Just recently I had the pleasure of visiting Cookshop Plus, an Australian based cookware shop nestled right on Farmington Ave in the uber trendy neighborhood of West Hartford’s center. When you walk into the shop you are welcomed to sit by the coffee bar and enjoy a latte or two.
Aside from the fantastic collection of cookware we were introduced to a quick tutorial on the basics of cutlery and the essentials for the serious or not so serious cook. But first, latte and pastries!
I get totally giddy about things in the kitchen. Because I enjoy cooking so much I like to make sure I have everything I need ready. One of the basic things any cook needs to know is how to maintain sharp knives.
Fun Fact; did you know that the fastest way to dull your knife is to wash them in the dishwasher? Never put them in there! Simply wash with a little soap, rinse, dry with a hand towel and store away.
Store owners Samantha and Jimmy Hines gave us a brief introduction to the shop as well as a tutorial on the different kinds of knives needed to perform different tasks in the kitchen. Jimmy also spoke on the different handles, type of metals used and how each style coincides with a particular region. My personal fave is of course the chef’s knife!
Fun Fact; did you know that the number one reason for kitchen injuries while working with a knife is due to the fact that the knife is not sharp enough? Keep your knives sharp with a simple handheld sharpener!
We also had a fun presentation on how to make pretzels with Hartford Baking Co’s owner Scott Kluger. My first visit to HBC was a fabulous one that consisted of amazing pastries and breads of all sorts so I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed with anything Scott was going to make! Scott was on site at Cookshop Plus teaching us how to handle pretzel dough, how to roll it out to arm’s length and eventually how to twist it into the pretzel shape. Loads of fun!
Scott will be hosting baking classes coming up in the next few weeks and I can’t wait to attend! We’re starting off with Brioche and moving on to the crusty Baguette, stay tuned!
Special thanks to A Little Birdie Told Me, Cookshop Plus and Hartford Baking Co. for hosting this fun event.
