Synopses & Reviews
Sharpen Your Knife Skills and Hone Your Knowledge of Kitchen Tools
A precise carrot julienne . . . A perfect basil chiffonade . . . A neatly quartered chicken . . . Proficiency with knives and other kitchen tools is essential if you want to perfect your culinary artistry. Written by the experts at The Culinary Institute of America, this indispensable guide delivers all the information you need to assemble a knife kit, build your knife skills, and use a wide range of additional tools, from peelers and pitters to Parisienne scoops and pastry bags. Featuring instructional photographs throughout plus insights and tips from top professional chefs, In the Hands of a Chef provides:
A complete guide to culinary knives
Comprehensive instructions for knife sharpening
Guidance on using specialty knives and cutting tools
Detailed cutting techniques for a variety of ingredients
Advice on tools for measuring, baking, and mixing
Equipment sources as well as checklists for knives and tools
"This comprehensive overview of techniques associated with knives and other key kitchen tools truly benefits those concerned with preparing food safely and efficiently. . . . In the Hands of a Chef is an impressive guide, as important as the tools themselves."
Richard Von Husen, co-owner of Warren Kitchen & Cutlery
Founded in 1946, THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. A network of more than 37,000 alumni in foodservice and hospitality has helped the CIA earn its reputation as the world's premier culinary college. Courses for foodservice professionals and food enthusiasts are offered at the college's main campus in Hyde Park, New York, and at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, California. Greystone also offers baking and pastry, accelerated culinary arts, and wine certifications.
Review
"Sharpen your knife skills and perfect your culinary artistry... this indispensable guide delivers all the information you need with instructional photographs". (Inspired by Food, Winter 2008)
Synopsis
From the world's premier culinary college, an indispensable guide to the use of knives and other culinary tools
What are the essential knives that cooks must own, and what are the proper techniques for using them? And how do cooks make the most of other tools, such as peelers, pitters, and Parisienne scoops? This essential reference from The Culinary Institute of America provides the answers. Illustrated throughout with more than 100 photographs, In the Hands of a Chef offers a complete course in knife skills as well as guidance on using a wide array of other kitchen tools and gadgets. Featuring advice from real-world chefs on choosing, using, and caring for knives, the book provides detailed cutting techniques for all kinds of foods.
Synopsis
A new approach to the CIA's Professional Chef's Knife Kit, In the Hands of a Chef reveals how professional chefs use their revered kitchen tools in restaurants and at home. This book identifies the types of tools necessary in the kitchen, such as knives, mixing tools, gadgets, and measuring tools. The book teaches a tool's most popular--yet often highly specialized--uses, the history of a tool, types of materials used in making it, and advances in technology that have improved a tool. The book gives readers a personal look at chefs' methods for using these tools and a sense of the personal attachment and even respect they have for them. Readers will also learn the parts of kitchen tools, characteristics of a good knife, and what to look for when purchasing knives and other kitchen tools. In the Hands of a Chef features 112 new black and white photographs that convey the proper way to hold the tool or how it appears when in the hands of a chef.
Table of Contents
Preface.
Introduction.
Chapter 1. Knives and Cutting Tools.
The Parts of a Knife.
The Blade.
The Cutting Edge.
The Bolster.
The Tang.
The Handle.
Types of Knives.
General Purpose Knives.
Knives for Butchering and Fabricating.
Specialty Knives.
Sharpening and Honing Tools.
Whetstones.
Steels.
Electric Knife Sharpeners.
Additional Cutting Tools.
Ice Carving Tools.
Tongs and Similar Tools.
Scissor and Shears.
Spatulas.
Turners.
Peelers.
Graters and Rasps.
Corers.
Zesters.
Channel Knives.
Pitters.
Mandolin.
Apple Wedgers.
Guitars (Egg Cutter).
Food Mill.
Ricer.
Garlic Press.
Carving and Kitchen Forks.
Parisienne Scoops.
Wire Mesh Gloves.
Reamers.
Meat Pounder or Meat Tenderizers.
Shrimp Deveiner.
Food Processor.
Electric Slicer.
Meat Grinder.
Vertical Chopping Machine (VCM).
Food Chopper (Buffalo Chopper).
Chapter 2. Knife Skills.
Knife Selection.
What’s in Your Knife Kit?.
Handling and Maintaining Knives.
Sharpening Knives on a Stone.
Honing Knives on a Steel.
Keeping Knives Clean and Sanitized.
Cutting Surface.
Storing Knives.
Holding the Knife.
The Guiding Hand.
Setting Up Your Work Area.
Basic Cuts.
Preliminary Cuts.
Chopping and Mincing Foods.
Shredding and Grating.
Slicing Cuts: Plain and Decorative.
Precision and Portioning Cuts.
Decorative and Special Cutting Techniques.
Chapter 3. Cutting Techniques for Vegetables and Fruits.
Onions.
Shallots.
Scallions.
Garlic.
Leeks.
Mushrooms.
Tomatoes.
Avocadoes.
Peppers and Chiles.
Plantains.
Citrus Fruit.
Melons.
Pineapples.
Mangoes.
Chapter 4. Cutting Techniques for Meat and Poultry.
Poultry.
Trussing Poultry.
Halving and Quartering Poultry.
Suprémes.
Meat Fabrication Techniques.
Tying a Roast.
Tenderloin.
Cutting Bone-In Chops.
Disjointing a Rabbit.
Carving Roasted Meats and Poultry.
Rib Roast.
Ham.
Duck.
Chapter 5. Cutting Techniques for Fish and Shellfish.
Round Fish.
Lobster.
Preparing Live Lobster to Cook.
Removing the Meat from a Cooked Lobster.
Shrimp.
Clams and Oysters.
Opening Oysters.
Opening Clams.
Chapter 6. Hand Tools for Measuring, Mixing, and Baking.
Tools for Measuring.
Converting Between U.S. And Metric Measurement Systems.
Volume versus Weight.
Tools for Measuring Volume.
Tools for Measuring Weight.
Tools for Measuring Temperature.
Baking and Mixing Tools.
Spoons.
Whisks.
Bench Scraper.
Bowl Scraper.
Mortar and Pestle.
Rolling Pins.
Pastry Bags and Tips.
Summary.
Glossary.