Knife Review - Part One - The Petty Knife

Recently New West Knifeworks contacted me to test and review a few of their knives. I did a little research, and found that I liked their company immediately. Their company philosophy and blend of superior design and exquisite craftsmanship appealed greatly to my principle of supporting local and/or small businesses. New West Knifeworks is built on the idea that each knife should evolve from concept to construction, through shipment, and finally to the kitchen, passing through only the hands of individuals whose entire focus is making the best knife possible.

In a world where so much that we buy is mass-produced or factory-farmed, and the vast majority of products have simply lost their soul, it is an absolute joy to find a product that has a direct lineage from end user to innovator. Between the two of us, .ЯR. and I have approximately 25 high-end kitchen knives. There are Henckels, Wusthofs, Kyocera ceramics, paring knives, santoku knives, chef's knives, bread knives, carving knives, everything you can imagine (except a meat cleaver... yet)! We love our knives; they are the most important cooking tool in any kitchen's arsenal.

New West Knifeworks owner Corey Milligan is the mastermind behind the design, engineering and testing of each knife. He was generous enough to send me two knives from the stunning Fusionwood series: The Petty knife and the Super Bread knife. Each New West Knifeworks blade begins with high-carbon Japanese stainless tool steel that is cut, precision ground, and hand finished by the world-renowned blade-smiths of Seiki, Japan. The gorgeous hardwood handles are infused with special dyes and resins that lend each knife a rich and intricate tapestry of hues.

I unsheathed the Petty to find what I hoped would become my new everyday knife. The blade is thin, but surprisingly strong. The smooth wood handle feels perfect in my hand, neither too sticky nor too slippery (as I have experienced with some wood-handled knives). In the kitchen I put it to immediate use on tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, fish, chicken, pork tenderloin, garlic, nectarines, and every other item that crossed my cutting board. Its light weight enables me to make quick work of slicing, dicing, and chopping without tiring my wrist out. The thin blade and smaller handle lend the knife superior maneuverability which aid extensively in paring tasks or delicate work. The razor-sharp edge glides through sashimi like the proverbial hot knife through butter.

The Petty quickly earned its way to the #1 slot in our knife block, and it looks like it's there to stay. The Petty's beauty is matched only by its utility: it is the perfect blend of art and function, weight and speed, and size and strength.

http://www.newwestknifeworks.com/

Knife Review - Part Two - The Super Bread Knife

Click HERE for Part One of the New West Knifeworks ReviewsReceiving the New West Knifeworks Super Bread Knife was a pleasant surprise! I'd done my research online, seen the unique design of the knife, read stories of this blade beating some serious competition (and some serious Willow Tree roots!) but I kept thinking, "It's just a bread knife!" How exciting can it really be? How can a bread knife be worth that kind of cash!? All it does is slice bread. Yawn. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I unsheathed the showstopping Super Bread Knife cooing and swooning at its sheer magnificence. I love knives, but I have never seen a knife like this. It's huge. It's sharp. It has waves and dimples, and it's The Sexiest Knife I've Ever Held. Sexiest? Yes, Sexiest. The Super Bread Knife is forged in the same fashion as the other Fusionwood knives (see Review 1) with the addition of wave serration and Santoku-like dimples on both sides of the blade that encourage effortless slicing and stop food from sticking to the knife. The first thing we attacked with our new weapon was a gigantic raw artichoke. The knife sliced silently through stem and crown without any sawing motion required. It is razor sharp - so sharp that it can be a challenge to slip the knife back into its embossed leather scabbard without slivering the leather.

We had company over later that week and had a nice, crusty French baguette that needed slicing. I secretly despise slicing baked bread because: 1. Usually the crisp crust shatters on impact with the knife, spewing crunchy shards all over the counter. 2. Usually the tender bread inside is abused by the knife, either smashed together or torn hopelessly apart. .ЯR. brought the Super Bread Knife down against the golden crust and with barely a whisper it was through. Slice, slice, slice, slice, holy mother of bread knives!!! All that was left was a neat row of diagonally cut baguette. Hardly a crumb lost!

Verdict? The Super Bread Knife is last bread knife you will ever need. It will also be one of the most beautiful tools ever to reside in your kitchen - I have a hard time putting mine away!

