Varmint

Has anyone had any experience with this seller of Japanese knives?

God, those Murray Carter Japanese Pro Series Knives are gorgeous. How in hell will I ever decide???

The store I went to was a cutlery store. I did go after lunch. I was the only person in the shop, and the co-owner attended to my needs. She just wasn't helpful at all. She knew nothing about steel types. She did know that Japanese knives have a narrower hone at the edge. Hell, I even told her I planned on writing up this experience for eGullet -- nothing helped. I don't think there's another store in the area with that type of selection. The Kibuichis were beautiful, but they didn't have a large chef's knife available. So, does anyone want to "loan" me their chef's knife?

After reading Chad’s article about custom knives and exchanging multiple PMs with him and Sam Kinsey, I’ve decided to get a new chef’s knife. I’ve read quite a bit about various knives, but I quickly realize how little I truly know. Thus, I’m going to use this thread as a sort of “knife blog” to share with you my adventures. I currently have a decent 10 inch Henckel chef knife and a cheap, stamped Forschner. I’ve actually started to prefer the Forschner, as it just appears to be sharper than the Henckel, no matter how hard I try to make it right. I really don’t sharpen my knives well (I use a “taboo” electric sharpener), but I try to maintain the edge with a steel. My mother-in-law has a 6 or 7 inch Global vegetable knife that I absolutely love. That sucker is as sharp as anything I’ve ever used, and it does not appear to lose its edge. As a result, I thought I’d start looking for a Global chef’s knife. At lunch today, I visited our local cutlery shop, Beck's Cutlery. They carry knives from Henckel, Wusthof, Global, Solinger, Sabatier, Kibuichi, Messermeister and others (including a cool looking discontinued Spyderco). First, I must acknowledge that this is the first time I’ve ever set foot in a “knife” store. It made me very, very nervous, as a lot of damage could be inflicted with the stuff in there. Second, even though I was the only customer in the shop and explained to the proprietor what I was doing, she seemed as if it was a great burden for her to help me. Rather than just laying out each 10 inch chef’s knife in the shop and explaining the differences to me, I had to ask to see them one at a time. She meticulously pulled the knife from the magnetic strip on the wall, placed it on the wood block counter, and let me hold it. After I was finished, she wiped off the fingerprints and placed it back on the magnet. She didn’t offer to let me look at another knife – I had to ask. So this went for 45 minutes. It was painful. It was the antithesis of salesmanship. But in some perverse way, I sort of liked it, somewhat. It was the idiosyncratic nature of a small shop with an overly reserved proprietor. I wonder if her husband uses the same approach in his sales technique? Anyhow, I quickly learned that a Global GF 35 forged chef’s knife (30 cm) may not be what I want. The edge of the blade is quite flat – that is, when the blade rests on the cutting board, only the tip fails to make contact. It is not a blade that is necessarily made for a rocking type of cutting action. Of course, until I could try it in action with food, I wouldn’t really know, either. Which presents another problem: how in hell can you tell which knife is “right” until you’ve actually tried them in action? I thought I knew what I wanted: an ultra-sharp blade with a fairly thin spine. I liked the way my mother-in-law’s Global cut. I want that type of sharpness. Is it unique to Globals? Japanese knives? I did realize that the spine of a 10 inch Global chef’s knife is wider than I expected. I don’t know if it cuts as well as the thinner vegetable slicer. Anyhow, I don’t think I’m any closer to buying a knife today than I was yesterday. I probably need to find another knife store, perhaps. Or maybe I need to give the Becks another chance. I do know that I shouldn’t rush into this decision, so I’ll continue this dialogue. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I'm off to get a burger for lunch. Mmmmmmmm, beef.

I will eat any beef that is served to me. I also use raw eggs in my "quick" ice cream. I serve pork medium rare. Yes, I live on the edge.

The only thing I can say with certainty is that it'll be on a Saturday! Phlawless needs to get her schedule ironed out, and I need to find out the soccer schedules of ALL 4 L'il Varmints. Yup, all of them, including the 3 year old, are in soccer come January. I'll need some advance time to order any "exotic" ingredients, too.

Or it's a clear sign that I'm trying to get divorced!!! Actually, we'll probably do about a 6 course pasta tasting. Phlawless does most of her restaurant's pasta and I've made my fair share. In some ways, it'd be fun to do 6 different regions of Italy. Anyhow, this is NOT going to be anywhere near the same scale as the pig pickin'. If we get 20, I could easily handle that. If we get 40, well, that's another matter.

I received a new microwave oven (the old one was 18 years old and would be considered a "macrowave"!), a cherry pitter, an egg slicer, a beautiful brushed stainless mixing bowl (not brushed in the interior), and one of those silly bread knives that has an adjustable thickness guide. Anyone want it??? I gave out lots of wine: a couple of cases of 2001 Castano "Hecula". I also sent some folks some NC grains: grits, cornmeal and flour.

As the holidays wind down, phlawless and I are ready to concentrate on some top-notch cooking again. What better way to do it than with a multi-course pasta meal? If it's good enough for Mario Batali and Babbo, it's good enough for us. We'll find a date in the next couple of months (MLK Day weekend, anyone), but in the meantime, start suggesting dishes here. Hell, I might even spring for some truffles.

And what is the meaning of "drop forged"?

