Way back in September 2000, my Company H.J.Heinz decided to close the
London factory.
The choice was simple, re-locate,early retirement or take redundancy. I was
fortunate in that being 54 years of age and at the time with 30 years
service, I could take both early retirement and take redundancy, which meant
I could take a pension and also commute the pension, and take a redundancy
deal.
I thought I would take a long holiday then get a little job, to pay the
bills, as they say.
Having been the London factory's I.T manager, I thought I would go self
employed as a home I.T trainer or even a grunt on a systems help desk. As I
am sure most of the retirees here will know, that didn't happen. It is so
easy to get lazy.
Over the next few years I thrashed my hobbies and interests to death and
lost interest. Having nothing in my life other than my Wife and my son, I
followed a well trodden path and had an encounter with "The Black Dog"..
depression. Which then leads to the torture of my wife and son. I
whinge,growl,moan and creep away into a corner, it's strange, you know what
you are doing but you don't care, you are the Prime, no-one else takes
priority over you you you !
Breakdown followed, a big hello to anxiety, and panic attacks. Many months
and drugs later you get out of the hole, and then you search for something
to fill the gap,I found nothing that I cared about and although I never said
it, I knew the day may come when I would hurt my family as never before. I
spent many many nights in debate with myself, should it be: Steely Dan's,
"Peg",or Little Feat's, "Rock'n'Roll Doctor", or maybe a Richard Pryor
monologue or a Spike Milligan poem or better still the end of the "Life of
Brian" slung up on a big screen, the whole congregation of mourners singing
along to "Always Look on the Bright Side Of Life".
The only thing I know is that when I get that final act performed, I want
you to be dancing or laughing your arse off to whether it should after many
months of looking for that new hobby it dawned on me why I was watching.
Now I know some would say I should apologise for the previous part of this
email, "It's a cooking newsgroup" many will shout; well that isn't going to
happen. I thought I would like to fill in some blanks, sort of give an
outline of me at present, I have read through the posts in this newsgroup
for the last few months and I only see like minded people, sometimes the
passion bleeds right out of the monitor and hits you in the heart.
As the New Year began so did I, I realised that my fascination for watching
TV Cookery programmes for the last 18 months or so had to be taken a bit
further, doing, instead of JUST watching was the thing I needed to do. And I
set off on my journey.
To bring us up to the present day. I have bought decent cookware, decent
knives, lots of spices and oils and 18 cookbooks all in the last three
months. Some of the books are only OK, some are amazing! Nigel Slater's "The
Kitchen Diaries" and "Real Food" would top my list at the moment.
I cook meals for three; (Wife, Son and myself) but Wife and Son are the
judges, I watch them eat, I watch them trying to take the glaze off the
plate. I feel so good. This is what is all about. Watching your food make
someone ecstatic.
I have never felt more content as when I prep all my ingredients, whether it
be thirty minutes or two hours.
Never thought I would pause the latest series of 24, so I could flip through
my cookbooks to see if anyone has tried to bake plump vine tomatoes with a
garlic and honey topping; I couldn't find anyone who had so I tried.
My son ate all three tomatoes before eating the Chicken Thighs and the
Cheese and Chive Garlic mash. His only comment was "Nice One".
There can be no more pleasure than spending time cooking a dish, and be
rewarded by plates that are clean enough to be put straight back on the
shelf !; (no I don't!, but you know what I mean).
I find it amazing that I now see dozens of recipes that I am excited about
cooking, and with the knowledge that dozens will become hundreds and maybe
thousands.
So at last we come to my question (all who have persevered this far, exhale
deeply and say "About ****ing time", (if my use of the F word offends please
say), I like it, the second most powerful word in the English language. (C
word No 1)
I have dozens of questions, but I will Google away and see what I can glean,
but when the glean has lost its lustre then I will come back to this group
of fellow fans, I was going to type fanatics but I would guess you are not
all as disturbingly obsessive as me.

Help on Knives
I bought a 5 piece knife set knowing that my xmas gift from 10 years ago was
rubbish. The present to myself was a set of V-Sabatier knives, I know they
are not the real thing, only produced under license, but they are quite
nice. However the "Cooks Knife" was only 6 inches. It is Ok as a knife, but
it isn't what I want from My knife. I want a Cooks knife that is at least 9
inches, it must have a "good" weight, "good" is a bit ambiguous, I think I
mean heavy with balance, but I'm not sure. I just know that some knives I
have feel good and some do not. "Money is not an object" is a bit strong,
but I am willing to pay around £100 for that one knife. Will it be Steel or
Ceramic, anyone using Zirconia knives, do tell.
I would like some input with regards to what you consider to be the best
knives on the planet, and how to sharpen would be a nice extra.

