Sloppy Saturday -- This time you get a review

A couple of days ago on Facebook there was an item in my feed from cooking.com's Facebook page. (I gave the girls e-gift certificates last year when we were moving and going out Christmas shopping was low on my priority list.) They were looking for bloggers "with an established following" to do a review and earn goodies (gift certificates, DVD's and such.) Apparently you all qualify as enough of a following, so Thank You, and here's the review:

I chose to review the Wusthof Grand Prix 4.5-inch utility knife. If you had asked me five years ago if I wanted a knife like this, I'd have said "no thanks." But I've changed my mind.

Please understand that I LOVE Wusthof knives. (Before I was married I worked in a restaurant for a couple of years, and I learned to appreciate good knives.) Roger and I got an adequate set of another, lesser brand as a wedding present, and they served us just fine for a good while. But when they started to show their age, Arwen and Bryan (who have Wusthof knives themselves) started to give them to us as presents. The 8-inch chef's knife. The 3.5-inch parer -- my everyday favorite. The 7-inch santoku. I learned that things had changed since my restaurant days, when molded handles were considered sub-standard. These handles hold up amazingly well, even in our somewhat chaotic kitchen. (Do too many cooks spoil the knives?.....)

Anyway, I have to admit that I was less than thrilled when we received this utility knife. Too long, I thought. Not the right shape for chopping. What will I use it for??

The answer, it turns out, is for slicing that perfect tomato without the marks you get from multiple cuts with a paring knife. For chopping that tiny bit of something that it's really overkill to get the chef's knife out for. For "perfectly" dividing one goodie between two grandchildren. I don't use it every day, but I wouldn't give it up!

As with all of the knives I've tried in the Wusthof Grand Prix line, the utility knife is well balanced, and holds an edge well, too. (I do know I'm lucky to have a husband who "does" the knives with multiple stones and a strop a couple of times a year.) But in between it takes maybe 30 seconds with a diamond hone to get it back to the point that it will cut through tomato skin without a hitch. In short, I like this knife very much.

If you're interested in a review opportunity like this sometime (or if you just want to go drool over the gorgeous kitchenware) you can go to cooking.com's website, become a fan on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter. (I'm struggling to get a workable link for Twitter, but you guys are smart, you can do it yourselves!)