Career milestone thrills journalism student

Recently, I achieved a milestone in my life and new career as a journalist: I had my first article published in a newspaper other than the Patriot Talon.

On Feb. 23, The Tyler Morning Telegraph published my story about homemade tamales on the front page of their food section.

I cannot explain what a thrill it was to see my words in print, not to mention my byline.

It was exactly the way I felt in the fall of 2009 when my first-ever article appeared in the Patriot Talon.

The following Wednesday, their editors published my article, “Shears Can Be Best Friend.”

Here is how it appeared:

I adore my kitchen shears. Frankly, I don’t know how I survived without them for so long.

About 15 years ago, I purchased a Farberware knife-block set, composed of various types of knives. Included in the set was a pair of kitchen shears, a utensil I never owned and one which I wasn’t sure how to use.

So, just as many first-timers do, I started clipping coupons with them.

Then, I ventured out by using them to open packages—not just ones containing food items, but all sorts of things.

Wielding them as one would a magic sword, I was able to free items from that dreaded impenetrable plastic many manufacturers persist on using.

Eventually, I adopted more appropriate kitchen-related methods for my shears by watching cooking shows on the Food Network. From these experienced chefs, I learned how to use them for food preparation.

Here are a few of the new techniques I’ve learned:

Instead of getting out a cutting board and a sharp knife to cut up herbs, now, I rely on my trusty shears to do the job. I snip the herbs right over the dish, which is less messy. Also, parsley, cilantro and chives are easier to cut with shears than a knife.

Kitchen shears perfectly slice and dice various vegetables with ease and precision.

Celery, green onions and dried peppers are excellent examples of this method.

Some recipes call for leafy, green vegetables, such as spinach or basil, to be cut with a sharp knife into a chiffonade.

“Chiffon” means “rag” in French and refers to the ribbons, or cloth-like strips, resulting from this cooking technique.

To perform a chiffonade, stack several leaves, one on top of the other and roll the stack tightly together.

Then, cut the cigar-like roll crosswise into ribbons using kitchen shears.

Turnips, collard and mustard greens, along with kale and cabbage, also can be cut into a chiffonade, using shears.

Before using this technique, I recommend using the shears to cut out the ribs of the greens.

Kitchen shears are sharper than regular scissors and easier to maneuver than a knife. With these attributes, they are ideal for cutting chicken or simply cutting raw or cooked meat into small pieces.

This also works great for trimming fat off meat, such as steaks and pork chops, and cutting raw bacon into lardons.

“Lardon” is a French cooking term meaning thick-cut, fatty bacon that has been diced, blanched and fried.

Lardons are used as a flavoring ingredient in a wide variety of cuisines, and as the base for many stews and sauces.

Using kitchen shears to cut the crusts off bread and pita bread into sections is fast and easy.

Other quick tasks are cutting cauliflower and broccoli into florets and mushrooms into slices.

Here is a tip for parents I wish I had known when my two daughters were toddlers: Cut your children’s food—no matter what it is—into bite-sized pieces with kitchen shears.

Of all the utensils and gadgets I’ve collected over the last 37 years, my kitchen shears are my all-time favorite.