Food Fun!

Today I am pretty excited about sharing one of my favorite cooking magazines with you.  You may already be familiar with it and if so, I'm sure you would agree it's a must-have in your library of cooking resources!  Cook's Illustrated is a food magazine that provides everything from recipes to how to grate cheese and not cut your fingers.  The only thing they don't have is advertising...  Can you imagine looking at a magazine from cover to cover and not a single ad?  Believe it!

Now, I will say that if you are only looking for pretty, colorful pages, then this is not the magazine for you!  While the cover is in color, the majority of the inside is black and white.

Today I'm going to share one of my favorite tips that I found in a December 2011 issue....."The Problem with Knife Sets".

According to "Cooks", most knife block sets are loaded with superfluous (had to look this one up - it means “unnecessary”) pieces, but also with ones that are impractical or even useless.  

However, they do offer that,in their opinion,  "there are just three truly essential knives: a Chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated bread knife.  Beyond that, a boning knife, a slicing knife (for carving meat), and a good pair of kitchen shears can make certain tasks easier."  I knew then what I needed to make sure got on my Christmas list!

My wonderful hubby, with the help of a very good sales lady at William Sonoma, surprised me with two of the three and a great sharpening tool, which is a must have to keep your knives sharp!

These are a bit pricey, but you can definitely find an inexpensive brand that offers all three of these knives at a great price.  For example, Bed Bath & Beyond sells a Cook’s recommended brand, Victorinox for $76.99 for all three, which with your never ending BB&B coupons, you could get for under $65.  Not bad for three essential knives!

Just to give you a little more info on the magazine, it is available in most book stores or online. And, of course, you can get a subscription at a discounted price.

If you decide to go hunting for the latest edition, here's a picture of the current cover.

Do you have a favorite cooking magazine? Would love for you to share with us!

Make it a Great Day!!