Drawers, those baggy underwear things my grandmother kept in the top draw. And in English it should really be drawer chest: web of spider (toile d'araignée) is spider web in English or even spider's web if you want. Not sure why there's an non possessive "s" on the end of drawers.
No, she kept them in the top drawer.
Back on topic it's a sad reflection of the youth of today that a woman would would want something for the kitchen as a present.
My liberated young lady buys what she wants, when she wants it, with the money she's earned herself. If she asks for practical stuff as a present, I'm more than happy to respect her wishes.
Drawers, those baggy underwear things my grandmother kept in the top draw. And in English it should really be drawer chest: web of spider (toile d'araignée) is spider web in English or even spider's web if you want. Not sure why there's an non possessive "s" on the end of drawers.
Back on topic it's a sad reflection of the youth of today that a woman would would want something for the kitchen as a present. The liberated ladies of my generation wanted presents for themselves (or possibly their pets) not the house. There's a selection of ideas in the the Guardian today.
Drawers (furniture and the undies) are both called draws because they are drawn. You draw the drawer out, you draw the drawers on.
As for the knife thing... What are you on about of someone likes cooking a knife is the perfect gift, gender or otherwise, i have asked for knives for gifts and they are always treasured.
This bloke seems to spend an awful lot of time talking about knives
I bought the Shanzu knife he rated highly and I have to say I'm really impressed by it. Not cheap, but nowhere near the price of some of the more expensive options I've seen.
It's a drawer. You might call it a draw or a slidey-tidy or a luxury yacht or some other such nonsense, and what you get up to in the comfort of your own kitchen is your own concern, but you've made it up. You probably say "should of" and could care less about that too, don't you. Savages.
Draw.
Other dictionaries are available.
Don’t want to appear sexist here, but if I was buying cooking knives for a young woman I’d pair the above with something small like a Global tomato knife for prepping veg etc. It’s what my partner and daughter always reach for.
That's a good point actually. The only chopping knife my OH ever uses is a paring knife. She's frightened of a) big knives and b) sharp knives. I've given up trying now, and I'm not complaining too loudly because I can hear her "chopping" from the other end of the house.
... I realise, that sounded far more ominous than I intended.
What are you on about of someone likes cooking a knife is the perfect gift, gender or otherwise, i have asked for knives for gifts and they are always treasured.
Yup, my big Global knife was a present from my Dad… which I asked for. He’s been gone for decades now. Handling something nearly every day that he gave me… well, I like it. He never cooked though! Things have moved on. My Son sends me photos of meals he’s made that he’s proud of. My Daughter is a toast as a meal person.
Lets go back a few messages, I don’t understand why sharpening serrated knives is seen as something incredibly difficult - I even have sharpening book where author states that serrated knives should be discarded when they get dull. In reality about 2-3 minutes sharpening with round file, diamond rod or bottom edge of a mug will be enough to restore the edge.
A normal steel is for honing. A diamond steel is both for honing and sharpening and is all that is needed to keep any knife super sharp.
I’ve never needed to mess with whetstones since learning how to use a diamond steel.
Both these things are true, but equally, someone who doesn't know what they're doing with either will do more harm that good. Sharpening with a steel, or a whetstone, is a technique that needs to be learned and practiced.
I know the theory but have never got good at it. for *most people* who won't put the time in to learn to do it properly, a pull through knife sharpener is the right answer. IMO one with little diamond wheels or a minosharp (with angled whetstones) rather than the two angled bits of metal that take off a lot of material and slightly serrate the knife.
You probably say "should of"
Don't tempt me. 🙂 A+
Edit: I've written peer reviewed stuff, reviewed peer reviewed stuff, taught English and put together documents that need to be perfect. I've worn out dictionaries and my current ones are dog-eared clumps of paper divorced from their spines. It's cathartic not to have to bother. No spell checker, no predictive text. You get whatever flows from my fingers and if that bothers you it's your problem not mine. 🙂
Cheap Chinese cleaver from the local oriental supermarket and a diamond steel. All the knife you'll ever need (with a bit of practice).
