Richard Kilgore

I have been converting from old Calphalon annodized to All-Clad Stainless recently. But I have been curious about the Chefmate, so I went to the nearby Target to get the 3 qt to try it out. They had the 3 qt copper encapsulated and a 2 qt three ply. My guess is that the three ply is a safer bet, so I got the 2 qt. The copper pieces are all priced under the three ply, so that likley tells us something. The only thing I don't like initially about the Chefmate pan in comparison to the All-Clad is the handle. The CM is curved and lacks the thumb groove of the All-Clad. I think this is okay up to about 2 qt pans, but I think you could lose it with a full three qt. I'll report back after I have had a chance to test it out. And I'll probably pick up at least one of the "professional" CM stockpots later.

Thanks, everyone. I will check out each of these. Any other ideas on game...either wild or farm raised?

Just curious as to how the Target Chefmate pans and stockpots are working out, and how they compare to All-Clad after using them a little.

I am interested in your comments on cookbooks and books of food essays on fish & game that you have found helpful, interesting...or on the other hand, a waste of time. I like the work of Jim Harrison, A.D. Livingston, and Rebecca Gray, among others.

The Spyderco is simple enough to use. The Spyderco sits on the table in front of you with two sharpening rods inserted into the base at a fixed angle (15 or 20 degree depending on what you are doing), I.E. they are in a V-shape. Two metal rods are inserted to the left of the ceramic rods - these keep your fingers intact, unless you are trying really, really, really hard to cut yourself. You run your knife blade from butt to tip across the ceramic rod on your left, and then the one on the right, holding the blade vertically. (That's the brief version - you do this many times with each set of rods - medium and fine.) And that is the genius of the system --- it is much easier to maintain a consistent angle by holding a knife vertically, than it is horizontally on a stone. All the details are in the manual and the video...and you can sharpen everything imaginable...serrated knives, tools, scissors, etc. I have a sharp vegetable peeler and finger nail clippers for the first time ever. Hope that helps.

And I forgot to add that the Spyderco sharpener does a fine job on serrated knives, too.

I used a stone up until last year, when I switched to the Spyderco Sharpener. This consists of medium and fine ceramic rods that can be mounted in the base for 15 or 20 degree angles. They say 15 degree to re-profile an edge and 20 degree for most blades routinely. That seems to work well on my Henkels (3" pairing, 6" unility, and 8" Chef) knives that I have had for almost 20 years. It is a breeze to hold a consistent angle on both sides of the blade with this set up --- much easier than with a stone. The Spyderco sharpener comes with a helpful video, as well as a clear printed manual. About $45. (For knives that need more serious re-profiling, diamond rods are available as an add-on for an additional $40 or so, but I have not needed them.) For home use, I hone with a steel each time I use a knife, and use the Spyderco about once every month or two. I also have a Wusthof pairing knife that I like better than the Henkels. If I were buying new knives today, the Wusthofs would win out.

I was warned away from the electric sharpeners by one of the cook shops here. They said the machines are rather aggressive and it's easy to grind away too much metal. I used to use a stone, but switched last year to the Spyderco sytem. It is simple to maintain a proper angle, because the ceramic sharpening rods are held at an angle by the base and all you have to do is hold the knife vertically...much easier for the eyes and brain to do. Two metal rods out to the side are good for protecting you from yourself. The Spyderco comes with a good manual and a useful video. I use it about once a month, and touch up with a steel after each cutting use.

Another egg science question: Grade A vs Grade AA eggs - can you tell a difference?

I have found the advice of A.D. Livingston helpful in his little book Cast Iron Cooking. A.D. says to rub the skillet or Dutch oven with a strip or half strip of bacon, inside and out, including the lid of the Dutch oven. Bake it upside down in a 300 degree oven for several hours. Do this two or three times before trying to cook anything in it. Then deep fry chicken or fish in at least 3/4 inch of oil a couple of times to "sweeten" the cast iron before trying to fry an egg or steak or make a stew. (The oven treatment should work better than stove top for those 12 inch skillets.) To clean up after frying, just wipe the pan out with a paper towel. After a stew, scrape it out with a wooden spoon (I will also use a plastic scrub pad, but not metal) and rinse it out with water; then dry it thoroughly and rub on a light coat of oil. Never use soap and never put it in a dish washer. And don't marinade in it. If you are going to blacken a steak or whatever, use a separate skillet reserved for blackening only. Once I have done the laborious initial seasoning, I cook bacon or sausage in my cast iron from time to time to further the treatment.