I only intended to ask one question, but I will add this as a second:-
Freezing Fresh Veg
Can you do it and retain the flavour? I have no doubt that frozen peas are
the best you can get, but I know that they are the best you can get unless
you have your own garden. Can I buy "fresh" supermarket veg, (supermarket
definition of fresh is in my opinion "Not Frozen".

If you have read this far, thank you.
hope to see some answers
BT

"Barry" > wrote
> To bring us up to the present day. I have bought decent cookware, decent
> knives, lots of spices and oils and 18 cookbooks all in the last three
> months. Some of the books are only OK, some are amazing! Nigel Slater's
> "The Kitchen Diaries" and "Real Food" would top my list at the moment.
> I cook meals for three; (Wife, Son and myself) but Wife and Son are the
> judges, I watch them eat, I watch them trying to take the glaze off the
> plate. I feel so good. This is what is all about. Watching your food make
> someone ecstatic.
> I have never felt more content as when I prep all my ingredients, whether
> it be thirty minutes or two hours.

Hi Barry.

I really like your style. You are refreshingly articulate. I like feeding
people too. I'm really glad you're feeling better, and look forward
to hearing more from you.

cyberSQUAT wrote:


> "Barry" > wrote
>
> > To bring us up to the present day. I have bought decent cookware, decent
> > knives, lots of spices and oils and 18 cookbooks all in the last three
> > months. Some of the books are only OK, some are amazing! Nigel Slater's
> > "The Kitchen Diaries" and "Real Food" would top my list at the moment.
> > I cook meals for three; (Wife, Son and myself) but Wife and Son are the
> > judges, I watch them eat, I watch them trying to take the glaze off the
> > plate. I feel so good. This is what is all about. Watching your food make
> > someone ecstatic.
> > I have never felt more content as when I prep all my ingredients, whether
> > it be thirty minutes or two hours.
>
> Hi Barry.
>
> I really like your style. You are refreshingly articulate. I like feeding
> people too. I'm really glad you're feeling better, and look forward
> to hearing more from you.



He gabbles on *much* too much...*far* too emotionally self -
indulgent.


--
Best
Greg

"Gregory Morrow" > gagged up this jizz:

ups.com...
> cyberSQUAT wrote:
>
>
>> "Barry" > wrote
>>
>> > To bring us up to the present day. I have bought decent cookware,
>> > decent
>> > knives, lots of spices and oils and 18 cookbooks all in the last three
>> > months. Some of the books are only OK, some are amazing! Nigel Slater's
>> > "The Kitchen Diaries" and "Real Food" would top my list at the moment.
>> > I cook meals for three; (Wife, Son and myself) but Wife and Son are the
>> > judges, I watch them eat, I watch them trying to take the glaze off the
>> > plate. I feel so good. This is what is all about. Watching your food
>> > make
>> > someone ecstatic.
>> > I have never felt more content as when I prep all my ingredients,
>> > whether
>> > it be thirty minutes or two hours.
>>
>> Hi Barry.
>>
>> I really like your style. You are refreshingly articulate. I like feeding
>> people too. I'm really glad you're feeling better, and look forward
>> to hearing more from you.
>
>
>
> He gabbles on *much* too much...*far* too emotionally self -
> indulgent.
>

Says the Poster Child for self indulgence. lol

On Feb 21, 12:09 am, "Barry" > wrote:

*snip for brevity

>
> If you have read this far, thank you.
> hope to see some answers
> BT

You really need to learn to proofread. A refresher lesson on
punctuation and the proper use of capital letters is sorely needed, as
well.

"PVC" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Feb 21, 12:09 am, "Barry" > wrote:
>
> *snip for brevity
>
>>
>> If you have read this far, thank you.
>> hope to see some answers
>> BT
>
> You really need to learn to proofread. A refresher lesson on
> punctuation and the proper use of capital letters is sorely needed, as
> well.
>

hahaha

Now the addict who does not cook is a literature critic, too. WAH hahaha

"PVC" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Feb 21, 12:09 am, "Barry" > wrote:
>
> *snip for brevity
>
>>
>> If you have read this far, thank you.
>> hope to see some answers
>> BT
>
> You really need to learn to proofread. A refresher lesson on
> punctuation and the proper use of capital letters is sorely needed, as
> well.
>
This is a first for me, never posted to my own thread before.
A genuine thanks to you for the welcome "Cybercat".

