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9/23/12

Baked Sweet Potato "Fries" and A Wusthof Cook's Knife Giveaway


Do you know what my favorite and most essential tool is in my kitchen? A chef's knife!! I've never wanted a big knife set. All I've ever wanted was a solid, sharp, and well balanced chef's knife.

I've had my last chef's knife for over 6 years. I bought it when I was a culinary school assistant at Sur La Table and it has served me well. But it's no longer as awesome as it used to be. It has been my great kitchen assistant through multiple private knife skills classes I've taught, several cooking demonstrations, and of course all the recipes I've made for this blog.

But it was time to get a better one. And what is it? It's this GORGEOUS Wusthof Cook's Knife (8").

Let me tell you just a few things I ♥ about this knife:

1) it has a gorgeous red handle!
2) it is very sharp
3) it feels solid, but is not too heavy
4) it feels balanced when I'm holding it and when I use it
5) it's made in Germany {when it comes to certain things, I prefer they are made in Germany}
6) it makes my time in the kitchen more efficient



If you don't trust my judgment, see what Wusthof experts have to say {by the way, make sure to check out their bad ass website!!!}:
  • No kitchen should be without this manual food processor.
  • It is the most essential of all knives used in the kitchen.
  • Slicing, mincing, dicing of all kind of food.
  • Perfectly balanced, an extension of your hand.
  • GRAND PRIX II Colour fulfills the HACCP requirements.
  • No bacterial cross-contamination.
  • No transfer of flavours or odours.
  • Greater safety and exemplary hygiene.
  • Coloured, ergonomic and non-slip handle.
  • Caution: cook´s knives purposely have been ground extra thin for the ultimate cutting performance. Chopping through bones will damage the fine edge.
To show you just how well this knife works, I decided to make Baked Sweet Potato "Fries."
Why? First, sweet potatoes are pretty hard to cut. Second, they have to be cut very evenly so that they'll cook evenly: this would be a great test for my new knife.

Baked Sweet Potato "Fries"

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, ends cut off and peeled

olive oil

1 tablespoon Southwestern spice

salt

1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt

1 garlic clove, microplane'd

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 










Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425F.

2. Cut the sweet potato into thin planks. Stack a few planks at a time and cut across to make fries.

3. Place the fries into a bowl and drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Mix with the Southwestern spice and salt.

4. Oil a cooling rack and place on a cookie sheet. {Thanks, Anna for the idea.}

5. Place the fries in a single layer and bake for 20-25 minutes and then put under a broiler for a few minutes. Immediately sprinkle with a bit of salt.

6. Meanwhile, make a quick dip by mixing Greek yogurt, garlic, lime juice and chopped cilantro.

7. Serve dip with fries as soon as they are ready.







These "fries" were really good but they weren't crispy...just wanted to fess up :) But hey, I still liked them. Of course you can play with other spices.

And now for the giveaway:

Rules:
To win, leave a comment below with why you would like to win this knife and your current favorite kitchen tool/utensil. You must have a proper US address to win.


For additional chances to win, do one of the following and leave a comment for each:

1) Like
MangoTomato on FB 
2) Like
Wusthof on FB 
3) Tweet about this giveaway with my @MangoTomato and a link to this post 
4) Follow @MangoTomato
5) Follow @Wusthof
I will announce one winner on Tuesday, October 2nd: And the winner is Emily R!!! Congratulations!!!



Disclosure: Wusthof provided me with one Cook's knife for a review and will send the same knife to one winner. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

129 comments:

Belinda @zomppa said...

Those are some great looking fries...and a great looking knife!

Emma said...

I will have to give those a try. Here's one of my favorite pasta recipes. Very basic, but it makes a really nice mushroom, spinach and goat cheese ravioli!


http://quipsanddip.com/2012/09/03/homemade-pasta-two-ways/

Kristin Dian said...

Favorite pasta recipe is definitely a cold Asian-inspired one.... from the impeccable Orangette blog, nonetheless: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2007/09/old-switcheroo.html

Kristin Dian said...

Liked your fb page!

Kristin Dian said...

Liked Wusthof on FB!

Kristin Dian said...

Following Wusthof....

Kristin Dian said...

And following you! Hooray!

What Micky Eats... said...

I would like to win this knife as a gift for my personal chef, my husband. He often complains about the old knives he has and sounds like this one is a winner!

What Micky Eats... said...

I follow you on FB

What Micky Eats... said...

I follow you on Twitter

What Micky Eats... said...

I tweeted the giveaway: https://twitter.com/WhatMickyEats/status/250229361834332160

Elizabeth said...

