Global Sai Chef Knife

I spent the weekend with a few friends at a cabin in Mt. Baker in Washington State. We’re ostensibly there to ski—and we did have a bluebird day up on the mountain on Saturday—but I’d say 60 percent of what has made this an annual trip are the meals we prep together. We’re always well stocked with ingredients (thanks to a few pitstops at Trader Joe’s and the Community Co-op) and wine (critical for meal prep, of course), but every year I kick myself for not bringing the crucial element to really making cooking fun: a great knife. Hands down, my favourite chef’s knife is from Global line: the handle is comfortable (and sanitary, without any grooves or grommets), the blade is hand-hammered (which creates air pockets, allowing the food to be more easily released) and most importantly, it slices and dices like a charm. (Which is more than I can say for a rental cabin-supplied knife.)

Global Sai Chef knife, $224.99, available in Vancouver at House of Knives, houseofknives.ca; in Calgary at Williams-Sonoma, williams-sonoma.com

Japanese Santoku Knives

When rain and high winds kept us off the mountain at Mt Baker this past weekend, my friends and I turned to the next best thing: prepping great food for each other in our cabin (with requisite breaks for prosecco and some hot tub time). I tested out these new Santoku knives from Canadian company Trudeau—which, admittedly, I’d been drawn to because of the colour. But I was presently surprised at their efficiency—Japanese Santoku knives are shaped slightly differently than traditional western knives, and known for their excellence in slicing and dicing—and even more thrilled at the price. At three for $30, they’re the perfect set for the cabin. Santoku knives by Trudeau, $29.99/set of three, available in Vancouver at Ming Wo, mingwo.com; in Calgary at the Compleat Cook, compleatcook.ca.