The friendly storekeeper warned me to never put them in the dishwasher (I never have) and to never store them with other tools, to clean them as soon as they were used.

They left dull, old, work-worn and exhausted. They were no longer sharp and efficient, and I feared that finally they were unable to perform their tasks with skill and effectiveness.

I can still recall buying them in a store in Paris that specialized in kitchen equipment for professional chefs. Somehow I managed to convey to the owner that I wanted the very best set of knives.

The friendly storekeeper warned me to never put them in the dishwasher (I never have) and to never store them with other tools, to clean them as soon as they were used.

My Sabatier knives have indeed served me well. True, they are not as beautiful as those polished stainless-steel instruments you see chefs using on the Food Network.

However, they are more efficient and keep the edge and sharpness better. I would not trade them in for any other knives, no matter how beautiful.

The discovery of iron some 4,000 years ago drastically changed mankind and particularly womankind. Before the advent of iron tools, implements for the preparation of food were mainly sharp stones.

Just imagine those unfortunate cavewomen preparing the evening meal for her hungry caveman with nothing but the rocks that were on hand. Cooking up a feast of dinosaur stew without a Cusinart, stainless-steel knives and a gas stove was challenging, to say the least.

When bronze knives were invented, they were reserved for the rich and famous. The alloy of copper and tin was very expensive, so bronze knives were a status symbol that few could afford. When the Spaniards came upon the Aztecs, they found a few knives of iron. These were prized above gold and were said to come from heaven.

A good set of knives is an ideal, practical wedding present. For maximum efficiency, a cook can manage with three: a chef's knife, a paring knife and a long serrated knife for bread and tomatoes.

The chef's knife is for cutting and chopping foods into small pieces. The blade tapers evenly to a sharp point and is wider than the handle to allow knuckle clearance when chopping.

When cutting, a rocking motion is recommended (rather than a guillotine chop) to keep the size uniform and the pieces from flying to the floor. It is also used for chopping greens for salads and slaw, chopping onions and other vegetables, mincing all sorts of food, including raw and cooked meats and even nuts and raisins.

A slicing knife is also called a bread knife and is usually serrated. Its slender blade is usually 8 to 10 inches long. The serrated edge cuts through bread crusts without crumbling them. Also ideal for cheeses, sandwiches, rolled roasts, slicing tomatoes and boneless meats.

The paring knife peels and pits and gets where big knives can't. It is designed to utilize the maximum blade work area with the least amount of tension on the hand.

Use the paring knife for cutting eyes from potatoes, pitting plums and peaches, seeking and skinning grapes, making cucumber curls, deveining shrimp, decapping strawberries and every other job requiring a small, sharp knife.

Cheap knives do not last and are a dangerous tool in the kitchen. Whenever I need to buy any piece of equipment for my kitchen, I consult Consumer's Digest. Or ask a professional chef; his knives must be sharp and efficient and he is familiar with the best tools available.

Q: What is the secret of whipping up stiff egg whites in this climate? I have tried making angel food cake as well as meringue but have failed each time. I do add cream of tartar, but it does not seem to help. I make sure that air conditioning is on and windows are closed, but that does not seem to make a difference. Please help!

A: Over the years I have had many such requests, and hopefully this solution will settle the matter. I make a lot of meringues, especially cookies and Key lime pie, with much success.

The most important hint is to have your eggs at room temperature. Whenever I bake I bring all the ingredients to room temperature; they blend better and the results are perfect.

I make my meringue in a very dry copper bowl; it has proven to be a good investment. Purists insist that a wire whisk is best. But I'm too lazy for that; I use an electric hand mixer.

Beat the egg whites until light and frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until the whites are stiff enough to hold a peak. Gradually beat in the sugar, one teaspoon at a time, and beat until the meringue is stiff and glossy.

Doris Reynolds is the author of "Let's Talk Food" and "When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet Was Fried." They are available for sale in the lobby of the Naples Daily News. For information and comments on today's column, contact Doris Reynolds at foodlvr24@aol.com.

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