I want a Wusthof Chef's Knife because my current set of knives won't cut the beautiful acorn squash I just bought!

Elizabeth said...

I follow you on twitter and Facebook, and follow Wusthof on twitter!

LaReesa Sandretsky said...

I have serious knife envy. This looks fantastic. I just made your sweet potato/carrot/coconut milk with soup a week ago and I had to microwave the potato before I could cut it and roast it :( it hurt my soul to microwave something. I am trying this ^^^ recipe whether you send me the knife or not, and I'll try to slice the sweet potatoes without the Wusthof and without the microwave...I'm blaming you for any severed fingers though. Seriously. :)

LaReesa Sandretsky said...

I already follow you on Twitter, silly :)

LaReesa Sandretsky said...

Followed Wusthof

LaReesa Sandretsky said...

Retweed your original tweet to this post

LaReesa Sandretsky said...

Liked you on FB

LaReesa Sandretsky said...

Liked Wusthof on FB

LaReesa Sandretsky said...

Did I mention I studied Russian in college? Haha pajolste pajolste ya hochu etot noj!! :)

Paula Brown said...

I am a knife ho. I love me some knives. As of yet I have not succumbed to the charms of the Wusthof but that red handle is right up my alley. Fire is my element and red is my color. My ktchen is black and red. All it is missing is a red kitchen aid mixer and some kick butt Wusthof knives. Oh and we eat sweet potatoes like tic tacs, love them and am making this recipe this week. Thanks!

Rachel said...

I bought Dan a Shun Kaji for Christmas, and that's his baby. I'd love to have a knife that is all mine! My favorite kitchen tool is definitely my mini blender with individual smoothie cups--makes breakfast smoothies much easier!

Rachel said...

I follow you on Facebook!

Rachel said...

I follow you on Twitter!

Annie said...

This knife may finally be the one I can use for almost everything! I have a couple of chef's knives, but there's always something "off" about them that makes me continue to day dream about other chef's knives.


My current favorite kitchen utensil is my apple corer. Strange, right! It wasn't easy for me to spend money on something that is more than "want" than a "need," but soon after I started using it I realized how much I detest coring apples and pears with a knife. It's one of my most favorite kitchen gadgets every ;-)

Lindsi Cole said...

I've never really owned a 'proper' chef's knife before, and now that I am starting to cook more and more, I would love to own a piece of professional kit. This knife would help me in my cooking adventures in so many ways.


My current favourite kitchen utensil is my Whizzy Whisk. I bought it at the Cake and Bake Show in London recently, and it is a real gem of a time-saver. It whisks ingredients in super fast time, saving you on getting the electric whisk out of the cupboard or standing there for hours doing it with a normal handheld whisk. Genius!

Lauren (PB&G) said...

Right now my favorite utensil is this thin wooden spoon I "stole" from my boyfriend. It is perfect for stirring my oatmeal in the morning! Of course, if I win this knife it will become my new favorite utensil. All of my knives (except for two) are really junky. I need a good one desperately so I can reduce the amount of junk in my kitchen drawers!

vaishali said...

My fav kitchen gadget is my brand new kitchen aid stand mixer..I am totally in love.
I would love to win this to add a masterpiece to my otherwise pathetic and cheap knife collection...lol!

Anna Berman said...

Well, I should win b/c I told you to bake the fries on a cooling rack :) Nice knife work! Would love a knife. Already followingoyou on facebook and twitter

Sarah Nix said...

These fries look delicious! I would like the knife because of the pretty red color (ha - yes, I choose my kitchen utensils for their color). My current favorite kitchen utensil is my bamboo pot scraper (that I just lost because a friend threw it away on accident! WAHHHH!).

Sarah Nix said...

I follow Mango Tomato on twitter!

Sarah Nix said...

And I now follow Wustof on twitter too:)

sbswww said...

I really need a new knife - my husband uses our good one for butchering and other things that dull them quickly - one for just real cooking would be awesome! I love my cookie scoops.

Kristin said...

would love to win this knife as my knife blades are all pretty dull and a new sharp knife makes everything better. my favorite kitchen gadget is my kitchenaid mixer, its awesome for about everything!

Unknown said...

My roommate and i like to one up eachother in many culinary ways and his knife collection is full and complete but having this knife would be the icing on the blueberrys haha

Emily R. said...

I'd love to win this knife for my new husband. He's a lover of cooking and is slowly trying to gather the best kitchen tools we can afford - this would be a great addition to our small cutlery collection and I know he'd appreciate it!

Emily R. said...

I liked MangoTomato on FB

Emily R. said...

