Global Knife Give-Away — Yeah, That’s What I’m Talkin’ About
There are moments in cooking that are truly life-changing.
My first time using a really sharp, really well-made knife was such an instance.
I had grown up using my parents’ mishmash of knives that were piled in a kitchen drawer and sharpened only in a blue moon.
In my 20s, though, I purchased my first high-end carbon steel chef’s knife on sale at a department store. I brought it home, unwrapped it from its box, and set a yellow onion on a cutting board to give it a try.
With my first slice through the onion, I nearly shrieked. The knife glided through the dense layers of the hard onion as easily as a puck whooshes around an air hockey table. I cut another slice, and nearly yelped again. What a joy this was! To be able to cut such thin slivers or chop so evenly — all completely effortlessly — was truly a revelation.
A good knife is absolutely one of the best investments any cook can make.
Of course, it’s not always easy to shell out that kind of money, especially in these challenging times. That’s why I’m thrilled to be able to give one lucky Food Gal reader a “Global 7-inch Oriental Chef’s Knife.” Global knives are beloved by serious cooks worldwide for their sharp, precise, thin blades. These elegant Japanese knives sell for a pretty penny, too.
I have the folks at CSN stores to thank for allowing me to give away such a coveted prize. CSN has more than 200 online stores that sell everything from cookware to yoga accessories to bamboo flooring to barstools.
Contest: The contest is open to anyone in North America. Deadline to enter is the close of Feb. 27. The winner of the Global knife will be announced March 1.
How do you enter? It’s simple as this:
Describe something that’s sharp.
And describe something that’s dull.
The most creative or memorable response to both those questions will win the Global knife.
To get you started, here are my responses:
Sharp: The outrageous wit of Chris Rock that makes my jaw drop. The extraordinary food writing of Michael Ruhlman that makes me sigh with both envy and admiration. And the little black dress in my closet that I have to be at my skinniest to shimmy into, and the fierce black patent heels that go with it.
Dull: Cooking shows that are about everything except cooking. Foie gras haters who’ve never even tried the stuff and still gorge on factory-raised beef, pork and chicken without a care. People who can’t take their eyes off their Blackberry at the dinner table. (Sorry, but only doctors on-call should get a pass on this one.)
Now, it’s your turn….
More: A Cool, Easy Way to Julienne Carrots That Will Rock Your World
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Monday, 22. February 2010 6:52
sharp: simple recipes that are budget-friendly and satisfying!
dull: out-of-season produce!
Monday, 22. February 2010 7:11
C,
My knife set sounds like your old one… except that mine date all the way back to my GRANDMOTHER. They are bent and beyond dull… oh, how I dream of winning your giveaway. So, on with the responses!
Sharp: the US Olympic hockey teams skates. How else would you beat Canada 5-3 on their home turf… er, ice…
Dull: Rainy, winter San Francisco mornings. Do I really have to go to work today?
Monday, 22. February 2010 7:28
sharp: My grandmother’s mind at 98.
dull: A friend who thinks that describing her route to a destination is sparkling party conversation.
Monday, 22. February 2010 7:32
I got a ceramic knife for my birthday last year, with two memorable results – I cut the tip of my finger off the first day (just a tiny bit) and a “friend” staying at my house while we were away broke it!
Sharp: those global knives.
Dull: most other food blogs!
Monday, 22. February 2010 8:42
You’re right, nothing beats a sharp knife in the kitchen!
Sharp: My Grandmother’s tongue when someone wrongs her. Watch out!
Dull: The ache in the bottom of my right foot from too much yoga this morning.
Monday, 22. February 2010 8:46
Sharp: the verve and tang of a well-made wine vinegar
Dull: cheap olive oil that is simply ‘greasy’
Monday, 22. February 2010 9:09
Sharp:My dad’s wit
Dull: my current knife
Monday, 22. February 2010 9:18
Sharp: My wife’s tongue regarding my cooking abilities!
Dull: Her cooking abilities prior to receiving this prize!
Monday, 22. February 2010 9:33
I’m in my late 20s and I still don’t have a fabulous/sharp knife to prep with!
Sharp: my mother’s uncanny way of being able to prepare delicious food on a tight budget; the perfect outfit that makes me feel good on a not-so good day
Dull: leftovers for the 4th day in a row
Monday, 22. February 2010 9:51
Sharp would be a beautiful turn out horse ready to be ridden at a dressage show.
Dull would be any dish that hasn’t been salted or peppered…that to me is just plain yuck!
