You might want to look at "Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques". I know he covers quite a bit in there. I was a journeyman butcher in my youth, and to my mind seeing someone do it is the best way to learn. With that in mind, have you searched Youtube? Sounds like a funny thing to look for but I've seen everything from dough to sautee techniques on there.

Just remember to always have a very sharp knife. Go slow, once you get a feel for it, the meat will let you know how it wants to be cut. I know that sounds stupid but you'll understand what I'm trying to say once you start.

Good luck

Dave

I still have (and use several times a week) my "Pizza Gourmet" oven stone and peel, along with a pan and cook book. Carl Oshinsky was his name and I always got a kick out of that show. Another one of my favorites was "Cookin' Cheap". It was like the early version of "Semi Homemade". These two guys would just open a few cans and wing it, often with recipes that viewers had sent in.

I have seen Floyd on The Travel Channel and they look like fairly new shows.

Dave

Try a search for oven or baking stones at pizzamaking.com. It will probably take you a few days to go thur the info, but it's covered to the Nth degree.

Dave

I have a couple of pieces of Tramontina, one a 12 qt pasta pot, that I bought quite a few years ago at Sam's Club. No problems with them and use them several times a week. I also bought some Sitram from Chef's Catalog long ago before the prices went up, both work very well for me. I cook three meals a day, seven days a week.

I usually look for those "Try Me" deals because I can't bring myself to spend the money on All Clad. For a saute pan or for boiling pasta, you simply don't neet that tryply clad all the way up the pan. When I had a chocolate shop and made lots of fondan and caramel that feature was very important for even temperature control, but for boiling water or cooking in a short sided pan it's just not necessary. Nice if you can afford it though!

Dave

I've never seen the Tupperware but I agree with optimal forager. I've spent a lot of time in the food service industry and most of the time they use what's called a Greens Keeper, which appears to be exactly like the Tupperware product. The down side is that we're only talking about five days of max use, and then you should pick thru things before using. I may just be fussy, but I've always felt if I'm serving someone who's paying for the meal or someone I love, I want them to enjoy themselves.

Dave

I have one Shun knife, it's my wife's favorite. They sent a dvd with it and it has a Utube link that shows Alton Brown using a steel, perhaps ceramic, on the knife. I use ceramic to touch it up about once a week and it works very well. Bifurcated is the word to remember, these are not damascus steel. They are rather brittle and damascus actually provides a pretty flexible blade. I mostly use knives that I bought for not much money in China Town (sorry if that's not PC) and they tend to be less brittle so they will handle a blow to the cutting board. The trick is to learn how to keep them sharp.

I've been using the same pizza stone that I bought in the '80s thru a PBS show called the Pizza Gourmet. I bake pizza at least twice a week and bread (it will hold two large loaves) once a week. Here in the mountains we mostly have electirc ovens but I've also used it with gas and have always used a spray bottle with my bread. No cracks. Stone or tiles make sure you have enough space (about an inch) at the edges for heat to circulate and make sure you pre-heat. You can usually get the unglazed quary tiles at Home Depot if you get an interested employee and they will cut them for you if needed. Try a search at thefreshloaf.com for discussions on this, also pizzamaking.com (I think you have to register there).

We'd all like to hear how it works out, good luck!