Random Food Questions Thread

[shibbel]

Up until now I've been using a Wusthof Grand Prix 8" chef knife, but I'd like upgrade, any suggestions? It'll be the knife I use for 90% of whatever I do.

I'm thinking about this MAC chef knife.

http://www.amazon.com/Brand-Mighty-...?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1334675888&sr=1-12

 

[Douglas]

Knife connoisseurs will have all kinds of opinions, but I'm not sure I see how that MAC is an upgrade from your Wusthof.

I hate to go overly canned SF response here but unless there's some specific preference or need you're trying to fill I'm not sure if any knife is going to change how you cook all that much and your best bet is to continue improving your knife skills. I'm only being semi-snarky here - there are some pros to going to a longer knife (I own a 10-incher and an 8-inch) and depending on your preferences you might wish for a different shape or more maneuverability, but once you reach a certain threshold (and you are beyond the threshold) it mostly comes down to aesthetics, preferences, and in a few cases perhaps narrow task-specific needs (like sushi cutting).

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Can anybody recommend a good simple side for steak? I want to try something different. Nothing with potatoes though.

 

[Douglas]

I like cauliflower. Puree it, roast it. Roasted brussels sprouts with some bacon could stand up well. I kind of like the balsamic onion "marmalade" thing Colicchio does.

 

[itsstillmatt]



Knife connoisseurs will have all kinds of opinions, but I'm not sure I see how that MAC is an upgrade from your Wusthof.
I hate to go overly canned SF response here but unless there's some specific preference or need you're trying to fill I'm not sure if any knife is going to change how you cook all that much and your best bet is to continue improving your knife skills. I'm only being semi-snarky here - there are some pros to going to a longer knife (I own a 10-incher and an 8-inch) and depending on your preferences you might wish for a different shape or more maneuverability, but once you reach a certain threshold (and you are beyond the threshold) it mostly comes down to aesthetics, preferences, and in a few cases perhaps narrow task-specific needs (like sushi cutting).

Pretty much agree. One thing is that if you are a rocker, you like to rock your knife which is the American taught technique, then the wusthof will be better while if you pick your knife up, which is what you see in some other countries, the Mac may be better just based on shape.

 

[foodguy]

i'll chime in as well: my go-to knife is an 8-inch wusthoff chef's ... it way predates the "grand prix" designation, but it's a heckuva knife. just make sure to keep it sharpened and steeled.

 

[shibbel]



Knife connoisseurs will have all kinds of opinions, but I'm not sure I see how that MAC is an upgrade from your Wusthof.
I hate to go overly canned SF response here but unless there's some specific preference or need you're trying to fill I'm not sure if any knife is going to change how you cook all that much and your best bet is to continue improving your knife skills. I'm only being semi-snarky here - there are some pros to going to a longer knife (I own a 10-incher and an 8-inch) and depending on your preferences you might wish for a different shape or more maneuverability, but once you reach a certain threshold (and you are beyond the threshold) it mostly comes down to aesthetics, preferences, and in a few cases perhaps narrow task-specific needs (like sushi cutting).

Pretty much agree. One thing is that if you are a rocker, you like to rock your knife which is the American taught technique, then the wusthof will be better while if you pick your knife up, which is what you see in some other countries, the Mac may be better just based on shape.

I'm looking to upgrade for two reasons, one, I'd like a knife with ridges on the side to make sticking less an issue, and two, I've read the Japanese knives are sharper and stay sharp longer.

And yes, I am a rocker, can't say I necessarily have a preference for it, just that I thought it's proper.

 

[itsstillmatt]

It's certainly not improper. French knives are straighter in the blade, so people who use them tend toward lifting. Japanese vegetable knives are super straight, there is no rocking possible. German knives are more bellied, and they have had a monopoly in the US, and especially in US culinary schools, for a long time, so that is the technique here. Don't change, just get something that conforms to your style. The ridges do not, in my estimation, help much. Japanese steel tends to be harder, so it will stay sharp longer, but it is harder to sharpen. There are western style japanese knives with all sorts of shapes, so you can find one that rocks like a dream, or one that doesn't at all.

 

[foodguy]

if you're determined to buy a japanese knife, search for gyutous ... those are the closest to a Western chef's knife, though many of them have very shallow bellies. what matt said is right: Japanese knives stay sharp longer, but they're harder to resharpen. Western knives need resharpening (or at least steeling) more often, but they clean up really easily.

 

[Cary Grant]



It's certainly not improper. French knives are straighter in the blade, so people who use them tend toward lifting. Japanese vegetable knives are super straight, there is no rocking possible. German knives are more bellied, and they have had a monopoly in the US, and especially in US culinary schools, for a long time, so that is the technique here. Don't change, just get something that conforms to your style. The ridges do not, in my estimation, help much. Japanese steel tends to be harder, so it will stay sharp longer, but it is harder to sharpen. There are western style japanese knives with all sorts of shapes, so you can find one that rocks like a dream, or one that doesn't at all.

Thanks for this summary.

 

[StephenHero]

What does one do with an abundance of radishes?

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Shove them up your ass.

 

[habitant]



What does one do with an abundance of radishes?

pickle them

 

[Douglas]



pickle them

plus one. delicious.

 

[StephenHero]

What does one do with an abundance of pickled radishes?