Cooking Article

Preparing meals that are a cut above the ordinary may be easier if you start with the right cutting tools.

Well-designed cutting tools are engineered with style
safety and performance in mind. A smartly constructed knife is fashioned of forged high-carbon stainless steel and chromium for optimum rust and stain resistance.

For example
Insignia2 cutlery has fully tapered blade edges that are engineered with Chicago Cutlery's signature Taper Grind™ Edge for extreme sharpness
performance
edge retention and resharpening ease.

When choosing a knife
look for heavy forged bolsters between the blade and the handle. These bolsters provide greater balance and safety by preventing fingers from riding up on the blade. A full tang blade
extending from the tip of the knife to the end of the handle
provides additional strength
balance and control.

A good knife collection features patented ergonomic polymer handles for exceptional durability and handling. Triple compression stainless steel rivets should secure the handles to the blades.

Available in 18-piece and 12-piece slanted hardwood block sets
the Insignia2 collection contains a four-piece forged steak knife set
a three-piece set with paring
utility and chef knives
and a two-piece Asian set featuring a seven-inch Granton-edge Santoku and a 3.5-inch paring knife.

A new concept in cutlery is the collection's Partoku™
a five-inch knife that delivers the versatility of a Granton-edge Santoku with the convenience of an easy-handling paring knife. It's designed for chopping
dicing
slicing and mincing and works well as a cleaver
slicer and chef's knife. The five-inch version can accomplish kitchen tasks that would be unwieldy with a larger knife.

After stocking your kitchen with the best
most ergonomic knives
you may want to use them to reward yourself by preparing these delicious recipes:

Braised Chicken

in Wine Sauce

Serves 4

5 slices bacon
diced

1 cup onion
roughly chopped

1 31/2-lb. chicken
cut into eighths

1/4 lb. mushrooms
diced

8 small new potatoes
cut in large pieces

1 clove garlic
minced

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 cup chicken broth

3 cups Burgundy wine

Chopped parsley

With a Chicago Cutlery Insignia™ Partoku
dice uncooked bacon and mushrooms; roughly chop onions and cut potatoes and chicken into pieces. In a large skillet
saut้ diced bacon with half the onions until bacon is crisp. Remove and drain well. Add chicken pieces to skillet and brown on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside.

Put remaining onions
mushrooms
potatoes and minced garlic in skillet. Add browned chicken pieces
bacon and onion mixture. Add salt and pepper
thyme and enough chicken broth and wine to nearly cover chicken. Cover and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear when pricked. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Easy Scalloped Eggplant

Serves 4

1 medium eggplant
peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)

1 Tbsp. parsley
finely chopped

12 ounces grated cheddar cheese; reserve a few tablespoons for topping

2 eggs

1 medium onion
chopped

1 cup cracker crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter

Peel and cube eggplant. In a medium saucepan
boil eggplant until tender
about 10 minutes. Drain well. In a lightly buttered baking dish
combine eggplant
parsley
cheese (reserve some for topping)
eggs
onion and cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with remaining cheese
salt and pepper and dot with butter. Bake at 350บ F for 25 minutes or until firm. Serve immediately.