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Lets build a fresh fruit platter.  First decide what shape you want to use as a platter or base for your creation.  I like to use a large rectangle  for my creations.  Ovals and round platters are okay but they tend to abbreviate the amount of different rows of colors you can achieve.  Using a thin slicing knife,  core and clean all of the different fruits. 

Start by cutting off both ends of the melon or pineapple, now you have a flat base to work with, next take your knife and make your first cut down the side just deep enough to expose the ripe flesh below the surface; do this in one long stroke.  Now you are able to see where the skin ends and the ripeness begins.  Peel the melon in successive single strokes, moving the melon clockwise as you go. This is easy to do with melons, with a cantaloupe you will see a distinct change from green to orange; simply keep your blade just inside the orange.   As you start each cut be sure that you have the heel of your blade just inside the ripe area and keep it there as you follow the contour around and down.  By staying in the ripe area, with a single stroke you avoid the need to go back. After you finish removing the skin, cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds.

Typically cantaloupe, honeydew and pineapple form the main base.  With pineapple there are many uses for the top so if it is in good shape I will set it aside for a centerpiece or a side piece.  It can be totally trimmed to look like a spike sticking up with its whitish and green color, it can be trimmed with scissors to look like a tree which can then have raspberries stuck on the spikes, or you can take the leaves and fold them back on themselves and it will look like a giant satin ribbon in the center of your platter.

If I use a centerpiece I will build out from that with the large fruit like a series of spokes, otherwise I like going diagonally.  Start with pineapple, I core it using my fancy copper pipe, peel it then cut it in half. Lay the flat side on the board and make thin slices, about a quarter of an inch wide. Cut both halves then transfer them to the platter, A spatula or a dough knife works great for this maneuver. I flip the slices over when  I move them so that the inside is facing upward. 

With pineapple in the center in a diagonal line you can now add a honeydew half way up one side of the pineapple and put the second half on the other side of the pineapple. Next add the cantaloupe on the opposite side of the pineapple across from it''s green counter part.  Turn the cantaloupe and the honeydew so that the inside is exposed like a bowl or cup and fan it out so that now there is a yellow band down the diagonal with alternate orange and green on both sides.

I you can find it, a ripe Mexican papaya is an excellent addition for the next row on both sides, again facing interior side up.  By now the platter should be full with your first layer of fruit.  The colors are yellow, green-orange, green-orange and finally the reddish pink of ripe papayas you flush out to the opposite corners. 

(A word about the Mexican papaya: most stores in my area carry them but they put them on the shelf totally green and hard as a rock…don't use it! Takes it home and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for a couple of weeks.  Turn it over every couple of days and wait for the skin to get soft.  It will actually start to grow a nice crop of mold but that is excellent because it indicates ripeness is approaching. When it is soft and yet still firm it is ready to cut. Trim the ends, stand it up and take off a thin layer of skin the mold stays on the outside and the fruit is ripe, full-flavored and beautifully colored.  Now you can cut it open and scoop out the small black seeds.)

As you fan the fruit out, you can make wavy lines with it, like a sort of subtle ess-curve.  You can also face the pineapple half one way and half the other then push the other fruit closer to it to make it stand almost on edge.  Thin slices work much better as you can manipulate them more easily…stay at a quarter of an inch.  The reason for placing the fruit on the platter interior side up is simple; you now have the platter covered with several sets of cups into which you can now pour different colors of berries.

If you still have some room in the corners opposite of the pineapple; this is a good place to put kiwi fruit.  Peel the kiwi the same way as you would a melon, top and bottom ends off and then down the sides.  You can either make wedges or wheels, both ways do a good job of exposing that great translucent green interior.   Now it is time to paint your base platter with color.  How you do it is totally up to you; I like to do contrasts. So the honeydew will get blue-berries or black-berries and in the cantaloupe I will use the reds of strawberry and raspberry.  I like to cut strawberries at least in half to expose the color inside (and also to be sure that I don't serve a worm…got the tee shirt). 

For that extra special touch you can also "fan" a few strawberries to put around in any place that needs some extra color. Lastly finish your creation with some clusters of seedless grapes randomly spread around.  I love it when the "champagne" or "lunchbox" grapes come out but that is usually only for about a month or less. Another great fruit for the top is Carambola or Star fruit, try to find a ripe one as they tend to be bitter. I am not a big fan of oranges on a tray and I avoid apples and peaches as they oxidize too quickly.

