Knife Skills Illustrated User's Manual

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Description: The students in Peter Hertzmann's knife skills classes entered his cooking school kitchen with a wide range of approaches: they gripped their knives like swords or clubs, confused a dice for a mince, and hacked at a rack of lamb dangerously close to their index fingers. But over and over again, Peter noticed that his students had two things in common: a lack of knowledge about knives and how to use them, and an overwhelming desire to learn more. In the course of a three-hour class, his students were quick to abandon their past habits in favor of the techniques he had demonstrated.  

But once they returned to their home kitchens, his students had no one to consult about the many new questions that confronted them. When Peter posted an article about knife skills on his popular Web site, a la carte, visitors came in droves. He realized that his students were not the only ones looking for guidance. With knowledge gained from years of studying under Martin Yan and from chefs in Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, Peter has created a reference for the many cooks who want to acquire knife skills. 

Knife Skills Illustrated: A User's Manual is for both Peter's students and anyone who has ever tentatively held a knife, wandered bewildered down the knife aisle of a kitchenware store, or mutilated the Thanksgiving turkey. 

CHAPTER 1: THE BASICS Peter's detailed explanation of knife anatomy and illustrated advice for purchasing knives and cutting boards take the mystery out of selecting the right knife for your task. Learn how to identify different kinds of knives, and find out which knives are essential. Instructions for caring for knives and keeping them sharp will improve your life in the kitchen. He also defines terms like chiffonade, julienne, and brunoise to help you better understand recipe directions. 

CHAPTER 2: VEGETABLES AND FRUITS Peter shows you specific techniques for cutting vegetables and fruits into all shapes and sizes. You'll learn how to puree garlic without having to clean a food processor afterward, how to prepare an artichoke without any waste, how to cut an irregular carrot into regular pieces, and how to create pear fans for a tart that will dazzle your guests. Peter offers alternate versions of many of the techniques so that you can choose what's most comfortable for you, such as three methods for peeling ginger: slicing, scraping, or using a peeler. He also shares tips he's picked up over the years in professional kitchens, like washing chard only after it's been cut for cooking or shaving fennel thinly to garnish a salad. 

CHAPTER 3: MEAT, FISH, AND POULTRY Here you will learn how to cut up meat or bone fish yourself, saving you money -- and with the right technique, you won't spend a ton of time at the cutting board. You'll be surprised to learn how simple it is to create a pocket for stuffing a chicken breast, prepare a salmon steak for grilling, or slice skirt steak the way they do in restaurants. And once you master carving a whole turkey or a bone-in leg of lamb, hosting holiday dinners will become a real pleasure. 

Among this book's unique features: separate instructions for right- and left-handed cooks, more than 800 line drawings, and illustrations of the techniques from the cook's perspective. With this volume, you will master all you need to know, from start to finish, about cutting and preparing the food in your kitchen. 

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Condition: Good.