• Check out the stories of the Super Bread Knife online at New West Knifeworks' Blog!

Dobos Torte - [Daring Bakers]

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose this spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

Thank you to the lovely ladies who hosted this month's baking challenge! It was, as always, a significant learning experience. I waited until the last minute to make these tortes and was up until 11p.m. last night finishing them! I brought most of the mini-tortes to work today and so far they have been a rousing success.

The Dobos Torte is a traditional Hungarian cake composed of several thin sponge cake layers, frosted with chocolate butter-cream, sprinkled with crushed hazelnuts, and topped with a toffee cake layer. Like the Italian Ragu, Hungarian family Dobos Torte recipes differ significantly. Some say the cake has 5 layers, some say 7, and some say the sky's the limit! This cake has become a standard of elegance on the dessert plate; a beautiful balance of flavor and texture as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.
I prepared this dessert over two days, as I was tackling The Daring Cooks challenge that same weekend. I made the butter-cream first to give it ample chilling time while I prepared the cake. I had worried about the butter-cream melting in the heat, as the West Coast has had a very warm August! I feared the butter would be too warm, and found it liquefied a significantly as it was exposed to the summer heat. The cake batter, however, came together beautifully. I spread two thin layers on parchment covered baking sheets and baked them for a little over 5 minutes then cut small rounds out of the cake using a 3" cookie cutter.

I made the serious error of starting the toffee layer a little late in the evening. I tend towards impatience, a trait that becomes more pronounced when I am tired. I began the toffee feeling optimistic despite past failures at this skill. I pulled the pan off the stove way before it was "deep amber" - it was more of a sunny yellow. As I poured it over my prepared cake rounds I fought the urge to cry. Ruined! All the toppings ruined! Fortunately, .ЯR. came into the kitchen sensing my panic and fixed everything in two seconds. While it frustrates me that he can do things so naturally that I find challlenging, I am ever-grateful for his assistance. This is a perfect example of why it's always good to have a complimentary partner in the kitchen.

I fail at sugar science.

Things I would have done differently: Spray the layers with a rum syrup, then roll them out between parchment to get them thin & even; chill the cakes before frosting the outsides (they became a little slippery having warmed the butter-cream); and make pretty caramel spirals or shards instead of the traditional toffee-coated cake round. Most importantly, I should obey my own rules of practicing patience and not baking when exhausted! Let's hope that lesson sticks this time, for good!

Please visit The Daring Kitchen to see everyone else's beautiful creations!

Grilled Polenta with Shrimp and Mango-Heirloom Salsa

As you can see, we really got on a grilled polenta kick! Think of polenta as a blank canvas, like pasta or rice. You use it to showcase your main stars (in this case, fresh prawns). Once seasoned and grilled, the polenta medallions become crisp on the outside and provide a satisfying crunch that yields a soft cornbread-like interior. I could go on and on, but I'm getting hungry just writing about it and it is way past lunchtime here at work.

For anyone who doesn't already know, shrimp cooked shell-on blow peeled shrimp out of the water (pardon the pun). The flavor the shell imparts when cooked that is impossible to duplicate once peeled. The flesh becomes slightly smoky and briny, reminding you that this is a creature of the sea. Butterfly, devein, and throw your shrimp on the grill! Add a little heirloom tomato and mango salsa and you have yourself a quick, nutritious meal that will leave your palate completely satisfied.

Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 tube of polenta sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
• Chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper
• 10 large shrimp, butterflied
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp jalapeno minced
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 mango, diced
• 1 large heirloom tomato, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat grill to medium high.
2. Sprinkle polenta rounds with chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper.
3. Sprinkle shrimp with chili powder
4. Mix cilantro, lime, jalapeno, shallot, mango & heirloom tomato.
5. Either spray grill rack with cooking spray or wipe with an olive oiled paper towel.
6. Grill polenta 3 minutes or until crisp on one side.
7. Add shrimp and flip polenta.
8. Cook until shrimp are opaque, about 5 minutes.
9. Plate and serve!

Note: I used pre-made polenta to make this dish weeknight friendly, but you can certainly mae your own polenta, rerigerate it & slice it in the same fashion :D

Cornmeal Encrusted Trout with Balsamic Vegetables

Did you know the Golden Trout is California's state fish?! It's true, ask Wikipedia. It's a sub-species of the Rainbow Trout. Biology lesson: OVER.

