The Story of Wüsthof

P.S. The other side of the knife has my name inscribed on it but I am not showing it for privacy reasons. 

As I was getting ready for my summer break transitioning from the fifth grade to the sixth grade, I was wondering what to do over summer. I thought I should read everyday, swim everyday, but nothing seemed thrilling. Then my mom suggested a new idea for her and I, which was to cook a new dish every single day, and after 30 days, I would achieve a custom cooking knife with my name engraved on it. I found this deal very interesting, so I took the challenge and started the next day. I printed a calendar and stuck it onto the fridge to mark each day what I cooked.

        On the first day, I was helping my mom make Pav Bhaji, an Indian dish. My sister joined as well on that day, so there were many fights between us while cooking. Once the fights died down, my mom taught me how to hold a knife and how to cut vegetables. The first vegetable I’d ever cut was an onion. While peeling the onion, I could feel the tears coming. My sister suggested “Go wear a swimming goggle.” So I went outside to the sunroom to get my swimming goggles and then wore them to prevent me from tearing up. It worked! Cutting vegetables was a challenge on the first day, and I couldn’t imagine what the next 29 days would be like.

        

        During these 30 days, I learned how to toast and bake. My first encounter with an oven was when I made pizza. I helped my mom with the making of the dough and then cut vegetables. My creativity came in when I suggested using mozzarella cheese sticks for a stuffed crust pizza. My mother found this to be amusing and told me to do it as per my liking because she believed in me. Taking out the pizza was the scariest part of this dish because I thought my fingers would burn off. In the end, the pizza was delicious.

        

        On a few occasions, we couldn’t cook EVERY day. When I didn’t want to make anything elaborate, I made an easy dish like jalapenos with cream cheese and instant ramen noodles. Whenever I prepared an easy dish, I added my own spin so it doesn’t seem so easy.

        

        The dish that taught me the most was biriyani, the Indian mouth-watering rice based dish. Biriyani has a mix of spicy, salty, and is usually served warm. If you have ever tried it, you would never forget the experience. It taught me how to dice paneer cubes, how to be precise, and to be very patient. This dish was very hard for me to help prepare because I don’t have the patience the dish needs. I felt like every single ingredient needed an exact amount. After what seemed like a year, the dish was ready. My family sat down for dinner then my dad tried it first. Immediately, my dad exclaimed, “This is AMAZING!”

        

        My favorite dish that I cooked was Kothu Paratha, which is shredded flatbread mixed with vegetables, spices, and paneer. I asked my mom if we could cook this and she said “Sure! I would love to!” The same day we went to the grocery store and I helped my mother choose ingredients for this special dish. When we both reached home, I immediately took the ingredients into our home and then was waiting to start cooking. My mom told me simple directions and I followed as if I was her butler. I toasted the paratha and then cut them into small pieces. Once I added the vegetables, the cubed paneer, and the shredded paratha, I started mixing them together. Finally, the dish was ready. I tried it from the pot and it tasted just like how my mother would have made it herself. I felt like I had become a master chef.

        The last meal I cooked before receiving my cooking knife was pasta. Since the 30 days of cooking was coming to an end, my mother and I cooked our favorite type of pasta, Fettuccine Alfredo. I made sure the measurements were correct and I cooked per my mom’s instructions. After I cooked the pasta, I helped my mom with the preparation of the alfredo sauce. Mostly, my tasks were to bring her the correct ingredients, but I felt like I prepared the entire dish. I mixed the sauce and pasta together and it was ready to be served.

        

        The next day, my family went to the mall together to find a custom knife. We went to a Wüsthof store and the employee said the store did not carry the custom knives at the moment. Driving home in defeat, my mom suggested that we order the knife online. When we reached home, my mom and I went on the Wüsthof website and finally ordered a custom knife with my name. After a few days, the knife was delivered. I was so eager to see the knife and to try cutting vegetables with it.

        

        Completing these 30 days of cooking taught me so much about patience, perseverance, and precision. I also became more confident and creative at cooking and continued to work with my mom over weekends as a team. This has helped me become a better individual and helped me gain a new hobby that I can continue using for the rest of my life.

    Here is the list of dishes what I prepared each day...