Want to combine your efforts?  Serve fruit and cheese in one setting? Try this.  This watermelon half is stuck with skewers of fruit and cheese.  Cheddar, Swiss and Dill Havarti interspersed with Cantaloupe, Honeydew and finished with a strawberry on the top.  Your guests will rave about this center piece!

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I just purchased a copy of "The Great 20th Century Cookbook", the publisher's page had been cut out so I am not sure of the exact date of publication. Suffice it to say the book is very old probably 1900-1910; it has some fascinating recipes. The primary assumption was that all of the cooking would take place on a cook-stove, you know the kind where you lift up the burner area circle with the spring handled holder and added another chunk of oak. There are some great recipes in the book which I will share as time goes on. There are also some eyestoppers as you look down the pages. From the "Meats" section: "Stewed Kidneys", "Beef Tongue,"Deviled Tongue", "Pickled Tripe" and last but not least,

"Calf's Head Boiled"

Clean the head nicely. (See directions for mock-turtle soup) Soak it in salt water to blanch it. Take out the eyes, remove the tongue, and salt the brains to make a little side dish. Boil the head until tender. Then rub with butter, sprinkle with salt, pepper and finely powdered sweet herbs, dredge with flour or finely powdered bread crumbs, set in a hot oven and squeeze the juice of a lemon over it; this gives it a fine flavor. Sometimes a little of the liquor used in boiling is used for basting. Roast to a fine brown, put on a hot platter and keep warm. Take a sufficient amount of the liquor for gravy, add a piece of butter the size of a hens egg, thicken with browned flour, let it boil up with a small lemon cut in thin slices, (The lemon may be omitted, but it is usually liked). Garnish the head with forcemeat balls or slices of lemon.

Not exactly a recipe for the squeamish and it is most interesting to see the changes in taste that have occured in a century. Which got me to thinking… What is the oldest known cook-book?

Wikipedia suggests:

Forme of Cury was the name given by Samuel Pegge to a roll of cookery written by the Master Cooks of King Richard II of England.[1] This name has since come into usage for almost all versions of the original manuscript. It is by far the most well known medieval guide to cooking.
The roll was written in late Middle English on vellum and details some 205 recipes (although the exact number of recipes varies slightly between different versions).
The following is a sample of a recipe taken from Pegge's 18th century edition of the roll.
SAWSE MADAME. XXX.
Take sawge. persel. ysope. and saueray. quinces. and peeres, garlek and Grapes. and fylle the gees þerwith. and sowe the hole þat no grece come out. and roost hem wel. and kepe the grece þat fallith þerof. take galytyne and grece and do in a possynet, whan the gees buth rosted ynouh; take an smyte hem on pecys. and þat tat is withinne and do it in a possynet and put þerinne wyne if it be to thyk. do þerto powdour of galyngale. powdour douce and salt and boyle the sawse and dresse þe Gees in disshes and lay þe sowe onoward.

(Modern English: SAUCE MADAME. 30. Take sage, parsley, hyssop and savoury, quinces and pears, garlic and grapes, and stuff the geese with them. Sew the hole so that no grease comes out, and roast them well, and keep the dripping that falls from them. Take galyntyne [sauce or jelly of meat juices] and grease and add to a posset; when the geese be roasted enough, take and smite [cut] them into pieces, and that which is within and add to a posset and put wine in it if it be too thick. Add powder of galingale, powder-douce and salt, and boil the sauce and dress the geese in dishes and put the sauce on them.)

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How much does a cup of coffee cost these days? 

What was the saying years ago? "Hey Mister can you spare a dime for a cup of coffee?"

Hi! My name is Mike and I am a "coffeeholic"  I drink coffee from the time I get out of bed in the morning until an hour or two before I go to bed.  I love it!  I have been addicted since I was 12.  I am an authority on all the convenience stores in the metro area.  I can tell you which of them pay attention to the fact that the coffee on the burner has been there for over an hour and the ones that never make a fresh pot after 12 pm.  I even know which clerks to look for and which ones to avoid.

