Part B

The Knife

Appears in
top 1000Les Halles Cookbook
Les Halles Cookbook

By Anthony Bourdain

Published 2004

  • About
A sharp knife is a must.

A dull knife, as any line cook knows, leaves a bigger, nastier wound—and worst of all, does a lousy job. If there is one investment that you absolutely cannot live without, one thing you need above all else, it is a decent knife—along with a sharpening stone so as to treat it with the care and respect it deserves, and a diamond steel for honing. Do I need to belabor this point? I will anyway.

Your knife, more than any other piece of equipment in the kitchen, is an extension of the self, an expression of your skills, ability, experience, dreams, and desires. It can also be the most direct and glaring expression of your complete ineptness and uselessness as a cook.