Wrong information!

I was reading a magazine the other day and guess what, i immediately been disappointed about the facts that was Presented? could it be a typos, or was i misinformed?

Where on earth the Kale, this special green is in season late Spring unless it is for ornamental purposes, but no, it was a factsheet in cooking magazine? In the end, after many hours only it hit me, where is the article from?

Both the magazine and i where right, this is in facts due of the Country where Your data's originated from, much like when using a recipe it may be based on UK or US imperial measurements. Not much differences one may argue, well have You tried to make the recipe 10 times, let's say You have a party of 40?

 Why would bother may You argue, right? 

Well All this  as to do with truthfulness and a bit of pride i must admit You see, when You know something is wrong do You just let it go? For myself it is hard so I tried to understand for my personal education or call it whatever You desire! 

Back to the subject, it was simply that the seasons aren't the same whether You at in the Northern hemisphere  or the southern one. So how to find out?

In this case it was easy as I could refer to the magazine and find all the information needed.

Could we then imagine what if the information's we gets are from the someone else or even worse come from the web?

Anyway I will not do a full data or review on the Kale itself unless someone fancy's it? 

Personal Note:

With all the information available now a days it is easy to lose oneself, as we could not believe everything we read, hear or see, if You know what i mean?

The question today is:  Who to trust?

How to Chop Garlic

Chopping Garlic should be a quick process to ensure it doesn't oxidize and take on bitter flavors. The quicker you chop, the more likely you'll be to avoid the strong smell of Garlic that fingers and cutting boards often take on after Garlic has been chopped

You could chop all the Garlic and store it in a sealed container with olive oil. This way it is always ready for any recipe immediately. Also, the infused oil can be brushed on your bread for amazing Garlic Bread. This method is simple, quicker, and developed to work well with all sizes of Garlic Cloves, the down side to it, is simply the quantity You could do at a time.

 

 

• Once you have a peeled Garlic Clove, (Please see Here) cut it into two lengthwise, then remove, discard any green shoots. (These green shoots often have a bitter, unpleasant flavor).

 

 

• Place an individual Garlic Clove with the flattest side down on the cutting board. hold Your Chef knife Upside down as shown above.

 

 

• With Your blade slightly inclined just slice into the clove while holding it firmly with your other hand.

 

 

• Holding firmly with your other hand will help with big clove as they may split. (See Here under The Claw)

 

 

• Continue to finish the mincing, (Please see Here).
Put the knife on the side of the Garlic furthest from yourself. Position the top of the blade so that it sits under your hand with the blade lining up to the middle of your fingers. Keep your hand firm and steady; your thumb should be out and away from the blade. With quick chopping movements, raise the handle of the blade up, and then down into the Garlic.

 

 

• Repeat this step over and over again; chopping different areas of the Garlic, until the Garlic has reached a size you are happy with.

 

A little Garlic makes everything better!

 

Personal NOTE:

 

There is other way to chop the garlic, that i did not mentioned in this post as they either damage Garlic Clove or are to time consuming to my liking.

 

The question today is: Do I need a Food Processor?

 

The 5 Ways to Peel Garlic

Peeling a Garlic Clove isn't that difficult -- here are a few easy ways to do it.

There are records in Sanskrit, literally thousands of years old that show Garlic’s use as a medicine. Basically before doctors said “take two aspirin and call me in the morning,” they said, “take some Garlic”.

The Garlic is native from central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Other parts of the Garlic plant are also edible like the leaves and flowers are sometimes eaten. They are much milder in flavor than the Bulb (Head)s, and are most often consumed while immature as they are Still tender.

A fresh Bulb (Head) of Garlic can be found easily and it is not expensive. Stored in a cool dry and dark place, the Garlic should last up to ten weeks.

I did not thought that a picture of whole Bulb (Head)s of Garlic is necessary, hence i skipped it, in the event You really do not know how it looks like do please use Your favorite search engine to find one.

But o can tell You that in average the Garlic Bulb (Head) is made up of approximately 10-16 cloves.

