Santoku

David and I do a lot of cooking. He's a great chef and even belong to a chi chi men's cooking club here in town, called Les Marmitons. So for his birthday, I bought him a Santoku knife, one of those razor sharp thin-edged Japanese knives with the hollowed edge that all the hot chefs are using. Plus the bonus - I get to use it!

If you're an avid cook, I'll give you one piece of advice - buy yourself a Santoku. You'll never want to use your big heavy chef's knife again (and I am religiously attached to my Henkel chef's knife, which I bought in Solingen, Germany - where it was made - and have lovingly adored it ever since!). The santoku is lightweight and easy for chopping huge quantities of vegetables for the typical asian wok cooking, but it works for everything (unless you're butchering a chicken). Plus, the hollowed grooves reduce sticking, so slices fall more easily off the knife making chopping quicker. It's a veggie lover's dream knife (and is guaranteed to make me thinner by Christmas).

I bought the Shun Classic 7" santoku (exactly as shown) at Williams Sonoma for just under $200 including tax. It has a D-shaped grip so it fits wonderfully in the (right) hand. I think it's the best kitchen gift I've ever bought myself, um, er, David! Now for that Le Creuset pot I've been eyeing...

P.S. West Coast photos soon...