I liked Wusthof on FB

Emily R. said...

I am now following @MangoTomato on Twitter

Emily R. said...

I am now following @Wusthof on Twitter

Sean Trambley said...

Steel forged knives are definitely the best, currently my favorite took would be my cuisinart 14-cup mixer!

Sean Trambley said...

LIke MangoTomato on FB!

Yi said...

I want to win it because it would make food prep in the dorm room so much easier! My current favorite kitchen tool is my non-stick skillet. :D

Yi said...

Liked MangoTomato on FB!

Yi said...

Liked Wusthof in FB :)

marocmama said...

I would love this knife to add some color and class to my kitchen (and help with my chopping of course!) Right now my favorite tool is my immersion blender...there's a lot of blending going on...

marocmama said...

I follow you on Facebook

marocmama said...

I like Wusthof on Facebook!

marocmama said...

I follow @MangoTomato

marocmama said...

I follow @Wusthof

Stephanie D. said...

Right now I have a decently priced Santoku blade, but I could really use a practical chef's knife. Also, I devour sweet potato fries, so it would give me the perfect chance to try out your recipe and practice my knife skills! At the moment, my favorite kitchen utensil is my new flat whisk -- perfect for making a roux in a pan without splashing myself!

Stephanie D. said...

I follow you on twitter

Stephanie D. said...

I like your page on facebook

karen said...

I would love to win this knife, I have a smaller wusthof knife which I adore so I know that this knife would also be great. My favorite kitchen utensil lately is my tongs. I use them every day.
karenreichmann@hotmail.com

Stephanie D. said...

I liked Wusthof on facebook

Stephanie D. said...

I followed @Wusthof on twitter

TJ said...

I would love this knife as I don't have a decent chef's knife. My current (and all-time) favorite kitchen tool must be my coffee pot!

TJ said...

Tweeted the giveaway

TJ said...

Following you on Twitter

TJ said...

Following @Wusthof on twitter

Mbb said...

I'd love to win because my sharpest knives are itty bitty - it would be nice to have a larger one like this! my current favorite tool is my mini food processor... used almost daily!

Meryl said...

I'd love to win this knife - the chef's knife I have now just doesn't "cut" it.

Louis said...

I need a good chef's knife, so I'd like to win this. My favorite utensil is my serrated paring knife.

Meryl said...

I forgot to list my favorite kitchen tool/utensil - it's my silicone spatulas.

LaReesa Sandretsky said...

OOII. favorite kitchen utensil? missed that. pampered chef manual food processor. it chops food up but leaves most things chunky--perfect for fresh salsa, which is like a drug to me.

Simone said...

O yes, a good knife is soooo essential! I can still remember the days when I used to cut everything with a tiny office knife..lol... But yes, I love my chef's knife! It's THE best tool in the kitchen. I got a really fancy Japanese one which I got as a gift after a knife photoshoot... My job has it's perks!

Monique said...

I really need a good cutting knife! This knife would be a perfect addition to my kitchen! Cutting sweet potatoes raw is extremely hard to do with an improper knife. The fact that you could cut the sweet potato evenly as fries tells me this knife means business! My favorite kitchen tool is my garlic crusher. You can put whole garlic pods (skin still on), twist this way and that way, Viola! crushed garlic!

Robin B said...

Would like to win because I haven't any quality knives in my kitchen.

Robin B said...

Liked MangoTomato on Facebook.

Robin B said...

Liked @MangoTomato on Twitter.

Robin B said...

Followed @Wusthof on Twitter.

Erica said...

such a cute knife! I would like to win it just because it is red! I have other wustofs and love them - they are my favorite utensil. Can't live without them. Now just imagine how my knife holder would look with all black handles with the exception of one red one......

Andrew Bryon said...

I Liked MangoTomato on FB

Andrew Bryon said...

I am now following @Wusthof

Andrew Bryon said...

I Liked Wusthof on FB

Andrew Bryon said...

It's a gorgeous knife and would fit well with the other Wusthof knives in my kitchen!

Kaoru said...

The fries look great! I love my Global knife but I'd like to have a bigger chef's knife for bigger items.

Greta said...

I am a college student and my roommate is the one with the knife set. Next year I will be out in the world paying off debt and knife-less!! This is a beautiful knife and I can smell the sweet potato fries from here...

Sally Loo's Cafe said...

I love wusthof! I would love to win this knife because I would use the heck out of it. It would not collect dust.
My favorite kitchen tool is the microplane.

christine said...

I would LOVE to win this beautiful knife! The Germans make great knives, I have a Wustof pairing knife and it is awesome!

christine said...

