New semi-home for The Kitchen.

Dear non-existent blog followers,

I've started a tumblr micro-blog for my quick and dirty photos and posts. I'll still blog over here at Blogger in the future for more wordy and formatted posts.

jonowee's kitchen tumblr

http://jonoweeskitchen.tumblr.com/

-need to add new photos- San Han Nga stainless steel chopper cleaver

$15 beater No.1 210mm chopper cleaver from Kongs Trading, full stainless steel construction. I use it for beater jobs like chopping chocolate and splitting shellfish.

With ‘decorative’ Sun Tiger 220x stone scratch that I rebeveled the edge, which I’ll sharpen out over time to sharpen out the thinned shoulders to achieve a thick, robust edge.

-Windows Live Writer beta 1st TEST POST edited with new large photos-

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APR09- Might try a convex edge on the belt grinder. Updates soon.

Original post: 24SEP08 Updated: 25APR09

Wall of Fame and Shame

No form of ranking, just ten random ‘extra' things I love/hate in a kitchen. I'll updated, add and juggle things around.

Fame:

• The Metric System; fuck you "How many ounces are there in a pound? Is that 1 cup of flour sifted?" Fuck it!
• Fresh, real ingredients like butter, not margarine.
• Good, ergonomic, easy to sharpen knives.
• Stainless steel and wood work benches
• deBuyer Carbone Plus.
• Target top/ French top 'stove'

Shame:

• Microwave (you don't cook in a microwave!)
• Fake food, like factory filleted frozen fish cos it freaking taste like water.
• Over seasoning food (salt, MSG, pepper, spice/herb overkill, etc..)
• "Lite" foods... WTF is lite cream? Low fat bacon?, why don't you just go buy ham instead.

Original post: 12OCT08 Updated: 25APR09

Microplane fine grater

  

Another awesome Microplane product. Thorough citrus zesting and turns parmesan into ‘snow’… it’s a beautiful thing.

Except the rod Microplanes have a rather narrow work space, and that big fat handle which I prefer not to have since it takes a fair amount of space in a knife roll.

original post: 07DEC08

Hand American Borosilicate 6” honing rod

A special order item I ordered through Japanese Knife Sharpening in a 6” rocket pocket size instead of the standard 12” rod versions. I’ve cut in four flats on the handle with two sides grooved to indicate the microgroove sides on the honing rod to make it easier to sight. I ‘plaster’ on some epoxy on the edge of the ferrule to act a bumper for the honing rod.

Original post: 07DEC08

Wooden citrus reamer

My favourite non-powered method of juicing citrus fruits in SMALL quantities; simple, cheap and effective.

Works great… provided you do it over a sieve to keep out the pips

Original post: 07DEC08 Updated: 29APR09

Microplane Professional large shaver

I ♥ Microplanes.

So efficient, not that expensive if you know where to shop. Mine came with a plastic plate cover but I think I threw it out with the postal parcel by accident. It’s a great tool, except the gaps between the frame and the grater plate traps food and is only easy to clean with a brush. I wish Microplane made the wider plastic/pyrex? frame flat plate Microplanes with the slim Professional stainless steel handles because the buff plastic handles are not to my liking.

Original post: 06DEC08

Tomkin palette knives

Tomkin 25cm palette knife

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I’ve modified my more abused ones being the cranked handles, that have had too many trips through the dishwasher. Sealed the gaps between the handle and the blade with epoxy, reshape and sanded the handle and saturated it in mineral oil-beeswax to protect the wood. Another modification I have done is a lightly sharpened right edge of the blade that can be used for simple tasks like slicing baking paper or scraping up chocolate curls.

Original post 07JUL07, Updated: 29APR09

‘Super’ long veg peeler

I can’t remember how much I paid for them except I know their super cheap. Pluses… double edge swivel peeler super for long vegetables like carrots, freaking cheap; minuses… plastic pivot point prone to failure.

I have to seek out all metal, double edge peeler that isn’t too expensive.

Original post: 06DEC08

-need to add new photos- Pradel Oyster shuckers

Pradel Oyster knives one with and one without the hand guard. Dead cheap and good, nasty cheapo plastic handle but with the blade pattern of my choice.

And I mean cheap $3 a pop, you willn’t cry over snapping it.

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APR09- I’ve modified both oyster shuckers with convex edge for 2/3 of the blade to give the shucker better ease of wedge into the oysters.

Original post: 29JUN07, Updated: 29APR09