And thanks to Gregory and PVC.
Gregory...
I never realised, I was too emotionally self -indulgent.
I'm sorry I decided to open myself a little, I shouldn't have done that. I
need to sort my own problems out on my own.

PVC...
I will go to English lessons ASAP, I cannot believe I punctuated my message
incorrectly and also the mis-use of capitals, I am distraught. In the future
when I type I will check my use/abuse of my language.

OK, that's done, now here is my real response.
Cybercat: Thank you for the welcome, you are a nice person.
Gregory: What can I say? Why would you decide to attack me, I posted a
couple of paragraphs that would explain my email subject. All I said was
true, and this was a rare time when I felt I could share with those who had
a passion for cooking.
If you felt that my little expose of myself was inappropriate, say so, and
then answer my cooking questions.
Your flippant "too emotionally self -indulgent" comment was ill conceived;
I'm being kind!

PVC: What can I say. I post in a cooking newsgroup and decide to tell a bit
about myself in the post, to show people where I have been, an idea of where
I am, and to ask for advice.
You decide to criticise my grammar. No advice, no help, just that pathetic
little dig.
Do you cook?, I just wondered. In my post I decide to reveal a little about
me, to explain who I am and where I am at the moment. The best you could
give was I had misplaced some commas and mis-used capital letters . I
haven't bothered to look, but I would assume you are correct in your
criticism.
The misuse of commas and apostrophes is a worldwide affliction, I would not
call it a disease, because that would be stupid. Too many commas, not enough
commas and misplaced apostrophes, who gives a ****, only the pedants care.
If you think that my comments suggest that I have no care of the English
language, you are wrong in your assumption. I love the English language.
Your IP address (us) suggests you don't. That is OK.
Colour or Color, Theater or Theatre, etc. etc.

Anyway, just to round up..
Please respond to my questions in my first post, my lead up to the questions
was to tell everyone why and where I was. I REALLY would like to see some
feedback on Knives.

To Gregory and PVC. don't bother to respond in the Usenet group, I will not
answer. Do not clutter up this excellent group, with flames.
If you want to have a swipe at me, that's OK, bring it on. Direct the
message to ME, and as a word of warning don't get too nasty, don't step over
the line. If you go too far I will format your HD, and if you are really
obnoxious I will speak to my boy, and that will be really bad.
I have often thought about giving all of the money in my Bank accounts to
Charity, never done it but maybe one day.

Back to rec.food.cooking,
In my short time as an amateur cook, I have found that my wife and son are
my guides. I always tell them to tell me if they have a criticism, and I
take that on and refine my dish. .
I would however like to know opinions on the best knife and also freezing
fresh veg, (that would be supermarket fresh)
Thank you in anticipation.
Barry

In article >,
"Barry" > wrote:

> Please respond to my questions in my first post,

What were the questions? Everything was too jumbled together for me to
attempt to read it all.

Sorry... but it was just too crowded.

Made my eyes cross!
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

"Barry" > wrote in message
...
>
> "PVC" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> On Feb 21, 12:09 am, "Barry" > wrote:
>>
>> *snip for brevity
>>
>>>
>>> If you have read this far, thank you.
>>> hope to see some answers
>>> BT
>>
>> You really need to learn to proofread. A refresher lesson on
>> punctuation and the proper use of capital letters is sorely needed, as
>> well.
>>
> This is a first for me, never posted to my own thread before.
> A genuine thanks to you for the welcome "Cybercat".
>
> And thanks to Gregory and PVC.
> Gregory...
> I never realised, I was too emotionally self -indulgent.
> I'm sorry I decided to open myself a little, I shouldn't have done that.
> I need to sort my own problems out on my own.
>
> PVC...
> I will go to English lessons ASAP, I cannot believe I punctuated my
> message incorrectly and also the mis-use of capitals, I am distraught. In
> the future when I type I will check my use/abuse of my language.
>
> OK, that's done,
(snippage occurrs)

Primarily this is a cooking group but lots of folks (me included) have
opened up their private lives and tribulations for many reasons.
Your initial post was refreshing.
It was a very open introduction.
It was on topic.
It described your journy into the world of cooking for the sheer joy of it
It pointed out that this 'journey' can and frequently does, have therapudic
value.
It contained relevant questions.
The flames came from predictable sources and as your experience continues
here you will come to recognize the useless, empty lives these people live.
I await Sheldon's input.

