Octaveman

WOO HOO!!! Awesome knife...I have the 270mm too. He'll ship it today so you might even get it by the weekend depending on where you are. I once placed an order on a Tuesday and got the knife Friday. Koki at JCK is great to work with. His English is very good and makes every attempt to make the customer happy and even handles special requests. If there's a knife you want that's not on his website, he'll look into getting it for you. He's done that many times for people I know. It's a small family business that is the best I've dealt with. Let us know what you think when you get it and by all means post a pic.

Many people can't afford the expensive versions either. That's why they have cheaper versions. At JCK.com, check out Tojiro DP for $40 (touted as the best bang for the buck among users) and also to be considered is Tojiro Powdered Steel. At EE.com check out THESE bitchin knives or THESE knives using blue steel. There are so many affordable Japanese blades that there's no reason not to get one. They are harder, thinner, sharper and stay sharp longer. I used to have all Henckles and replaced them with all Japanese blades...I now have 13 of various shapes. There is so much out there to choose from and since this is a gift, venture out of your comfort zone and get something new and different from what you're used to. Whether you get a Santoku or Gyuto, go for a Japanese blade. Bob

Don't know if this place qualifies but Shien of Osaka in Rancho Bernardo is very good and is a favorite of my wife's and mine.

Agree 100%. I'm of the group that hates Santoku's. There is nothing you can do with a Santoku that you can't do with a Gyuto (chef). A Santoku is limited to being only so long (longest being 6.5 inches) so right away you're forcing yourself to use two knives for large and small prep work. Another issue with a Santoku is that the profile is higher than a gyuto so any kind of rocking motion will cause you to lift the knife higher off the board to get above the food. This will then cause another problem in that the tip is low so it will get stuck in the board. So no rocking with this knife. I have various lengths of gyuto's with the minimum being 240mm or about 9.5 inches with my most used being the 270mm or 12 inch knife. The fact that they are thin and light automatically makes them very easy to maneuver. And yes, I use my Gyuto 95% of the time from mincing garlic or shallots to slicing cauliflower to chopping and mincing herbs. You can rock or push cut with this knife. The only things I don't use my gyuto for is chopping bones, peeling fruit or slicing a sandwich (overkill). As far as handles go, not all brands have the same sized handles. As far as blades go, VG10 is the best stainless on the market for the price right now. As far as brands to choose from, Shun and the Messermeister Meridian Elite are high quality main-stream brands. For more unique Japanese made knives, I highly recommend www.japanesechefsknife.com. Not only is the customer service the best anywhere, you can get your knife shipped for $7 and receive it in less than a week from Japan. This is what I would recommend as far as brands are concerned. Good: Tojiro DP Better: Tojiro Powder Hiromoto AS Best: Misono UX10 Ryusen Blazen Hattori HD Unfortunately, very few stores carry the brands above so you won't be able to get a feel for the differences in handle size or even the difference beteween a Santoku and a Gyuto. A Shun Gyuto is not very representative of traditional Japanese Gyuto's in that the Shun has more belly and is similar to a German chef while a traditional Gyuto is closer to a French chef with less belly. I had a Shun Santoku and sold it on Ebay to buy my first Gyuto. No Santoku's in my block. DO NOT get the kullens as they are ineffective and not worth the extra cost. Good luck with your choice whatever it may be. Hope this helped. Cheers, Bob Edited to say thanks for the pic of RR. Got anymore?

Good question. Anyone have any ideas? Anyone? Hmmm?

This is where I get mine... www.clubsauce.com

The best unexpected food related present I received was a gift certificate to a local butcher. Awesome. Most if not all the stuff I get nowadays is off a list that I make up and send out. No imagination from anyone I know including family is the reason. I hate doing it but I'd rather get what I would appreciate and use rather than a 6-pack of mustards from around the world.

I had this same pan and I hated it. Way too big to be of any use toward 1" to 1.5" from the side even if "all clad". I ended up selling it on ebay after trying to use it two times. I tried making a sauce in that pan and the only thing bubbling was directly above the burner. It was as if the "cladding" was useless and ineffective. The sauce on the outer area was dead calm. I'd rather do a few batches of things in a smaller pan than cook the food unevenly in a large pan. Granted, I had the typical electric burner but unless you have wide coverage on your burner this pan is not worth the money or the time spent using it....IMHO. But hey, it's free so try it out to see if you like it and go from there. Cheers

Well, I rarely eat breakfast to this extent but I just got a hankerin for some breakfast grub and bought some sausage and eggs the other day. Along with my kids' mini tater tots and some fruit I already had on hand I made a yummy breakfast. Bob

Most of the time I'm in shorts and a t-shirt but my wife loves it when I do the nekid chef thing. Take my word for it...don't do stir-fry without proper protective clothing.

