I used to have a saying when I felt like I was getting a raw deal on something, “Somebody owes me a set of knives!” I don’t know if I watched a show as a kid or read something that companies would make up for a mistake or an oversight by sending a customer a set of knives. Crazy, I know. But through the years, if I felt wronged by the cable company, my landlord, an airline, whomever, at some point during the conversation, I would declare that silly knife statement. For the record no one ever sent me a set of knives - until NOW!
The generous people at Abundant Chef contacted me through Twitter and sent me their fantastic ceramic knife set! They were looking for bloggers and chefs to try out their products. I happily offered to be a tester. My current knife set has been a hodge podge of gifts from best friends and old boyfriends who went to great lengths to make sure I had some quality blades in my kitchen. They serve me well, but there is nothing more fun as a cook than to break in new equipment or new ingredients. It’s like that first day of school and using your new pencils for the first time or opening a clean notebook and filling that first page with newly learned wisdom.
Did you know that it is bad luck to gift someone a knife? There is an old wives' tale that presents of knives would eventually lead to a severed relationship. To break the spell, the recipient needs to ‘pay’ the giver with a penny, so it is an actual ‘sale’ transaction instead of a gift. Apparently, there is no bad luck in the purchase of knives.
So as not to sever my new relationship with Abundant Chef and to chase away any bad luck for either of us, I would like to ‘pay’ them for their knives with a little love letter in the form of this blog. Reading up on their company, I have to officially name them an All Good Things Good Thing. Abundant Chef is a family owned and operated business with a focus on creating eco-friendly kitchenware for the home cook, as well as for professional kitchens, at an economical price point.
Here are some things I’ve learned about ceramic knives since I received my Abundant Chef set:
- Ceramic knives never rust, stain or change the taste of food like traditional metal knives.
- The material is non-toxic, non-polluting, making it very environmentally friendly!
- Ceramic material is razor sharp - comparable to diamond and retains sharpness unlike steel.
- It’s anti-bacterial! No chemical reaction with food and no metal in your food!
- Ceramic material cannot be corroded by acid or oil found in fruits and vegetables.
My knife set came with a 6 inch chef's knife, a 5 inch utility knife, a 4 inch paring knife, a 3 inch fruit knife as well as a peeler and sheaths for all of the knives. Theses knives are very lightweight and easy to use. I had so much fun preparing my weekly client menus moving from vegetable to vegetable trying out each knife. I go through pounds and pounds of produce each week and after long preparation hours in my kitchen, I’ll admit my hands are tired from continually pushing knives through raw veggies. The Abundant Chef knives truly were a welcome addition to my kitchen efforts because their blades easily sliced into vegetables, making clean cuts that preserved the integrity of the delicate Spring produce. My hands felt relief from their normal hand grips of the heavy handles on my other knives.
Here is the super good news: This set of knives is on sale. Amazon has a list price of $89.00 on sale for $30.99 and you can buy them from the Abundant Chef website for $29.99. (Abundant Chef also offers free shipping for orders over $25.) This is the perfect gift for new graduates moving into their first apartment or moving to a college campus. This knife set would be a charming first knife set for a young chef. It’s also a thoughtful present for a caterer who wants to leave the heavy and expensive steel blades at home and bring the lighter, affordable set with them on the job. That being said, who’s planning a dinner party and needs me to organize the food? Have knives, will travel!
Heirloom Tomato and Corn Salad
- corn kernels from 6 ears of corn
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
- 1 bunch basil, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
Melt butter in a large skillet, add the corn and sauté for 3 minutes, add tomatoes, stirring. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Stirr gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled.
Whipped Ricotta, Lemon Snow Pea Slaw, and Pistachios
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 1/2 teaspoon, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
- salt and pepper
- 2 cup snow peas, sliced into ribbons
- 1/2 cup toasted pistachios, chopped
With an electric mixer, whip the ricotta, seasoned with the 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix for 30 seconds to smooth out the ricotta. Fold in the chopped mint. Combine the olive oil, remaining 3 T of lemon juice, garlic, sugar to make a dressing. Season with salt and pepper and shake until well blended in a securely closed jar. Toss the snow peas in the dressing. To plate, place a dollop of the cheese mixture on a plate and then drag it with the back of a spoon across the plate to make a foundation for the snow pea slaw. Place a handful of snow peas onto the ricotta, sprinkle generously with pistachios.