Monday, 22. February 2010 9:56
I just received my santoku back from the factory. Did you know some manufacturers sharpen them for free? Sweet!
Anyway — I have to admit I was amazed at how much sharper it was. I hone with each use but nonetheless, knives lose their edge, so slowly that I don’t notice. Time to get the rest of my edges sharpened.
I wonder if Global makes ice skates. THOSE look sharp, ate least when they’re on the feet of the speed and figure skaters we saw all last week.
Monday, 22. February 2010 10:20
Sharp: My kitchen skills, if i got my hands on a great knife!
Dull: My brain, after studying for the Bar exam.
Monday, 22. February 2010 10:34
Love this Carolyn!!
SHARP: My mom! She was always on her toes, and thinking, thinking, thinking. She thought about her actions, her behaviors, and always chose her words carefully. Until the day she died, her mind was still always sharp, and she was teaching me life lessons until the day she died.
DULL: Gray skies. Bad tv. And worse of all? Long conference calls at work!
Monday, 22. February 2010 10:35
Sharp: My husbands big toenail. I could shave my legs with it!
Dull: My brain in the morning..before coffee.
Monday, 22. February 2010 11:54
Sharp: Anthony Bourdain in an Armani suit and a wry grin, wielding a (Global) chef’s knife above a perfectly grilled medium-rare steak. The scent of a wedge of raw French cheese. The crunch of a jalapeno pepper ring. The warm sting of a good single-malt Scotch.
Dull: Rachel Ray bubbling effusively about anything. Wonder bread. American cheese(TM). Sugary breakfast cereal. James Lipton’s predictable brown-nosing on “Inside the Actor’s Studio.” Themed chain restaurants. A half-empty bottle of Merlot, forgotten for a week on the kitchen counter. Biting into a slice of apple pie made with canned apples.
Monday, 22. February 2010 11:55
Sharp: Everything about my mama. The pang of homesickness I get when I see photos of my nieces and nephews. The sound of anyone’s voice who tells someone else that they’re not good enough or pretty enough.
Dull: Dirty snow. Poorly seasoned food. Stale, tasteless jokes. Having a superiority complex, which is really only a manifestation of an inferiority complex, says my sharp-witted mama.
Monday, 22. February 2010 12:18
my first thought was a sharp wit too, but i was thinking of ricky gervais. he cracks me up and never fails to surprise me. slso sharp are my cat’s claws. seriously, i think they may be the sharpest items on earth–my legs can attest.
dull? amen to the blackberry addicts! how about my hair when i’ve been forced to go a few days without washing it? or my reflexes after i’ve just consumed my weight in food?
Monday, 22. February 2010 12:33
Sharp: I’d love to win this!
Dull: I don’t live in North America
Monday, 22. February 2010 12:34
I just spent the weekend watching the Olympics so:
sharp — ice skates’ blades. I kept hearing about horrible accidents involving legs being cut by blades.
dull — curling. no explanation required.
Monday, 22. February 2010 13:04
“We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.”
Monday, 22. February 2010 13:07
My mind and my finances mind……mine’s the sharp one…..
Monday, 22. February 2010 13:26
This Global Knife looks great!
Sharp: A crisp cotton linen tablecloth; brunoise carrots and celery; newly polished shoes and the smell of cuban coffee in the morning.
Dull: Ice cream served over too hot fruit compote; thinly slicing sirloin that fans out with jagged edges; diluted iced tea.
Monday, 22. February 2010 13:42
The first thing that comes to my mind that is sharp, that is dull…is a knife. I just hate taking time to sharpen my knife when I am in the middle of cutting because my knife just “refuse” to cut.
Monday, 22. February 2010 14:38
I vote for Melly! At least her “sharp” contribution. That is hilarious.
Monday, 22. February 2010 15:23
i just love global knives , came to love with it during my training days when my chef had them and i always dream of having them
Sharp:flavors of black cardamom,asfoetida,black salt,dry mango powder
dull:slow night in kitchen
Monday, 22. February 2010 15:45
sharp: trying new recipes, being adventurous, even if it means failing a few times
dull: multiple blizzards for my first winter in the south, when I expected a milder winter than where I came from
Monday, 22. February 2010 15:53
Sharp: My husband when he decides to shave and put on nice clothing. He looks very sharp. (And adorable.)
Dull: Listening to my husband lecture about our retirement accounts. “Yes dear, yes, mmhmm, ok here’s the password, you fix it.”
