Life has been something of a whirlwind lately. I made it through the Seattle leg of my book tour and now I’m now in Portland, hanging out with the family, teaching canning and getting ready to be on TV in the morning (I’ll be doing a pickle demo on AM Northwest at 9 am tomorrow morning).
Soon, I hope to do a bit more of a Seattle round-up, as well as post a recipe (this is still a food blog, after all) and remind you Portlanders that I’ll be at the Hawthorne Powell’s on Saturday at 2 pm. However, there’s a giveaway that I’ve been promising for weeks and I have to get it up before another day goes by.
Back in April, the folks from Wüsthof got in touch to tell me about their Defining the Edge campaign and asked if I’d be interested in helping spread the word about the campaign and also do a giveaway of their new 7-inch Chai Dao knife. After losing a good half-hour watching the chef-focused videos and how-to segments they’d produced for the campaign, I said yes.
I love good, creative video that features people doing interesting stuff in food and think that the segments they produced were worth sharing. They managed to select three people who deserve the spotlight, including San Francisco’s Richie Nakano (I knew him originally from his blog Line Cook and he wrote a really interesting and honest essay about participating in the campaign).
I’m also always willing to check out a new knife. I love cutlery and I’m constantly on the look-out for a new favorite tool. Before I left Philly for this tour, I was really enjoying having this curved-blade, easy to rock knife as part of my kitchen workforce. I think it will come in very handy this summer as I head into the season of chopping, mincing and breaking down massive piles of produce (the wide blade is awesome for smashing garlic).
If you’re interested in winning yourself 7-inch Chai Dao, here’s what you need to do.
- Leave a comment on this post and share what motivates you in the kitchen. Good produce? Music? Delicious chocolate?
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) and will be posted to the blog on Thursday, June 21, 2012
- Giveaway is open to U.S. readers only. My apologies to those in Canada and beyond.
- One entry/comment per person, please.
If you’re interested in watching some of the videos that Wüsthof produced, I’ve included them after the jump.
Disclosure: Wüsthof sent me a Chai Bao knife so that I could try it out and take pictures of it for this post. I received no other compensation for this post. My opinions are all my own and have not been influenced by the receipt of the knife.
For more information and the occasional giveaway, make sure to follow the Wüsthof Facebook page.
I have my own garden so it’s always a challenge to create something new with the vegetables
My CSA basket and the challenge of making sure all the produce is properly managed into our stomachs! That and traditional Italian food.
Oo, let me win something please! Like a nice knife! That could motivate me.
But here it is: anice heavy bottomed saute pan and butter.
I get motivated by reading cookbooks.
Oo, let me win something please! Like a nice knife! That could motivate me.
But here it is: a nice heavy bottomed saute pan and butter.
For me I am motivated to be creative and to keep the experience of cooking and eating fun.
I’m inspired by baskets of fresh fruit on my counter top!!
When I’m in the kitchen a good soundtrack is essential. I have some wonderful speakers pointed at my kitchen island for just that purpose.
I’m motivated by the relaxation & calmness cooking gives me. There’s not much coercing involved to get me into the kitchen. It’s really a retreat for me to be able to head into the kitchen & create.
Mostly, I’m motivated by hunger!
Cooking is my creative outlet. There is always something new to try!
Whatever is ready in my garden.
I get motivated when I put on my apron, turn on some music, and just start cooking. Sometimes I’m not quite sure where I’ll end up, but it usually turns out okay!
Simply trying to keep up feeding 5 people a (reasonably) healthy and (reasonably) inexpensive diet keeps me more than motivated. Also sheer stubbornness because I want going out to eat to be a special treat and not the result of “holy cow what are we going to eat?”
Inspiration? A good food blog!
Seasonal produce…excellent, but not always available. Music? Helpful, but not always an option (can I say housemates?). Tools? Usually an afterthought for the next time around. Guests are more of a deadline, fancy meals at restaurants are few and far between (and usually something I can’t acquire), special diets are restrictive…
But someone else’s excitement, passion, ideas, descriptions, stories…shared energy is what makes me pick up a knife, even if it’s 10pm on a Thursday night and I’ve worked 60 hours that week.
Wow… that’s a sweet knife!
My 17 month old is who inspires my cooking the most! I want amazing, fresh ingredients to constantly pique his curiosity!
All the possibilities following (yet another) veggie-buying binge at the farmers market.
My motivation in the kitchen is getting healthy. Living in NYC it is so easy to eat every meal out, via take-out/ delivery, or out of a box. But that lifestyle was not helping me stay around for a long period. So I’m trying to take advantage of having a large kitchen and use it to it’s fullest.
As always great contest. And good luck to us all.
Company has to be my biggest kitchen motivator, I love having friends perched on stools to taste test things and chat with.
I love a good knife. Together with a good cutting board, so many wonderful things come to life in a kitchen. My motivation in the kitchen? has to be being able to eat a home cooked meal and provide others with one as well.
My motivation in the kitchen is to make amazing food to share, and to make that food low carb, sugar free, and delicious enough that no one is the wiser that it is healthy.
