I also have that same Victorinox knife ... in fact, have the whole set. I did a lot of research and found that for the $$, these knives can't be beat. I've had them 5 years and love them!!

We have done a LOT to our rental kitchen. First, we painted the walls a bright, asparagus green, which made the old, yellowed cabinetry seem less dingy. Second, we put up llittle hooks all along on...

Cheese. All kinds -- the good stuff (brie, manchego, local goat cheese) and the normal stuff (regular old orange cheddar) -- and in all sorts of dishes or just alone!

I clean all my cast iron pans with kosher salt. Rinse/scrape the big bits of food off, then dump about a TB of salt on the pan and scrub. Works like a charm!

Also, Pastis w/milk (instead of water) was a favorite after-dinner drink of my "French family" when I studied abroad in college. YUM!

When you snap a leaf and rub it between your fingers, does it smell like parsley?

I also love the tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe, but my husband goes bananas for them when I double the salt the recipe calls for but use Kosher salt instead. It makes a HUGE difference!

For reading in the kitchen -- books & cookbooks -- I use an acrylic stand that shields the book's pages from whatever gooey food I'm preparing ;)

Asparagus-lemon pasta is always one of my first spring recipes -- just made it a couple of weeks ago. Also, grilled Belgian endive brushed w/olive oil and sprinkled w/a little kosher salt. As soon ...