Monday, 22. February 2010 17:41
sharp: my mind abuzz after glass of vietnamese cafe sua da!
dull: the gluttony and mind numbing fullness of eating 7 courses of beef, bo 7 mon.
Monday, 22. February 2010 18:04
Something that is sharp:
A clear, bright edged photograph of a man with an angular nose tasting pungent cheese while humming off tune.
Something that is dull:
The same man on a subsequent cloudy day, wearing muddy brown clothes, wondering where his cheese went.
Monday, 22. February 2010 18:50
Sharp: The air atop Mt. Whistler on a breezy, sunny winter day,
Dull: Dairy products so processed they can’t even legally be sold as cheese, but instead as “cheese product”.
Monday, 22. February 2010 19:30
Oh, cool!
Sharp: my brains. Haha. Anthony Bourdain’s wit and patience towards vegans and vegetarians.
Dull: popular food blogs documenting every single thing they ate in a day…esp when they eat the same salads and green smoothies and yogurts every time!
Monday, 22. February 2010 21:56
Sharp: The feel of January Denver wind on my cheeks, and the glare of the sun off of snow. The smell of my morning cup of coffee wafting through the air. My mother’s angry face, it doesn’t matter how old I get.
Dull: My entry-level Philosophy Class Professor, who assumes we are in the class because we want to be, even though it’s a graduation requirement.
Monday, 22. February 2010 22:16
sharp: jacques pepin’s cooking techniques
dull: sandra lee’s semi-homemade cooking (are there folks that really take her seriously???)
Monday, 22. February 2010 23:37
Sharp: The sting of winter air up one’s nose and eyes.
Dull: The sting of evil up one’s nose and eyes when chopping onions.
(Hopefully this amazing knife will make the pain go away quicker, eh? If not, at least looking at it will make tears of joy overwhelm those made by the onion. Oh and a fun fact: a sharp blade will decrease the chance of cell damage to an onion, the very same cells that cause the onion lachrymatory factor gas to expel from onions and make their way to our eyes. Spooky.)
Monday, 22. February 2010 23:40
sharp – pain you will feel if you were living in edmonton right now coz of the cold
dull – pain u feel when u stub ur toe.
disturbin how the first thoughts that came to mind relate to pain. lol
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 0:56
sharp: my teeth slicing through my tongue
Dull: The throbbing sensation I will, undoubtedly, have tomorrow during my presentation on the evolution of the nervous system
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 3:41
Sharp:that drill the dentist used to take out my wisdoms …all 4 at once!
Dull: Brit Literature english class….can’t take another minute listening to her and how much she loves Chaucer and Shakespeare and Beowulf and all that old english i can’t understand!
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 4:22
Sharp: Good lord, the lemons from our lemon tree. I generally love any and all things sour, but these things were murderous.
Dull: Every last knife in my house. They’re about as sharp as bowling balls. Oh, and apparently my humor. Well, it’s either my humor, or everybody else’s.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 6:31
Sharp: a Samaria sword!
dull: 10 year old never sharpened before cutco knife.
Hope I win:)
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 6:38
Sharp: The splinters in my year-1900 wood floors. I should get rugs, but I love the look of wood floors. So I wear sandals instead.
Dull: Seeing California weather reports after moving to the East Coast. Snowmygod.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 8:04
Sharp: The air that stabs my brain when I inhale on an unusually cold winter day, which I thought I left behind after moving away from New England
Dull: The throbbing in my shoulders after a surprisingly difficult cardio belly dance class for which I was not prepared.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 8:07
Sharp: you, for coming up with a creative contest idea (rather than the usual random drawing) that’s made me think hard for over an hour now!
Dull: The PowerPoint slide that I’m procrastinating on making while I try to think of a more clever response!
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 8:22
Sharp: the pain of living in a basement which has NO KITCHEN??? Only a microwave, toaster oven, mini-fridge and crockpot. Oh, and the love I will feel for a spiffy new Global knife, of course!
Dull: the taste of hot-house strawberries on my favorite cake in November. (Blech!)
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 8:27
Sharp: The sensation you get when someone’s pencil squeaks on a paper.
Dull: The way you sense everything when you have a cold; everything has no taste or smell, you’re hard of hearing and you think slower.
I really hope I win this knife, I just signed my boyfriend up for a knife skills class for our 4-year anniversary and I’d really prefer him to use a good knife he could continue to use and not one handed out at the class only to go home to his mish-mash of knives.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 8:29
I lurk on your site frequently, but have not ever left a comment.
Sharp: The wit of my cousin Greg, that guy can pop out a pun in an instant.