The story goes that 7-11 got creamed (pun intended) several years ago when an upstart store came to town and started making fresh coffee every hour with lots of choices as to condiments and flavorings. The independent literally chased 7-11 out of that market.  This little attention to quality caused 7-11 to change their behavior and it became a company wide policy that coffee would be an hour or less old or it was free.  Now, not all stores honor that, but most of them make an attempt at keeping the coffee fresh.  Are all you little independents listening?

I am not a big fan of "barista" coffee, you can keep your "latte's"  (why pay $3.50 for steamed milk).  Starbucks and Einstein's make me feel guilty that I forgot to bring my laptop.  Just a nice fresh cup of coffee ma'am.  Oh, and by the way if you made it two hours ago… and put it into a thermal pot… the stuff is not only old, its cold… the coffee salesman lied to you, it looses 20 degrees per hour and more if the pot is half full. 

Thirty years ago I went over the deep end and purchased a home model espresso machine.  I was so excited the first day I got it that I just had to try 10 different styles of coffee.  At three am the following morning my eyeballs were still glued open.  Okay, so it is possible to ingest too much caffeine at one sitting, I have now settled down to a cup every hour of a milder variety.

Antique Coffee Grinder

Things have certainly changed today.  A casual search of the Internet will turn up several brands of coffee makers. With the high end models running into hundreds.  From simple pour through models to grind and brew models the methods you can use to brew coffee at home are endless.  A few years back I purchased a Cuisinart "grind and brew model"  It was a 10 cup grind and brew model and it worked great until I clogged the pipes with calcium.  I then went and purchased the 12 cup model in Fire-engine red.  Guess what, the hopper for the 12 is the same size as the 10 cup hopper.  So let me get this straight… if I add 2 more cups of water to the same amount of coffee beans… I get what??

That is the drawback to grind and brew coffee makers, you cannot set the fineness of the grind.   But, the fineness of grind can also cause problems… if you put an expresso blend into a standard pour through maker the water may come through the pot too quickly to pass through the coffee… Oh you have tried that too? Fun cleaning up the flood wasn't it?  My worst was the time I set the brew and forgot the carafe, the poor machine had an internal hemorrage and I had grounds inside the fresh water well; Oy what a mess. 

So what is the solution to a perfect cup of coffee? Get a grinder that lets you adjust the exact fineness that you want for your coffee grounds.  Find the beans that you like that yield the taste that appeals to you.  I like it strong, full flavored with a hint of nut and no bitter or burnt taste. The fact that there are so many flavors out there is proof that there is no one best flavor, so that is individual. 

Next treat the beans right… that great smell you get when you open up the bag for the first time will quickly go away by the third pot.  Get an airtight storage container with a good rubber gasket, put your beans into the container and store them in the cupboard.  This slows oxidation which is the enemy of coffee as much as any other food.  To freeze or not to freeze is not a question for me anymore.  Even in that short amount of time you take it out of the freezer the beans loose moisture and dry out more loosing more flavor. They don't call it freeze-dried for nothing!  The airtight container is the way to go.

Do dit do dit dit, do dit do dit dit!  Remember that?  The sound effect behind a Folgers coffee commercial from the 60's imitating the sound of a percolator coffee maker.  Most people under 30 have never seen one except for maybe in the camping gear.  The style today is flow hot water over the beans/grounds one time only so the fineness so the grind is critical.  If it is too coarse you will have no flavor.  So, (here comes the sales pitch) get a good conical burr grinder that has adjustable grinding.  Get at good pour through coffee maker that brews the amount of coffee you and other VIP's will consume in less than an hour. AND Buy great beans that you store in an airtight container.  You can do all that at  Coffee For Less with out spending a fortune.

 Solis Maestro Grinder

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Dear Uncle Al

I heard that you were vacationing in the south of France.  And i was just wondering , since you and Liz are out and about in the Rolls, if you wouldn't mind taking a little detour to Laguiole.   It is only about 250 kilometers north of Montpellier, just hop on the E11 and go north to Antrenas and then east through Marchastrel and Nasbinals.  There are plenty of villages along the way if you need to stop and sample the wine and cheese. 

You will wind your way up 2000 feet above sea level or so as you come to this village in the Aveyron department.  This department is famous world wide as the home to Roquefort cheese.   Kinda fun huh?  Did you know that before they figured out how to synthesize the mold (penecilium roqueforti) for the cheese they would put bread into the caves to leaven and attract the mold, scoop out the center of the loaves, make a powder out of it and add it to the goats milk to make the cheese.

