sharp_as_knives (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sharp_as_knives) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2013-09-24 12:00 am
sharp_as_knives) wrote in fandomhigh2013-09-24 12:00 am
Entry tags:
Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques | Tuesday, 1st Period
Class was meeting at Portalocity again today; once they were all there, Hannibal waved them through and they found themselves at Sur la Table.
"When you're preparing food, the most important thin, naturally, is food." Hannibal's lips twitched in a tiny smile. "The next most important is a good quality knife. Without something to cut with - and something to cut upon - very little food preparation is possible."
He led them to a display of knives. "The staff here have kindly let us inspect these; please do not abuse their trust," he warned. After a moment to ensure they got the seriousness of it, he continued. "There is a near-infinite variety of knives, many of which are specialized for one task or another. However, since the basics are most important and since this is a beginning class, we won't touch on all of them."
He picked up a largish knife and pointed out the various features. "All knives have several parts: a front - the blade, the spine or back, the tip, and the heel; a tang - the metal that extends from the blade to the back and attaches to the handle; a bolster - a collar that separates the blade and handle; and a handle - I hope I don't have to explain that part.
"Probably the three most important knives to own are a good chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. This is a chef's knife. It has a wide blade, more or less triangular, with a center tip, which means the back and the blade both slope toward the point. This lets you rock it back and forth as you chop. The point never leaves the surface you're cutting on. You can use it for virtually anything." And he frequently did, but that wasn't for the class.
"Probably the best type to own is high-carbon stainless steel. Carbon steel on its own tends to discolor and may rust; stainless steel won't keep a good edge. This is the best of both worlds. Similarly, you will want to look for a knife that has been forged - shaped from metal - rather than blocked, which most cheap knives are. It will have much better weight and balance." He balanced the knife briefly to demonstrate.
"Other than that, you'll want to look for a length, weight, and balance that are comfortable for you. These will come in lengths usually between six and twelve inches. You should make sure a knife feels comfortable and that you can grip it securely; what is right for me may not be right for someone such as Rilla," he nodded at her, who has much smaller hands. Also, some styles are lighter than others; too heavy, and you won't be able to cut for any length of time. Too light, and you are liable to make mistakes."
He set the knife down. "And remember, no matter what knife you have, the best-made and most expensive is worthless if you take poor care of it. You should keep them honed and cleaned properly; we'll go over that in the classroom."
Once they'd all had a chance to look over the knives, Hannibal went over the pros and cons of various cutting boards. Glass was horrid and would dull your knives, plastic was...acceptable, barely, if you must. Wood or bamboo was best, but you had to keep it clean to avoid bacterial contamination. "There is also another type. If any of you are skateboarders?" He tapped the gorgeous cutting board. "These are made from recycled materials originally designed for skate parks. They are easier on knives, and they are nonporous, so no bacteria. You will, however, pay for the quality." He shrugged. Food was worth it, wasn't it?
"It's also good to have a groove around the edge, as these do on one side, to catch any juices that may flow from your cutting." Something else he wasn't going to cover too much in class.
"So - find the sort of knife that suits you, the length and shape and make, and then we'll be returning to the classroom, where you will each be making a beef salad. No cooking, but chopping, slicing, and cutting in a number of permutations. And I will be making a vegetable biryani, if you want to watch some of my cutting techniques." Some of them.
[Info for today from several sites; feel free to read them for other things Hannibal would undoubtedly cover: knives and cutting boards.]
"When you're preparing food, the most important thin, naturally, is food." Hannibal's lips twitched in a tiny smile. "The next most important is a good quality knife. Without something to cut with - and something to cut upon - very little food preparation is possible."
He led them to a display of knives. "The staff here have kindly let us inspect these; please do not abuse their trust," he warned. After a moment to ensure they got the seriousness of it, he continued. "There is a near-infinite variety of knives, many of which are specialized for one task or another. However, since the basics are most important and since this is a beginning class, we won't touch on all of them."
He picked up a largish knife and pointed out the various features. "All knives have several parts: a front - the blade, the spine or back, the tip, and the heel; a tang - the metal that extends from the blade to the back and attaches to the handle; a bolster - a collar that separates the blade and handle; and a handle - I hope I don't have to explain that part.
"Probably the three most important knives to own are a good chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. This is a chef's knife. It has a wide blade, more or less triangular, with a center tip, which means the back and the blade both slope toward the point. This lets you rock it back and forth as you chop. The point never leaves the surface you're cutting on. You can use it for virtually anything." And he frequently did, but that wasn't for the class.
"Probably the best type to own is high-carbon stainless steel. Carbon steel on its own tends to discolor and may rust; stainless steel won't keep a good edge. This is the best of both worlds. Similarly, you will want to look for a knife that has been forged - shaped from metal - rather than blocked, which most cheap knives are. It will have much better weight and balance." He balanced the knife briefly to demonstrate.
"Other than that, you'll want to look for a length, weight, and balance that are comfortable for you. These will come in lengths usually between six and twelve inches. You should make sure a knife feels comfortable and that you can grip it securely; what is right for me may not be right for someone such as Rilla," he nodded at her, who has much smaller hands. Also, some styles are lighter than others; too heavy, and you won't be able to cut for any length of time. Too light, and you are liable to make mistakes."
He set the knife down. "And remember, no matter what knife you have, the best-made and most expensive is worthless if you take poor care of it. You should keep them honed and cleaned properly; we'll go over that in the classroom."
Once they'd all had a chance to look over the knives, Hannibal went over the pros and cons of various cutting boards. Glass was horrid and would dull your knives, plastic was...acceptable, barely, if you must. Wood or bamboo was best, but you had to keep it clean to avoid bacterial contamination. "There is also another type. If any of you are skateboarders?" He tapped the gorgeous cutting board. "These are made from recycled materials originally designed for skate parks. They are easier on knives, and they are nonporous, so no bacteria. You will, however, pay for the quality." He shrugged. Food was worth it, wasn't it?
"It's also good to have a groove around the edge, as these do on one side, to catch any juices that may flow from your cutting." Something else he wasn't going to cover too much in class.
"So - find the sort of knife that suits you, the length and shape and make, and then we'll be returning to the classroom, where you will each be making a beef salad. No cooking, but chopping, slicing, and cutting in a number of permutations. And I will be making a vegetable biryani, if you want to watch some of my cutting techniques." Some of them.
[Info for today from several sites; feel free to read them for other things Hannibal would undoubtedly cover: knives and cutting boards.]