Dull: Having to hear the gas prices of every little small town my dad passes through on his travels to my house… it’s a 400 mile journey, so you can just imagine. I just about go insane! Don’t get me started, when he goes on and on about the longer trips. I love him, but OMG!
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 8:49
Man! I’ve floored by all the clever responses. Well done, you guys. You’ve made my job of picking one winner a very tough one, indeed.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 8:53
sharp: michael kors’ put-downs towards dresses he doesn’t like on project runway
dull: reading the tax code. trust me.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 9:01
Sharp: the four-foot-long icicles hanging perilously on the eves of every house after a snowstorm.
Dull: attempting to cook anything in a cramped, dirty dormitory kitchen.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 9:13
Sharp: that shiny, new Global knife
Dull: my current, crummy knife.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 10:56
Sharp: the sartorialist
Dull: my 3 year old ikea knife set
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 12:33
Just looking at that knife reminds me that I’m a college student, trying to get by with what I have… which is a sad assortment of very cheap things which can barely cut a cake sometimes.
So here we go, a recount of what is sharp and dull in the life of a college student who just likes to cook.
Sharp: The scent of gently bruised Rosemary mingled with ginger, their juices slowly making their way into a cut right underneath a thumbnail injured from peeling almonds three hours earlier. The sound of the food processor in the background, grinding away at chickpeas at two in the morning, coupled with the banging of a cakepan against the counter in hopes of getting a smooth cake in an ancient oven. The bite of lemon seeping into the cracks of neglected dry skin while cooking in a heatless dorm kitchen.
Dull: The prickling at the back of the eyeballs after spending six or more hours in the kitchen. The hum of fluorescent lighting flickering every so often, causing the illusion of sunlight across rippling water to dance around the walls. The resulting headache of above said display of lighting, all while preparing for a meal to share in our little dorm kitchen.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 13:36
sharp: will shortz! the king of crosswords with the greatest power to puzzle!
dull: being stuck inside on a beautiful day.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 15:38
Sharp: sharp cheddar cheese, a taste that makes your taste buds sit up and take notice, maybe a little insulted, but after the first gasp, pleased.
Dull: twinkies, bad oranges (or apples) – the taste that is less than expected, flat, not even an unhappy surprise, just a nonevent. Or an almost antique Fingerhut knife. Those things do not sharpen!
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 17:36
Sharp: My sister – she’s my go to person for anything and everything, I trust her with my life and soul.
Dull: The apprehension I feel about my favorite cookie (the French macaron) because I know it’s about to be bastardized like cupcakes.
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 21:22
If I won this knife I promise to never put it in the dishwasher, and never leave it wet and piled with the other knives on the dish rack underneath all the heavy duty pots and pans!!!
Sharp: My mind before I became pregnant with my daughter. Yes, people used to call me sharp! That is but a faint memory . . .
Dull: Listening to my husband retell a joke that I just heard him laughing out loud at but I missed because I was in the other room. It is NEVER funny any more when he tells it, but I can always imagine that it was before . . .
Tuesday, 23. February 2010 22:17
Dull: my brain, at 7 am.
Sharp? same brain, post espresso!
Wednesday, 24. February 2010 12:42
Dull: my basement apartment. I need natural light!
Sharp: my high heel shoes
Wednesday, 24. February 2010 13:08
dull – my mind after 3 pregnancies/children! I can’t remember much these days
sharp – my mind pre-mommyhood….wish I’d known to enjoy it then!
Wednesday, 24. February 2010 13:15
Sharp: My 2 year old who has learned that the step stool that we put in the bathroom so that he can wash his hands can be easily moved to the kitchen….where the knives are located! Luckily he’s usually only looking for sweets & not the sharp utensils.
Dull: My cooking. I need to learn to spice up my cooking a bit, especially geared towards toddler appetites.
Wednesday, 24. February 2010 13:48
sharp: the acerbic pain of burning jealousy
dull: the infinite ache of melancholic ennui
(inspired by one of the sharpest minds in the dullest climates, Chekhov in Tsarist Russia)
Wednesday, 24. February 2010 21:52
sharp: pulling a stunt in public, not getting enough attention and anonymously calling a news tip in on yourself to get better press.
dull: listening to your internet date drone on and on about the powerful women in his life and how much they control him.