Knives...but not a "set". You should buy seperate knives for what you do most. A ready made set will give you knives that 1) can be done with a different knife 2) you'll never use. Do you really need three different sizes of petty? No. I'm partial to Japanese knives but I think I'm in the minority here on eGullet (which is unfortunate). But I'd go with a 240mm Gyuto (Hattori HD or Hiromoto AS or Tojiro Powder Steel or Ryusen Blazen or Misono UX10), Tojiro DP Honesuki, 120mm or 150mm Petty and a Dojo Parer. Buy them HERE They also have put together a couple of nice sets of various knives at a big discount. Check it out...if you dare. Cheers, Bob

Just a quick reply here...if you have your steak on medium-low aren't you esentially cooking it rather than searing it? Doesn't more heat go into the steak (thus cooking it) at this temp before the desired sear is attained? Isn't the object of a quick sear to form the crust as quickly as possible before cooking the inside? It's so fast that if you stop at the sear and cut the meat, the inside is still cool to the touch? Just askin. There are many schools of thought that all produce the results wanted. Which method you choose is purely subjective and based on personal tastes. I, for one, like the sear-fast-at-high-temp-and-put-into-the-oven method.

I second UnConundrum's points. Cast Iron pans are cheap so you should get one for just such an occasion as cheap meat. Fry the meat in the same pan that will go in the oven. Use that pan at the end for sauce while you have the steak resting. Grapeseed oil is good for frying at high temps. Salt and pepper the steak only. Put a pat or two of butter on top of the steak right before it goes into the oven. Get the pan good and hot (350+ degrees). Get a good sear on the meat and turn when it loosens up from the pan. I don't use a thermometer, I use the touch test to determine how rare I want it. Just remember that the meat continues to cook after you take it out so it should come out of the oven a bit under done. There are a couple of recent steak threads so just search back a few pages for more opinions all of which are good. Cheers, Bob

I hope this isn't one of those ingredient lists where the most promenant ingredient is listed first. Agreed, with all that stuff in it, I'd be willing to give it a go. I sure hope rose petals are not that far down the list with regards to quantity/concentration. Anyone know for sure?

My wife and I ate at Rama, a Thai food resturant downtown San Diego and enjoyed it all very much. Very nice decor in the back. The ceilings are quite high (40 ft?) and there are high thin/see thru whitecurtains coming down dividing each table and in front of each booth to give you an eliment of seclusion. On the very back wall is a waterfall of sorts spanning the entire length and is about 20 feet high. I say of sorts because it's more like those mini feng shui things you put on your desk that has trickling water over rocks. The entire span of the wall is covered in rocks and foliage and the water cascades down from the top. We loved the ambiance. Pretty romantic. Yes, yes, yes Yes to both. Looks are not the overriding factor in recommending to friends. I would definately suggest a better looking place for business associates rather than go for great food with the local neighborhood appearance. Not so much age but affluency. I wouldn't send friends or business associates to Dick's Last Resort for example even if they are college aged. But I would talor my suggestions to where I think they could afford to eat. Cheers, Bob

For my most used knives, I just make a few light passes on my Shapton 8k stone then a few even lighter passes on my leather hone (thanks to some sharpening guy I know, can't recall his name <wink wink>). I do this on a weekly basis but more often depending on how much I used a particular knife (I have many to play with). I don't let my knives get dull. I have a smooth steel but hardly ever use it. Cheers, Bob

Shun has come out with a new line of knives called Shun Elite and only sold through SLT. Powder steel core surrounded by damascus. They look real nice and with the powder steeled core, they will hold their edge much longer than before. They are expensive though. Tojiro and Ryusen have powder steel knives that are awesome too and are cheaper. You can find them Here and Here. The blazen is higher-end so the handle quality is better than the Tojiro but the blades are the essentailly same. Cheers, Bob

