April is always a tricky time of year because we are left wondering if we’ll have a beautiful spring day, or if we’re going to have a snow storm. Either way, you can ensure that spring fills your home through florals and bright colours. Jillian Harris says to layer everything when it comes to setting your table. “From plates, to bowls, to napkins, to cutlery, candles, flowers...layer, layer, layer!” ​

Chef's Knife 
A chef's knife is your most important kitchen tool. They are a multi-purpose knife designed to perform well at many differing kitchen tasks. They can be used for mincing, slicing, and chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and disjointing large cuts. To learn more about chef's knives, read our Chef's Knife FAQ blog. Pick one up now while they're $69.99, regularly $215.00

Microwave Pasta Cooker 
At work or for on the go, cook hassle-free pasta in the microwave with this clever microwave pasta cooker, it allows you to drain and serve all in one and is perfect for use at home or taking to the office for a pasta lunch. Simply add pasta to the cooker and cover with water. Microwave for the specified time and then drain quickly and easily using the integrated colander. The design features a handy portion guide for spaghetti, a water-level indicator for efficient cooking and easy-carry edges.

​This blog has been republished with permission by ​www.reviews.com/chef-knife/ * some edits have been made.
​Should I get a knife set?
Many experts feel as though knife sets are a waste of money. Buy knives one at a time. Why? Because each chef will have their own mixture; a set is too constricted and too prescriptive.

How many other kitchen knives do I need?
After you’ve invested in a quality chef knife, you may want to expand your collection with any of the following:

• A serrated bread knife for cutting loaves of bread.
• A paring knife — which has a very short blade — for tasks like paring apples or potatoes.
• A boning knife or filleting knife may be useful depending on the cuts of meat and fish you typically cook.

As a general rule, if the purpose of the knife is in its name (bread knife, filleting knife, even steak knife or grapefruit knife) it marks a task that will be difficult to accomplish with an all-purpose chef knife.

What’s the best type of steel for a chef knife?
The best steel for chef knives typically lands between 55-60 on the Rockwell hardness scale — that’s hard enough to retain a sharp edge, but soft enough to avoid being overly brittle. (You want your knife to be able to take a beating without fracturing.) The harder a steel, the longer it will stay sharp but the more difficult it will be to re-sharpen on your own, often requiring professional service to get it back its factory condition. 

What’s the best way to hold my knife?
You should hold your kitchen knife in a pinch grip: grip toward the front of the handle, with your thumb and your curled index finger pinching the base of the blade.

What’s the difference between a chef knife and a Santoku knife?
At a glance, Santoku knives and chef knives look nearly identical. But each caters to a different cooking style. Santoku knives are shorter, lighter and thinner, with a rounded tip and a flat edge. This means that cutting requires an up-and-down slicing motion. A chef knife’s blade is curved and allows you to cut by rocking the knife against the cutting board.
A Santoku excels at tasks that require agility like mincing delicate herbs or making precise cuts. The tradeoff is that it’s not as versatile as a chef knife and is likely to struggle against larger tasks, like cutting up a chicken or slicing through butternut squash.

​This blog has been republished with permission by ​www.reviews.com/chef-knife/ * some edits have been made.

This blog has been republished with permission by ​www.reviews.com/chef-knife/ * some edits have been made.
​Know which parts of your knife are which:
No single feature makes a knife objectively better. Rather, they’re indicators of how the knife is designed to perform. But it’s good to know the names of each feature to understand your personal preferences.

• Butt: The back end of your handle.
• Heel: The back end of the blade, closest to your fingers.
• Tip: The front half of the blade. Not to be confused with the point.
• Point: The literal pointy bit at the end of the knife.
• Edge: The sharp side of the blade. Be careful.
• Spine: The top of the blade. Some people place their index fingers along the length of the spine as they chop, but this is considered bad technique.
• Tang: The steel that extends past your knife blade and into the handle. When a knife has a full tang, it means the steel goes all the way to the butt.
• Bolster: The thick band of steel between the knife handle and the knife heel. A full bolster extends all the way into the heel; a half bolster stops before the heel. Some knives have no bolster at all.
• Granton Edge: The dimples on the blade. Not all knives have them. In theory, these stop food from sticking as you chop.

