, not press and cut like cookie cutter knives. Interesting.

          I told myself to that, getting married, I will have to pick out great knives. Knowing my fiancée, these knives were going to have to be heavy, manly, and pretty stellar. He enjoys pretending that he is a professional, chopping with precision and ease. Considering that at the present time, we had not one good knife between the two of us, I bet that this would be the highlight of gift registery, much like a good china pattern will be for me. But I digress.

          Having knowledge of the Wusthof brand, and knives in general, will be extremely helpful when needing the fiancée to buckle down and decide on about 5 knives instead of all the knives. And believe me, if he had a say, he wants all the knives. (Except the super cute pink ceramin paring knife from Kyocera which will be added to the list- accidentally of course). Kyle began to explain that if you are being introduced to knives, and not a professional chef, there are five things you truly need. A chef’s knife, paring knife, utility knife, bread knife, and a honing steel. So… I need five pieces. Stat. My current “chef’s knife”, the ever popular “buy more, payless less brand”, cuts potatoes about as effectively as my butter knife. And paring, ummm… what is this thing you call paring? Please do not get me started on utility, because in my head, MacGyver is disarming a bomb with a top-of-the-line Swiss Army and a cornflake.

I went to see Charlotte on the sales floor. This woman loves knives. Her eyes lit up when I asked her to explain them to me, like a kid on Christmas.  

The Chefs Knife- If you have any knife at all, have this one. It’s a “go to” in the kitchen, and can handle a variety of tasks in one meal preparation. However, make sure you rinse! No one likes chicken flavored oranges!

The Utility Knife- this is the little brother to the chef’s and the big brother to the paring- the middle child, so to speak. This knife is ideal for paring, dicing, peeling, and coring.

The Paring Knife- this boils down to what I now like to call the “baby of the family”. Use this for smaller jobs in the kitchen. Cutting an apple, herbs, and basic jobs for smaller spaces, smaller items.

Bread Knife- The serrated teeth on this big fella reminds me of a saw shark. Charlotte emphasized using this knife for items you really need to saw, even making the hand motions to give me the full picture. She also mentioned the newer Panini knife design. This design is popular due to the offset handle, which allows your knuckles more space when cutting on a surface such as a cutting board. The names of these knifes are misleading, and they can be used for so much more than just breads and sandwiches. Need a hacksaw in the kitchen? Pick up these guys.

Honing Steel- If you are going to invest in something like a great set of knives, this is essential to protecting the blade, and keeping the knife healthy. While this is not a sharpening device, honing your blade will take away burs and keep the fibers straight. But, a cautionary warning! There is a right and a wrong way to hone your blade. More on that later…

After I came out of my daze, lost in information and the shiny cold steel, I asked Charlotte is there is such a thing as the best knife, or what wisdom she wound want to impart on me. Her answer is so simple, and so honest.

“There is no perfect knife. Knives are very personal to a chef, whether professional or home cook. The perfect, best knife for you is the one that fits in your hand, that you love to cut with. However, spending more now for a quality knife, whatever that brand is, will cost you less in the long run.

Leaving me with much to consider before registering.

            ~Your faithful Great News! Kitchen Mistress

            When I had been working for Great News! for about a month, I decided to be adventurous and try something new. We had leftover enchiladas that looked scrumptious. I know what you are thinking. Enchiladas? New? In San Diego? You are right. Although I have had more than my fair share of this Mexican food staple in San Diego, I had never had vegetarian ones with no cheese or sour cream. In fact, these had none of the ooey-gooey qualities that we have come to cherish in our enchiladas. When I re-heated it, there was no tell-tale grease trail. I was skeptical, but it smelled delicious, and I forgot my lunch that day so I figured I had nothing to lose.

 I took a bite and instantly forgot everything I had ever known about enchiladas. This one, albeit different, had the best flavor and the perfect spice. The sweet potato, black bean, and corn filling was so complimentary to the pico de gallo I had spooned over the top. It was this afternoon that I resolved to pull the recipes, invite friends over for a weekend dinner, and show off the benefits of my new job.

In my head I pictured effortless chopping and dicing, moving about the kitchen with grace, all while entertaining my friends and dazzling them with my prowess. I imagined my friends and myself laughing and talking while I donned my best apron and wielded my slightly sharp knife. After cooking, we would sit, eat, and drink wine, marveling at how delicious everything was. I was two for three.

 Shopping was a disaster. How was I supposed to know that a list, divided into sections mirroring that of a grocery store, is the quickest, most efficient way to shop? I took the recipes, and got each item one by one, in the order they appeared on my paper, darting back and forth from produce to dairy, and canned goods. I was a hurricane with a grocery cart. Once I got home and surveyed the damage, I realized I would be chopping forever, so I enlisted my favorite sous chef, my fiancée, to assist me in making the pico de gallo. He took one look at the sweet potatoes, and after seven years, told me that the one vegetable he hates sweet potatoes. I had only one choice.

I went back to the store to get him some chicken.

          I returned home to take charge again. My fiancée was exactly where I had left him- still chopping and dicing the tomatoes for the pico de gallo. Slowly. Very slowly. I thought I would speed up the process, so I grabbed the serranos to mince them. I chopped away, and if I say so myself, mined those suckers like a pro. And then I felt a burning sensation from a paper cut I had gotten earlier that week. That’s correct you queens and kings of the kitchen, I forgot to wear gloves. The oils burned my skin, and I even touched my face at one point. My eyes watered so much I had to go wash my face, and remembered I am still amateur status. But, after the enchiladas finally went into the oven, and all was said and done, the end result was a platter of deliciousness. It was completely worth the entire afternoon of prepping, chopping, burning my skin, and rolling those suckers.

          As my friends and I gathered around my table, eating, and at least one part was correct- they all raved about the food, telling me never to leave my new job. Even my fiancée, the sweet potato hater, said that he could eat them again… as long as they had the chicken and minimal sweet potato influence.

          So, I guess the moral of the story is to get into the kitchen and try something new. As difficult as anything may seem, in the end, a good meal brings people together. For me, that’s what makes the time and the clean-up worth it.

            ~Your faithful Great News! Kitchen Mistress