I guess if you are reading this review you already have an interest in cooking. Perhaps you might be periodically called on to carve or dice something. Even if your culinary horizons only stretch as far as the delicate art of sandwich-making you could find slicing a handy skill. Surely no reader of mine would stoop so low as to buy pre-packaged cheese slices… unless you are under 8 years old in which case I give you permission to continue doing so.
The author of Kitchen Knife Skills is Marianne Lumb, herself a chef, and she has a wealth of experience working in the world’s most celebrated restaurants, as well as in private homes. She knows the value of a good knife, how to take care of it and most importantly how to use it. A well-kept knife will save time, effort and your fingers.
It’s not a myth that a blunt knife is dangerous. It might not kill you but it could still give you a bloody fright. A sharp knife will cut with ease and precision with less risk of the blade slipping and without the need to apply a great deal of pressure. Kitchen Knife Skills will introduce you to every common, and a few uncommon, knives as well as gadgets to sharpen them, and chopping boards which are also an essential part of any well-equipped kitchen, be it home or professional.
So you have purchased a small selection of knives and you’ll want to get wielding. Kitchen Knife Skills shows you the methods for cutting, boning, mincing and filleting every possible meat, fish or fowl, and has some baked goods for slicing, and fruit for peeling and coring for good measure. The step-by-step pictures are invaluable as is the advice about the appropriate knife for each technique.
Kitchen Knife Skills considers not only raw meat but also cooked roasts. A joint of any description is not cheap these days and you’ll want to make the best of it. Your beef will look delicious as you present it whole at the head of the table, but you don’t want to then serve the meat shredded and frilly when some nice thin slices would be far more appetizing.
Knife skills might take just a bit of practice but they are necessary for kitchen safety as well as for food preparation and presentation. Kitchen Knife Skills is a good solid aid to learning those skills for either the domestic cook or the novice chef. If you are a regular knife user then this is a must.
Kitchen Knife Skills
Author: Marianne Lumb
Published by: Apple Press
Price: £14.99
ISBN 978-1-84543-334-5
Cookbook review by Chrissie Walker © 2018