spuntino

spuntino is a restaurant in new york, and a cookbook on italian-style comfort food by russell norman. it's a truly beautiful cookbook featuring a view of the brooklyn bridge on the front, a hand-woven looking spine, and photo essay/maps by area inside. 

i saw, for example, the bedford cheese shop and mast brothers chocolatiers featured--two of the places i visited when in new york!

my second book is not as beautiful, but highly informative.  for $7 used from powell's, i am teaching myself a course in knife skills.  not the self-protection kind, but the cooking kind.  i'm already on chapter four and am taking the quizzes.  now it's time for the practicum.  i now know all of the types and parts of quality chef's knives as well as the difference between forging and stamping, iron vs. steel, and honing vs. sharpening.

sure, i know how to get things into smaller pieces when needed, but i'm really excited to learn the cuts, everything from paysanne and rondelle to chiffonade and julienne.  thank you, american culinary federation foundation! i'll keep you posted; hopefully with all ten fingers uncompromised...