Mercer Knives

Knives are without a doubt a Chefs most cherished and used tools. There are many different brands and types of knives. Recently I was given some top-of-the-line Mercer knives for evaluation. Mercer knives are perhaps the best-known brand for students in culinary schools. However, Mercery carries a wide range of knives, from cost effective basic knives suitable for students just starting out, to a number of more expensive lines of knives more suited for experienced chefs. The knives that I was given to try out were from the BPX series which are line of knives used for fabrication (butchering), top left in the image. Along with these I also received two very beautiful Damascus steel knives; one was a French knife, and the other was a pairing/utility knife, shown above in the top left.


My favorites from all these knives were the large butcher knife with the gratin edge and the offset boning knife. The Damascus knives are expertly crafted and extremely sharp. They have weighted handles which takes a little getting used to when compared to my lighter Japanese knives that I use on a daily basis. That being said I still do recommend them, because of the excellent quality workmanship and razor-sharp edges of the knives. To see the full line of Mercer knives and tools go to their website at Cutlery, Tools & Apparel for Commercial Kitchens & Culinary Pros - Mercer Culinary

Clyde's Garden Planner Guide

When it comes to gardening, we often need some advice on when to plant in our respective regions. Plant to early in the spring and we risk everything being lost in a late freeze. During the fall if we plant too late, we risk the chance of an early frost and then again, we can lose our plants. That is why I recommend this handy slider guide to determine when the best time should be to plant or transplant young seedlings. It works by marking your normal frost date in your garden region and then sliding the insert to that date, to see when the best time to plant is. It was very inexpensive around $6, and I bought it from my favorite seed company Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds at Heirloom Seeds Shop | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I highly recommend the company and this helpful guide, and just to be transparent I do not receive any compensation or sponsorship from them.

Circle M Meats Monett, Missouri

Circle M beef dishes cooked in my home kitchen. Filet Fairbanks, Ginger Garlic Asian style strip with Noodles, Pan seared smoked tenderloin tail with penne pasta and Tomato sherry cream sauce, 45-day dry aged ribeye with Worcestershire shallot herb butter.

May is Beef Month! With that I would like to recommend Circle M meats located in Monett Missouri. I discovered them when their President Will Fiske brought me some beef to evaluate and try out and WOW, I was blown away by their 45-day dry aged Rib Eye.

It came wrapped in white butcher paper and was encased in hard leathery exterior which occurs when the beef is carefully dry aged in a low humidity-controlled environment. The taste of dry aged beef is nutty and rich, reminiscent of a woodsy acorn flavor.


Here are some things I like about this family-owned local company:

  • Humanely raised Angus Cattle
  • No added preservative’s aged in humidity-controlled environments
  • Sustainably pasture fed (also uses local upcycled food from area food producers thereby cutting waste, French’s fried onion products)
  • Shipped directly cutting out many middlemen and reducing the carbon footprint
  • Offered in their store in Monnet
  • Has a bulk beef program with options of whole cut portioned half and quarter carcasses
  • Unique cuts such as the smoked tenderloin tail, bone in selections, offal, oxtails, beef shank and others (many of these are hard to find in grocery stores)

If you love beef and steak, try it them out at and tell them Chef Daniel sent you https://circlemmeats.com/


Express Foods Springfield Missouri



As 2024 wraps up I would like to congratulate Chris Perkins for opening his long anticipated store- Seafood Express– here in Springfield Missouri. In full disclosure I did help him this past summer with various consulting tasks however, I can truly attest that his seafood food products are the best here in Southern Missouri and I shop their often.

The store features fresh and live seafood brought in daily, and also many frozen items, canned seafoods, and special spice blends as well. Chris takes trips down to the gulf when the season is open and picks up live crawfish, crabs and oysters along with many specialties from New Orleans and the gulf region.

Seafood Express also offers many special meats, game and other gourmet items not easily found in the the Springfield Area. In this image are some of the foods that came from them that I prepared at home. To find out more check them out at https://www.expressfoods.net/




Book Review of “How to Bake More Bread” by Michael Kalanty CEPC



It is often said that the act of kneading bread is very therapeutic and calming. That being said, making a good loaf takes more than good dexterity skills. The interaction between yeast, flour, and water at its most basic level is a complex reaction that creates the flavor, texture, and density of any given loaf. In Michael Kalanty’s latest book,

In Michael Kalanty’s latest book, How to Bake More Bread, he thoroughly explains the method of using “wild yeast.” Those strains of microorganisms that are found naturally in flours, grains, vegetables and the skins of fruits.

Michael Kalanty’s technique, as outlined in his book, is to build the starter or mother by capturing the elusive yeast cells. To do this, first soak raisins in water for three days, then mix them with flour and honey. Feed and maintain this starter or mother, as it is called, for seven more days by adding a small amount of flour each day. This process produces a wild yeast culture the base for the famous flavorful bread known as sourdough. Sourdough bread is a type of bread made all over the world and a specialty of San Francisco where Kalanty resides and teaches.

I met Michael Kalanty in my travels as a chef/author and sampled some of his wonderful breads at a seminar that he taught at the American Culinary Federation National Convention in Kansas City.

Bake More Bread is the sequel to his award winning book, How to Bake Bread, it features the following:

  • Three chapters to explain the trio of steps to create a wild yeast culture
  • Master formula known as Pain au Levain for use with wild yeast cultures
  • Step by step photos of how to form and bake bread
  • Recipes and methods for three styles of breads “Modern Breads, Classic Breads and Porridge Breads”
  • Innovative flavor wheel for bread
  • 290 pages in soft cover book

Michael Kalanty’s books are written for the professional baker, the serious baking aficionado and the baking student alike or for those of us who want to learn more about the science of baking with yeast. He gives an excellent treatise on the study of how to use specialty flours and ancient grains. I highly recommend this book and am confident that it will quickly become a reference book for many a home library.

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