I do not have an answer to the 'frozen veggies' question and can only
provide a general answer to the knife question.
Knives are a VERY personal item of choice.
As you mentioned - weight/balance are very important and only the end user
can tell what works - what feels good and proper in use.
Cermanic knives seem to be problematic for several reasons.
They are fragile and not user maintainable without specialized knowledge.
Good old fashioned high carbon knives still are a best choice.
Size/weight/design requirements are for you to experiment with.
High end stainless steel are easier to maintain and the alloys now being
used approach carbon steel for edge-holding and sharpenability
Talk to anyone with a Japanese laminated blade and you will swiftly find a
religious fervour attached - with good reason.
Price is not always a guarantee of quality; only an indicator .

Hope this helps - and welcome to the group.
Sincerely.
Ken.

"Barry" >
> A genuine thanks to you for the welcome "Cybercat".
>
> And thanks to Gregory and PVC.
> Gregory...
> I never realised, I was too emotionally self -indulgent.
> I'm sorry I decided to open myself a little, I shouldn't have done that.
> I need to sort my own problems out on my own.
>
> PVC...
> I will go to English lessons ASAP, I cannot believe I punctuated my
> message incorrectly and also the mis-use of capitals, I am distraught. In
> the future when I type I will check my use/abuse of my language.
>
> OK, that's done, now here is my real response.
> Cybercat: Thank you for the welcome, you are a nice person.
> Gregory: What can I say? Why would you decide to attack me

No worries, Greg is just an asshole, as is Vomit Chicken.

> Back to rec.food.cooking,
> In my short time as an amateur cook, I have found that my wife and son are
> my guides. I always tell them to tell me if they have a criticism, and I
> take that on and refine my dish. .
> I would however like to know opinions on the best knife and also freezing
> fresh veg, (that would be supermarket fresh)
> Thank you in anticipation.

Man, I wish I could help you, but I use a set of knives I inherited ten
years ago, it's just one of those sets in the wood block with the
sharpening steel. And I have never frozen fresh vegetables.

On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:03:06 -0000, "Barry"
> wrote

>
>PVC: What can I say. I post in a cooking newsgroup and decide to tell a bit
>about myself in the post, to show people where I have been, an idea of where
>I am, and to ask for advice.
Barry, I appreciated hearing about where you have been, and where you
are heading now.


>Back to rec.food.cooking,
>In my short time as an amateur cook, I have found that my wife and son are
>my guides. I always tell them to tell me if they have a criticism, and I
>take that on and refine my dish. .
>I would however like to know opinions on the best knife and also freezing
>fresh veg, (that would be supermarket fresh)
>Thank you in anticipation.
>Barry

As to freezing veggies, I am not that good at it, other than just
buying the already frozen stuff. Others may have answers for you on
that.

I don;t have too much to say on knives, other than what others have
said: go somewhere there is a knife store and handle them. See how
they feel in your hand.

You mentioned Sabatier knives, and if you can find the real high
carbon steel ones, they are marvelous. They do have longer knives: I
have several 8" ones, and one 10" one. I got them years ago, and they
do have a tendency to rust, but they keep a very sharp edge. I have
small hands, and they fit really well in my hand.

I hope you continue posting, and keep us updated with what you are
cooking.

Christine

In article .com>,
"PVC" > wrote:

> On Feb 21, 12:09 am, "Barry" > wrote:
>
> *snip for brevity
>
> >
> > If you have read this far, thank you.
> > hope to see some answers
> > BT
>
> You really need to learn to proofread. A refresher lesson on
> punctuation and the proper use of capital letters is sorely needed, as
> well.

It also would not hurt with posts this long to put spaces between the
paragraphs.

