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fandomhigh2014-09-26 12:22 am
sharp_as_knives) wrote in fandomhigh2014-09-26 12:22 am
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Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques | Friday, 3rd period
Class was meeting at Portalocity again today; Hannibal had spent some time yesterday trying to get them to send him to a different version of Baltimore than his own. He'd stipulated a number of conditions - everything from "currently inhabited by humans" to "early twenty-first century technology", by way of "no immediate nor proximate danger". By the time he'd managed to get there for a test run, it had been dark, but he'd managed to get a phone and call ahead to a store to arrange for their trip.
Once they were all gathered, Hannibal waved them through and they found themselves at Sur la Table.
...he hadn't thought to specify the color of the sun. Good lord, his suit looked terrible under chartreuse lighting.
He sighed and soldiered on.
"When you're preparing food, the most important thing is naturally 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 - preparing food becomes next to impossible."
He led them to a display of knives. "There is a near-infinite variety of knives, many of which are specialized for a particular task. Since we're starting with the basic, we won't touch upon all of them, but please feel free to ask questions."
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.
"The most important knives to own are a good chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. If you have only a few knives, make sure you have those. This is a chef's knife." He turned it to show them. "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 they wouldn't go into that.
"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. You will also 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. Everybody is different, and you may have to try a few to find one. This type will come in lengths usually between six and twelve inches. You should make sure a knife fits your hand well and that you can grip it securely; what works for me likely will not work for Rapunzel," he nodded at her, "who has much smaller hands. Also, some styles are lighter than others, and weight is important; if a knife's too heavy, you won't be able to cut for any length of time. If it's too light, you're liable to make mistakes."
He set the knife down. "Also, no matter which knife you purchase, 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. For now, please take a look at the selections and try to find one that works best for you."
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.
"When we be return to the classroom, where you will each be making a beef salad. No cooking, but chopping, slicing, and cutting in a number of different ways. 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. Also feel free to take a look at Hannibal's preferred knives. The man does nothing by halves!]
Once they were all gathered, Hannibal waved them through and they found themselves at Sur la Table.
...he hadn't thought to specify the color of the sun. Good lord, his suit looked terrible under chartreuse lighting.
He sighed and soldiered on.
"When you're preparing food, the most important thing is naturally 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 - preparing food becomes next to impossible."
He led them to a display of knives. "There is a near-infinite variety of knives, many of which are specialized for a particular task. Since we're starting with the basic, we won't touch upon all of them, but please feel free to ask questions."
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.
"The most important knives to own are a good chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. If you have only a few knives, make sure you have those. This is a chef's knife." He turned it to show them. "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 they wouldn't go into that.
"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. You will also 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. Everybody is different, and you may have to try a few to find one. This type will come in lengths usually between six and twelve inches. You should make sure a knife fits your hand well and that you can grip it securely; what works for me likely will not work for Rapunzel," he nodded at her, "who has much smaller hands. Also, some styles are lighter than others, and weight is important; if a knife's too heavy, you won't be able to cut for any length of time. If it's too light, you're liable to make mistakes."
He set the knife down. "Also, no matter which knife you purchase, 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. For now, please take a look at the selections and try to find one that works best for you."
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.
"When we be return to the classroom, where you will each be making a beef salad. No cooking, but chopping, slicing, and cutting in a number of different ways. 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. Also feel free to take a look at Hannibal's preferred knives. The man does nothing by halves!]