What I can tell you about trout is they're delicious when caught, cleaned, scaled, and in my refrigerator; better yet, prepared and on my plate!

Sometimes a recipe that I haven't tried gets stuck in my head - it just sounds good. Case in point: Cornmeal Crusted Golden Trout. Crispy crust, tender fish, happy belly. Somewhere between concept and reality things can go awry.

Honestly?
I found the cornmeal crust
completely overpowered
the delicate, flaky fish.

I would suggest either shaking a smaller amount of cornmeal over the fish, re-grinding the cornmeal into a finer grain, or forgoing the cornmeal altogether and simply pan-frying the fish with a light flour dusting. The thing to learn here is to show respect to high-quality meat when you have it and never to take a recipe at face value. To cook is to innovate, to play, to create, and to experiment!

Roasted beets are one of my favorite vegetables. Sliced and warmed in a pan alongside pearl onions with a drizzle of 18-year-old balsamic vinegar, they transform into something otherworldly. Sweet, earthy, tangy, beautiful, and a perfect complement to almost any dish!

Bon appetit!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 good sized Golden Trout, filleted & descaled (skin left intact)
• 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
• salt & pepper
• cornmeal if desired or panko or finely ground cornmeal
• Olive oil
• Lemon wedges
• Red or Golden Beets, washed & trimmed
• Pearl Onions, ends trimmed
• Good quality Balsamic Vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Wrap beets tightly in tinfoil and set on baking sheet.
2. Roast in oven until tender 60-90 minutes.
3. Remove from tinfoil and allow to cool, remove skins.
4. Slice into rounds.
5. Blanch pearl onions in boiling water 1 minute.
6. Slip skins off and set aside.
7. Place fish in glass pan and cover with buttermilk, salt & pepper.
8. Allow to marinate in fridge 30 minutes.
9. Remove from buttermilk & shake off excess.
10. Coat lightly in panko or cornmeal.
11. Heat a touch of oil in pan over medium heat, add onions & beets.
12. Heat oil in a separate pan and add trout. Cook until golden about 3-4 minutes per side.
13. Add a splash of balsamic to beets & onions and turn up heat for 1 minute.
14. Remove and serve!

Spanish Risotto-Style Rice [Daring Cooks]

Welcome to the Daring Cook's August Challenge! Many thanks to Olga from Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes who chose a delicious Spanish recipe, Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes by José Andrés.

I had never heard of cuttlefish prior to this challenge, and like anything I encounter that I unfamiliar with, I do research. The cuttlefish belongs to the same class as the squid and the octopus, and despite its name it's not a fish at all, but a mollusk. I don't particularly care for squid unless it's freshly caught and properly prepared. (The Ligurian coast of Italy comes to mind...) The general consensus was to substitute the cuttlefish for some linguica sausage, fresh shrimp, and mussels.

My favorite thing about The Daring Kitchen is that I am constantly exposed to new ingredients and techniques. The recipe calls for fish stock or water, and I took the opportunity to make my first fish-only stock from scratch! We made a ton and froze the rest for later use in stews and soups.

The sofregit was delicious, although slightly bland even after I added red chili flakes, fresh thyme, and oregano to spice it up. I was a bit surprised when I made an entire pan only to realize I needed a scant 3-5 TBSP for the rice. We have been eating the leftovers this week over pasta. In the future, I would make much less.

Sadly, I skipped the aioli because I ran out of time. I will definitely try out the traditional aioli next time; I think it would get on famously with a nice crusty baguette.

This was a great challenge: I learned new techniques, used new ingredients, improvised, and enjoyed the culinary experience. Risotto-style rice was one of the first dishes I made when I began to cook. I remember making a lobster risotto and thinking I was really something! How far I'd come! I realized that as my culinary expertise has expanded, my tastes have fluctuated. Dishes I used to love have been relegated to my average list while foods that I initially shied away from have risen to my favorite list. Risotto has been demoted to the meh category.