It would make it less eye crossing to read.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

On 20 Feb 2007 23:38:27 -0800, "PVC"
> wrote:

>On Feb 21, 12:09 am, "Barry" > wrote:
>
>*snip for brevity
>
>>
>> If you have read this far, thank you.
>> hope to see some answers
>> BT
>
>You really need to learn to proofread. A refresher lesson on
>punctuation and the proper use of capital letters is sorely needed, as
>well.

caps are OVERRATED.

your pal,
blake

Arcos (Spanish) vanadium stainless steel knives are great value and they've
got a great range, I recommend a 12" (30cm) ...you'll need a big chopping
board of course....

http://www.davidshuttle.com/acatalog...ml&CatalogBody

http://www.arcos.es/

http://www.stephensons.com/index.php.../8_146_483_606

http://casa21.co.uk/acatalog/Casa21_...ssories_2.html


I sharpen mine on a japanese whetstone, then a standard steel, then diamond
encrusted steel! not joking.

winston

www.cooksbooks.info




"Barry" > wrote in message
...
> Way back in September 2000, my Company H.J.Heinz decided to close the
> London factory.
> The choice was simple, re-locate,early retirement or take redundancy. I
was
> fortunate in that being 54 years of age and at the time with 30 years
> service, I could take both early retirement and take redundancy, which
meant
> I could take a pension and also commute the pension, and take a redundancy
> deal.
> I thought I would take a long holiday then get a little job, to pay the
> bills, as they say.
> Having been the London factory's I.T manager, I thought I would go self
> employed as a home I.T trainer or even a grunt on a systems help desk. As
I
> am sure most of the retirees here will know, that didn't happen. It is so
> easy to get lazy.
> Over the next few years I thrashed my hobbies and interests to death and
> lost interest. Having nothing in my life other than my Wife and my son, I
> followed a well trodden path and had an encounter with "The Black Dog"..
> depression. Which then leads to the torture of my wife and son. I
> whinge,growl,moan and creep away into a corner, it's strange, you know
what
> you are doing but you don't care, you are the Prime, no-one else takes
> priority over you you you !
> Breakdown followed, a big hello to anxiety, and panic attacks. Many months
> and drugs later you get out of the hole, and then you search for something
> to fill the gap,I found nothing that I cared about and although I never
said
> it, I knew the day may come when I would hurt my family as never before. I
> spent many many nights in debate with myself, should it be: Steely Dan's,
> "Peg",or Little Feat's, "Rock'n'Roll Doctor", or maybe a Richard Pryor
> monologue or a Spike Milligan poem or better still the end of the "Life of
> Brian" slung up on a big screen, the whole congregation of mourners
singing
> along to "Always Look on the Bright Side Of Life".
> The only thing I know is that when I get that final act performed, I want
> you to be dancing or laughing your arse off to whether it should after
many
> months of looking for that new hobby it dawned on me why I was watching.
> Now I know some would say I should apologise for the previous part of this
> email, "It's a cooking newsgroup" many will shout; well that isn't going
to
> happen. I thought I would like to fill in some blanks, sort of give an
> outline of me at present, I have read through the posts in this newsgroup
> for the last few months and I only see like minded people, sometimes the
> passion bleeds right out of the monitor and hits you in the heart.
> As the New Year began so did I, I realised that my fascination for
watching
> TV Cookery programmes for the last 18 months or so had to be taken a bit
> further, doing, instead of JUST watching was the thing I needed to do. And
I
> set off on my journey.
> To bring us up to the present day. I have bought decent cookware, decent
> knives, lots of spices and oils and 18 cookbooks all in the last three
> months. Some of the books are only OK, some are amazing! Nigel Slater's
"The
> Kitchen Diaries" and "Real Food" would top my list at the moment.
> I cook meals for three; (Wife, Son and myself) but Wife and Son are the
> judges, I watch them eat, I watch them trying to take the glaze off the
> plate. I feel so good. This is what is all about. Watching your food make
> someone ecstatic.
> I have never felt more content as when I prep all my ingredients, whether
it
> be thirty minutes or two hours.
> Never thought I would pause the latest series of 24, so I could flip
through
> my cookbooks to see if anyone has tried to bake plump vine tomatoes with a
> garlic and honey topping; I couldn't find anyone who had so I tried.
> My son ate all three tomatoes before eating the Chicken Thighs and the
> Cheese and Chive Garlic mash. His only comment was "Nice One".
> There can be no more pleasure than spending time cooking a dish, and be
> rewarded by plates that are clean enough to be put straight back on the
> shelf !; (no I don't!, but you know what I mean).
> I find it amazing that I now see dozens of recipes that I am excited about
> cooking, and with the knowledge that dozens will become hundreds and maybe
> thousands.
> So at last we come to my question (all who have persevered this far,
exhale
> deeply and say "About ****ing time", (if my use of the F word offends
please
> say), I like it, the second most powerful word in the English language. (C
> word No 1)
> I have dozens of questions, but I will Google away and see what I can
glean,
> but when the glean has lost its lustre then I will come back to this group
> of fellow fans, I was going to type fanatics but I would guess you are not
> all as disturbingly obsessive as me.
>
> Help on Knives
> I bought a 5 piece knife set knowing that my xmas gift from 10 years ago
was
> rubbish. The present to myself was a set of V-Sabatier knives, I know
they
> are not the real thing, only produced under license, but they are quite
> nice. However the "Cooks Knife" was only 6 inches. It is Ok as a knife,
but
> it isn't what I want from My knife. I want a Cooks knife that is at least
9
> inches, it must have a "good" weight, "good" is a bit ambiguous, I think I
> mean heavy with balance, but I'm not sure. I just know that some knives I
> have feel good and some do not. "Money is not an object" is a bit strong,
> but I am willing to pay around £100 for that one knife. Will it be Steel
or
> Ceramic, anyone using Zirconia knives, do tell.
> I would like some input with regards to what you consider to be the best
> knives on the planet, and how to sharpen would be a nice extra.
>
> I only intended to ask one question, but I will add this as a second:-
> Freezing Fresh Veg
> Can you do it and retain the flavour? I have no doubt that frozen peas are
> the best you can get, but I know that they are the best you can get unless
> you have your own garden. Can I buy "fresh" supermarket veg, (supermarket
> definition of fresh is in my opinion "Not Frozen".
>
> If you have read this far, thank you.
> hope to see some answers
> BT
>
>