Having said that, my favourite all rounder is either my Robert Welch 20cm Chef's knife, my Porsche Santoku or my Martinni 21cm.
You get whatever flows from my fingers and if that bothers you it's your problem not mine
Perhaps you could extend the same courtesy to others, especially when they are right and you are wrong.
Anyway. I have bought a Victorinox fibrox santoku, carving knife, bread knife, and paring knife, plus an in-drawer wooden storage block. I have also bought a Pro Cook whetstone and Victorinox honing steel. About £170 for the lot.
If anyone is still trying to buy a decent or good kitchen knife, there are plenty of Japanese KAI Corporation Seki Mago Roku in stock at TK Maxx now. I find this brand very good. (I have 5 at least)
The Seki Mago Roku comes in various range but they are all made in Japan with good steel etc.
At TK Maxx yesterday I just bought one 😀 like this 150 utility stainless steel (paid £39, price is very similar to price in Japan) - not sandwich with carbon steel in the middle which I normally go for but I just want to try this out. Used it this evening and it is very sharp but not my usual splitting hair sharp but good enough. The handle is very nice and it is dishwasher safe for all you dishwasher users.
Since many of you like Global knives, but may find them too expensive to mess about, you can also try Seki Mago Roku similar looking range with very reasonable price (Japanese domestic price). There is a stockist in UK that you can buy online from with Japanese price (very good price)
This is the Japanese woman with her website Kurumicooks in UK (I was searching for Japanese recipes so stumbled upon her site) and her other online store ("These are marketed by kurumicooks via an affiliate agreement with a Japanese internet retailer.") selling limited Seki Mago Roku kitchen knives but with very good price.
If you want steel handle like Global then check these out. (she only carry two with steel handle)
UK stock and delivery cost is cheap at £3 - £5.50:
KAI Seki Magoroku Shoso Japanese Santoku Knife 165mm (£32.99)
KAI Seki Magoroku Shoso Japanese Chef Knife (£32.99)
The materials are:
Blade: high carbon stainless steel cutting edge,
Handle: 18-8 stainless steel.
To me blade can be sharpen to screaming sharp hair splitting if you know how.
She also carry the other sandwich version which I have like this (super sharp and hold edge well and I have 5 at least)
KAI Seki Magoroku Akane Japanese Santoku Knife 16.5 cm (£31.99)
D'oh ... I might order one of the stainless steel handle version above.
I have too many knives ... arrgghh ...
Anyway. I have bought a Victorinox fibrox santoku, carving knife, bread knife, and paring knife, plus an in-drawer wooden storage block. I have also bought a Pro Cook whetstone and Victorinox honing steel. About £170 for the lot.
Sounds like a smashing present 😁
Obviously I’d don’t know your offspring, but I’d ignore all the “a good knife is freshly sharpened knife” people … even if they’re right … and buy her knifes she’ll not have to sharpen.
That’s ‘knives’, and as far as I’m aware, with my limited knowledge of metals science, there’s no such thing as a knife ‘she’ll not have to sharpen’; even the best Damascus steel will need sharpening if it’s being used, with the proviso that the actual knowledge of how Damascus steel was actually produced. The nearest thing to a knife that doesn’t need sharpening would be a ceramic blade, but I’m not even sure about that. Even a blade chipped from flint or volcanic glass will lose its edge with use.
Personally, I rather enjoy the process of sharpening a blade, it’s a bit of a challenge to get a good edge that cuts cleanly.
One more thing - never use a good sharp knife to cut paper or card, it’ll blunt it instantly!
Sharpening knives by hand with a Japanese water stone is one of life’s great pleasures…
Traditionally, it's bad luck to give knives as gifts.
there’s no such thing as a knife ‘she’ll not have to sharpen’
Fair enough. I gave examples of two knives used near daily for well over a decade that have never needed sharpening “so far”. Nothing is forever. Both work exactly the same as the day I was given them. Other knives of mine become obviously blunt in about six months of use (and cost a lot more). Depends on the design of the blade, not just the material.