My family and friends, my heritage, and good ingredients.
I get motivated to try things that look tasty & that my kids will eat!
Good produce — home grown — gets me motivated too! (and motivated to can!)
other people to share with. i hate just cooking for myself!
creating something delicious for my friends and family. its so gratifying for me to know that ive created something they love.
My motivation comes from ingredients mainly. I love being able to come up with something new
My motivation is a matched and organized set of spice jars! It’s a simple thing that makes me so happy, and removes a ton of stress from cooking for me.
My motivation is to expose my granddaughter to fresh, healthy, homemade food, to develop her palate so she knows what real food is.
My fiancee comes from a family of plain food, where as I come from a more exploratory and exotic culinary background. I have always grown a diverse garden growing up and now have my own at my own home. I am most motivated in the kitchen to try and create a dish that my feeds my creative needs, introduces new flavors to my fiancee, and incorporates fresh, canned or frozen foods from my garden.
Fresh picked harvests from my garden!
The selection of produce at our amazing local farmer’s market is my usual inspiration — but for some reason I’d usually rather listen to podcasts than music while cooking.
And of course in the winter my answer is “getting to be somewhat warm in our freezing house by turning on the over.” But this is about my summer inspiration!
Fresh vegetables! I am a vegetarian and I just get giddy when I come home from the farmer’s market or a produce stand with a bag chock full of seasonal wonders. I just can’t wait to get going in the kitchen to see what I can do with fresh delicious food, and a little creativity!
My kitchen motivation has changed over the years. It started with wanting to eat and taste everything I could to pleasing the palates of 5 people, while making one meal. I love to be able to sit down at the dinner table and have everyone put something on their plate and eat instead of starting with complaints! I am sure there will be many more transformations of motivation to come!
So many things inspire me, most often something I’ve read either on a blog or in a cookbook, or a flavor I tried somewhere else and then had to try myself. Also most inspired at what needs using up!
I get motivated by new, fresh ingredients, trying to cook things that I didn’t even know existed a few years ago.
Several things motivate me. My husband, who is my taste tester, wanting to eat more healthy and making healthy treats for my school children. A good knife is a must! Love your blog and wish you would come to Ft. Lauderdale to teach a class or two or more!!
Making good food for my family is what motivates me in the kitchen!
Fresh ingredients and a new idea to try!
fresh food always gets me going! I love looking at a big basket of produce and trying to make something delicious and new.
We recently started participating in Bountiful Baskets and that gorgeous basket of fruit and produce is a huge motivator! Not to mention being up so early and getting my Saturday started off right!
I’m definitely motivated by two big factors: delicious produce and making food to share with my family and friends.
Minimizing waste, finding creative ways to use everything before it spoils.
What inspires and motivates me in the kitchen are good knives and fresh produce. I had an inexpensive knives set and I hated it. Then I had a housewarming party and got myself a Wusthof set and i love it, It’s the focal point of my motivation. Fresh produce is a must, farmers market in the morning on a saturday is the best way to get great seasonal produce. I would love this for my collection.
Nothing inspires more than fabulous ingredients accompanied by soft rock… creating perfection in my kitchen.
I am sometimes inspired by seasonal produce I need to use up, but more often it’s cooking for someone I love and hoping they’ll enjoy it!
I’m motivated by beautiful produce. I’ve been known to buy a vegetable just because it’s rad looking, and then worry about what to do with it later. It’s a great way to discover new recipes 🙂
I’m motivated by my husband. I love the look on his face when he tastes something really delicious, and I love knowing that by cooking for him, I’m having a positive impact on his health, too.
I’m motivated by the fresh local produce from my fav farmers market farmers friends & the desire to return to the season-specific cooking my mom modeled as I was growing up.
My motivation comes from seasonal ingredients and trying things I never realized I could do at home!
Add me to the list of people inspired by my CSA box. My farmers include 68 different vegetables, fruits, and herbs during the summer and fall season. (And that doesn’t count the flowers!) Over the years, I’ve learned new varieties, recipes, and a new approach to cooking.
Motivation for me is in the form of bright, colorful veggies and lots of friends drinking wine.
Fresh fruit and veggies from my local farmer’s market gets me motivated in my kitchen. I can whip up a light and easy dinner in minutes. Oh how I love the farmer’s market. I wish I could have one year round.
I’m driven by the thought of sharing good food with the people I love!
I’m inspired by super-fresh produce from my family’s farm!
Usually learning how to make a new recipe is what motivates me! Occasionally I need some music to sing along to, or my husband to cook for, but I love trying new things and improving recipes I’ve only made once or twice.
What motivates me in the kitchen? Hmmm, let’s see. I would have to just say food in general. I love food. I am happy when I am growing it, I am happy when I am harvesting it, I am happy when I am cooking it and I am happiest when I am eating it, LOL!!!!!!
Thanks Marisa!
I am continually motivated by my vintage cookbooks. I love taking a classic and giving it a modern, healthy twist!
Savory dishes and thoughts of making awesome ice cream motivates me in the kitchen. Thanks for the giveaway!!!!
