Culinary Confession!

I have to confess.  Until very recently  I have never had a decent set of knives.  I didn't realize how much it had impacted the way I cook things until Jeffrey asked me to take the fat off of 4 chicken breasts and then cut them into bite-sized pieces.  I realize this isn't a big deal for most cooks, but I had made myself a rule never ever EVER to cut up raw chicken.  I felt that there was too much of a chance that I'd injure myself when the knife slipped on the raw chicken, and considering that I make a living using my hands as both a musician and a clerical office worker, I didn't want to risk it.

My knife phobia probably started when I tried to open a stubborn package of bacon with one of the surgically-sharp knives at my parents' home, and sliced my thumb open.  Looking back, I was probably applying the amount of force I would have used with my own dull knives.

Anyway, this knife has Changed. My. Life.  Seriously!  This is the Wusthof Classic Ikon Boning Knife.  It cut through the raw chicken on my cutting board like butter.  Never again will I pre-cook the chicken, and then cut it up!  Culinary enlightenment has been reached!

Moral of the story:  You are only as good as your tools, so make the investment! This one thing, having a good knife, was impacting my enjoyment of cooking and causing my recipes to take much longer to get on the table as I tried to work around my own poor equipment.