Dicing an onion - no crying allowed!

The Knife Skills Technique class was a great experience! Not only did I hone in on some techniques I already knew, but I learned the proper way to Brunoise and Batonnet. Will it make my cooking better? Well, not necessarily. But, I can assure you presentation is an important part of the culinary world. By taking a little extra time to properly cut the ingredients, you will have better results such as more evenly cooked vegetables and the right texture for things like salsas.

Of course, the whole process goes so much smoother with high quality knives. Making the investment for a knife made with a single piece of steel will give you years and years of good cutting. Sharpening the home chef's knives should be professionally done every 2 - 3 years and sharpening your blades prior to use with a small portable knife sharpener will keep them sharp and safe. Remember a dull knife is a dangerous knife.

Did you know there are goggles made to help reduce the dicer's tears? I put them to the test and they really work! The foam surrounding the rims helps keep the aroma away and the tears at bay. I made it through the onion tear-free and actually enjoyed dicing. I may not be the most fashionable chef, but the goggles made the task much more enjoyable. I loved them!

So next time you make a salad and want to add a pretty garnishment, remember there is a technique for that. Something as simple as "Fanning" a strawberry will make a beautiful finishing, edible touch!

Knife Skills Technique Workshop

The Knife Skills Technique Workshop is the start of my journey to becoming a better cook. On May 19th, Chef Vincent of the Le Chat Gourmet will teach the following knife cutting techniques…~ Chiffonade~ Julienne~ Bruinoise~ Batonnet~ Dicing an onion~ Lozenge~ Bias~ Rondelle~ Fans~ Paysanne.

I'm just intrigued to figure out what they all mean let alone perform these tasks! The only one I know is dicing an onion! If you saw the movie Julie and Julia, do you remember the scene where Julia was hell bent on dicing an onion so she diced about 50 of them in her home? Paul, her husband, walked in and started to cry and quickly left with the overpowering onions consuming the air. I won't take this class to that extreme, but I will practice, practice, practice! I just may have to buy a good knife for the first time in my life!

I'll let you know how it goes!

The Chocolate Garden

Coming home from Chicago, there is only one thing that could have changed our course and it was depicted on a billboard. The Chocolate Garden. What speaks louder to us than a large billboard simply stating that a chocolate oasis was just a few miles ahead? Forget that we've been driving for 3 hours and we just wanted to go home, forget that we weren't hungry, forget that we had family eagerly awaiting our arrival....life was put on hold for, you guessed it, chocolate!

A mile off the freeway was a cute little mint green building that promised shameless decadence inside. Sign me up! I could use a little shameless decadence. Can't we all? We opened the chocolate covered doors to explore the fantasy that was running through our mind. What did we find? Lots and lots of little truffles in little packages. Really? This is it? This took us off our path? I must say clever marketing though - it worked!

We each bought a package of truffles and went back to the car. Nearly $5 for 2. I was surprised that all the hype led us to this. The greatest thing happened though. We opened up our cute little package and took one bite......pure heaven, pure bliss. There it was ... the secret to life....a truffle from the The Chocolate Garden. Y-u-m-m-y.

Chocolate is such a great little thing. It is a color, a taste, a feeling, a memory. It is warm and flowing, ooey and gooey, and belongs in every kitchen. When designing kitchens, remember, always leave room for a little chocolate.

I love kitchen gadgets!

While on a recent business trip to Chicago, I came across a delightful kitchen shop! I bought some amazing measuring cups and spoons at "The Chopping Block" and the quality is superb. If you love to cook and demand high quality kitchen gadgets, then these are for you ... heavy duty stainless and they won't bend. The other great thing about The Chopping Block: they offer all sorts of cooking classes. Viewing these have inspired me to find an instructor to teach at StyleHouse's working kitchen. Stay tuned, great things are sure to come!