The following Starting process applies to all the methods hereunder
Place the Garlic Bulb (Head) on a board, and apply pressure with your fist. The Garlic Bulb (Head) should cracks so that you can then remove each cloves from it.
 

• Cracking Method
This is to me the most efficient, natural (without altering) and fun ways to remove the peel from a clove

 

Place a Clove on a board, and gently press the Garlic with your fist, until You hear a crack (PoP).

                                        There You can see the Garlic Clove Cracked.

                                              Cut the root end off  with a knife.

                                 Twist and the skin should slide easily, Then remove it.

• Crushing Method
Place a clove on a board, and gently slam it with the flat side of a Chef knife. Be sure the sharp edge of the knife is pointed away from you.
Place the side of a knife over the clove of Garlic and apply pressure. If need be, tap the flat side of the knife with your fist.
The skin should burst so that you can then remove it.

• Water Method
Soak the Garlic in cold water for five minutes, making sure it is fully submerged, (You can put a plate or cover small enough on top).
Remove from the water. Cut off both extremities then peel using Your hand

• Microwave Method
Put the Garlic Clove in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Once out from the microwave, cut the root end off  with a knife and the skin will slide easily.

• Garlic Peeler Method
Lastly you can roll the Garlic Clove with a special tool called a "Garlic skin removing tube" or "Garlic Peeler". This tube is a soft silicone a bit like "Cannoli Pastry Shell". They do cost a bit, so compared to just using the above methods it is considered expensive when you could just use a knife.

They are however easy to use, just add one or two cloves in the Tube and roll it on the table, the skin magically slips off the clove. Remove all skin and waste, and You are done.

The choice is yours!

Sharpening Steel:

Depending on the amount and type of use, I recommend having your blades professionally sharpened every 12 – 18 months.  Mostly in US & Europe local kitchen supply stores offer this services to restore the original edge with a nice shiny finish.  Of course, you can always invest in an electronic sharpener to keep at home.

 Honing steel, sometimes referred to as sharpening steel, sharpening stick, sharpening rod, butcher's steel, and chef's steel. It is a rod of steel, ceramic or diamond coated steel used to hone blade edges. They are flat, oval, or round in cross-section and up to one foot long (30 cm). The steel and ceramic honing steels may have longitudinal ridges, whereas the diamond coated steels are smooth but will be embedded with abrasive diamond particles

 The naming is often a misnomer, because the traditional "honing steel" is not a hone at all, i.e. its function is to displace (and not to remove metal along the edge as Sharpening does).

 The term "hone" is associated with light maintenance performed on a blade without the effort and precision unlike sharpening, so the name "hone" was loaned.
 Ceramic abrasives became increasingly popular, and proved an equal, if not superior, method for accomplishing the same daily maintenance tasks; manufacturers replaced steels with ceramic (and later, manufactured diamond abrasive) sharpening "steels" that were, in fact, hones.

Sharpening Steel:


Important Note:

Serrated Knifes do not need Honing at all, if Sharpening is needed a special sharpener is required.

The length is somehow important, i.e. It should be suited to the knife’s size, as this is for home use mostly I do recommend You to know the longest knife You posses and buy the size accordingly. If money and space are not an issue then indulge yourself.

 Honing steels are usually used by placing the near edge of the blade against the base of the steel, then sliding the blade away from yourself along the steel while moving it down
 The blade moves diagonally, while the steel remains stationary. This should be done with the blade held at an angle to the steel, usually about 20°(Some other knifes like Japanese require different angles), and repeating on the opposite side at the same angle. This is repeated five to ten times.

To my knowledge there is three ways how to perform Honing. You should choose one and always stick with it as changing the method You hone may damage the steel or the knife, (According to my old Chef, I never try to argue on that, but please).

Upside down Method: (Not the best but the safest)

Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the knife and holding the steel down on a Chopping Board, away from the body.

Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20° degree angle from the steel (make sure Your Knife Maker do not request Like some Japanese Knifes a 10° degree to 15° degree angle).

Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from heel to tip, maintaining the angle all during the process.

Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 – 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.

Tips: Wet the Steel with water (make sure to dry it afterward), could help, as well as using a round Steel will be best suited for this procedure.

Classic Method: (The most unsafe but give good results)

Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the steel horizontally slightly tilted inwards and down, holding the knife both near from the body, actually the hand gripping the steel should not move (best way to achieve this is to lock your elbow just above the hip), unlike the knife hand or should I say (wrist) as it is the only on who needs to do the job.

Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20° degree angle from the steel (make sure Your Knife Maker do not request Like some Japanese Knifes a 10° degree to 15° degree angle).

Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from heel to tip, maintaining the angle all during the process, be careful with People and objects surrounding, as this is surely the most unsecure technique.

Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 – 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.

Tips: Wet the Steel with water (make sure to dry it afterward), could help, as well as using an Oval Steel will be best suited for this procedure.

Butcher Method: (The fastest but hard as it is unnatural like)

Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the steel upwards (aligning the guard to protect Your thumb and forefinger), holding the knife both near from the body, actually the hand gripping the steel should not move (best way to achieve this is to lock your elbow just above the hip), unlike the knife hand or should I say (wrist) as it is the only on who needs to do the job.

Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20° degree angle from the steel (make sure Your Knife Maker do not request Like some Japanese Knifes a 10° degree to 15° degree angle).

Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from tip to heel, maintaining the angle all during the process.

Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 – 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.

Tips: Wet the Steel with water (make sure to dry it afterward), could help, as well as using an Oval Steel will be best suited for this procedure.

Honing is often recommended to be performed immediately before or after using a knife, and can be done daily, (By contrast, knives are generally Sharpened much less frequently).

 A traditional Sharpening Steel fixes deformation along the edge of blade. There has long been speculation about the efficacy of honing (re-aligning the edge) VS. Sharpening (removing minor deformation with abrasives).

Personal NOTE:

 Now You understand that to cover the minimum as per above the length as to be, due to the overwhelming amount of information needed to explain.

The question today is: Do I need to clean My knife after?

How Many Kitchen Knives Do We Really Need at Home?

I’ll try to cut through the junk here (pun intended & easy)! Seriously i'll do that in two parts.

The short version one You will find it hereunder, and for the in depth version that i will be adding later.

Basically all You need is 3 Knifes, to my understanding of Home cooking that is.

1) Chef’s Knife (or Santoku, Vegetable knife, anything comparable).

 
2) Paring Knife (non serrated, preferably around 10Cm Blade).

 
3) Bread Knife (or any comparable serrated blade, preferably around 20Cm Blade).

That’s all will You ask?

Well, here we are speaking about knife only, but one thing You will need absolutely is a Pair of scissors. Also a rode, to Hone Your Precious Knifes, and there You see this is different from sharpening them.

Now You are confused are You? Not to worry ill discuss both methods later on.

 Well then Honing is simply put, to adjust/ realign the edge of the blade using a rode. Now this is where misunderstanding start, as the rode is commonly called a Sharpening Steel among other names. 

 
While all the above is true, do note that in Asia, as far as I know they Use only one knife to do all their preparation. This isn’t me trying to confuse You but it is a fact that the Chinese Chopper is the only thing they need. Knowing that the budget, the cooking as well as the presentation is different from other Westerners, it makes sense to me.

That is all for the short version!

Personal NOTE:

You may find the in depth a bit lengthy as the amount of information's is overwhelming. do not be discouraged as I won't us all.

The question today is: Why so many?

Introduction.

Well the hardest is to get started, right? Well, I hope it was, as I do find the writing being another obstacle. Let me tell You why, English isn’t my mother tongue for one then I am much more the hands on type being an Ex-Chef, for whatever does that mean anyway.
  