Keep your chef knife properly sharpened:
As Rachel Muse, private chef and founder of Talk Eat Laugh, puts it: “If you buy a professional knife, you need to keep an edge on it, otherwise it’s like owning a car and not putting fuel in it.” Stayed tuned to Heart of the Home's social channels to see when our next FREE knife sharpening is, so you can outsource the task of sharpening your knives to a professional. If you can't wait for the next in-store knife sharpening you can certainly learn to sharpen your knife yourself.

Hone your knife:
A knife honing rod, or honing steel, is designed to keep your knife functioning well between sharpenings. Honing straightens the edge of a knife, while sharpening literally grinds away part of the steel to produce a sharper edge.

It's recommended that you hone your knife each time you pick it up (the whole process should only take 10-20 seconds) or, if prepping a lot, whenever it starts to feel dull. 

• Hold the steel upright and move the blade swiftly across and down the steel at a 25-degree angle, as if you were cutting slices of cheese.
• After you hone, check your knife’s sharpness by gently sliding it across a soft tomato. The knife should bite into the fruit right away without pressure.

Be aware that not all experts recommend honing.  If you don't hone correctly it's not worth your while. 

Learn the right way to chop:
If you’re looking to improve your chopping game, we offer these tips:

• Imagine your cutting board is a clock. Most people point their knife toward noon, placing the food horizontally across the cutting board. But if you angle your knife so that it points toward 10 o’clock (and adjust your food to stay parallel), the knife becomes an extension of your forearm and is easier to handle.
• Keep your knife in contact with your cutting board or work surface. There’s no need to lift it off the cutting board for each cut.

Only use your knife on food:
A chef's knife is your most important kitchen tool. Don't use it to complete tasks around your house such as opening boxes: buy a pair of kitchen shears for boxes and bags!

Avoid the dishwasher:
Regardless of manufacturer instructions, never put your chef knife in the dishwasher. And while you’re at it, never toss it into the sink. Every time the knife blade bangs against something — like the plastic spines of your dishwasher or the metal sides of your sink — it has the potential to dull, and you want to keep the blade as sharp as possible for as long as possible.

Instead, wash your knife by hand with standard dish soap, then use a clean dish towel or paper towel to rub it completely dry. (If you let it air-dry, it can develop water stains or rust spots.)


This blog has been republished with permission by ​www.reviews.com/chef-knife/ * some edits have been made.

When the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve, many of us find ourselves setting new goals and hoping to uphold them for longer than a few days. 
The "New Year, New You" mantra, no matter how over played it seems, will always ring true for many of us, and therefore we want to make sure that it lasts longer than a few days or even weeks. 

For us here at Heart of the Home, we find that many of our staff have made it our mission to not only spend more time in our kitchens, but to explore new recipes and try to introduce healthier habits into our daily cooking. 

We have gathered a few recipes that not only make our bellies and minds feel better, but also taste absolutely delicious. 

If only gift giving could be as simple as picking something from the "under $30" section of Heart of the Home. Oh, wait. It can! We’ve curated a small collection of items all under $30.00 that will please everyone from the novice baker, to the life-long chef.  Be sure to stop by the store where we have helped make holiday shopping easy for you, by organizing some of our favourite gifts into themed shelves perfect for all price-points and budgets!

These are only the highlights:

Moscow Mule Mugs 
The Moscow Mule cocktail is traditionally served in a copper mug. The nickel and copper plated body helps to keep your drinks colder for longer, while the handle makes the mug easy to hold. Although the mug was originally dubbed for the Moscow Mule drink, it is suitable for any icy drink alcoholic or non-alcoholic, anything will do.

Paddywax Prism Candles
This holiday spin on Paddywax's Prism collection has all the fun of glitter without any of the mess! Keep the party going all night long with mercury glass vessels filled with wintry fragrances. Each candle is topped with a cork lid and festive hang tag. You'll want to give these playful candles to everyone you know, whether they've been naughty or nice!

​Fred and Friends Bottled Up Decanter - Booze
Lift your spirits with a distinctly different decanter. Each 1000 ml / 34 oz BOTTLED UP decanter is made of hand-blown laboratory glass with mirror-finish gold lettering. Four handsome styles to choose from.