Breakfasts are generally eaten on the barstools at the kitchen counter. The 4 L’il Varmints place their orders during the week (simple orders – e.g., grits with toast, cereal, yogurt, apple with peanut butter) and I’ll serve it to them. More complex orders (e.g., hash browns, waffles, eggs, pancakes, bacon, etc.) come on the weekends. Mrs. Varmint and I usually eat while standing, but occasionally, one of us takes the 5th stool. Lunches are generally the same. Dinners depend on the day of the week. I don’t get home from work until 7 PM most days, so Mrs. Varmint feeds the L’il ones at the counter. It’s usually simple fare, as Mrs. Varmint really has little cooking ability whatsoever nor does she want to improve it. For “counter” meals, the children are not excused until they’re done with their meals. If dessert is to be served, no one gets it until everyone has finished the savory portion. During the weekend, we usually sit at the dining room table and eat the meal that I cook. Television is never on (ok, we sat on the floor yesterday watching the Packers’ game, but it was the last game of the regular season). We also use the dining room table if we have any guests, as the counter can’t accommodate anyone else.

The Raleigh Q Shack will be opening on Friday, January 2. Sounds like my lunch plans are taken care of that day.

I had to rush to DC yesterday on an urgent business matter so I ate sushi in the DC airport for Christmas Eve dinner. Not the way I had it planned. As a result, I didn't get the opportunity to shop for Christmas breakfast and dinner yesterday, but amazingly, based purely on stuff I had in my fridge and pantry, I managed to make out just fine. Biscuits, grits, red-eye gravy, bacon, fig preserves, scrambled eggs, and melted 3 year old Canadian Cheddar (my in-laws' tradition) were on the breakfast table. Dinner was a rib roast (I did buy that several days ago), roast chicken, buttermilk mashed potatoes, field peas, honey carrots, sesame roasted asparagus, deviled eggs (with some NOLA seasoned salt -- Tony Shackarey?? (can't spell)), and lots of wine. I couldn't be overly adventurous, as my parents -- both incredibly finnicky eaters -- are here. Dessert was coconut cake.

My parents, who are very picky eaters, got into town last night. So I rushed to Whole Foods and in 40 minutes had this on the table: Chicken piccata on lavender risotto, served with a saute of haricots vert, shiitake mushrooms, and red bell pepper. I served an awesome Alsatian with it. Both my parents ate every single bite on their plate. I was amazed and wanted to do a celebratory dance. Then my father brought me back to reality when he said, "Too lemony" (which it wasn't). Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!

Kay West of Nashville Scene reports on her meals of the year. Agree? Disagree? Comments?

Sean- That review of Capitol Grille was fantastic. I'd love to hear how working in a hotel restaurant has affected your cooking. I'd also like to hear more about how your Southern roots influence what you cook. I hope to hear lots more about the Capital Grille.

He wants pizza. The local pizza joint favored by us all, Moonlight Pizza, is closed on Mondays. Thus, we're going to a chain: Mellow Mushroom. Yum yum.

Gee, I just made spaghetti with meatballs and Italian sausage and a green salad. Oh, I made some peppermint stick ice cream, too. We're going out for dinner tonight, as it's Benjamin's 5th birthday. He's waiting for his present, G-man.

I think I'll try a CheerWine glaze this year. I did receive a Honey-Baked Ham from a client.

Thanks. That's something Mrs. Varmint has never told me. She doesn't eat pork.

Hell, my old law firm, which is a well known "Southern" firm had these guys: Julian, who went by "Bo"; Amos, who went by "Buck"; and Nigle, who went by "Tex". There's plenty of good ol' southern names around here. Not much good chicken fried steak, however.

Thanks, Bryan. Your report confirmed my fears. In its current state, I don't see how Fowlers can compete with Southern Season and Whole Foods. I stopped going to Fowlers when they moved into their current space, because they also stopped providing the specialized service for cheeses and meats. Cheeses were still OK, but not what they were. Oh well. Anyone know of a kick-ass butcher in the Triangle?????

I think the best way to appreciate what Ben Barker does at Magnolia Grill is to pick up a copy of his and Karen's cookbook: Not Afraid of Flavor. I quickly realized that most of the recipes in this book are far more complex than what I, as a reasonably decent home cook, would ever do. These aren't dishes that could be put together in a few hours: many of the components in a single dish require their own advance preparation. The number of items in what appears to be a fairly straightforward dish can be mind boggling. These are dishes that require, as phlawless stated, a team of cooks to execute. As I've said, I'm always happy to go to Vin. I love what they do there and it's one of the top 3 places in Raleigh. But I generally don't choose to go there because the dishes there are comparable to what I could make, and in fact, do make at home. I guess that's ultimately an entirely subjective and idiosyncratic method of evaluating a restaurant -- my favorite places are generally those who serve dishes I can't or won't make myself. And by the way, I'm eager to try Lesley's braised pork bellies!

Actually, arancini are a good "participation" dish. Make the risotto and the filling. Then get an assembly line started: oil up the hands, start the ball in a cupped hand, insert filling, complete ball, roll in egg, roll in bread crumbs, fry. I did this for my "interactive" Italian dinner party this past summer for the summer clerks of my firm. The clerks did all the work. I served the arancini with a mushroom ragout. Mmmmmmm.