Customer Reviews

Knives Cooks Love: Selection. Care. Techniques. Recipes.

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I had an opportunity to re-stock a kitchen, I wanted to buy some good knives -- but I didn't know how. In the past, I had just bought whatever. I got this book and love it. It has everything you ever wanted to know about knives, and then some. It describes the history of cutlery (short), Things to look for in buying knives, all the different kinds of knives and what they're used for, and how they're used. There's a nice section on cutting techniques as well. Now, I thought after decades of cooking that I knew how to use a knife, but I have learned a lot. The new way of cutting green peppers, for example, makes a world of difference in my prep work. I highly recommend this book. Even if you know all you need or want to about knives, it is just interesting to read. Plus, it has beautiful pictures.

For anyone that cooks even just occasionally, there's some basic information that should be known about knives: how to tell if they are sharp, how to store them properly, how to sharpen them, etc. Even the most basic book about knives should contain all of that. It's when you get beyond those things that you can tell if a knife book is worth its weight.

And this book fails to do so. It's worth a read if you know nothing about knives, but it would probably be a better idea to invest the time in a book that is a little more comprehensive and thought-out (An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro comes to mind ).

Knives Cooks Love provides only the most basic how-to about using and keeping knives, the same amount of information probably able to be stuffed into a free brochure or a knife's user guide. The rest of the book is filled with fluff and pretty pictures. It seems as though, and this is proving to be a theme across a lot of Sur La Table cook books, that it is meant to be sitting nicely on a shelf in an ambitious home cook's library, rather than actually used.

When I was selling these books at our store, a lady happily bounced up to the register, this book nestled tightly under arm. She laid it on the counter with a smile. "Cook a lot?," I asked. She quickly replied, "Oh, no. I don't cook. I just like cookbooks like this. They're so pretty."

Congrats, Sur La Table. You win. You found your target audience, and they're willing to spend money on this book. If you're not one of these people, I would pass on this one.

If you ever stopped while doing prep work on vegatables and thought "you know there's probably a better way to do this" then you really need this book. I wasn't even holding my knife correctly let alone making anything but random, unproductive cuts.
This book shows step-by-step instuctions for cutting all kinds of things. It also gives history and details about knives which some may find interesting, myself included.
It's an overused expression, but this book really does make cooking fun, so much so that i went out and bought a couple new knives.

There has been a large number of kitchen knife books published in the last couple of years but many of the authors seem to be better at using knives than describing the technical aspects of cutlery. This one gives a fairly good balance between the two.

For the price of the book, consider it a primer and a good start toward getting to know about knives. I read it over in less than a few hours. (This includes looking at the pictures and reading the recipes.) This is 'knives cooks love', not 'knives chefs love', nor 'knives cooks need'...it is to evoke a pleasure in the most basic cooking experience--food prep (and a bit more). This book like other Sur la Table books, that it is nice quality in every way...set up well, nice lay out, good paper, nice photos...etc.

This book would have been better if it gave some particular opinions...but they can't as they sell most of what is in the book.
For example: Personally, I found a great deal on a set of those Rachel Ray Furi knives (orange rubbery handled santoku style) and bought the Furi sharpening/honing system and it has been easy to maintain. This worked for me to get started in my kitchen. Later, I bought some of those funky KAI Pure Komachi knives because I enjoyed the light weight and that they perform well. (They are so inexpensive; don't expect those to find a place in this book even though Sur La Table sold them at one time.) Then I purchased the Shun electric sharpener for the KAI knives (same company, different line but same angle to their edges) which I had no success with. Both sharpening systems are in the book, but I would take the Furi system any day. Live and learn, but I don't think that this book could have helped me either way...

Since good knives can be expensive, this book can be considered a small investment to know the knives on the market. I liked the information on what goes into the different knives--materials and how they are made. There are sections on cutting fruit and vegetables as well as carving different poultry and meats with nice photos and a some recipes.. All knives were developed with a specific purpose, and this book lets you know what that purpose is as well as comments from people who own lots of knives (one individual has about $30k in knives, another with +200 knives bought her husband an $800 knife, and that's his 'go-to' knife.)

The bottom line is...Identify what your level of dedication is and have a few knives you really need to start with and maintain their edge (regularly hone) so you can enjoy your whole cooking experience (read: easier food prep). Then add knives along the way and plan to build your collection as money affords. This book is a nice start in that direction.

The information on choosing knives and sharpening them in this book is informative and understandable. If you are getting ready to invest in good knives, it might be helpful to read this book in advance. If you do not how to properly cut a variety of foods, you may find the many series of instructional photos to be very helpful guides.

The first five chapters are A Primer on Knives.

The first chapter, The Making of a Knife, covers the history of knife-making, the difference between steel and ceramic blades, and the regions throughout the world known for making knives. There are boxes within the chapter with concise info on topics such as Metallurgy for Dummies, Know the Limits of Ceramic, and The Beauty of Damascus Steel.

