Welcome back...

[Churchill]

Hello there LB!

I hope your Christmas holidays with your family was filled with Blumenthal nuggets of cuisinary delights?

We were over at my sisters and they cooked goose for dinner which was a nice change. Of course, the inevitability of the family conversation descending into a Chico-esque self-styled argument on everything theological meant that we left fairly sharpish.

Waiting patiently for the first crop of asparagus... got some Global pro knives for Christmas which was nice. Are you a whetstone or steel man?

What do you think about ceramic knives?

[EqualOpportunities]

What do you think about ceramic knives?

They're for woofters and Japs.

[Lucifer Box]

What do you think about ceramic knives?

Ceramic knives are the sorts of utensil Milan would have in his kitchen because he read in GQ once that they were stylish. A touch of the cold steel is the only sort of language my vegetables understand.

[Lucifer Box]

Hello there LB!

I hope your Christmas holidays with your family was filled with Blumenthal nuggets of cuisinary delights?

We were over at my sisters and they cooked goose for dinner which was a nice change. Of course, the inevitability of the family conversation descending into a Chico-esque self-styled argument on everything theological meant that we left fairly sharpish.

Waiting patiently for the first crop of asparagus... got some Global pro knives for Christmas which was nice. Are you a whetstone or steel man?

Hello, hyperD, my old friend. Christmas was a splendid feast in the Lucifer household. We too had goose (with prunes soaked in armagnac and force meat stuffing) but as I was catering for a horde I also whipped up a four-rib roast of beef and a whole gammon steamed in cider with a mustard and whisky glaze. There may have been some sprouts around somewhere as well. A real feast.

I was most pleased with my starter though, a three fish (salmon, trout and mackerel) terrine, which brought gasps of amazement from the Christmas diners I am immodestly bound to add. It even drowned out the barbed comments the mothers-in-law were making to each other.

While you're waiting for the asparagus, get in some jerusalem artichokes. My favourite winter vegetable and I always long for the season to start. They make excellent soup or you can slice them (thinly) and fry them in a little olive oil with chopped sage. Sublime with some garlic butter drizzled over them.

What's your opinion on those knives? The shape looks a bit too wacky for me. I'm a steel man myself.

[The Lone Gunman]

Hello, hyperD, my old friend. Christmas was a splendid feast in the Lucifer household. We too had goose (with prunes soaked in armagnac and force meat stuffing) but as I was catering for a horde I also whipped up a four-rib roast of beef and a whole gammon steamed in cider with a mustard and whisky glaze. There may have been some sprouts around somewhere as well. A real feast.

I was most pleased with my starter though, a three fish (salmon, trout and mackerel) terrine, which brought gasps of amazement from the Christmas diners I am immodestly bound to add. It even drowned out the barbed comments the mothers-in-law were making to each other.

While you're waiting for the asparagus, get in some jerusalem artichokes. My favourite winter vegetable and I always long for the season to start. They make excellent soup or you can slice them (thinly) and fry them in a little olive oil with chopped sage. Sublime with some garlic butter drizzled over them.

What's your opinion on those knives? The shape looks a bit too wacky for me. I'm a steel man myself.

Have you considered Master Chef, or opening your own eatery?

[hyperD]

Hello, hyperD, my old friend. Christmas was a splendid feast in the Lucifer household. We too had goose (with prunes soaked in armagnac and force meat stuffing) but as I was catering for a horde I also whipped up a four-rib roast of beef and a whole gammon steamed in cider with a mustard and whisky glaze. There may have been some sprouts around somewhere as well. A real feast.

I was most pleased with my starter though, a three fish (salmon, trout and mackerel) terrine, which brought gasps of amazement from the Christmas diners I am immodestly bound to add. It even drowned out the barbed comments the mothers-in-law were making to each other.

While you're waiting for the asparagus, get in some jerusalem artichokes. My favourite winter vegetable and I always long for the season to start. They make excellent soup or you can slice them (thinly) and fry them in a little olive oil with chopped sage. Sublime with some garlic butter drizzled over them.

What's your opinion on those knives? The shape looks a bit too wacky for me. I'm a steel man myself.

That terrine sounds fantastic LB - congrats.

Fortunately I'm cramming Hungarian to understand the barbed comments from my mother-in-law. So far not much to report apart from the liberal use of the word diszno (pig).

You mentioned jerusalem artichokes before and I must get my sorry arse to the farm shop and buy some.

As far as the knives go, I made a right idiot out of myself when I opened them. Wide eyed, I thanked my parents for the knives and while handling them, promptly cut my thumb open on the sharp edge nearest the handle, to much hilarity from the family.

Global Knives

I love pulling the knives out from their block- makes that sound like the sword out of "Kill Bill". Wonderful...

Had to change my rapid knife cutting action though - these things cut through meat like a, ...er..., knife through butter.

Buying a whetstone and guide for the knives soon as they are fairly hi-maintainance.

Not sure about ceramic knives... I love the sound of cromova 18 stainless steel in the morning...

[Lucifer Box]

Have you considered Master Chef, or opening your own eatery?

No and yes, in that order.

Thing is, although a fantasy, running an eatery is long hours and low pay, so likely to remain a fantasy I fear

I have considered doing some from home catering but the local council regs are just a bad joke.

[Ardesco]

I got a set of Global knives for my birthday a few years ago and am very happy with them. I would reccomend getting the global knife sharpener (a plastic handle looking thing with 2 whetstone wheels inside it, does a wonderful job and ensures you sharpen the knives at the correct angle). Don't get a generic one as the japanese steel has a different angle on the blade to standard euro knives and you will feck them up if you use the wrong sharpener.

Definetly very sharp as well, I managed to slice right through my thumbnail and quite a way into the finger just after I had got them (pain in the arse cut, they couldn't stitch it because of the nail) and ever since they have been treated with a lot more respect. Bear in mind you have to cut using a sawing motion, they aren't made to be used like cleavers and chip if you do try to use them as cleavers (as my father in law found out when he decided to see how sharp they were by hacking open a cocnut with one of them, top came off with no trouble using a sawing motion but does not work at all if you just smack it....). This being said you can sharpen any chips out if this does happen to you (much to my relief, may I add).

Overall a wnderful set of knives, I really do like Japanese steel, and well worth it despite the price.

[Lucifer Box]

hyperD, could you not have passed your little accident off as a ritualistic thing? You know, now that I have drawn this knife it cannot be sheathed until the blade has tasted blood? Seriously though, those knives sound like the business. The ability to split hairs with them should come in very handy with some of the posters on here.

[hyperD]

I would reccomend getting the global knife sharpener (a plastic handle looking thing with 2 whetstone wheels inside it, does a wonderful job and ensures you sharpen the knives at the correct angle). Don't get a generic one as the japanese steel has a different angle on the blade to standard euro knives and you will feck them up if you use the wrong sharpener.

Good advice Ardesco - thanks! I have seen those and will probably buy them. There is a guide for the knives sold separately with the whetstone but I get the impression that you have to be a bit good at sharpening knives for that.

I had a set of M&S knives before which I used a steel sharpening blade with. They now look like a set of bandsaws...