And on metal in microwaves:

“Despite general warnings against using metal, metal containers and aluminum foil aren’t dangerous. They reflect microwaves away from foods and so slow their heating. That’s sometimes useful for preventing the edges of foods, like fish fillets or asparagus tips, from overcooking. Just don’t put foil or bowls too close to each other or to the oven walls, since that can cause sparking.”

“And not just those of the cooks. Since the mid-’90s, Japanese knives have become de rigueur in professional kitchens of all stripes — edging out, so to speak, German and French blades. As top chefs like Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter and Jean-Georges Vongerichten discovered Japanese knives, home cooks began to follow, and in the last five years sales have exploded. Even the enterprising Rachael Ray now hawks an “East/West” blade based on Japanese design.

“They’re perfectly engineered,” said legendary four-star chef David Bouley. As he pulled out blade after Japanese blade — he owns 50 — he explained that these knives cut through the cells of ingredients so cleanly and precisely that food oxidizes more slowly, and tastes better as a result.”

And there’s more”

“Japanese carbon steel derives from techniques originally developed to produce steel for samurai swords. Its exceptional hardness lets you hone an incredibly sharp edge on the blade.

Shape is also critical. Japanese knives come in two broad styles: Western and traditional. Western looks like the double-edged knives we know. A gyutou is what we’d call a classic chef’s knife — this is the one American chefs typically buy. Traditional Japanese kitchen knives, on the other hand, come in three main shapes: yanagi, usuba and deba. The yanagi, which looks like a long willow leaf, is for slicing raw fish. The usuba has a wide rectangular blade for cutting vegetables. The deba is a heavy blade like a thick chef’s knife, for portioning fish and chicken.”