Yeah, I'm curious about the Barnes BBQ too. It's close to home so I'll check it out. I do have to plug my favorite (so far) bbq place called PHIL'S on Goldfinch and Washington. I absolutely love this place. My wife and I eat there just about once a week. After I moved down here from the bay area I printed out a list of bbq joints in SD and Phil's was #3 on the list. I never made it to #4. Bob

A couple of lesser known places that I've been to are: Western Steakburger on the corner of Sandrock and Murray Ridge in the Serra Mesa Shopping Center. The center is not as booming as it used to be but WS is still there. They have charbroiled 1/3 or 1/2 hand made oval patties on sesame buns and they come in several combinations: w/ gyro meat, w/ pastrami, terryaki, plain, etc. The place also has a big selection of greek food that is pretty good as well as steak and chicken kabobs with rice pilaf, chicken sandwiches, & philly cheesesteak too. When I worked in the area about 6 years ago, I ate there 2-3 times/week. My wife and I went there for burgers last week and it was still very tasty and was not dissapointing. Another place that never ceases to amaze me is a family Italian joint called Ciao Bella. They are located at 5269 Baltimore Drive next to the 7-11. The accents of the mom/dad or husband/wife are very thick and they greet you very enthusiastically. We've been there about 5-6 times and each time Francesco (dad/husband) hugs me and kisses my wife and is very genuine. His wife Cinzia greets us from the kitchen. We both had kids around the same time so we're talking about how the kids are doing and how things are and he says to whoever is closest "come sit my friends down here" and we go and sit down and feel very welcomed as a guest of their restaurant. They have daily specials and their menu changes frequently. My wife and I love this place and while it may not be considered "cheap eats" I did want to mention it here anyway. HERE is a write-up on it. Dragon Chinese restaurant on corner of 54th and El Cajon Blvd next to El Pollo Loco. My wife and I were going to eat at El Pollo Loco but thought we'd rather have Chinese so in we went. It is a very small place and after sitting down the server came over and told us what was popular and that if we wanted any dish spicy just say so. So I said I wanted a spicy mongolian beef and Orange chicken and bbq pork fried rice so nothing out of the ordinary. What we got was very good, hot homemade food. The Orange chicken was light and moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. In other words, delicious. I've had Orang Chicken at many places as it's one of my favs and it was almost always dry, hard and not appetizing. This though was pretty damn good and so was the Mongolian Beef. Nacho's Taco Shop at 7589 University Ave in La Mesa is excellent. I've talked about it before so I won't go into much detail but the menu is pretty extensive and they serve all combo's on real Mexican earthenware and even spend time to garnish. My wife loves the Ceviche and I go back and forth between my usual favorites Carne Asada Torta, Taco's Al Pastor, Ceviche and Shrimp Quesadilla el diablo. All for now, gotta get back to work. Bob

I had THIS dish last night...Baked chicken with herbs, garlic and shallots. Damn it was good and the aroma that filled the house was awesome. The other night, I grilled some flank steak that was marinated in garlic(minced), lemon juice, oil, white wine and rosemary and sauteed bell peppers with about 20 cloves of garlic for pepper steak steak sandwiches a la the Gilroy Garlic Festival sandwiches of the same name. I miss the fest already. It cracks me up when I see a recipe name like Garlicky Holy Guacamole and it has only one measly clove of garlic. Other recipes too that claim to be garlicky have only one maybe two cloves. It also cracks me up when the crowd watching Emeril cook goes WOO HOO!!! and clap their butts off when he throws in a couple of tablespoons of garlic into a dish. So what...a couple of cloves...that's nothing in my mind. The dish above called for 8 cloves but I doubled it and the number of shallots too. I also made a traditional gravy with the drippings. You guys should try it, it was very flavorful. Every time I go to the Gilroy Garlic Festival which is just about every year, I take home a couple of boxes of garlic from HERE. They sell fresh garlic online and while I'm not sure exactly how many bulbs are in a 5 lb. box it may be worth the purchase rather than the dried up grocery store stuff. I do most of my garlic buying at Costco these days though. I'd like to try Jeff Smith's garlic chicken. Can someone post the recipe? Thanks. BTW, HERE is the offical Garlic Festival Baked Garlic recipe. Same as Icdm's recipe but it add's Oregano or thyme to top the bulb with. I also like to sprinkle a small amount of salt on the top too. Cheers, Bob