Barry > wrote:

> I want a Cooks knife that is at least 9
> inches, it must have a "good" weight, "good" is a bit ambiguous, I think I
> mean heavy with balance, but I'm not sure. I just know that some knives I
> have feel good and some do not.

Indeed. So, go to a place that carries good knives and see for
yourself. Take them in your hand, handle them. What is good for
someone else is not necessarily good for you - and vice versa.

That said, FWIW, F. Dick knives are well-regarded here and are used by a
lot of butchers and other professionals.

Victor

In article >,
(Victor Sack) wrote:

> Barry > wrote:
>
> > I want a Cooks knife that is at least 9
> > inches, it must have a "good" weight, "good" is a bit ambiguous, I think I
> > mean heavy with balance, but I'm not sure. I just know that some knives I
> > have feel good and some do not.
>
> Indeed. So, go to a place that carries good knives and see for
> yourself. Take them in your hand, handle them. What is good for
> someone else is not necessarily good for you - and vice versa.
>
> That said, FWIW, F. Dick knives are well-regarded here and are used by a
> lot of butchers and other professionals.
>
> Victor

My #1 favorite and most used knife is a "Kiwi" brand chinese chef's
knife (cleaver style) from the asian market, followed by an small
"Eagle's claw" brand fillet knife from Wal-mart. The third most often
used knife is a hand made 2" paring knife made by a good friend and
co-worker that made knives as a hobby. It has a teak handle.

The first two knives ran me $10.00 each.

The third was $25.00 but well worth it. :-)

I have yet to see a reason to spend a small fortune on knives.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> (Victor Sack) wrote:
>
>> Barry > wrote:
>>
>>> I want a Cooks knife that is at least 9
>>> inches, it must have a "good" weight, "good" is a bit ambiguous, I
>>> think I mean heavy with balance, but I'm not sure. I just know that
>>> some knives I have feel good and some do not.
>>
>> Indeed. So, go to a place that carries good knives and see for
>> yourself. Take them in your hand, handle them. What is good for
>> someone else is not necessarily good for you - and vice versa.
>>
>> That said, FWIW, F. Dick knives are well-regarded here and are used
>> by a lot of butchers and other professionals.
>>
>> Victor
>
> My #1 favorite and most used knife is a "Kiwi" brand chinese chef's
> knife (cleaver style) from the asian market, followed by an small
> "Eagle's claw" brand fillet knife from Wal-mart. The third most often
> used knife is a hand made 2" paring knife made by a good friend and
> co-worker that made knives as a hobby. It has a teak handle.
>
> The first two knives ran me $10.00 each.
>
> The third was $25.00 but well worth it. :-)
>
> I have yet to see a reason to spend a small fortune on knives.