Thursday, 25. February 2010 5:22
Sharp: Having something I’ve cooked tasting absolutely fabulous with a new untried recipe which I made some changes to
Dull: Having trashed something I’ve cooked because I’ve made changes to a new untried recipe
Thursday, 25. February 2010 5:54
Sharp: Stephen Colbert dressed as a Mountie
Dull: No more Vancouverage
Thursday, 25. February 2010 10:44
My lovely Mother knows everything.
Me: “Oh hey Mommy, (munch munch munch)I can’t really chat, I just sat down to dinner.(munch munch)”
Mom: “Well, don’t let me bother you. Call me later… What are you having?”
Me: “Um, salad. Um, it’s really good. It has cilantro(munch), and avocado…and(munch munch)…”
Mom: Really?
Me: “(…gulp) sorta. So I’m eating guacamole for dinner, ok? So what? It’s tasty and…and I love you.”
Mom: “I love you too Laur, your Father says hi.”
Very sharp indeed.
Now dull. Dull can be a few things, but to me, dull was when a boy I thought could be interesting invited me over for dinner. He was making his “specialty” which turned out to be frozen stir fry. Oh and let’s not forget snack sized fruit cocktail cups for dessert. He was right, it was very special.
Needless to say, I’m in love with a chef now. That means the guacamole is homemade.
Thursday, 25. February 2010 11:48
For this klutz,
Sharp: Any knife in my kitchen.
Dull: Any knife in my kitchen.
Thursday, 25. February 2010 12:05
Sharp: The smell emanating from my baby’s diaper.
Dull: Me talking about the above said diaper.
Thursday, 25. February 2010 16:14
Sharp: the pain that goes directly from my nose to my brain when I get too much wasabi in a single bite
Dull: a friend going on in great and gory detail about a boringboringboring dream they had the night before
Thursday, 25. February 2010 23:12
SHARP: The insta-pucker of fresh meyer lemon juice in the lemon vinaigrette on the arugula salad. Rather, too much fresh meyer lemon juice.
DULL: Having to add Annie’s poppy seed salad dressing to balance out said fresh meyer lemon juice.
Friday, 26. February 2010 9:10
I have been wanting a good knife for the longest time! So here it is:
Sharp: Sunshine when I woke up, the smell of fresh cut lemon in the kitchen, a walk to the farmers market and find gorgeous assorted berries and tulips, the blooming cherry blossom trees
Dull: Hmm…Having to go to work on a cold rainy and windy day and faced with code all day
Friday, 26. February 2010 13:00
Sharp: My four old daughter’s mind.
Yesterday, my husband says, “Claire, do you know what a food group is?” she replies, “yes,it’s people that go to a meeting and eat.” (so clever!) AND….my handsome husband in his military uniform!
Dull: Watered down coffee and overcooked mushy vegetables.
Friday, 26. February 2010 16:01
Ok, so I’m taking every opportunity to brag about this but I thought it would give me a shot at that knife.
Dull:
me 10 months ago…
http://www.markdelrossi.com/Before.png
Sharp:
me 10 minutes ago (and 96 pounds later)…
http://www.markdelrossi.com/After.png
having some appropriate cutlery for my cooking would help with the next 20 lbs!
Saturday, 27. February 2010 14:17
Sharp: I started out sharp as a tack, left everyone in the Dust;
Dull: But now I find that my great mind is slowed way down with Rust !!??
Saturday, 27. February 2010 17:14
Sharp: A woman who has learned how to cook and truly enjoys preparing an elegant, romantic dinner for her man.
Dull: A woman who expects to be wined and dined every evening, and is proud to say, “I only have a kitchen because it came with the house.”
Saturday, 27. February 2010 18:36
Sharp: The flavor that preserved meyer lemons adds to a dish.
Dull: Beluga caviar without a good champagne.
Saturday, 27. February 2010 19:14
Sharp: The immense pain one can experience from a paper cut – can you imagine a cut from a Global knife?
Dull: Being on a blind date and your only opportunity to speak is when placing your drink order with your server.
Sunday, 28. February 2010 11:22
The Global knife contest is now closed. Come back on Monday to find out who the lucky winner will be — AND for the start of a new, exciting contest.
Monday, 1. March 2010 5:26
[...] without further adieu, let me announce the grand prize winner of the Food Gal Global knife contest, in which I asked folks to describe something sharp and something dull. Faced with an unprecedented [...]
Sunday, 25. September 2011 7:32
Knives, the unpretentious pinnacle of culinary preparation. My set is uh, rather lacking. I don’t own a knife to my name. But, with your help, this 15 year old aspiring chef can make……. *music* Good Eats!
Tuesday, 24. January 2012 4:03
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