The next chapter, A Blade for Every Purpose, covers the types of knives available (including chef's, paring, bread, slicers and carvers, cleavers, tomato and steak, cheese, traditional Japanese, and shears) and how to determine a knife's purpose (based on the tip; blade thickness, length, flexibility, and width; and edge curvature and type.

The third chapter, On Becoming a Savvy Knife Shopper, covers how to evaluate a knife based on the anatomy (handle, heel, bolster, spine, tang and cutting edge), blade material, weight, balance and flexibility. It also discusses buying a set versus one at a time and tips on selecting cutting boards.

The next chapter, How to Keep Them Sharp, was of great interest to me as I have had a knife sharpener for a while but still haven't used it. This chapter explains the difference on maintenance and sharpening. It also has detailed information (and helpful photos) on how to maintain a knife's edge with a honing steel and the various sharpening options (do it yourself with manual or electric sharpener).

The fifth chapter, Caring for Your Knives, includes pretty basic information about how to store knives (in a knife block, drawer insert or magnetic bar) and the importance of washing and drying them soon after use.

The final three chapters are on Making the Cut.

The sixth chapter is on Knife-Skill Fundamentals and includes how to hold a knife, knife safety, knife cutting motions, and basic cuts (which includes photod of diced, minced, chopped, sliced and julienned food as well as an herb chiffonade to show the difference in size and shape).

The next chapter is on Vegetables, Fruit and More. It contains directions and a series of instructional photos for cutting onions; garlic; ginger; leeks; carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, and other cylindrical vegetables; potatoes, beets, and other spherical vegetables; bell peppers; broccoli; fennel; artichokes; cauliflower; tomatoes; hardy greens (Swiss chard, kale and collard greens); fresh herbs; avocados; apples; pineapples; mangoes; oranges and other citrus fruit; and chocolate.

The final chapter is on Poultry, Meat, and Fish. There are instructions and series of photos for cutting a chicken into parts, boning a chicken breast, boning a chicken thigh, butterflying a chicken, carving a turkey, trimming silverskin from tenderloin, butterflying boneless meat and fish, carving a bone-in leg of lamb, carving standing rib roast, and filleting and skinning fish.

Recipes are interspersed with the instructions on cutting various foods in the final two chapters and include:
-Caramelized Onion Tart with Kalamata Olives
-Classic Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
-Bread-and-Butter Pudding with Rum and Crystallized Ginger
-Zucchini, Corn, and Red Pepper Saute
-Spanish Potato Tortilla with Serrano Ham
-Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Toasted Walnuts
-Spicy Steamed Mussels with Fennel and Tomatoes
-Roasted Cauliflower-Gruyere Gratin
-Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta Salad with Avocado
-Chard, Mushroom, and Swiss Cheese Frittata
-Crispy Roast Potato Wedges with Parsley, Rosemary and Lemon
-Chunky Guacamole
-Flaky Apple Pinwheels
-Mango-Cucumber Salsa
-Fennel and Orange Salad with Fresh Cranberries and Green Apple
-Decadent Hot Fudge Sauce
-Arroz Con Pollo with Chorizo and Capers
-Quick-Roasting Butterflied Chicken with Warm Spice Rub
-Roast Leg of Lamb with Fennel Seeds and Rosemary Crust
-Lemon-Dill Gravlax
Half of the recipes are accompanied by a full-page color photo of the finished dish.

I would return the book if I hadn't gotten it for such a low price since I already know how to cut food and don't need to remember the history of knife making, but this could be helpful to someone new to cooking (and/or cutting foods). For $5, I'll keep it as a reference for sharpening my knives and for when I am ready to replace my set of knives.

I do alot of cooking and use my knives all the time. Thia book was very informative too. A must read for anyone who enjoys cooking and or as a chef.

I bought this book as a pro in the business. I have worked in 5*hotel kitchens before starting my own khife sharpening business.From a sharpening side it is important for all cooks both professional and amateur to read these books as the guide on how to maintain your knives as well as the edges. Also the description of knives and their use is important for purchasing more and different knives for your collection. I own 25 good quality cooking knives.

The cutting techniques are also inportant as there are many cooks who work in kitchens who have no idea on how to cut or even what knife is meant for what pupose. The recipes were also interesting and I have already tried a few. My personal problem is I keep repeating the same recipes over and over. The three books have helped me in opening my horizens and enlarging my repitoire of good recipes. All my "experimenting" is done im my own kitchen. I still run a catering service as one of my hobbies, and my clients love my "new" and inovative recipes. I only cater small functions of upto about 80 heads.

The guests love the presentation of salads and vegetables in different shapes and sizes. The eye is 50% of what we eat and when food is presented well it becomes more appertising. A good and sharp knife will help to achieve this.

I have made a wonderful investment by having this book in my library.

Robby Abrams
Robby's Sharp Edge Service.
Jerusalem

Little useful information. Little comparison between French, German and Japanese knives. Lots of white space to cover up the obivous. Sales staff at Sur La Table or even Linens and Things can give you better and worthwhile info.

I bought this as a gift for someone and was happy with the book. Listing described everything well so there were no surprised. Great experience!