My favorite is also cleaver's but I have about a dozen from cheap $18 range
up to $400. Cleavers are fine but have a learning curve to them. I suggest
you go to http://knifeforums.com/forums/showforum.php?fid/26/ and do some
reading or join (free) then ask some questions. You can get an exception
240mm gyuto/chef's knife for about $100 that will last you a life time. Get
a good petty/paring knife for about $50 etc.

--

Joe Cilinceon

On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:46:26 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

>The third most often
>used knife is a hand made 2" paring knife made by a good friend and
>co-worker that made knives as a hobby. It has a teak handle.
>
>The first two knives ran me $10.00 each.
>
>The third was $25.00 but well worth it. :-)
>
>I have yet to see a reason to spend a small fortune on knives.

A "small fortune" probably has a different price range for everyone.
But you did say the more expensive one was well worth it. I've cooked
in other peoples kitchens that claimed I didn't need to bring knives
because they had good ones. I learned my lesson and if I'm to cook I
grab a few of my own. A 10 dollar wal-fart knife is exactly that.
You don't need to spend 100's but there is a middle ground. A good
steel and sharpener is a must also. I have a chefs-choice and it
works very well.

As usual: ymmv

Lou

In article >,
Lou Decruss > wrote:

> On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:46:26 -0600, Omelet >
> wrote:
>
> >The third most often
> >used knife is a hand made 2" paring knife made by a good friend and
> >co-worker that made knives as a hobby. It has a teak handle.
> >
> >The first two knives ran me $10.00 each.
> >
> >The third was $25.00 but well worth it. :-)
> >
> >I have yet to see a reason to spend a small fortune on knives.
>
> A "small fortune" probably has a different price range for everyone.
> But you did say the more expensive one was well worth it.

It only cost that much because it was hand made and sized to fit my hand.

The artist has since passed on from colon cancer... :-(

Custom knives will always cost more than commercial ones.
I'd complained about the handle lengths on paring knives, so Dave made
one just for me.

> I've cooked
> in other peoples kitchens that claimed I didn't need to bring knives
> because they had good ones. I learned my lesson and if I'm to cook I
> grab a few of my own. A 10 dollar wal-fart knife is exactly that.
> You don't need to spend 100's but there is a middle ground. A good
> steel and sharpener is a must also. I have a chefs-choice and it
> works very well.
>
> As usual: ymmv
>
> Lou

The Eagles Claw fillet' knives really are very nice. Dad likes it too
and I keep having to chase it down in the knife drawer when he uses it.
I normally keep it stuck to the side of the stove hood on a magnet so
it's handier when I need it.

I've even used that one as a skinning knife.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

Barry,

I too am new to this group and unfortunately I have found that SOME
users are rude and abusive to newcomers, it's pretty sad, but not sad
enough to put me off, I hope this kind of selfish, arrogant,
territorial, childish, playground behaviour by a minority who seem to
think they own this corner of the "interweb" won't put you off either,
there are plenty of nice people here I'm sure.

Back to knives, people have mentioned Henckel and Dick knives here,
they are very good and when I was a chef, considered by most
professionals to be the best, unfortunately the only Dick I could ever
afford was a paring knife....but it was excellent. I'd go for
something with a bit of pedigree rather than the latest trendy thing
and I stand by my previous suggestion of Spanish molybdenum / vanadium
steel knives by "Arcos"...really good knives great price...will repost
links if you didn't see them.

Winston.
www.cooksbooks.info

On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 20:58:14 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

>It only cost that much because it was hand made and sized to fit my hand.

That's cool.

>The artist has since passed on from colon cancer... :-(

Sorry to hear that.

>Custom knives will always cost more than commercial ones.
>I'd complained about the handle lengths on paring knives, so Dave made
>one just for me.

That was nice of him. I have large hands and never had a problem
finding knives that feel right so I've no experience with custom
knives. It seems if the quality was good you got a sweet deal!

>The Eagles Claw fillet' knives really are very nice. Dad likes it too
>and I keep having to chase it down in the knife drawer when he uses it.
>I normally keep it stuck to the side of the stove hood on a magnet so
>it's handier when I need it.
>
>I've even used that one as a skinning knife.