I started this blog as a platform designated in filling the gap if I can, in between the Know how and the people who are inspire to know more than just following blindly there recipes. With what I hope it would also be a spark in the better understanding why some recipes will do better compared to others for example as why it is better to have some honey than just plain sugar in some preparations, why/ how to organizing your work flow better and doing it, or even how to hold properly there utensils.
So, without further a due let me start with knife holding:
 When it comes right down to it, the best way to hold your chef's knife is the way that feels the most comfortable to you. 
But if you're looking for a little more control and speed in your cutting, here's how!
There are two basic grips: the handle grip, and the blade grip. If you've only ever been using the handle grip, give the other one a try—you may find your cuts improving dramatically. There's not much more to say , so I'll depart from usual form and cut myself short.

·    The Handle Grip,
 With the handle grip, your hand is completely behind the bolster on the handle itself. It is generally used by beginning cooks, or cooks with exceptionally small hands. It’s comfortable, but offers only limited control when doing precision knife work.

 ·    The Blade Grip,
 The blade grip is the preferred grip for more experienced cooks. Your thumb and forefinger should rest in front of the bolster directly on the blade. It’s a little intimidating, but it offers much better control and balance. This grip may be difficult and/or uncomfortable on cheaper stamped knives that don’t have a bolster.
 The thumb grips the knife around the top of the blade, with the hand wrapped around the bolster of the knife. While beginners find that this takes some getting used to, it definitely provides extra control over the blade.
 ·         The same grip from the opposite side.
The index finger is wrapped fully around the blade. The index finger and thumb should be opposite each other on either side of the blade while the remaining three fingers are sort of loosely curled around the handle.
 Note that you should be gripping the knife mainly with the thumb and forefinger. If you find that you're tightly clutching the entire handle of the knife, just relax and loosen up. With practice you'll get used to this grip, and soon any other grip will feel very unnatural.

·         Secure the Food With the Guiding Hand
 Now that your knife hand knows what to do, teach your other hand what to do. Your non-knife hand is called your "guiding hand," and its job is to hold the food to keep it from sliding around on the cutting board. This puts it in a uniquely dangerous position. With the knife blade flying up and down, you need to keep those fingertips tucked safely away, while still being able to firmly hold the food.
 The grip shown here is called the "claw grip", by keeping the fingers curled inward and gripping the food with the fingernails, the fingers stay out of harm's way. The side of the knife blade actually rests against the first knuckle of the guiding hand, which helps keep the blade perpendicular to the cutting board.

·    The Claw
 Using this method for cutting foods, always place the item in a stable position, preferably with a cut surface flat against the cutting board. Guide the knife blade against the food with your free hand. Protect your fingertips by curling those inwards; the thumb will help you in holding and to drive the ingredients from the back while using your knuckles to guide your knife.
 ·         Alternate Claw Grip
 In this modified version of the claw grip, the first knuckle of the guiding hand rests flat on the food product, with the fingers again curled inward safely. And this time the knife rests against the second knuckle rather than the first.
 Each of these claw grips is acceptable, so use whichever one you feel comfortable with.

·         Mincing 
A fine mince requires the use of your two hands. Hold the handle with your hand completely behind the bolster on the handle itself. Place the tip of your knife on the cutting board and hold it in place with your free hand, always remember to keep Your free hand flat on the edge of the knife carefully aligning your thumb to it. Rock the blade up and down to reduce herbs or anything else to a fine mince. (The purpose of holding Your free hand flat is solely for safety purpose, just in case the knife slip flat, trust me when I say that you could cut off your thumb if not careful)

Personal NOTE:

  What also stroked me is the food poisoning in 'World's Best Restaurant' where Customers was hit by Vomiting and Diarrhea Outbreak:

 Noma Restaurant in Prague, known for experimental ingredients such as ants and fermented grasshoppers, has been voted winner of The "S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna World’s 50 Best Restaurants" in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

 This is happening even in the best restaurant, The Two-Michelin-Star restaurant at €200.00 per Head, in the Year 2013, common guys! Apparently this is due to a not good enough internal procedures, as well as a Sick employee who has not been treated, and tested properly.

 Do You remember In 2009 British Chef Heston Blumenthal, was forced to close his Three-Michelin-Star restaurant The Fat Duck for around three weeks after hundreds of guests became ill.

 All this above to ask this question: Who is to blame?