Wine Glass Writers
A modern alternative to the wine glass charm, this 3-pack of Wine Glass Writer Markers will help you keep track of wine glasses at your next dinner party. The non-toxic ink dries in 1-3 minutes, and it washes off with soapy water after the party's over

Measuring Wine Glasses
Fred enthusiastically endorses that famous comment often attributed to Julia Child: "I enjoy cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food." So he's designed a new kitchen tool no cook should be without - crystal stemware that measures in both cups and sips. It matters not whether the wine is destined for the chef or for the pan, you'll be prepared! Sauced is a 12-ounce lead-free-crystal all-purpose wine glass, accurately marked in 1/4 cups and 2-ounce sips.

Car and Camper salt and pepper shakers
Make a wonderful addition to your table, especially during the holiday season.

Moscow Mule Tea Towel
The perfect addition to every bar! Follow the Moscow Mule recipe right there on the tea towel!

Adventure Flask
A flask that is ready to accompany you on all of your adventures!
​
Kikkerland Flexible Tablet Holder
This flexible gooseneck holder clips on to your desk with a super strong clamp and holds your tablet device for easy, hands-free viewing. Great for viewing photos/videos; video chat; cooking; travel and GPS; watching movies and TV; and more. Fits tablets 5.1" to 8" wide (not included). Minimal assembly required; instructions included.

Mighty Fine Milk Chocolate Honeycomb Dips
These light and crisp honeycomb, made with honey, covered in smooth and creamy Belgian milk chocolate are gluten free, vegetarian and absolutely delicious. 

Topi Designer Toilet Paper
Add a little colour to any situation with these hilarious toilet paper designs. 

SugarSin Dry Gin Fizz Gourmet Cocktail Gummies
These unique, cocktail inspired gourmet gummies are infused with real gin, blended with lemon and topped with sweet and sour sugary fizz. We also have them in Prosecco flavour!

Fa la la la Llama Napkins
These white paper cocktail napkins add a little fa la la to your table setting.

​Molly & Rex You Filthy Animal Soap
"It’s a jungle out there. Lather up like the beast you are with this 3.5 ounce clove scented soap bar, paper-wrapped and sealed with a sticker in a gold foil-embellished box."

Wendy Tancock Canadian Mugs
Toronto based designer/illustrator, Wendy Tancock specializes in Canadian themed cards, prints and t-shirts. Her designs are equally beautiful as they are hilarious!

Good measure Drink Recipe Measuring Glasses
Mix it up with good measure! With a variety of recipes these glasses are are printed with deletable cocktail recipes that are sure to turn you into the mixologist you've always dreamed of being. 

Serves: 4 | Preparation: 15 mins | Cooking time: 45 mins

Tools Needed

• Cast Iron Skillet 
• Stainless Steel Skillet 
• Meat Thermometer 
• Meat Tenderizer
• Parchment Paper 

Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 large onion diced
• 2 cups mushrooms roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic diced
• 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
• 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
• 2 cups baby spinach chopped
• 1/2 box boursin cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE PORK

• 2 lbs pork tenderloin or two smaller ones
• 8-10 slices proscuitto

Instructions
THE FILLING

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and mushrooms and stir till they start to brown.  Add the garlic, herbs and spinach.  Saute until the spinach wilts and everything is combined well.  Remove from heat and let the mixture cool completely.  Add the boursin cheese and stir to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

MAKE THE TENDERLOIN

1. First make sure to take the silver skin off the tenderloin (see notes).  Lay out a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap.  Place the tenderloin on top and pound it out until it is about an inch thick all around.  An empty wine bottle works great for this! 
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.   
3. On another piece of parchment or plastic wrap, lay out your prosciutto so that they are touching each other or slightly over lapping.  Lay the tenderloin on top.  If you have two pieces of tenderloin, lay them very close together.  
4. Spread the filling out in the middle of the pork but leaving a couple inches all around the outside.  Then take the edge of one side of the pork and lift the parchment or wrap and use it to roll the pork up like a pinwheel.   Make it as tight as you can.  
5. Place the rolled up tenderloin in an oven proof skillet (we like cast iron) and tuck both ends in under neath the roll.  Add a few mushrooms or onions and some herbs if you like, stick a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the pork and throw it in the oven. 
6. Roast until the meat thermometer reaches 137 degrees.  About 35 mins.   If your prosciutto isn't browned nicely, pull it out of the oven for a min and turn on your broiler.  When the broiler is hot, slide the pork back in and broil until the prosciutto browns.  Be careful to watch closely so it doesn't burn. 
7. Cover, and let the roasted pork rest for 5 - 10 mins before slicing and serving.
   
   
   ​Recipe Courtesy of Cooks With Cocktails