I wasn't familiar with Eagle Claw brand so I googled. Looks like it's
a fishing supply manufacturer. Hopefully we can agree to disagree on
this. But I'm glad you like them. How do you cut through chicken
bones to make soup?

Lou

On Feb 21, 1:09 am, "Barry" > wrote:
Welcome. Those tomatos sound rather good.


> Help on Knives
> I bought a 5 piece knife set knowing that my xmas gift from 10 years ago was
> rubbish. The present to myself was a set of V-Sabatier knives, I know they
> are not the real thing, only produced under license, but they are quite
> nice. However the "Cooks Knife" was only 6 inches. It is Ok as a knife, but
> it isn't what I want from My knife. I want a Cooks knife that is at least 9
> inches, it must have a "good" weight, "good" is a bit ambiguous, I think I
> mean heavy with balance, but I'm not sure. I just know that some knives I
> have feel good and some do not. "Money is not an object" is a bit strong,
> but I am willing to pay around £100 for that one knife. Will it be Steel or
> Ceramic, anyone using Zirconia knives, do tell.
> I would like some input with regards to what you consider to be the best
> knives on the planet, and how to sharpen would be a nice extra.

I assume that what you call a "cook's knife is what I'd call a
"French" knife. Good heavens, 6 inches is more like a paring knife.

I have been very happy with a couple of German brand knives, though
one is a German make but made in Brasil. Both are 10 inch, the
Brazilian may be even 11 inch. I am not at home to check but I think
that they both are Henckel (sp?). I bought both of them at least 20
years ago and don't remember the prices but I think each was between
CDN$ 60 - 80 back then. A 100 GBP should be more than enough.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Sincere thanks to all for the advice and especially the words of welcome and
support.
I shall be spending a few hours googling the brands mentioned, and following
the links provided.

I am sure that I will be happy in this little community. The wealth of
knowledge in here is a wonderful resource.

Barry

"Barry" > wrote

> Sincere thanks to all for the advice and especially the words of welcome
> and support.
> I shall be spending a few hours googling the brands mentioned, and
> following the links provided.
>
> I am sure that I will be happy in this little community. The wealth of
> knowledge in here is a wonderful resource.

Barry, I haven't said hello yet, and thanks for the story. I thought
you were someone else. Freezing fresh vegetables, was that a
question? What kinds of vegetables are you talking about?

nancy

In article >,
"Nancy Young" > wrote:

> "Barry" > wrote
>
> > Sincere thanks to all for the advice and especially the words of welcome
> > and support.
> > I shall be spending a few hours googling the brands mentioned, and
> > following the links provided.
> >
> > I am sure that I will be happy in this little community. The wealth of
> > knowledge in here is a wonderful resource.
>
> Barry, I haven't said hello yet, and thanks for the story. I thought
> you were someone else.

Oog, so did I...

Sorry Barry!

Might want to call yourself "Barry 2". :-)

> Freezing fresh vegetables, was that a
> question? What kinds of vegetables are you talking about?
>
> nancy
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

"Barry" > wrote in message
news
> Sincere thanks to all for the advice and especially the words of welcome
> and support.
> I shall be spending a few hours googling the brands mentioned, and
> following the links provided.
>
> I am sure that I will be happy in this little community. The wealth of
> knowledge in here is a wonderful resource.
>

You're a wonderful addition, Barry. No matter what, please don't
change your posting names. There is another Barry here, but noone
could possibly confuse the two of you.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Barry" > wrote in message>
>snip<

Hi Barry,
I haven't found a 'great knife' that I can afford in the UK but my
Mum has one, she inherited it from a butcher friend of the family, so I
don't know the make, but try asking your butcher what knife he uses, my
Mum's has been going over 30 years, sharpens great and I'm hoping it will be
mine one day!
As for freezing veg, do you have a garden that is big enough to grow a few
things this summer? growing your own veg is so theraputic, and tastes a
thousand times better than anything you can buy. Try putting things between
the plants in the flower bed if all else fails, a line of carrots here, a
cauliflour there, my Mum still gives me advice on this!
My Grandma used to freeze any left over veg out of my Grandads veggie plot,
most of it needs blanching in boiling water before freezing for best
results, but fresh is usually best. ( If your garden is big enough, grow
some corn on the cob, it's amazing stuff to grow and eat, but don't harvest
until about september, the middle of September in Barnsley/Doncaster, so
probably earlier for you.)
Hope this helps a little.

Sarah