Risotto, as an ingredient, seems overbearing. Fat, moist, overwhelmingly puffy rice, sucking the delicate flavors out of my seafood and sofregit until my dish is bordering on bland in blatant spite of the obscene amount seasoning I continue to add. Dramatic? Maybe. Maybe I expected the dish to be something it just wasn't capable of being. I like to showcase the fresh, delicious vegetables I buy at Grower's Ranch and the succulent seafood of Santa Monica Seafood. I feel that the rice sucked the life out of my dish. I know a lot of people love risotto and paella, and I used to be one of them, but it seems that my palate has changed and left risotto behind. I would absolutely try a variation on this recipe again, perhaps next time baking the rice or swapping it for a different grain entirely.

INGREDIENT LIST:

• 4 Artichokes (if fresh, trim, quarter, remove choke OR you can use jarred/frozen)
• 12 mushrooms (cremini or button), quartered
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 Sausages (I used linguica and wasn't impressed, go for something spicier), sliced
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined (reserve shells for stock)
• 1 lb mussels, scrubbed & debearded
• 1 glass of white wine
• 1 - 1.5 cups rice (Arborio, or any risotto style short grain rice)
• 3-4 cups Fish Stock
• 1/4 cup Sofregit
• large pinch Saffron threads
• Oregano, chili flakes, cracked pepper
• Aoili (optional)

FISH STOCK

• 2 - fish heads (I used salmon)
• 2 stalks celery roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, halved
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 3-4 thyme sprigs
• shrimp shells (from shrimp that will go in dish)
• salt, cracked pepper

SOFREGIT:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 12 mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped
• 3 large tomatoes, chopped
• chili flakes, cumin, oregano & pepper

AOILI:

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• pinch of salt
• few drops fresh lemon juice
• Spanish extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the fish stock by combining all ingredients in a large stock pan, cover with water.
2. Set on stove & bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat to a nice simmer and simmer partially covered for 1 hour.
4. Strain into separate bowl, discard solids.
5. Prepare sofregit. Heat oil in pan over medium high. Add all ingredients and cook stirring until fragrant (about 5 minutes). Reduce heat and simmer up to 1 hour, until all vegetables are soft.
6. Make aioli : Place the garlic in a mortar along with the salt.
7. Using a pestle, smash the garlic cloves to a smooth paste. (The salt stops the garlic from slipping at the bottom of the mortar as you pound it down.)
8. Add the lemon juice to the garlic.
9. Drop by drop; pour the olive oil into the mortar slowly as you continue to crush the paste with your pestle.
10. Keep turning your pestle in a slow, continuous circular motion in the mortar. The drip needs to be slow and steady. Make sure the paste soaks up the olive oil as you go.
11. Keep adding the oil, drop by drop, until you have the consistency of a very thick mayonnaise. If your aioli gets too dense, add water to thin it out. This takes time—around 20 minutes of slow motion around the mortar—to create a dense, rich sauce.
12. In separate pan, heat olive oil and add sausage, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and the bay leaves, saute until golden.
13. Add a splash of white wine and scrape up solids into the mix.
14. Add a few heaping spoonfuls of the sofregit and stir to infuse the vegetables with the flavor.
15. Add the rest of the wine and most of the fish stock. Bring to a boil.
16. Add the rice, herbs, salt (if needed) and pepper. Boil 5 minutes rapidly.
17. Add saffron, reduce heat and simmer over medium until the liquid is mostly absorbed into the rice.
18. Meanwhile, heat a splash of wine & some fish stock in a saucepan over medium high. Add the mussels & the shrimp and cook covered, removing the mussels as they open and the shrimp once they are no longer translucent. Add to pan with rice.
19. Serve and garnish with minced parsley & finely shaved parmesan.

CHECK OUT OTHER DARING COOK'S! VISIT THE DARING KITCHEN!

Pan Fried Trout with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Life has a way of moving so swiftly at times that it can seem like forever since I sat in one place. Weekends have been full of packing, sorting, moving, unpacking, organizing, losing this, finding that, trying to balance work, workouts, family, friends and a messy newly-moved-into home. Saturday we found a moment to put everything on pause and lay a blanket out on the lawn of our new home. We sat in the partial shade of a beautiful tree and ate a light lunch of Pan Fried Trout with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette and sipped ice cold Pellegrino. We stopped, for just a moment to breathe deep, relax and watch the butterflies that live in our yard.

