Do NOT get the spiderco system! It is ok for touchup work but is unable to remove significant amounts of metal in those cases (not that uncommon cases) where that becomes necessary.

Get Murray Carter’s video on sharpening knives (at least the first one–although some cool tricks are in the second one as well) and buy either the Kershaw combination japanese waterstone or a set of the stones that Murray recommends for general use on his website. By the way, don’t bother with getting a superfine stone, you won’t need it. 3000 grit is plenty for just about anyone. And if you want to strop that finer than he shows you how to do that on newsprint (newsprint, cardboard, and magazine paper have very fine clay particles on the surface, clay particles are harder than steel, and used correctly a sheet of newsprint will bring a well prepared blade to razor sharpness within about a minute).

I have an 8000 grit stone that I never bother using because I have concluded that I have no need to sharpen anything to a mirror surface.

One thing I will say when learning from Murray’s videos is that unless you are using a Japanese knife or one of Murray’s handmade knives, do not sharpen to the low angel that Murray displays in the video. The steel on your western knife is not hard enough to hold that edge for very long. Stick to like a 22 or 25 degree angle on those knives or the edge will fold over fast on them. To estimate 22.5 degrees, fold a piece of paper so that the corner forms a 45 degree angle, then fold in half again to form a 22.5 degree angle and use that as your reference point.

You can trace the angle out onto a piece of plastic to make the angle reference guide more durable. I used an old credit card for this and cut the angle on it with a straightedge and an exacto knife.

I don’t use the guide anymore though because I have pretty much internalized the angle.

You will never need anything else to sharpen you knives again. After watching the video you will even be able to sharpen blades on the back of mugs or plates and get reasonable results. More importantly, you will actually understand what you are doing and what is going on, which you will not if you merely rely on the SpiderCo system.

I would recommend you get the Spyderco Sharpmaker sharpening system instead of a stone and oil. It will give you stunning results very quickly without you having to make an extended study of sharpening technique.

It’s like a BMW vs a Pinto.

That being said, I still use my 1960s era aluminum Presto pressure cookers. But I definitely would lovelovelove to have a Kuhn Rikon and wouldn’t regard $200 on one of them as wasted money at all. (This from a guy who refuses to pay for a drying machine and hang dries all his clothes) It’s just money I haven’t opted to spend at this point.

I might look into getting one in the future

This past week I used my slow cooker for oatmeal which I started before going to bed, scalloped potatoes with added leftover ham and now chili wherein I added leftover veggies as well as some leftover sausages. I also highly value my knives as well as my cast iron wok.

The one item I consider not necessary but I like anyway is a toaster. I’ve burned too much toast using the broiler setting in the oven.

I’ve always been tempted to own a pressure cooker, but haven’t taken the plunge yet because I tend to cook beans the long way about once a month and then freeze them in individual servings.

Let’s see how long that el cheapo Sears model lasts…

I’ve been purposefully meandering the internet looking for pressure cooker recipes. I’m focusing on “single pot” recipes. I’ll probably try to convert some recipes from those cookbooks lined up on my bookshelf too. Once I have gathered a fair amount of recipes and tested them, I’ll send them to you so you can post them in your blog. Hopefully that will help people make an easier transition.

Here is a great informational website for pressure cookers:
http://missvickie.com

And a great subsection from there about beans:
http://missvickie.com/howto/beans/howtobeantypes.html

And a great subsection from there about volume capacity:
http://missvickie.com/library/capacity.html

Personally, I enjoy cooking. I’ve thought about it and I think that I can get away with three quality cooking vessels: the pressure cooker above, a http://www.lecreuset.com/en-us/Product-Range/Enameled-Cast-Iron/French-Ovens , and a http://www.lecreuset.com/en-us/Product-Range/Enameled-Cast-Iron/Skillets–Grills . It looks like the pressure cooker will last me a long time and the enameled cast iron will be given to my children when I pass away.

In the bigger picture…

Thank you Jacob. Although possessing a leaning towards extremes, my family, friends, and society in general have always seemed to try to steer me back to moderation. I’m all for moderation in many things, but one must be wary of a single concept applied universally across the board.

Several months ago, I decide to hell with it. I’ve trying moderation for 30-plus years and still don’t feel as if I am heading in the right direction. I felt as I was drifting through life missing many of the important parts. I decided that I needed to follow my extremes for a while. A powerful feeling, but ultimately undirected. A life of moderation nearly drove my imagination away from me. I’ve been slowly nursing it back to health. While unrelated, the timing was impeccable when a link led me to your blog this last Saturday. I read a few of your posts and then a few more. The idea that you offer up is so simple and yet mighty. It struck me that this is a way to accomplish the life that I wish to have. Freedom. Freedom with its trusty sidekick responsibility, but still freedom from the everyday grind. Time slowed and I felt a feeling akin to what those explorers starting the California rush must have felt. “Gold! There’s gold here!” In the last several days, I’ve read all your posts and all the comments (you have a wonderful and informed group of commenters.) I realize that I had resigned myself to working until traditional retirement. Thank you very much for lighting the bulb.

My transformation may not be as quick as some, but within six months I will have sold my car, got rid of my cell phone (switching to Skype), switched my diet to cut costs, and sold or given away the majority of my possessions. I have many clothes and will not need to buy anything new for several years. Any future clothes I do buy will mostly be along the lines you have suggested. I will not be as extreme as you in cutting costs by choice. I pay $700 in rent, but I love my place, it is a great deal for where I live, includes all utilities, and is very close to work and school. I am going to school full-time, but I work full-time also. I know your thoughts on school, but I am set on getting my degree in Computer Science. I currently work in that field and a degree will drastically increase my earnings by opening new doors. Those doors will also increase my network of people which will allow me the opportunity for temporary contract jobs after retiring should I decide that I want to spend a few months in Italy or somewhere else.

May I offer a little advice? I noticed several comments and at least one post expressing a desire to monetize this blog. I would recommended against it (with the possible exception of tasteful ads as your number of hits rises.) You may have already decided against it due to the responses that you received asking about paying for a newsletter. This blog as a free resource serves a more important purpose for you: marketing. Marketing for your future book and, more importantly, establishing yourself as an expert in this field. Being recognized as an expert in a field will bring many benefits. Who knows, perhaps we will see you on Oprah someday.

There is nothing from the kitchen better than a freshly blended smoothie of greens, fruit, and seeds. Fast and easy to make. Fast and easy to consume.

I like to use two cheep cookers at the same time. One for rice and one for beans or squash.

A pressure cooker is the only thing that come close to being as useful as a steel wok.

My favorite kitchen appliance is my rice cooker. I add three parts water to one part rice, push down the small lever on the bottom of the cooker and then let it do it’s thing. I’ve cooked Arborio (risotto-style) and wild rice in it and it always cooks the rice to perfection, with basically no supervision. When the rice is done the lever automatically clicks back up, and the machine turns itself off. It’s actually my boyfriend’s rice cooker, and I was skeptical of it at first, but it’s quickly become one of the kitchen appliances that I use the most.