[.ca] The Professional Chef's Knife Kit (ISBN 0471349976)

Absolutely essential.:
I'm not sure which version of "The Professional Chef" Mr. Garvin was reading, but in my copy (7th Edition), there were only a total of 9 pages dedicated solely to proper knife usage and technique. 9 pages of 1036...by my math that doesn't get anywhere close to "90-95%" it's more like < 1%. I made the mistake of believing his review and purchased "The Professional Chef" instead of buying "The Professional Chef's Knife Kit," and boy did I regret it. I now have a 1000+ page paperweight that cost $50. :-( Not that it's a horrible book, but it's hardly a reference for someone looking for a knife course study. The book is interesting, but it's not what I had hoped it would be. I went back and bought the Chef's Knife Kit book and it's wonderful. Loaded with information, pictures, and helpful hints, it's a must for anyone who's serious about improving their knife skills. Save your money and avoid "The Professional Chef: 7th Edition," unless you're looking for a book that addresses the entire scope of a professional kitchen.

Useful information, but a few minor nits:
This book covers, quite well and with clear black and white photographs, the basics of using kitchen knives. The chapters are Basics, Care, Cuts, Vegetables & Fruits, Meat & Poultry, Fish & Shellfish, Summary, Glossary, and Index. The "food" chapters are broken into sections, each section shows how to cut a particular type of vegetable, fruit, meat, etc. I'm not wild about the font selection, it is tiring to read for extended passages, however, because most of the book consists of fairly short paragraphs and enumerated steps, it is acceptable. The section on sharpening is too short, you will want to go elsewhere if you need to learn how to achieve and maintain a really sharp edge. The part on using a steel is, in my opinion, questionable. Edges are commonly damaged by their use. Don't consider using a coarse or regular cut steel on a good knife. If you must steel, use a light touch with a smooth or fine cut. French names are given for most of the various cutting techniques. It would be useful to include a pronunciation guide.

Must buy for culinary students:
I'm a culinary student and I found this book quite helpful in preparing me for the kitchen. It showed me various knife techniques that made food preparation much faster and more sanitary. I also highly recommend the following for baking and advanced baking classes: Study Guide for Baking: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations by Melissa Heilman Study Guide for Advanced Baking: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations by Melissa Heilman These last 2 books helped me to prepare for the type of questions seen on my baking and advanced baking exams. I go to a pretty prestigious culinary school, and these 3 books helped me out immensely. I give each book 5 stars.

Lots of cutting techniques, I just love this book:
I am a culinary student and knew very little about handling knives until I purchased this book. It helped me a great deal in class and at home. The pictures in the book shows how to cut all types of foods including the most difficult ones,like onions. I also bought the Study Guide for the National Servsafe Exam: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations. This book helped me through my sanitation course and how to handle foods properly.

Great Reference Book:
This book is exactly what I wanted; a self-study guide on how to use a knife correctly. I am an amateur chef and I found the guide to be easy to understand, had good photos, and had a depth of information. An added bonus is the size of the book. It is large enough for all the information you need, without being huge and difficult to flip through.