Buckleys Store Essendon

Tips From The Kitchen

How To Sharpen Carving Knives

Seasoning and Cleaning Cast Iron Cookware

Cleaning Stainless Steel Cookware

Cleaning a Chopping Board

Using a Sharpening Stone and Honing (Sharpening) Steel

Sharpening a Carving Knife is carried out in 2 steps. Firstly by using a stone to cut the steel blade to sharpen it and secondly by using a honing steel to maintain the edgeand keep the edge straight on a microscopic level.

1. Most stones are "wetstones" and they require a light coating of oil or water. Both oil and water help cut the steel and keep it cool during sharpening (we prefer to use water on diamond stones or a dry diamond sharpening steel). Japanese knives require using a very fine wetstone or ceramic sharpening steel (1000 grit or finer). These should be used with water maintain a 20 degree angle during sharpening. As the knife becomes sharp, gradually press lightly for a razor edge.

2. If the knife is very dull or damaged start with the rough side of the stone (or a Diamond Sharpening Steel).

If your knife is fairly sharp and in good condition you should use

?the fine side of the stone (or a Diamond Sharpening Steel).

3. Hold the blade of the knife at a constant 20 degree angle to the stone.

4. Make light even strokes, use the same number of strokes on each side of the blade and sharpen in one direction only. We prefer to cut a slice off the stone. Use the whole blade of the knife from heel to tip.

Using a Honing Steel

5. Finish your knife with a dozen strokes on the honing (or sharpening) steel (or diamond sharpening steel) again a constant 20 degree angle. Make light, even regular strokes on the steel alternating with both sides of the knife and steel . Use the steel often and you will rarely have to use a stone.

6. Test your knife on a piece of paper, it should easily cut ribbons.

7. Remember, Practice makes Perfect, you will gain experience practicing your

knife sharpening and it will help you determine how much sharpening is needed

to keep your knives sharp.

You can use a honing steel, which can be metal, ceramic or diamond coated. (Experts disagree, again, on which of these is best). Using a honing steel is easy.

First, hold the steel in one hand and the carving knife in the other, placing the heel (the cutting edge nearest the handle) near the sharpening steel. The heel should be at a 20-degree angle to the steel.

Then, pull the edge down and across the rod, holding the carving knife at the same angle. Do this anywhere from 5 to 10 times.

Next, repeat on the other side of the blade, maintaining the same angle. This is very important!

Finally, wash your knife with warm water and thoroughly dry.

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Cleaning Saucepans

1. Cast Iron Saucepans

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'Seasoning' and cleaning Cast Iron Cookware

Step 1

With a new cast iron frying pan, season it after purchase. All new cast iron cookware comes with a factory-applied coating that needs to be removed before using it. Scrub the pan (and its lid if it has one) with a kitchen scrubber and a little dish soap. This will be the only time that you will ever use dish soap on your cast iron. When you've thoroughly scrubbed it, heat the pan on the stove over high heat until every drop of water has vaporized. Heat the lid on a separate stove element. Let the pan and lid cool until they can be handled.
Step 2

With a paper towel, wipe vegetable oil onto the pan, covering every inch inside and out. Rub oil into the inside of the lid as well. Wipe off excess oil from both the pan and the lid. Store the pan with its lid off until ready to use.
Step 3

After cooking with your cast iron frying pan, remove food immediately. This helps speed cleanup and stops the food from absorbing too much iron. If some food is stuck on the pan, soak it for no more than 15 minutes in hot water, then proceed to Step 4.
Step 4

Clean your cast iron frying pan properly after each use. Allow the pan to cool down slightly before washing. Never put cold water into a hot cast iron pan or the iron could crack. Pour a few spoonfuls of table salt into the pan and scrub with water and a kitchen scrubber or nylon brush--the salt helps scrub off stuck-on food--then rinse. The frying pan will still look and feel slightly greasy and that's OK. Heat the empty frying pan on the stove until every drop of water has evaporated. Let the pan cool slightly, then re-season with vegetable oil, wiping off the excess with a paper towel. After several uses and re-seasonings, the cast iron frying pan will develop a patina and become naturally nonstick. Proper seasoning after each use will maintain this patina.
Step 5

Rejuvenate your frying pan if it has rusted. A cast iron frying pan left with water in it will form orange-brown rust spots. Scrub off the rust spots with steel wool and water, then re-season the pan as in Step 4. The rust does not hurt the frying pan but should be removed to prevent it from flaking into your foods.

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2. Cleaning Stainless Steel Cookware

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Cleaning Stainless Steel Cookware

Care & Use Cleaning

Before using for the first time, wash in hot, soapy water with a sponge or dishcloth. Rinse in hot water and dry thoroughly.

Preheating:
Most recipes recommend placing our pots on low heat for one or two minutes before adding foods.

Frying Without Natural Fats:
- Add oil, butter, or margarine to the vessel; just enough to cover the bottom surface.
- Heat pot or pan for one to two minutes over low or medium heat.
- Add food for frying.

If sticking is a problem, check:
- Is your stove level?
- Is your pot clean?
- Is your heat set too high?
- Low to medium heat setting is recommended for optimal cooking performance.

Salt Damage:
To avoid the formation of small white dots or pits, bring liquids to a boil before adding salt, then stir well. Or, add salt after food has started to cook. Pitting does not interfere with cooking performance but can diminish the beauty of the stainless steel.

Prevent Water Spotting:
After washing, rinse in hot water and dry immediately.

Discoloration:
Overheating can cause brown or blue stains. Food films, if not removed, will cause discoloration on the pot when it is reheated. Large amounts of iron content in your water may cause your pot to look rusty.

Cleaning

Cleaning the Stainless Steel Interior:
Immerse in warm water. Use a fine powder cleanser with water to form a paste. Apply paste using a soft cloth. Rub in a circular motion from the center outward. Wash in hot, soapy water, dry immediately. DO NOT USE oven cleaners or cleansers with chlorine bleach. DO NOT USE steel wool.

Cleaning the Steel Stainless Exterior:
The polished stainless steel exterior of All-Clad Stainless requires very little care. It may be polished with one of the available commercial stainless steel cleaners, rubbing in a circular motion. Rinse in lukewarm water. We do not recommend using steel wool, steel scouring pads or harsh detergents. Nylon scrubbing pads are safe to use. You may wash Stainless in the dishwasher.

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Cleaning a Chopping Board.

(from the US. Dept of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service)

Which is better, wooden, or plastic cutting boards? Consumers may choose either wood or a nonporous surface cutting board such as plastic, marble, glass, or pyroceramic. Nonporous surfaces are easier to clean than wood.

The Meat and Poultry Hotline says that consumers may use wood or a nonporous surface for cutting raw meat and poultry. However, consider using one cutting board for fresh produce and bread and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. This will prevent bacteria on a cutting board that is used for raw meat, poultry, or seafood from contaminating a food that requires no further cooking.

To keep all cutting boards clean, the US. Dept of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends washing them with hot, soapy water after each use; then rinse with clear water and air dry or pat dry with clean paper towels. Nonporous acrylic, plastic, or glass boards and solid wood boards can be washed in a dishwasher (laminated boards may crack and split).

Stains can be removed from wooden cutting boards using lemon and salt, rubbed into the grain and then rinsed off. Both wooden and plastic cutting boards can be sanitized with a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Flood the surface with the bleach solution and allow it to stand for several minutes. Rinse with clear water and air dry or pat dry with clean paper towels. All plastic and wooden cutting boards wear out over time. Once cutting boards become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, they should be discarded.

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Choose a Cutting Board