There is an "event" at the Embarcadero that rings in the New Year each new year. It's very close to downtown and a very nice outdoor mall called Seaport Village. I'm not sure where to guide you for the NYE bash but if you do a search for Embarcadero New Year's Eve it should give you something of value. I've never been but I think it's a family atmoshpere with bands playing on stage and it outdoor's. Actually here are a few links you can check out:Here, Here, and Here. For Thai in the Gaslamp I would highly recommend Rama. My wife and I ate there and the atmosphere is very cool. Be sure to make reservations and ask to sit in the back near the waterfall. Very cool place to eat. Oh and the food is very good too. For steak, I would recommend either George's on 5th (located in what used to be a bar and brothel run by Wyatt Earp) or Greystone. For Italian I would recommend Trattoria la Strada For Indian I would recommend Monsoon Bob

I think you meant to say Kearny Villa rd. not Kearny Mesa Blvd because I don't think Aero intersects with KM Blvd. You're staying by Montgomery Field no? Sheraton? If so and you don't have readily available transportation you can walk to these places: Casa Machada 3750 John J. Montgomery Drive (walk down Aero away from the freeway and turn left at Montgomery Drive. The road dog legs left and the building is on the right. The restaurant is upstairs overlooking the airport runway. Not bad Mexican Emerald Chinese on Convoy. Walk toward the freeway on Aero, cross over and turn right at Convoy. It's there on your right. Food is really pretty good. In-N-Out Burger. This is a California original that serves great burgers IMHO. It's CA's first drive thru fast food est in 1948 I believe. Get on Convoy turn right, then turn right again on Kearny Mesa Rd (at Carl's Jr). Follow it for about 1/2 mile. It's on the right side. Get the Double-Double with grilled or fresh onions ofr get it Animal style (meat cooked with mustard, grilled onions, etc) For Thai you could try Thai House Cuisine at 4225 Convoy St. 94th Aero Squadron has a pretty good sunday champagne brunch. Go north on Kearny Villa rd from Aero and turn right on Balboa (about 1 mile). It's on the right side about 1/2 mile down the road. Basically on the opposite side of the airport as Casa Machado. If you do have easy local transportation, you could try The Butcher Shop. Pretty good steaks and prime rib. It's on Kearny Villa Rd. a couple of miles north of where you're staying. For Italian and the best pizza I've eatin (thick crust, load's of cheese) is at Filippi's on Kearny Villa a block past the Butcher Shop. You really can't go wrong downtown in the Gaslamp area (south of Broadway on 4th and 5th). There are so many places that you should just go down there and walk around until you find something that looks good to you. Visit Horton Plaza too. A four-level outside mall that's fun to walk around. You may also want to visit Old Town. Lot's of unique shops and plenty of authentic Mexican restaurants that are very good. I haven't worked in Kearny Mesa in about 5 years so my memory is slippnig a bit. I'm sure someone could probably come up with other idea's but this is a start. Bob

Happy B'day Lucky.... I have a very old pressure cooker I inherated from my grandmother and I'm sort of in the same boat. I'm not really sure what to do with it. BUT...the one thing I use it for without fail is to cook artichokes. I can fit two really big sized ones in there and let it go for about 20-30 minutes. They come out great every single time. Bob

There are only a few times I have walked out of a place because the service or food was bad. Mostly, if there is a problem with the food I'll just ask for free desert but will ALWAYS communicate with the server or manager. I have no problems returning food until it's the way I want it. When I have walked out it was from the lack of service. Waiting 10-15 minutes for someone to take our drink order or waiting 10-15 for someone to take our food order after getting our soda's. But never because there was something wrong with the food. Of course, I rarely go to those small mom-n-pop places where communication is a problem. The problem needs to be remedied some how before I will just leave. I feel that if the server can't help, talk to the manager. If the manager can't help, then I will just not pay the part of the order I have a problem with and let the manager deal with it but I don't think I would walk out. I may have walked out in my past but I don't recall. If I did I would've been pretty pissed off for me to do it. I can't comment on Sam's situation because there is so much that must be taken into consideration. Hindsight is easy to see. Not so easy in the heat of the moment. Bob edited because my brain moving faster than my fingers.

Yup, grilling maniac.