On your way north you will cross the Millau Viaduct.  A bridge built by a British engineer that is taller than the Eiffel tower.  It is supported by 9 thin towers with steel decking and an innovative steel rope webbing to keep it all together.  It is 370 meters above the ground when it crosses the river below.  Just keep your eyes on the road, you will be fine, the bridge has reinforced guard rails built to hold against an 18 wheeler if one should crash.  The bridge is 2.4 kilometers long so settle in for a long ride.

When you arrive in Laguiole, look for the statue of a "Bull" in the town square.  This is a tribute to the main source of livelihood for the local area population for centuries.  These hearty cattle are unique to this area and provide the milk for the cheese of Laguiole, a semi-soft cheese that is registered with it's own appellation by French law.   Janet Fletcher says "Historical records suggest that Laguiole originated in monasteries, and that monks transmitted the methods of production to local farmers. In the late 1800s, more than 300 cheesemaking huts, known as burons, were scattered across the plateau. Between May and October, when the high-altitude pastures flourished, farmers led their cows from the valley into the mountains to graze and made cheese in the burons along the way. The burons have all but vanished now, and virtually all Laguiole is produced by a single cooperative established in the 1960s."

The village of Languiole is also famous for it's special knives.   First produced in 1829 the village produced the knives until the 1930's when the competition with Thiers (the "knife center" of France)  put the local smiths out of business.  In the early 1980's a local group opened a foundry and began producing the "original" Laguiole folding knife once again.  The current version of the knife comes in a variety of styles,  a longish slightly upturned blade, an awl for leather punching and a cork-screw.  Original knives also had a cross embedded on one side of the handle which gave the herdsmen a way of saying the rosary when they were on their long summer trek to pasture their cattle.  This knife was so important for the locals that it became a tradition to give one to every boy at his first communion.  

Uncle Al,  the reason I asked you to make this side trip is that I want an original Laguiole knife.  They have a store right in the middle of the village and you can go in a look at all the offerings.  The "Bee" on the top of the front bolster was (legend has it) was awarded by Napoleon in recognition of the brave persistence of  the soldiers from this region.  The new models come in a variety of handle types, and steels, they even have a master smith who forges damascus steel for blades on some models.  Speaking of blades the authentic La Coutellerie de Laguiole has a Bull logo embedded on the blade, they will even give you a certificate of authenticity.  I would prefer one with a horn handle and stainless steel is just fine, the cork-screw is a must and I will find a use for the awl.  They used the awl originally to punch a hole in the stomach of a cow or sheep who got bloated on fermenting spring grass. 

Anyway, Uncle Al if you would get me a Laguiole knife I would really appreciate it.  I also have a pleasant surprise for you… just up the street there is a fantastic "chef-owned" hotel The Bras – Michel Et Sebastien.  He is listed in the Michelin guide as one of the top 20 chef owned hotel in the world.  He uses the local mixed greens and rare local herbs in his food creations.  His food and lodging are said to be exceptional., so you are in for a real treat.  

Speaking of knives Michel Bras has collaborated with the Shun line of fine knives to introduce a brand new Shun line in the Michel Bras tradition.  Seven knives in maple scabbards looks like a gorgeous set of french knives made with exceptional Japanese steel. 

Anyway Uncle Alfred, I do hope you take the little trip, the country side has many diversions to offer from churches to original Roman aqueducts and even an insect museum.  The Aubrac plateau is best described by Michel , "a place that exudes silence and is filled with sunlight, where from spring to summer soft grasses of every shade of green stretch as far as the eye can see, fragrant flowers blow in the wind, and the air is heavy with the scent of herbs."

Cheers, your loving nephew

Michael

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The Kai company has been in existence since 1908.  For the Japanese market they manufacture a number of products.  The foremost of which are shaving razors, beauty shop and personal grooming supplies.   Another division handles medical cutting instruments as in scalpels.  Along the lines of cutting equipment there are also shears and scissors.  They are known in the western world for their Shun "Classic" knives. 

In 1977 The Kai company expanded into the US with the purchase of the Kershaw knife company.   Kershaw , famous for it's many styles of folding, hunting and tactical knives was a perfect match for the company which made the same lines in Japan.  The expansion introduced the American market to Kai and resulted in new facilities for Kershaw in Tualatin WA.

