One of the first things they teach in culinary school is how to look after your knives.  There’s good reason for that as well.  Without a nice edge on your knife how can you julienne carrots, dice onions, shave garlic, slice mushrooms and all the other great things they teach you in those early years.  As discussed in “Knives Getting Them Sharp” running them along a stone is the best way to put an edge on your blades.  From there and virtually every time you see your knives you will want to steel them as outlined below.

 What you will need

*  Knives - invest in good ones - Henckels, Global, Wustoff, Mac, Forschener, Shun

*  A sharpening steel (long round or oval shaped rod with a handle)

What to do

If your knives are currently very dull, you will need to first check as running a knife along a steel will not put a sharp edge on it.

Running a knife along the steel only refreshes the edge already on there.

Running a dull knife on a steel will not give it an edge.

If your knives are sharp please follow steps outlined below.

A steel can be used in a couple of different ways and before we proceed, it does not matter how fast you do this as the result is the same.  So start slow and be careful!

If you are not too comfortable with the idea of waving a knife around a steel rod in mid air then you may wish to place the tip of the steel on a cutting board and hold it vertical with one hand and the knife with the other.

With the blade pointing down place the base of the left side of the blade against the right side of the steel.

Maintaining a 17-22 degree slide the blade downwards along the steel.  As you bring the blade to the tip of the steel pull the blade towards you so that by the time the blade reaches the tip of the steel the whole blade has slid across the steel.

Now place the right side of the blade at the top of the left side of the steel and repeat the process.

For sharpening in mid air, hold the steel in your left hand hold it in the position of pointing at 2 o’clock.

With the knife in your right hand and with the blade pointing to your left hold the knife in the position of pointing at 12 o’clock.

Place the base of the blade on the front of the steel at the tip of the steel.

As you sweep, pretend the knife is a hand of a clock turning backwards.

As the tip of the knife comes off the steel near the handle it should be pointing between 9-10 o’clock.

Repeat the process on the back of the steel and then again on the front.

Do this 3-4 times per side.

Regardless of which of the above process you choose to steel your knives, if you do it every time you start preparing your meal you will maintain the life of your nice sharp blades.

Who would believe that the most expensive culinary ingredient in the world at around $46,000 per pound would actually have no aroma and no flavor?  But for thousands of years ancient cooks to modern day chefs have been adorning their food with this glittering ingredient that is pure gold.  Edible gold is pure 24 carats that is mixed with a tiny amount of silver before being flattened and then turned into flakes, dust, leaves, and even a spray.  Then it becomes much more affordable in these smaller quantities and can glisten up many a dish.

A photo of my chocolate nirvana - a dense chocolate cake garnished with gold leaf.  And one of my favorite beverages with gold - Gold Schlagger.  Anyone care for a shot?

With the economy mired in a downturn and household balance sheets in the red, it is only natural that many are looking for ways to trim food expenditures.  The question is, can it be done without compromising flavor or nutrition?

Here are some ideas of things I do in my professional kitchen that would work for the home cook as well.

Cook at home - Learning to cook is one of the best ways to save money.  It is a relaxing, pleasurable activity that not only saves money but promotes good health.  Get the whole family involved.  Kids like to be engaged and have responsibilites.

Buy on sale - Check out your supermarket’s weekly discounted items before you shop, and plan meals based on what’s on special.  With so many great recipes at your fingertips, both in cookbooks and online, you can find a delicious way to prepare anything.  Buy marked-down, slightly bruised fruit and vegetables to use in soups, stews, juice, or smoothies.  Blanch and freeze extras.  Visit the “marked down for quick sale” bins for gently dented, but perfectly good canned goods.

Buy what’s in season - Shop for affordable seasonal ingredients at farmers markets.

Shop smart - Make a shopping list and don’t shop hungry.  A list keeps you focused and away from impulse shopping.

Use less protein - Use smaller amounts of meat as part of a stir-fry, or in a main-course salad.

Use what you have - use all leftovers and shop your pantry for items to cook that have been sitting there for a while.

Sometimes it’s the small innovations that make my day.  Normally, I reheat pizza in a skillet for a crisp bottom and melted cheese.  This method works well if you don’t want to turn on the oven and if you don’t mind the fact that the top of the crust remains a bit soggy. 

Tonight I needed to reheat pizza for two so I pulled out the griddle.  Unfortunately without the high sides to help keep the heat in, the cheese wasn’t melting.  As I stared at the slices, trying to melt the cheese through the force of my mind I had an epiphany.  I could simply flip the pizza over.  The crust would brown and the cheese would not only melt, it would become crispy and caramelized like a frico  making the leftover pizza into something possibly better than the real thing.  It worked perfectly and I crunched and chewed happily wondering why on earth I never thought of doing that before.