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gourmet good life guide
JEFFHARRIS
I
f men involve themselves in culinary purchases it is usually
with huge outdoor barbecues meant to instill grill envy in
their neighbors or cast-iron, gas-driven ranges that lend the
kitchen a gnarly motif. What you’re probably ignoring is a pursuit
that is just as masculine and involves diverse choices that are sure
to improve your cooking skills: proper cutlery. After all, it’s not
worth taking the chance of ruining a prized piece of beef (or your
fingers) by using a dull knife, or worse, the wrong one for the job.
Since 1814, family-owned Wüsthof has been crafting fine
knives in Solingen, Germany, also known as the “City of Blades,”
where the art of blade-making is taken so seriously that it’s been
protected through legislation. Each blade that the company
produces has been honed through a proprietary process called
Precision Edge Technology that not only creates a sharper edge,
but also doubles its retention and optimizes overall balance.
Wüsthof’s Epicure seven-piece block set (top, $500),
which comes with a 3 1/2-inch paring knife, a 5-inch serrated
utility knife, an 8-inch cook’s knife, a 9-inch double-serrated
bread knife, steel sharpener, shears, and a 17-slot storage block,
is just a starting point. Each of the knives sport shaped handles
made of Richlite, a composite of recycled wood fiber materials,
that have been riveted through the blade. This boosts comfort
and aids the cutting motion, and the set will cover all of your
basic chopping, mincing, paring and slicing needs.
You’ll want to take it to the next level, however. Check out
the 10-inch Pro cimeter knife (center left, $55), which features
a curved blade to help smoothly saw through animal skin and
produce thin slices of meat. The Ikon 5-inch boning knife
($160) is ideal for removing bones in pork, beef or chicken,
while the flexible, narrow blade of the Ikon 6-inch Fillet knife
($190) helps separate fish flesh from the skin.
Your cutting arsenal can also be improved with the purchase
of the 7-inch Chinese cleaver (center right, $190) that makes
chopping fresh herbs and vegetables a breeze, and the 7-inch
Santoku knife (bottom left, $190), which features small indenta-
tions on the blade so starchy foods like potatoes don’t stick. And
if you’re feeling saucy, the 5-inch tomato knife (bottom right,
$85) is perfect for slicing the delicate fruit as well as citrus.
To improve your skills and learn how to properly care for
your new toys, be sure to view Wüsthof’s Knife Skills Academy
videos on their website, and soon you’ll be crafting home-
cooked meals that are of restaurant quality. Or at least you’ll
have fun trying.
Visit wusthof.com.
—Andrew Nagy
Kitchen Knives
