Cooking update!

I have a Shun Chinese cleaver, too. I hope you're right-handed.

I just got my order from Penzey's Spices and I highly recommend them. I can't wait to make custard with their double strength vanilla extract and the extra fancy vietnamese cinnamon is fantastic. Fleur de sel really is worth the extra, although obviously not for general cooking.

GQ, I have had a Shun Santoku for the last year and absolutely love it. I also just bought one of the Shun Pro single beveled edge 6.5" Deba knives. It should come early next week and I am super stoked. It is beautiful and apparantly even sharper than the regular Shun knives.

Originally Posted by denning

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GQ, I have had a Shun Santoku for the last year and absolutely love it. I also just bought one of the Shun Pro single beveled edge 6.5" Deba knives. It should come early next week and I am super stoked. It is beautiful and apparantly even sharper than the regular Shun knives.

Cool. I'm definitely happy with my Shun so far. I can't imagine how much sharper they could be. They're pretty damned sharp ;p

How often have you had to sharpen them? I know you're suppoesd to use the steel after every use, but that just removes burrs from the edge, so how often is a real sharpening required?

Just got my All-Clad from www.cookewarenmore.com and I couldnt' be happier. They are factory seconds but are in VERY good condition. My saute pan for instance has a 3/8" scratch on the lid and I can't even tell what's wrong with my saucier and stock pot. The frying pan I ordered was in stock but they sent me an email that the ones they had were badly scratched, so they didn't ship them with my initial order as they advertise their merchandise as only having small cosmetic defects (never on the interior of the pans). My 2qt saucier is b/o but I asked to replace it with a sauce pan instead. I highly recommend them.

Originally Posted by GQgeek

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I just got my order from Penzey's Spices and I highly recommend them. I can't wait to make custard with their double strength vanilla extract and the extra fancy vietnamese cinnamon is fantastic. Fleur de sel really is worth the extra, although obviously not for general cooking.


ok, here is a little tip for when they call you in for basic training. when you are asked to tell your platoon a little about yourself, do not use the above sentance as an introduction.

sounds great - I use Penzey's too, btw

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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ok, here is a little tip for when they call you in for basic training. when you are asked to tell your platoon a little about yourself, do not use the above sentance as an introduction.

Use this one instead:

Originally Posted by John Winger

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Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear, and when I do it's always something unusual... but now I know, why I've always lost women...to guys like you. It's not just the uniforms - oh no - It's the stories that you tell! Such fun and imagination! (Addressing man in platoon) Lee Harvey, you are a madman! Remember when you and your friends stole your neighbor's cow, and your friend tried to make it with the cow? I want to party with you, cowboy. You and me, heh, forget about it!

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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ok, here is a little tip for when they call you in for basic training. when you are asked to tell your platoon a little about yourself, do not use the above sentance as an introduction.

sounds great - I use Penzey's too, btw

No, I was going to start with an intro about my bespoke clothing habit, the merits of buying HQ shoes with good leather for developing patina, and how much I enjoy salsa dancing!

I have been doing a lot of Thai and Chinese cooking lately. I got the book called "The Breath of the Wok" that is pretty good and found a couple of online Thai produce sellers that have some great tips and recipies. Here ae a few links for those interested.

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/brands.html
http://www.templeofthai.com/
http://www.wokshop.com/products_main.html
http://www.importfood.com/

I'm a big fan of cast iron cookware and I am obsessing over my new carbon steel wok!

Originally Posted by GQgeek

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Cool. I'm definitely happy with my Shun so far. I can't imagine how much sharper they could be. They're pretty damned sharp ;p

How often have you had to sharpen them? I know you're suppoesd to use the steel after every use, but that just removes burrs from the edge, so how often is a real sharpening required?

I sharpen my knifes on a wetstone every few months.

At the risk of stating the obvious, I'd recommend sharpening your knives when they begin to get dull. I don't mean to be flippant -- the need for sharpening will depend on frequency of use, what you cut with them, and how well you take care of them. Just don't let it get to the point that you're sawing rather than cutting.

Every time you sharpen, your knife blade gets a little smaller.... So it's good to avoid unnecessary sharpening.

Consider that most professional kitchens get their knives sharpened on a weekly basis, then consider how much you use your knives compared to the pros. Try whole vanilla beans instead of extract. Now that is truly a world of difference.

Originally Posted by Kent Wang

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Consider that most professional kitchens get their knives sharpened on a weekly basis, then consider how much you use your knives compared to the pros. Try whole vanilla beans instead of extract. Now that is truly a world of difference.
??? Not when I worked in a professional kitchen. You just need to be able to keep a good edge on a knife. Sharpening once a month or so is good enough for a professional cook.

Do you know where to get kosher salt in Montreal?
All they sell in the supermarket are these horrible chemical like boxes of salt.

I think there's a spice shop at atwater market, but I just ordered it from penzey's along with everything else.