 This week's One Simply Terrific Thing is brought to you by Simply Recipes Contributor Katie Morford! More than 25 years ago I was gifted a set of Wüsthof knives as a wedding present, and I still have them. The collection has gotten quite a workout over the years as I've prepped thousands of dinners for my family of five and tested recipes for my three cookbooks. One surprise hit from the set? The kitchen shears. I sadly lost the original somewhere along the way but recently replaced them with Wüsthof's 8-inch pull-apart shears ($20 from Amazon). Here's why the shears are one of my favorite kitchen tools! Kitchen shears are different than regular household scissors in a couple of key aspects. First, they're designed to be more heavy duty, so can handle tougher tasks, like cutting through chicken bones. They also come apart for cleaning and drying, which is important for food safety and so the blades don't rust. Wüsthof's shears make quick work of so many cooking tasks. In many cases the shears are superior to even my sharpest knife. It's also a pretty safe way to work, which is why the shear were one of the first sharp tools I ever let my kids use in the kitchen. I store my Wüsthof shears alongside my paring, bread, and chef's knives so they're within easy reach of both sink and cutting board. Here are 10 of my top uses for kitchen shears. If you have clever ways you use yours, feel free to share in the comments section below! - Cut herbs. Snip cilantro, mint, parsley, basil and other herbs straight off the stem and into whatever bowl or pot you're prepping.
- Chop tomatoes. Nosedive shears right into a can of whole tomatoes to cut them into pieces before adding them to soup or chili.
- Slice pizza. I'd seen this done in pizzerias and have adopted the practice at home. They work well for cutting lavash, pita, and quesadillas, too.
- Snip vegetables. Trim the stems off green beans, separate broccoli florets, and snip asparagus into smaller pieces.
- Cut grapes. Cut a large bunch into smaller bundles to make it easy to grab just enough for a snack. This is also a nice touch when assembling a cheese board.
- Butcher chicken. Shears are a great way to break down a whole chicken. I use them to cut through the breast bone when I butterfly a chicken for grilling.
- Trim pastry dough. I find shears handy when I need to cut rolled dough to fit a particular tart or pie pan.
- Cut bacon and pancetta. Cured meats can resist even the sharpest knife, but shears do the job with relative ease.
- Shred leafy greens. Stack kale, chard, or collard leaves and use shears to snip them into thin shards.
- Trim fish. Raw fish can be tricky to cut through, particularly the tough skin. Shears do the job without making a mess of the delicate flesh.
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