I also 'liked' Wustof on FB

Kristin Dian said...

And following you! Hooray!

Kristin Dian said...

Following Wusthof....

Kristin Dian said...

Liked Wusthof on FB!

Kristin Dian said...

Liked your fb page!

Karen Delaney said...

Tweeted
https://twitter.com/KDFF/status/250983904427798528

Karen Delaney said...

Like MangoTomato on FB

Karen Delaney said...

Like Wusthof on FB

Karen Delaney said...

Follow Wusthof on Twitter

Karen Delaney said...

Follow MangoTomato on Twitter

Karen Delaney said...

I would love to win this knife because most of my knives are hand-me-downs, and this is a quality knife. My favorite kitchen tool (this time of year) is my dehydrator. Saves $$$ on long-term storage.

Melissa Gende said...

I need this knife for my boyfriend!! We are both college students so we can't really afford nice knives on our own. I got a really nice set for Christmas last year but I am sooooo tired of taking them to his apartment every time I want to make a meal there, and the thought of seperating one knife from the set makes me want to cry. I love my knife set (my favorite kitchen tool) and I NEED to have at least one decent knife over there so I don't go insane!!

Sabrina said...

I'm the prep chef in my house. I would love a sharp knife to chop and snip all my veggies and herbs.

discojing said...

I'm always in need of a goof chef's knife -- I need to get rid of that old Ikea one! My current favorite kitchen utensil is my stand mixer, followed by my mandoline as a close second.

discojing said...

^ FB

discojing said...

^ FB for Wusthof

discojing said...

twitter: https://twitter.com/hapatite/status/251143988692795393

discojing said...

#4 - I follow you on twitter!

discojing said...

#5: I also follow Wusthof on twitter!

megan said...

i'd love to win that knife because the 4-year-old wusthof i'm currently using has been beat to death by daily use, clumsy drops, and one too many chaotic new york apartment moves. they're the best and i'd love the freshy i can't afford right now!

megan said...

liked you on facebook

megan said...

liked wusthof on facebook

megan said...

following you on twitter

megan said...

following wusthof on twitter

megan said...

tweeted link to this post (i'm @bentozen on twitter)

Kathleen Conner said...

I'd love to win this because I got my first good knife a while ago, also a Wusthof. Right now I'm also using a Forschner, which i liked, but Wusthof is a whole new level.

Kathleen Conner said...

Like Wusthof on FB

Kathleen Conner said...

Follow @MangoTomato
@kc98765

Kathleen Conner said...

Follow @Wusthof
@kc98765

Kathleen Conner said...

tweeted
https://twitter.com/kc98765/status/252129459619115009

meredith said...

my favorite kitchen tools are my wooden spoon and my chef knife b/c i use them all the time

meredith said...

i Like MangoTomato on FB

meredith said...

i Like Wusthof on FB

meredith said...

I Follow @MangoTomato on twitter @mermont84

meredith said...

i Follow @Wusthof on twitter @mermont84

meredith said...

tweeted https://twitter.com/mermont84/status/252158071483289600

John Billiris said...

I'd love to have another really good knife like a wusthof. My favorite kitchen tool is my wusthof chef's knife, I use it all the time

John Billiris said...

like wusthof on fb

John Billiris said...

tweeted
https://twitter.com/JBilliris/status/252171135863619584

John Billiris said...

Follow @MangoTomato








@JBilliris

John Billiris said...










Follow @Wusthof

@JBilliris

Schmidty said...

I would like to win because a new knife would be a pleasure to work with and my favorite kitchen utensil is my microplane grater(s).

Schmidty said...

I am one of your facebook followers (Rust Hawk).

Schmidty said...

I follow Wusthof on facebook as Rust Hawk.

Schmidty said...

My tweet https://twitter.com/rusthawk/status/252315993475522560

Schmidty said...

I am following you on twitter @rusthawk

Schmidty said...

I am following Wusthof on twitter @rusthawk.

Rachel said...

I desperately need a good knife. I have been making due with a paring knife and foolishly last week I was trying to break apart frozen peaches for a smoothie and used my knife to try to break them apart (very unsafe I know I know-a moment of frustration). Well now the tip of my knife is slightly bent!! Serves me right but now I really need a new knife.
My favorite kitchen tool is my mandolin. Its great for consistent and thin slicing since my knife skills need to improved!

Margaret said...

I could definitely use a good knife like this! I love to cook, but sometimes I get discouraged at the work involved; if chopping ingredients was easier, I think that might get me to cook more and try out more recipes. My favorite thing right now is my food processor, I used it a lot during the summer to make pesto and hummus, yum!