This salad started as a way to use up the beautiful Golden Trout that .ЯR. brought home from Santa Monica Seafood the previous day. It evolved into a refreshing salad bursting with flavor and texture. The quality, delicacy, and superb flavor of the trout really stand out. .ЯR. had the fishmonger fillet the whole trout into two pieces, remove the scales and leave the skin on. (Lots of flavor and healthy fish oils are found in the skin!) Looking for a light dinner? A nice lunch on a sunny afternoon? You've found it!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Trout, filleted and descaled
• cracked pepper & salt
• flour
• olive oil
• Mixed greens, watercress, endive
• 1-2 Persian Cucumbers, sliced
• a few Tomatoes, chopped
• handful Walnuts, toasted & halved

• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar (use high quality!)
• 1/4 cup Raspberries
• drizzle Olive oil
• squeeze lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

1. Use an immersion blender (food processor okay as well) to puree the Lemon Juice, Balsamic Vinegar & the Raspberries. Adjust as necessary. Drizzle in Olive Oil and stir in lemon zest.
2. Press through a sieve or tin hat to extract only the liquids. Toss the seeds/pulp away.
3. Pat the trout VERY dry. Dust lightly in flour, salt & pepper.
4. Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in nonstick pan.
5. Add trout and cook on one side about 5 minutes over medium high until golden & crispy.
6. Flip & repeat on other side.
7. Meanwhile toss greens with dressing. Plate. Arrange tomatoes, cucumber & walnuts around edge of plate.
8. Top with fish & garnish with raspberries & a drizzle of dressing.

Crustless Quiche with Ham, Broccoli & Irish Cheddar

I've seen a few recipes for Crustless Quiche before. I boggled. What is a quiche without the buttery, flaky crust? Isn't that a frittata? Doesn't removing the guilty pleasure defy the conventions of comfort food? Fearless, I let go my prejudice and sifted through a few recipes to emerge with this lighter, low-carb, reduced-fat recipe of a home-style favorite.

Start by removing the crust entirely from the recipe (gasp!). Try it. Add fresh broccoli florets, reduced-fat Irish cheddar and a quality Canadian bacon. Is it me or does Canadian bacon taste just like ham? It certainly doesn't taste like real bacon and I refuse to call it so. To have the word bacon in the title of this blog would be misleading and downright cruel.

By folding cubes of bread into the milk mixture, the quiche develops more body and texture. Picture something between a savory bread pudding and the rich ricotta/egg filling of my mom's quiche. It sounds odd, but the result was outstanding. I slid the quiche into the oven feeling a little doubtful about the outcome. Was there enough seasoning? Would it rise? Would it be too eggy? Is the reduced-fat cheese going to have that strange sweet taste that some light cheeses get when cooked?

The result? It was one of the best quiches we've ever had. Light, flavorful, filling, and simply delicious. Sure, you could add crust to it to take it to the next level, but this recipe it is a guilt-free ticket to home-cooked heaven!

I used a blend of milk in relation to fat content. I still wanted some fat in the sauce, just less. Use what you have on hand, using all 1% milk is okay too!

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup panko or breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan (I used a microplane)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 clove garlic minced
• Olive oil spray
• 2/3 cup 1% Milk
• 2/3 cup regular Milk
• 5 whole eggs
• Salt & cracked pepper
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
• 2 cups cubed bread (crusts removed)
• 3 cups Broccoli florets
• 3-4 oz Canadian Bacon, diced
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 tsp dried Thyme
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup shaved Reduced Fat Irish Cheddar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375’.
2. Spray 9” pie pan with cooking spray.
3. Mix bread crumbs, thyme and 1 clove minced garlic in bowl.
4. Pour into pie pan & shake to coat bottom. Bake 2-5 minutes until lightly browned.
5. Steam broccoli and chop roughly.
6. In bowl, mix milk, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg & bread. Store in fridge.
7. In frying pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté onion, 5 cloves garlic & Canadian bacon until lightly golden 3-5 minutes.
8. Stir broccoli, cheese and bacon mixture into milk mixture.
9. Pour into pie pan.
10. Bake 375 for 35 minutes. Reduce heat to 350’ and continue to bake until set an additional 10-15 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.