The Well-Stocked Kitchen Starts With Cutting-Edge Knives Removeand drain well. Add chicken pieces to skillet and brown on all sides. Remove chicken andset aside. (NAPSA)—Preparing meals that are a cut above the ordinary maybe easier if you start with the right cutting tools. Well-designed cutting tools are engineered with style, safety and performance in mind. A smartly constructed knife is fashioned of forged high-carbon stainless steel and chromium for optimum rust and stain resistance. For example, Insignia’ cutlery has fully tapered blade edges that are engineered with Chicago Cutlery’s signature Taper Grind™ Edge for extreme sharpness, performance, edge retention and resharpening ease. Whenchoosing a knife, look for heavy forged bolsters between the blade and the handle. These bolsters provide greater balance and safety by preventing fingers from riding up on the blade. A full tang blade, extending from the tip of the knife to the end of the handle, provides additional strength, balance andcontrol. A good knife collection fea- tures patented ergonomic polymer handles for exceptional durability and handling. Triple compression stainless steel rivets should secure the handles to the blades. Available in 18-piece and 12piece slanted hardwoodblocksets, the Insignia’ collection contains a four-piece forged steak knife set, a three-piece set with paring, utility and chef knives, and a two-piece Asian set featuring a seven-inch Granton-edge Santoku and a 3.5inch paring knife. A new concept in cutlery is the collection’s Partoku”™, a five-inch knife that delivers the versatility of a Granton-edge Santoku with the convenience of an easy-handling paring knife. It’s designed Put remaining onions, mushrooms, potatoes and minced It can be easier and safer to prepare delicious meals if you have state-of-the-art knives designed for balance and performance. for chopping, dicing, slicing and mincing and works well as a cleaver, slicer and chef’s knife. The five-inch version can accom- plish kitchen tasks that would be unwieldy with a larger knife. After stocking your kitchen with the best, most ergonomic knives, you may want to use them to reward yourself by preparing these delicious recipes: Braised Chicken in Wine Sauce Serves 4 5 slices bacon, diced 1 cup onion, roughly chopped 1 3%4-lb. chicken, cut into eighths % lb. mushrooms, diced 8 small new potatoes, cut in large pieces 1 clove garlic, minced salt and pepperto taste 4 tsp. dried thyme 1 cup chicken broth 3 cups Burgundy wine Chopped parsley With a Chicago Cutlery Insignia” Partoku, dice uncooked bacon and mushrooms; roughly chop onions and cut garlic in skillet. Add browned chicken pieces, bacon and onion mixture. Add salt and pepper, thyme and enough chicken broth and wine to nearly cover chicken. Cover and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes or until chickenis ten- der and juices run clear when pricked. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley. Easy Scalloped Eggplant Serves 4 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups) 1 Thsp. parsley, finely chopped 12 ounces grated cheddar cheese; reserve a few tablespoons for topping 2 eggs 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup cracker crumbs Salt and pepperto taste Butter Peel and cube eggplant. In a medium saucepan, boil egg- plant until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well. In a lightly buttered baking dish, combine eggplant, parsley, cheese (reserve some for topping), eggs, onion and cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, salt and pepper and dot with butter. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until potatoes and chicken into firm. Serve immediately. onions until bacon is crisp. ing the right knife for the right job, visit www.chicagocutlery.com. pieces. In a large skillet, saut diced bacon with half the For more information on choos-
