I have always had a hard time buying cutlery for the shop. I didn't want to carry knives that might be everywhere. That isn't what the shop is about. It's about finding the best- not the most popular. For that reason we have a few high quality knives from small manufacturers. Recently two of our vendors Staub and Demeyere have merged with J.A. Henckels. Since we already carry Staub and Demeyere I thought to revisit Henckels. To my delight they had recently introduced 2 new high end lines- Twin Profection (http://www.zwilling.com/en-US/Product-Range--sortiment/Cutlery--knives/Series-overview--serien/TWIN%28R%29-Profection--3733.html) and the Japanese line called Miyabi (http://www.miyabi.eu/miyabi_fx.html). To round out the new products they also introduced a new line of gadgets called Twin Pure. I was hooked and convinced!
The Twin Profection series is beauty, elegance and performance combined. This series was created in partnership with internationally-acclaimed architect and designer Matteo Thun.
As I mentioned in a previous post Staub enameled cast iron cookware is found throughout France. They have a great new web site that gives you all the colors, sizes and care instructions (http://www.staubusa.com/index.asp). Restaurants and Bistros across Paris served their offings in Staub pots of every style. We have been selling Staub at Weekend Kitchen since we opened and I use it almost every day at home for a multitude of things. So, why is Staub superior to other enameled cast iron? While the colors are fabulous, the biggest difference resides inside the pot. Staub has patented Closed-circuit and spikes® that allows for continuous self basting. The interior also is not glazed which can discolor and craze but rather an enameled black matte interior that provides genuine flavor which gets better and better with use. The smooth enamel bottom is compatible with all heat sources and the knob is heat resistant up to 500ºF
The Teapot are great and come in a variety of colors.
The cocotte's (Dutch ovens) are available in both round and oval in the colors from 1/4 qt to 6 1/2 qt and larger sizes in black, graphite and blue (up to 12 qt). There is also a lovely pure white edition. They have delightful specialty pots with really fun knobs like the Coq au Vin rooster and the Bouillabaisse put with a fish- see http://www.staubusa.com/prod_specialties/index.asp
The Dash & Albert Rug Company located in MA (http://www.dashandalbert.com/) produces the nicest collection of well made rugs at a great price.
The 2 x 3 rug is a perfect size for in front of your kitchen or bathroom sink. You can scale them up to room size as well. They are available in a variety of styles, colors and sizes from wool hooked rugs to 100% cotton woven to an indoor/outdoor rug made of polypropylene. Check out their web site for all the options that can easily be ordered from Weekend Kitchen and arrive in a day or so since they are so close. I'll add them to our web site soon as well!