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Here is his editorial Dale:
Cuisine at home
Editor’s letter
Socially speaking, I’m pretty lucky. I have plenty of friends who often invite me over for dinner—in spite of the somewhat intimidating fact that I’m an editor of a cooking magazine. A few folks are apprehensive about having me over (“I’m embarrassed to cook for a food editor”), but the fact is, I’d be thrilled with a good burger. Others feel the need to pull off an over-the-top meal, complete with multiple courses and complex sauces. They think we editor-types eat this way all the time (we don’t, thank goodness). But the most common invitation I get is, “How about coming over and cooking dinner with me.”
While I appreciate any dinner invitation, the real thrill isn’t the food, but the theater of a home kitchen. I love seeing people’s enthusiasm, passion, and excitement for cooking. I love their curiosity and desire to learn new things. But there is, almost without exception, one disappointment: what some people are willing to settle for in terms of kitchen equipment. What’s with the dull knives, glass cutting board, and thin metal frying pan? Maybe they don’t know how much more rewarding cooking is with just three simple possessions: a sharp knife, a good cutting board for that knife, and one high-end sauté pan.
Now, I know all this stuff is expensive, and I’m not suggesting you take out a second mortgage to outfit your kitchen. But there are good reasons to invest in a few quality basics. For one thing, a well-made, sharp knife not only makes cooking easier, but safer—yes, safer. With it, slicing and dicing is more controlled, and you don’t have to use unnecessary force, which can cause accidents. Second, a good cutting board (wood or plastic) is gentle on a knife’s sharp edge. And finally, a cladded sauté pan heats and cooks food evenly, browns things well, and is versatile to boot.
So reevaluate your basics. Whether you’re making a six-course meal or a plate of good burgers, you’ll find cooking more rewarding with a few good tools.
John
Don't wait too long to tell someone you love them.
Billy