Tag: Knife Skills

Kitchen Essentials: A Chef’s Knife and Paring Knife

For anyone who cooks at home, a Chef’s Knife and Paring Knife are kitchen essentials and absolutely worth the investment. My knives of choice are the Wüsthof ® Classic 6″ Chef’s Knife and Wüsthof ® Gourmet 3″ Paring Knife that I have had since 2010 and still love today. Despite cooking since childhood, I signed up for a knife skills cooking class at the LCBO in Toronto. In one evening class, my friends and I were lucky enough to learn beginner knife skills, enjoy the fruits of the our labour and were gifted with a few Wüsthof ® knives to take home. The LCBO still runs these classes at the Summerhill Toronto LCBO Stores and other locations throughout Ontario. If this is something you are interested in, sign up for their LCBO Taste and Experiences Guide to learn about future classes. The LCBO also has a number of great cooking classes with wine paring too. I highly recommend taking one if you are looking to expand your own culinary skills. It is a lovely way to spend an evening.

If you are already a knife pro and looking for an upgrade, definitely check out the Wüsthof ® knives which are sold in Toronto at Crate and Barrel Yorkdale Shopping Centre, via their website and at Russell Hendrix Foodservice Equipment. I love mine.

Happy chopping!

Back to the Kitchen 

Back to school is upon us and regardless of our age, we should always be learning. If you are a foodie like me, chances are that learning comes in the form of food. 

After a long absence from my kitchen, I decided last autumn that I needed to get serious about cooking again. A friend’s Facebook post led me to discovering the Clean Eating Magazine Clean Eating Academy: Intro to Clean Cooking & Nutrition course with Chef James Smith. While I have been cooking since childhood, my recipes were not always the healthiest and I needed help being inspired again. I had always wanted to take a professional culinary course for fun so this seemed like a perfect place to start. 

From the first lesson, I learned so many new things and all from the comfort of my home. Many Sunday afternoons were spent trying professional culinary techniques including mise en place, julienne, bâtonnet, brunoise and blanching as well as putting my new skills into practice by creating some awesome recipes. From homemade vegetable stock to roasted garlic lemon aioli to mushroom risotto, I graduated with new culinary skills and techniques to make recipes clean. 

There is still so much for me to learn and master and it is definitely an ongoing work in progress. I love that I can return back to the recipes and videos when I need to and the magazine and website is filled with many recipes to try. If you are struggling to be inspired in your kitchen, why not commit to learning something new. Regardless where you live in the world, this course is accessible to all from the comfort of your own kitchen. I highly recommend the Clean Eating Academy: Intro to Clean Cooking & Nutrition course if you are looking to get started to a healthier YOU.

To learn more about Chef James Smith and the Clean Eating Academy: Intro to Clean Cooking & Nutrition course, visit http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/articles/meet-clean-eating-academy-instructor-james-smith/ 

Happy clean cooking and eating!