In 1998 the first of what would be many collaboration efforts happened when Kai began to work with Ken Onion.   Ken developed an opening system for folding knives called the "Speed Safe".  This system won awards and world wide recognition.  Over the course of the next two years Ken and the Kershaw company released  "Boa, Black Chive and Leek" models which also won awards.  Ken currently holds 36 patents for knife related designs. 

In 2000, Ken turned his attention to the "Chef Knife" and after careful study, developed  the "Ken Onion Chef's Knife".  This unusual looking knife was made to be useful for the tall or short person, for both left and right hander's.  Ken studied the angles of the cutting motion and the manner in which a chef knife is typically held.  To reduce the stress on the hands and shoulder, Ken looked at the normal "pinch" method of holding a chef's knife and developed  an ergonomic handle that eliminated the need to reach out over the spine of the knife for balance and control.  He also increased the angle of the bolster by pointing the handle downward.  As you look at the picture,  notice the width above the bolster where the user would typically hold the knife.  This eliminates the "knife callous" that occurs when using a chef knife for several hours in a row.

In 2002 Kai introduced their "Classic" line of chef's knives. The "Shun" line of knives was born. A complete history of the Shun knives line is available at the Kershaw Shun Knives web site   This provides an educational read and gives a lengthy explanation of the types of steels used in their composition.  Since then, the Kai Corporation has gone on to develop collaborations with several other master craftsmen.  Bob Kramer (USA), and MIchel Bras (France) are two of the most prominent in the professional kitchen knife area.   These two lines offer the consumer an opportunity to own unique craftsmanship in two different styles.  Michel Bras a Chef from the Laguiole region of France has joined with Kai to introduce his line of knives and fine cutlery.  These knives represent the best of European design and Japanese steel technology, or "Cutting Edge Jewelry" as Michel calls them.  You can see the whole line at the BrasKai.net web site.

The Bob Kramer Shun collectors series (Picture in top right sidebar) was introduced in the fall of 2008.  Bob had numerous jobs in the food service, becoming fascinated with knives and went on a quest to learn how to keep them sharp.   After several attempts he finally found someone who would teach him the secrets of the knife sharpening trade.  With his newly acquired trade he set up shop in the Seattle area sharpening knives for local chef's.   After a few years he decided to further his craft and learn how to make knives.

Bob Kramer is now one of a very few knife "Mastersmiths" .  This rare breed of knife makers whose numbers are less than 200 for the  United States are total masters of their craft.  To qualify as masters they must  know all about the "smithing" process and also:

• Bring a knife to a test which will cut through a 1"  free hanging sisal or manilla rope in one cut.
• Chop a 2×4 in half not once but twice; nicks or chips in the blade will immediately disqualify.
• Then "shave hair" with the most damaged part of the blade to demonstrate it's sharpness.
• Finally the blade is inserted into a vise and bent to a 90 degree angle with out breaking.

For the journeyman test the blade type is carbon steel and when they return for their masters test they must bring a "Damascus" steel blade and go through the same process once again. Damascus steel having been folded back upon itself and pounded thin  numerous times produces that beautiful wavy layered pattern look at the same time being very hard (62-66 on the Rockwell scale)

Bob Kramer knives sell for about $300 an inch, assuming you could get on the waiting list to get one.  He makes about 5 of them a week.   Bob's goal is to develop a blade that will cut through a hardened steel bolt and still retain its' edge.  According to this article from the New  Yorker, he has apparently come very close.  The trademark  of his knives is the fineness of the steel he uses, the ability of the blade to hold an edge, and to be quickly resharpened when it dulls.  You can see from the picture above that he also incorporates "ergonomic" features into his work to make prolonged use more comfortable.

Th Shun "Bob Kramer" collection is a beautiful stainless clad replication of his work.  Manufactured according to his specifications and Kai/Shun exacting standards this set of 5 knives is complete for the home user, or the professional.  Available exclusively from SurLaTable there is also a great video interview with Bob Kramer to complete your education.  As the weeks go by we will be exploring more of the knives in the Shun line.  Thanks for reading.  Michael Brown

Compensation Disclosure: This site receives compensation for referred sales of some or all mentioned products.

