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The Knife Rack THE KNIFE RACK 8 KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n MAY 2014 n www.kitchenwarenews.com BY LORRIE BAUMANN Trudeau has created a set of steak knives and a set of kitchen knives inspired by a French tradition of elegant table cutlery and artisanal hand-finishing. The new Laguiole line from Trudeau is named after a village in France renowned for its artisanal hand-finished cutlery and corkscrews. These Trudeau knives are entirely hand-crafted in China, which accounts for their affordable price points, but Trudeau claims that the company has preserved the legendary Laguiole craftsmanship in its manufacturing process. "The French actually taught the Chinese manufacturers that we deal with how to maintain the traditional ways of producing the knives," says Trudeau Product Development Manager Jennifer Neveu. Slender handles of pakka wood, rosewood or black horn are adorned with the bee design that's traditional for Laguiole cutlery. Trudeau Knives Inspired by French Tradition of Elegant Craftsmanship "The handles follow the traditional Laguiole look, so yes, it does look more aristocratic and dainty. However, it is properly weighted and has a great feel in your hand in use. Even though the handle appears more elegant than the standard kitchen knife, it is quite sturdy in the hand," Neveu says. The steak knives' serrated blades are made of stainless steel, and full tangs are attached to the handles with visible rivets. The set of six steak knives retails for $99.99. The Laguiole 3 Piece Prep Set retails for $99.99 and includes a 7" Santoku knife with a 2.5 mm thick Japanese-style blade, a 5" utility knife with a 2 mm thick blade and a 3" paring knife with a 2 mm thick blade. "The Santoku blade is a very popular blade right now in the kitchen since it allows you to slice, dice and mince and has the added benefit of the wider blade allowing you to scoop up the food and place into dish or cook pot," Neveu says. "We have seen good success in our regular non-stick coated steel and ceramic knives with the Santoku blade and therefore chose this blade for the 3 Piece Prep Set by popular demand." Also available is a three-piece Elegant Carving Set from Laguiole, currently being sold at Bloomingdale's and CHEFS. This set includes a carving knife, carving fork and sharpener and retails for $99.99. WÜSTHOF introduced the GOURMET 7-Piece Traveler Set (model 8957), featuring three laser-cut GOURMET knives plus three essential tools nestled inside a black travel case at the 2014 IH+HS. The new GOURMET 7-Piece Traveler Set will be available at retail nationwide in May 2014 for $139.99 suggested retail. Perfect for vacation rentals, picnics, barbecues, tailgating, family reunions, potlucks, camping trips, RV and boating excursions, along with other on-the-go cooking occasions, the GOURMET 7- Piece Traveler Set is a well-curated "don't leave home without it" collection of high quality kitchen knives and accessories conveniently housed in a compact case. The GOURMET 7-Piece Travel Knife Set features the GOURMET 3" paring knife, 5" serrated utility knife and 6" cook's knife, plus waiter's corkscrew, kitchen shears, and mini picnic sharpener inside a ruggedly designed, zippered case in black with WÜSTHOF 's iconic logo prominently stitched on the corner. The astutely selected range of GOURMET knives and accessories provides home cooks with everything necessary to meet their food prep needs outside their own kitchen. Complementing the set 's cutler y are three top-quality WÜSTHOF kitchen accessories that are essential to preparing and enjoying meals in any setting. The waiter's corkscrew is crafted in durable steel with a long, black lever for effortless opening of wine bottles. The kitchen shears are ruggedly designed with sharp stainless steel blades that come apart for thorough cleaning, and easy to grasp black handles. For maintaining knives when on the go, the mini picnic sharpener features a coarse Gourmet Traveler Set from WÜSTHOF notch for putting a new edge on a dull blade, and a fine notch for honing and regular maintenance. The well- designed travel case, crafted with various protective compartments and elastic straps, keeps each of the six items securely in place during transport. As with all other WÜSTHOF cutlery collections, the moderately priced GOURMET laser-cut and full-tang knives are crafted in the company's factory in Germany. Well-balanced and durable, GOURMET knives are made of a high- carbon stainless steel that resists rusting and staining, facilitates sharpening, and holds its edge. The high-impact GOURMET black handle is seamlessly attached to the blades with triple rivets for a totally hygienic and secure fit. The Shun Blue line expands with three new extraordinary knives: a Utility knife, a Kiritsuke and a Slicing knife. Blue was developed in partnership with award- winning Chef Chris Cosentino. Internationally renowned for his "nose- to-tail" cooking philosophy, Chef Cosentino chose traditional Japanese blade shapes that are essential for preparing the proteins for which he is so well known as well as a selection of all-purpose tools every kitchen needs. These exciting knives feature a carbon steel cutting core for a razor-sharp edge and quick re-sharpening. For easier care, the "blue" carbon steel core is sandwiched between two layers of mirror-polished stainless steel. The beautiful grey PakkaWood® handles provide a secure and comfortable grip. The Shun Blue line makes this selection of classic Japanese culinary knives available to professionals and avid home cooks in the West. The Shun Blue Utility Knife retails for $250; the 8" Kiritsuke retails for $288, and the Blue Slicing Knife retails for $300. Although he's not supposed to play favorites, Chef Chris Cosentino says the Blue Utility Knife is the Shun Blue that's nearest and dearest to his protein- (and especially, pig-) loving heart. The six inch length is the precise length needed for efficient butcher y—not a quarter inch more, not a quarter of an inch less. It can be used to bone and trim meat as well as to portion it. The 6" length is also handy for anything you'd do with a utility knife— from trimming vegetables to slicing Shun Presents New Blue Knives salami. Cutting is fast and easy with Blue's razor-sharp carbon steel edge, and re- sharpening is easy, too. The Shun Blue 8" Kiritsuke, known as the Japanese master chef 's knife, is one gorgeous knife. The master will be able to use the Kiritsuke for a wide variety of kitchen tasks. For instance, it works extremely well with vegetables; use it to make a beautiful julienne, dice, or brunoise. Shave chives and scallions. It 's also an excellent choice for cleaning and portioning boneless proteins, and particularly fish. It slices cooked proteins with grace and ease. The Shun Blue Slicing Knife not only makes food look delicious by enabling you to cut thin, even slices, it can also make food taste better. With the Shun Blue Slicing Knife's longer length, narrower blade, and Shun-sharp edge you can make long, even slices without tearing or sawing. This kind of clean cut keeps more of the meat juices—and thus more of the flavor—inside the meat, rather than pooling on the cutting board. The Shun Blue Slicing Knife's 9" blade means you can cut slices with a single, long stroke. The narrow profile and razor- sharp Shun edge let the blade glide through the meat with less friction so each slice is perfect. Ideal for slicing a wide variety of meats, the Shun Blue Slicing Knife can also be used to cut larger vegetables.

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