Sur La Table: Knives Cooks Love

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Sarah Jay's Knives Cooks Love: Selection, Care, Techniques, Recipes (Andrews McMeel 2008), is like having an expert answer every question you might have about purchasing, caring for, and using your knives. There are handy descriptions of different kinds of blades, materials, and the countries that produce them. The fundamentals of knife skills section systematically explains what different cuts mean, such as dice, mince and chiffonade (p. 89). The next section tackles different ingredients, first vegetables beginning with onions and shallots (pp. 94- 97). The photos by Ben Fink and descriptions describe the different cuts so that you'll never have to wonder what slicing crosswise semicircles means. There are a few clear onion recipes like Caramelized Onion Tart with Kalamata Olives (p. 99) also on the cover. Onions are perhaps easy, but many people need help with Artichokes (p. 122) and mangoes (p. 144). In the Poultry, Meat and Fish section you will find a primer on carving a turkey (p. 164) and filleting and skinning a fish (p. 174) along with recipes. The descriptions are not exhaustive or exhausting, and you'll need a good fish book, like Rick Moonen's Fish Without a Doubt (See Super Chef's review), for further descriptions, but these go a long way. Knives Cooks Love and Sur La Table's other books would make a great wedding or holiday gifts – along with new knives, pots, pans, and tools that Sur La Table also sells, of course. Related articles articles: Sur La Table: Things Cooks Love Sur La Table: Art & Soul of Baking Previous articles: [Cookbook reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef