My Mother's Grapefruit Knife

Certain kitchen implements are so perfectly suited to their purpose that using them is pure joy; such is the case with my mother's grapefruit knife.

Unlike some modern grapefruit knives, which have coarse serrations and often on only one side of the blade, this little beauty has the finest of serrations all the way around the blade, which is perfectly balanced with the light wood handle. The gentle curve of the blade cuts grapefruit free from the sections without disturbing them - it is a pleasure to use and a pleasure to eat the virtually perfect fruit.

I so cherish this knife that when My Beloved's daughters wanted to borrow it to prepare food for a party they were having, I loaned it only with the stern admonition that it must be returned promptly the next day - and then actually worried about the darn thing so much that I retrieved it at the height of the party and tucked it safely in my purse before pouring my first glass of wine!

I can remember my mother teaching me the delicate art of grapefruit sectioning when I was about six years old; grapefruit was a frequent first course at our winter dinner table. One of those ladies who had the perfect sterling silver implement for everything, she even had pointed grapefruit spoons designed to get every little morsel - but gracefully! She would not allow me, even then, to do a sloppy job, insisting on a delicacy and perfectionism that I still value today.

Now, every time I'm carefully sectioning a grapefruit, I am back in my mother's kitchen with her bowed gently over my shoulder and her breath warm on my cheek, showing me how to make perfect grapefruit a gift to the family.