Foodie Swellness: Zwilling Pro Smart Chef’s Knife

With more than 30 trips out of town last year, I cooked at home less than often than usual, for sure, but whenever I was home, I did try to prep quick meals and if home for a week or longer I always cook proper meal or two from scratch as I can.

The first time I heard about the Zwilling Pro Smart Chef’s Knife 8″, it was at a media preview where a professional chef was showing how easy it is to use; the special feature of this knife is the raised ridge that helps prevent whatever you’re chopping from sticking to the knife.

I always thought this was only an issue I had when chopping. I always have had to pause and slide carrots or onion off of the blade before continuing to slice. The demo, well, it did seem to work well but watching the chef use it, though, didn’t actually say much to me, because he’s great at chopping precisely and super quickly and without the ingredients staying on the blade because he’s a professional.

But then I got my hands on the knife at home (I’m a Zwilling ambassador) and put on my apron and pretended I was Ina preparing some wonderful meal to welcome Jeffrey home and put this knife to use on some vegetables. First off, wow, it’s so great to have a sharp knife. Definitely made me realize how dull my current regular knife was. (Now I just need to make sure I  keep it sharp!)

This Zwilling Pro Smart Chef’s Knife  is a pleasant weight and feels right in my hand, so much so that I don’t have to steady it with my pointer finger like I usually do when chopping. I know it’s not the proper way to hold a knife but I’ve always found it made chopping easier. But this knife is designed such that I find I can hold it as one should and it totally works like a dream at preventing ingredients sticking onto the blade. My prep time has been cut down and I no longer dread recipes that call for a lot of chopping. I’ve made a lots since receiving it but recent dishes include chicken gnocchi soup and a Bolognese sauce, and dicing the veggies, a task I used to find a chore, was fun. OK almost fun — as much as I enjoy cooking, it’s nice to have meals cooked for you, too, haha!

I think the Pro Smart Chef’s Knife is a great choice if you’re looking for one knife for your kitchen to meet your general slicing and dicing needs (my other must is my bread knife — I use my Staub cocotte to bake no-knead bread). (Oh and btw, did you know there’s a new Zwilling store in Toronto?I have not been yet, but next time I’m in that mall, I’m definitely popping in!)

Leave a Comment January 5, 2017

Foodie Swellness: Mealspirations

Last week, I got to test out the new recipe and ingredients delivery service Mealspirations.

The way it works is Mealspirations chefs create a weekly menu, you choose a meal package (which starts at $12/meal) and then the ingredients and recipes (all designed to be ready in 40 minutes or less) are delivered to you on Sunday. You’ll need a few staple ingredients on hand, which they outline for you (items such as olive oil and honey, for example). The meals are seasonal and ring in at 800 calories or less.

Overall, I enjoyed the service–the meals were simple but tasty, and indeed ready in 40 minutes or less. (Plus, it gave me a little break from my all-cheese, all-the-time meals — you know I’m a cheese ambassador, right?). I find I can get into phases when I feel lazy and don’t want to look for recipes to my meals for the week. So this just made it a no-brainer. My favourite meal of the three I tried was the risotto with roasted vegetables.

On the downside? It’d be incredible if I didn’t have to do some of the prep work (for example, I find chopping veggies takes a lot of time) but I understand that veggies wouldn’t stay as fresh when chopped in advance. And while I could definitely see this service as a great way to not come home to an empty fridge after traveling and having zero idea of what to have for dinner when I’ve gotten off a flight (welcome to my life lately…), Mealspirations (which is available in most of the GTA) only delivers on Sundays, which is not so helpful if I’m arriving home any other day of the week.

Verdict: I cook often (and love food, haha — you may know this if you follow me on Instagram), so for the most part, I’m happy to find recipes and whip up dinner. But I do see it as a great way to get people who may not ordinarily cook from scratch to do so even on a busy weeknight.

Leave a Comment April 2, 2014