Do you ever ask yourself what you would take with you to a small deserted island? What about on a long holiday-or just visiting your family? I’m almost embarrassed to admit that we carry a few of our kitchen things with us, wherever we go-from India to New Zealand. We thought about this just today, unpacking after a stint house-sitting for a family member. Over the next few days, we’ll share our deserted island kitchen. The ten things we just can’t live without. Here’s number one: 
The Wusthof Bird’s Beak 2 1/4″ paring knife. From their ultra affordable line, it’s still laser stamped and silver-tipped. Super sharp-but inexpensive enough to risk on tough jobs like peeling garlic and cutting the thick skin off of cassava. It’s a style of knife my Mom introduced me to years ago. Her deft hands used one just like this to make short work of mountains of spuds and piles of carrots. The slight curve to blade follows the contour of round veg perfectly, and it’s also great for fancy work. Whether you want to carve a radish into a lotus blossom or just break down that bushel of apples for pie, it’s the perfect tool. Carbon steel made in Solingen Germany, it holds a razor sharp edge, but isn’t dishwasher safe and must be dried immediately after washing. We’ve gone through a couple of them over the years, not because they’re cheap, but because we’ve abused the hell out of them. It’s our go to present for aspiring cooks and wedding showers, and never fails to be well received. It’s well worth a spot in our deserted island luggage-I’d just better remember not to pack it in the carry-on!
