Have you seen Chinese dishes with fine juliennes of vegetables? The salads and curries have the most innovative cuts in expensive restaurants. I believe that the taste of the vegetable varies according to the cut of the vegetable. I personally like to cut vegetables very finely which resulted in tastier food. A dish according to me is as good as its cut.I have always made it a point that I used good quality kitchen knives and chopping boards. I have of course injured my fingers, chopped off well manicured nails and still managed to come up with my tasty main course. I think every person who cooks should understand the importance of good quality instruments. Firstly it is best to invest in knives which suit our lifestyle, rather than buy a whole set of unwanted knives. A few must haves for a beginner are as follows: (specialized knives according to your budget can be added on later)
- A good quality all-purpose chef's knife, which has a good quality blade.
- A pairing knife: which is a small knife with 3 to 5 inches straight, thin, narrow blade which tapers at the tip. It is easy for peeling and coring foods or mincing and cutting small ingredients, such as shallots, garlic or fresh herbs.
- A utility knife: A small lightweight knife for miscellaneous light cutting and has a straight-edge blade or a serrated blade that is 4 to 7 inches long, used for cutting cucumbers, larger apples, smaller squash, and other mid-sized items. I double this knife with serrated edge as a bread knife.
- Tomato Knife: A serrated edged knife used to slice food that has a tough exterior and a softer middle, such as tomatoes.
- My favorites are a heavy cleaver (to chop) and a boning knife as I cook meats. A boning knife will typically have a long narrow blade for ease of manipulation around bones and makes life easy.
- A scissors, a good quality grater and a mixer are other essentials.
- Be sure to pick up the knife and see how the handle feels in your hand. It should have a good grip and balanced. Ideally, a heavy knife will require less effort when slicing and chopping.
- Consider the type of blade and blade edge the knife has and the care and maintenance involved. Some blades will require frequent sharpening and some professional sharpening, it is better to invest in a knife which guarantees a sharp edge even if it expensive.
http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1075/types-of-kitchen-knives.asp#construction
http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--38255/knife-sharpener.asp
Happy Cooking!!!:-)