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I have been fascinated with Japanese culture since the 60's. I spent time on the island of Okinawa in the Vietnam war and fell in love with the culture and the people. Many years later in my professional career I began to see Japanese knives show up in the kitchens where I worked. At first it was just an occasional Santoku, and then one day a fellow chef brought in a whole set of Shun knives that he had purchased. These were fascinating because I had never seen a single bevel knife before and here was a set of them. I tried one and fell in love with it, like having a razor blade with a handle.

Japanese knives have a long history. Dating back to the 15th century these knives are mostly manufactured in Seki or Sakai City in Osaka Japan. "It is said that a foundation from which forging technologies could develop was already in place in Sakai due to the manufacturing during the fifth century of tools for building the city's many tumulus burial mounds. The subsequent cultivation of tobacco brought from Portugal in Japan in the second half of the sixteenth century spurred heavy demand for knives capable of cutting tobacco leaves, and Sakai became the first area to produce the new "tobacco knifes."" (www.city.sakai.lg.jp/foreigner_en/sangyo/sangyo1.html) Sakai is also famous for it's Katana Swords and interestingly the "Tea Service" was first introduced here. The process of getting a very sharp edge on a blade has changed very little in that time.

The knives that come from Sakai are still being made by hand by highly skilled artisans who have spent years learning their craft. They can only produce a limited number each day, (10 to 15) and I read recently that the art itself is in danger of being lost as fewer of the younger generations show interest in joining the apprentice programs. Their knives are prized by chefs all over Japan and now that fame is spreading worldwide. There are basically 5 different main types of Japanese knives (Hocho) and then numerous styles depending on the knife makers art.

• Yanagi  A long slicing style of blade used to cut boneless fish for sashimi. Designed to make a cut in one long stroke.
• Gyuto    A western style of blade that could be stamped or forged, similar to the "Chef's Knife" but usually without the traditional bolster the thinner blade can be sharpened at a steeper angle.
• Nakiri  or Usuba   A blunt tipped knife usually single bevel edged for cutting vegetables. This the knife you will see used to get the paper thin slices of daikon.  The Nakiri blades tend to have wider blades more like cleavers.
• Deba   Looking much like a chef knife this blade is much heavier on the spine. Single beveled, and used for cutting through bones of chicken or fish.
• Santoku  The western styled knife with the rounded tip.  Often this blade will be hollow ground (dimpled) to keep food from sticking as you cut.

The culture and foods  have influenced the shapes of the knives.  Unlike the US where beef is the order of the day for most of us, here the seafood reigns supreme.  As such the knives are designed to be used with seafood; for Tuna, Eel and Octopus.  For an aspiring Japanese sushi chef the training will last as long as ten years, and he will be required to spend several months developing his skills with just one of the knives listed above. Beginning with the Usuba he will develop his ability to slice vegetables.  As he masters this knife then he will move on to the Deba learning to break down poultry and fish. Finally to the show knife the Yanagi the Sashimi knife or Willow Blade to demonstrate his skills as a master.

To give you a sense of what I mean regarding culture, here is an excerpt of an interview with a master Sushi Chef:

HOTELS: How is working as a sushi chef in the United States different than doing so in Japan?

FUJITA: The biggest difference of being a sushi chef in Japan and America is that in Japan the chefs will go through many steps (maybe 10 years worth) and gain much experience in many other areas before becoming a sushi chef. The Japanese sushi chef will respect the ingredients more and understand the changing of the seasons. In America the process is a lot quicker (maybe 2 or 3 years), and once someone becomes a sushi chef he/she is not able to go backwards and learn those things that the Japanese sushi chef has learned.

For example, in Japan, the chef will cook rice for three years, and during that time he will gain an appreciation for the rice and how it changes over the year. In America there is no time for a cook to be cooking rice for three years, so that quality is lost.
 

Chef Fujita is probably right but as western chefs we really appreciate the knives from his country.

You can see a tremendous number of these beautiful knives at Chef Knives To Go

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The next time you need a quick garnish to go on top of your bowl of yummy guacamole or fancy tapenade for your bruchetta bar consider using a tomato rose. All you need is a ripe red tomato and a sharp paring knife. This is one simple garnish to give eye appeal when you want to add a flourish to your platters. Rather than have you read twenty lines of text as I fumble to explain, I made a video for you instead. Enjoy, I invite your comments.

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