I started buying a good set of knives. I decided upon the Classic Wüsthof design. I probably should have bought a “starter” set to begin with and then added other knives to it, but basically it was one or two at a time.

The best knife of these is probably the 7 inch Santoku. The blade is thinner (and sharper) than a standard Chef’s knife. This is the right size for chopping vegetables and then scooping them up on the blade and into the pot or pan. The smaller 5 inch Santoku seemed to be “too small” for most of what I would do. If I were to only have two knives, it would be the 7 in. Santoku and the 5″ tomato knife.  I changed from the 3.5 in. pairing knife.

But, when I first got the tomato knife I cut myself severely/deeply.  I don’t recall if it was the forked tip, or the serrated edge, but I was just mindlessly using it.  Since I have been much more careful and it works well for many things.

NOTE:  I moved my portable kitchen island and have not used the magnetic knife holder (attached to it) for several years.  I do not have a place to put the holder on my kitchen wall.  Another one of the three best items was a magnetic knife holder for the wall. The knives stand there waiting for you to choose them. I have only had one knife, a boning knife whose shape and handle weight does not work well with the magnetic holder. It has a tendency to slip and has even fallen from the holder a couple of times.

I upgraded my hand blender/chopper to the Braun MultiQuick 7 Smart-Speed Hand Blender.  I’m not sure of the size of the cup-chopper.  What I have appears to be larger than the one I see in their current ad that shows a 1.5 cup size.  But, I limped along for years with my MR430HC and its lack of power and small chopper cup.  When I was making alot of hummus at home, the less powerful motor and the small cup meant that I couldn’t quite blend a whole can of Garbanzo beans at one time.  The new larger chopper cup accommodates a whole can of beans, and it also works well when making salsa, with a whole can of diced tomatoes and the other ingredients.

NOTE [ 05/05/22 ]:  I hadn’t made any Curried Apple Soup in a very long time, although I only have two recipes on my refrigerator door, and that is one of them.  *The other recipe being for the Tarragon, Garden Pea & Leek soup, which I also made a couple of days ago.  I used the stick blender for both soups to blend in the cooking pot, while still very hot.

NOTE:  What I had bought/used previously:  I bought a Braun MR430HC Multiquick Deluxe Hand Blender & Chopper (I think the one I purchased had slightly less horsepower) a stick blender that came with additional attachments which included a whisk and a chopper. I got it at a good price from Linens-n-Things (which is no more). The whisk fits easily in a large mouth jar and I can actually make my “curried mayo” in the jar without causing a mess. The stick blender works well on my “Curried Apple Soup” which allows me to blend the apple, carrot and onion chunks in the hot pot (carefully). And the chopper attachment works well when I want to make some Chipotle & Honey salsa or a garlic & Italian parsley paste for a steak.

ADDENDUM: (05/04/12) Here is another kitchen item that I have been reasonably happy with… with the following exception:  I have a homemade pepper corn blend that includes black, white, green and pink peppercorns in varying amounts and my OXO pepper grinder does not grind these reasonably well.  I’m not sure if it is the difference in peppercorn sizes, but sometimes the grinder just doesn’t grind this mixture.  *Yes, I have tried the various grind settings from small to large and back again.  However, I have two other OXO grinders that I use for cumin and coriander and it does an excellent job on both of those seeds.  I do not use this grinder for salt.  [09/24/12]  I bought a slightly cheaper version of this OXO grinder (about $16 at WalMart or maybe it was K-Mart) and find it to be better at grinding than this version.

NOTE:  I still use the OXO pepper grinders (for both pepper and cumin) but they never grinded quite as nice as they looked.

— THE DORM KITCHEN

When it comes time to send a child away to school, I would give them a good plastic chopping board and an electric wok. Sit these on top of a mini-fridge and you’re in business to keep a growing boy (or girl) well fed.

Rubber spatulas for the non-stick surface of the wok.

Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid 24-piece Set at Walmart for $10

I purchased a couple, each of Pyrex mixing bowls (not as colorful lids – I think navy blue & red.) many years ago, and still have the bowls & a few of the plastic lids.  Quite useful through the years.

Summer is good!  I love it when I can get corn on the cob (still in husk) and fresh okra and tomatoes.  Recently, I bought a few tomatillos at Compare

Foods.  I brought them home and decided to slice and fry them (similar to fried green tomatoes, without batter).  I added sliced onion and some fresh lime juice as I fried/sauted them.  Right at the end, I added a little sweetner (Splenda, Equal, sugar, brown sugar would be fine).  What I ended up with was something similar to turning vinegar with a little sugar.

This goes well with a fried pork chop.

George’s

210 N Garnett St

Henderson, NC. 27536

Up-scale restaurant in a renovated old building.

I chose Father’s Day 2010 for my first, and probably last, visit. I waited until about 1:25 pm, Sunday afternoon to go through the doors. I immediately saw and heard that the place was “packed”, but I waited at the hostess podium for several minutes. I watched three waitresses moving about the restaurant. After standing for a few minutes, I sat on a bench next to a sign with the day’s specials listed. “Shrimp Tortellini, ½ Rack of BBQ Ribs, etc.” To my left was a water sculpture with a musical note in the glass and black stones at the base.

I waited for a while. One waitress passed by twice heading out the front door. She was waiting on several customers that had chosen to be seated outside, on a hot day. A black waitress walked up to the register and started working on a touch screen. She never looked up to make eye contact. A thin white waitress never got close enough or turned in my direction.

After about 20 minutes, some of the customers began to leave. I saw some of the empty tables as I looked between the water sculpture and the bench seat I was sitting upon. I stood up again at the hostess podium and hoped to get someone’s attention, but no. Finally, two women came through the front door and I stood again.

Here came the waitress that had passed me twice as she went outside (she apparently came back inside through another door) and made the assumption that all three of us, the two women and myself were part of a group. It was then that I had a chance to explain that I had been waiting for quite some time, over 30 minutes. *Now, why didn’t I at some point stand and yell out, “I would like some service!” Why should I have to?

I was seated around the corner, where I asked to be, with my back to the water sculpture. I asked for sweet tea, while I looked through the specials and the menus that had been handed to me. The waitress returned with my tea, and took my order, a ½ rack of BBQ Ribs with veggies, baked potato and a salad.

Fortunately, the waitress did not go far, attending to a nearby table (the ladies ordered a pizza), and as she came back by I told her that the tea she had brought me was not sweet. She left and returned with a sweet tea.

She brought the side salad, with honey mustard dressing. It was nothing special. I’ve seen it at several other restaurants, and it finally dawns on me that some wholesaler must sell this in a bag to many restaurants.

Then comes my meal, a large portion of BBQ Ribs with lots of meat on them. A group of steamed vegetables… broccoli, green beans and yellow squash, a baked potato, with an extremely dark thin skin and garlic Texas toast.

Probably about this time, the waitress asks if I would like more tea. She returns with another glass of “unsweet” tea. I catch her attention again and she returns with sweet tea.

The veggies are a little rubbery. The potato has an almost burnt skin, but does not taste burnt and the flesh is good. *I attribute the lack of stellar performance of these to it being late during the lunch period, and focus upon the rack of ribs. They are good, but the barbecue sauce is not really special or memorable.

The waitress is quick to process my Visa card, which is a plus. I still tip 10%, but think that I am usually willing to go 20% for lively service and a “hair” more for a waitress that makes the experience memorable. *I would not base a really good tip solely upon the waitresses’ active banter and attention. A culinary flavor I had not experienced before, or at an exceptional level, and the restaurant’s atmosphere would play factors.

What a disappointment this experience was.

—

After re-reading this many months later (April 18, 2011), I realize what shoddy-assed service I received, or let myself receive and there is no way that I should have tipped the waitress at all.  Bringing unsweet tea, twice… what a moron!  No waitress stepping up to the plate to ask if I had been served.  Fire all of them for their inattentiveness!