Essential Kitchen Tips
Serrated knife. A bread knife is (of course) good for slicing that fresh baguette, but it’s also aces at slicing tomatoes and other tricky produce. A bread knife typically doesn’t carry as much of a workload as the chef’s knife, so if you want to go with a less expensive version, it won’t hurt. Then again, if you have the budget, you won’t regret putting a little more toward a really nice, hefty bread knife.
How to season a cast-iron pan: Rub about a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil over the surface of the clean, dry pan, inside and out. Wipe away excess oil so just a thin layer remains. Put the pan in a 300-degree oven for an hour, let cool, then rub with a clean rag. After the initial seasoning, clean your pan promptly after each use with a paper towel and a bit of oil. You can remove stuck-on food with hot water and a soft brush — but don’t use soap. Soap will remove the seasoning, which is what creates that wonderful nonstick surface.
Paring knife. When you want to slice a lemon or just a bit of cheese, you don’t reach for the chef’s knife — you reach for this little guy. A 4-inch paring knife is so handy, you may actually want to have two around.
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