(no subject)

So when I outlined my ideal kitchen a few months ago, one of the items on my list was a John Boos hardwood chopping block, either in maple, cherry or walnut. The nicer ones retail for about $250-300, so it was a completely unfeasible purchase -- even I'm not crazy enough to spend that kind of money on a block of wood. Instead, I bought a cheaper (but still nice) bamboo model from Kershaw for $80, which is still absurdly expensive but it matches my Shun (Kershaw) knife.

And then I got an email from one of the private sample sale websites to which I belong that they were selling one of those Boos blocks for $129, over 50% off. Which is still stupidly expensive, and I'm broke and can't really afford it, but... but...

Sigh. I am weak, my friends. I am very weak.

(no subject)

Knife porn

So here are my three main knives. On top you've got your Shun 7" Granton-edge santoku, who you've met before. "Granton-edge" refers to those hollows ground into the blade above the edge, which helps to keep things from sticking to the blade while slicing.

In the middle is the newest arrival, a CCK (Chan Chi Kee) 24cm slicer. Despite its appearance, it is not a meat cleaver -- the blade is thin and light, and if you use it like a cleaver to crack bones you will be very sad. It is essentially an all-purpose chef's knife, aka the "Chinese food processor". CCK makes a very sharp carbon steel knife, which means it will rust if not cared for properly.

On the bottom is a blade that's probably familiar to most of you, a ZWILLING J.A. Henckels Professional "S" 8-inch chef's knife.

(no subject)

Dear cat: I'm sure that the cut on my finger smells delicious, on account of all the sweet, sweet blood. Still, trying to lick it constantly is creepy. Please stop.