A buddy of my son recently phoned to make a sales pitch for Cutco knives. If you haven’t heard of Cutco the product is right up there with Wusthof cutlery and other world-class brands.
What I didn’t know is that Cutco products are made in America and they have a lifetime guarantee. Cutco also creates scholarship programs for college students based on what the student sells. Justin was talking with me in the hopes that he could earn some scholarship money. Cutco has this informative, interactive slide and video presentation via the internet. I loved engaging in the whole presentation and learned a lot about the products and purchased twice as much as I thought I would. I was excited about this purchase and began visualizing myself in the kitchen spending more time chopping and dicing fresh produce to eat. I loved fresh salads but looking in my refrigerator, I hardly made any. Why was that? I started connecting the dots and discovered a path in my childhood.
Growing up in the Midwest we rarely had fresh produce and my experience with greens was not a fond one. Most of our mealtime vegetables came from a can which tasted salty and not much else other than having a rubber texture. However, during the summer we had the most delicious tomatoes and strawberries from my grandfather’s garden. I loved his vegetables and fondly recall my mother bringing a bagful of tomatoes home to make a fresh salad that also included iceberg lettuce and cucumbers. Mother’s salads were difficult to eat because they were so coarse and chunky. Not much fun for a ten-year old.
As I got older my sister and I helped prepare these summer salads in the same way our mother taught us. The knives we used were dull–so dull they were practically safe. There were many times when produce slipped out of my hands and onto the floor because my small hands couldn’t create any leverage to cut. After I picked up the vegetable and washed it, I started where I left off in the cutting process. Other than my sister keeping me company, it wasn’t a fun experience so I opted for doing the dishes after dinner instead of prep work.
When I moved to California I discovered the beauty and flavor of finely diced fresh salads and now know why I loathed making my own salads—I was transferring the experience of my childhood onto present day and up until my recent purchase, I still didn’t have good quality chopping knives.
As I’ve learned in other parts of my life, having the right tools makes all the difference in the outcome. Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know until we study with someone or learn from the experts.
The point is, having the right tools:
a). saves us time,
b). can make any process of preparation more enjoyable, and
c). gets better results.
I now feel confident that I will achieve my goal of having five portions of greens and produce per day.
Ask yourself: do I have the right tools to do the job, do a task, prepare something creative, or tackle a large project?
Take the time to plan your process, then take an inventory of tools you’ll need before you get started. Use the right tools. In doing so, you’ll find the process almost enjoyable and the outcome exceptional!
Disclaimer: I receive no financial benefit from Cutco or suggesting endorsement. I’m simply sharing my story. May, 2013.