Looking into my refrigerator and dreaming up what I can make with what I have in there motivates me in the kitchen!
I definitely am a stress-cook. Anytime I have a bad day or am worried about something, lots of stuff ends up in the oven!! Certainly copious amounts of food get made when I’m not stressed too, just for the fun of it.
I am motivated by the end result!
Preparing an entire meal out of our garden is a top motivator for me. I did not grow up having a garden so I really appreciate all the sensory benefits of growing, picking, chopping, cooking and consuming our own produce.
Trying new recipes.
I like having a well stocked pantry to help me use all my CSA veggies each week during veggie season!
I just have to be in the mood…. The right mood and I can cook all day.
Enjoying the bounty of my garden harvest definitely motivates me. Alternately, attempting to use up the additional produce from my CSA share. I must cook to keep up with it all!
I am motivated by fresh fish and seasonal veggies! YUM.
I’m inspired by my job as a writer. When I come home, there’s nothing more I want to do but roll up my sleeves and make something that I can sink my teeth into while reading a new book.
Having my teens helping in the kitchen and then sitting down together enjoying the results of our labor motivates me.
I am motivated by how good I feel when I take the time to prepare tasty food with quality ingredients. And by watching the seasons pass through the produce–sour cherry jam and pickled garlic scapes this week!
I’m motivated by being able to create whatever I crave and knowing exactly what goes into my food.
Lately my main motivation has been using up any produce we have on hand from the garden. We hate to waste food, especially when it’s fresh from our garden, but sometimes I run out of ideas for using radish greens, excess amounts of arugula, in season zucchini, etc. When that happens I pull out the cookbooks and skim for ideas.
Cooking for friends and family.
I am motivated by the idea of creating amazing handmade, no short cuts, all scratch, multi-course dinners using the best ingredients found locally or grown myself, while still adhering to a very modest budget. Exhilarating to think of creative ways to put wonderful flavors together!!
I’m motivated by providing a better product for my family! Homemade tastes a million times better!
Pretty pictures inspire me. And along with that, having the right tools for the job really motivate me to get in the kitchen and make stuff.
Labor of love. Love the relationship that occurs when you make something by scratch.
eat to live, live to eat.
Totally motivated by good music! A good beat to work in the kitchen with is always a plus.
I’m always ready to cook after the farmers’ market. Coming home with amazing produce that I can really get excited about is the best inspiration I could hope for in the kitchen. Even just walking through the market makes me feel positive and peaceful. I always joke that Sundays some people have church, I have the farmers’ market.
What motivates me in the kitchen? Good food!
I love chopping, dicing and slicing! It is very therapeutic for me. A GREAT knife makes it a joy!
What motivates me in the kitchen is beautiful farm fresh seasonal produce. I receive my CSA on Fridays and spend all weekend with it. My knives are the most important piece of kitchen equipment. I have been known to travel frequently with a chef knife!
Anticipation of getting to eat! I’ve been squirreling away goodness — pickles, frozen greens & pestos, etc. — and knowing how much I’ll appreciate later having done the work now is a source of motivation & pride.
I’m inspired by the flavors of fresh produce and the excitement of finding imaginative ways to use what I have.
I am inspired by colors and the view out my window. I have one window in my kitchen that overlooks my garden. I really want to eat the food I grow, but I can’t eat anything chewy or crunchy until the dentist gives me the all clear. So I’ve been making things by color and being sad over cooking my garden’s spinach.
I’m finding that I love to cook for others. My husband is away for three months, and while i’ve always LOVED to cook, I’m just not doing it as much any more and am making simpler meals.
I love that I have a great knife to work with! Being short, my husband’s knives were too big and I never felt secure using them. To have one my size is reassuring and makes time in the kitchen fun. I also love having my husband in the kitchen with me….he brain storms and we create!
My stomach motivates me in the kitchen, or perhaps my tongue. Most of my kitchen adventures and explorations start because I’m craving something, looking forward to eating a specific thing. Cooking also makes me feel clever. But after buying our first couple nice knives it never really occurred to me to explore another knife.
Reading blogs on healthy and homemade foods motivates me to get in the kitchen and try new things.
I’m motivated by two things: my CSA share, and sweet stuff. When the two overlap–a bounty of organic strawberries or raspberries or gooseberries and currants (yum), it’s heaven! 🙂
Finding the perfect new recipe to try motivates me to get into the kitchen!
I am motivated by the cooking process itself. Spending time in the kitchen is good for my head, heart and soul. And I get to eat a delicious hand-made meal to boot! 🙂
I like to bake with all the best ingredients. And an immaculately clean kitchen.
I’m motivated when I have all the right tools to cook up a true feast!
I’m inspired by fresh tastes
Wusthof motivates me in the kitchen. Seriously, my boss has their knives and it’s the best thing in the world.
Definitely music. Love to rock out to rap, wife dissaproves.
My motivation in the kitchen is any time I can cook with my five wonderful daughters! They are all adults now and have kitchens of their own, but whenever we can get together and cook as a family, it’s a very special treat.