Cutting edge tips: Learn kitchen knife skills in the Winnipeg Free Press's new monthly cooking feature
Welcome to the first class of Homemade: Cooking School, a new Free Press series featuring in-depth cooking tutorials from professional local chefs.
These monthly guides were created with instructors from Red River College Polytechnic's culinary arts program and will provide useful tips for newbies and confident cooks alike.
We're kicking things off with a lesson on knife skills led by chef Terry Gereta.
Gereta and his wife owned the former Mise Bistro & Lounge on Corydon Avenue for more than a decade until he made the move to teaching full time in 2015.
At Red River, he teaches students how to work in a full-service, public-facing kitchen at Jane's, a fine-dining restaurant on the main floor of the Paterson Global Foods Institute.
A culinary career wasn't what he had in mind when he landed his first kitchen job in 1984.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Terry Gereta demonstrates knife skills at RRC Polytech on Monday. He says a sharp knife is a safe knife, as a dull knife may move while cutting.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Terry Gereta demonstrates knife skills at RRC Polytech on Monday. He says a sharp knife is a safe knife, as a dull knife may move while cutting.
'I fell into it and was really good at it,' Gereta says, adding his favourite thing about cooking is 'the speed of it, the variety of the job, the multiple chances to get it right. You're always going for the same thing and trying to perfect it every time.'
That's a perfect segue into knife skills.
There are knives for cutting tomatoes, knives for deboning meat and knives for slicing sashimi. While it's nice to have the right tool for the job, you'll find more value in multipurpose utensils.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
From top: A honing steel is used to maintain the edge of a knife between sharpenings. A paring knife is used for trimming and precision tasks. A petty or utility knife is used for in-between jobs. And a chef's knife is used for all manner of chopping.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
From top: A honing steel is used to maintain the edge of a knife between sharpenings. A paring knife is used for trimming and precision tasks. A petty or utility knife is used for in-between jobs. And a chef's knife is used for all manner of chopping.
Gereta recommends owning three basic knives:
● Paring knife: A small knife with a 3- to 4-inch blade used for peeling, trimming and precision cuts.
● Petty or utility knife: A versatile knife with a 4- to 6-inch blade used for medium-sized ingredients and in-between tasks.
● Chef's knife: A long 6- to 12-inch knife used for virtually any kitchen job, from cutting meat to dicing vegetables to slicing herbs.
Knives can be an expensive investment. Keep an eye out for good-quality second-hand knives that can be sharpened back into commission.
A sharp knife is a safe knife, says Gereta.
'If you have a dull knife and you try and cut something, it will probably move and, more often than not, you'll cut yourself.'
A dull knife will also tear food instead of slicing it cleanly.
He recommends getting knives professionally sharpened once per year and using a honing or sharpening steel — a handled metal rod with an abrasive surface — regularly to keep the cutting edge straight and sharp.
Hold the steel in your non-dominant hand and keep it steady while running the edge of the knife along the rod from the heel (the area closest to the handle) to the tip at a slight angle. Work slowly and repeat several times on both sides of the cutting edge.
Hand wash your knife with soap and water as soon as you've finished using it to avoid the need for scrubbing, which can be dangerous with a sharp tool. Never put knives in the dishwasher.
Keep your tools in tip-top shape by storing them properly.
'The bad way is in a drawer, the good way is somewhere they won't bump into other things,' he says.
Knife blocks and wall-mounted magnetic strips both fall into the 'good' category.
Learning how to handle your knives correctly will make kitchen prep safer and more efficient.
Hold your knife as if going in for a handshake. Wrap your fingers around the handle firmly but comfortably and choke up on the blade slightly with your thumb and a curved index finger. This grip allows for more control while chopping.
Guide the ingredients with your other hand using a claw-like grip to protect your fingers from the sharp cutting edge. Pinch the item with your thumb and pinky and curl your remaining fingers away from the blade. The flat side of the knife should butt up your knuckles, removing the risk of nicking an outstretched fingertip.
Keep the tip of your knife in contact with the cutting board and move the tool in a wave-like motion that begins in the shoulder.
Keep your elbow tucked into your side for stability and control.
Steady your cutting surface by placing a damp towel or a non-slip mat underneath your cutting board.
Repetition and focus are key to improving knife skills.
'Make sure you respect your knife. I've chopped a fair amount of carrots in 40 years, but I still have to pay attention,' Gereta says.
Watchers of The Bear might be familiar with the concept of mise en place. It sounds fancy, but mise en place simply refers to the process of gathering ingredients and organizing your workstation prior to cooking.
Good mise en place means having all the ingredients in a recipe chopped, prepped and portioned before moving on to the cooking directions. That way you won't be stuck cutting something while another ingredient is left frying on the stove — a form of multitasking that can lead to burned or overcooked food.
Solid organization can also make cleanup easier.
'For a home cook, having good mise en place is important because the dishes can pile up pretty quick,' says Gereta, who abides by the 'if you can lean, you can clean' school of thought and usually tidies up while things are simmering safely.
Recipes often call for ingredients to cut a certain way. This is because food cooks more evenly when everything is the same size and shape.
Flavour distribution, texture and appearance of a final dish can also be improved with cut consistency.
Students at Red River learn the textbook dimensions of different cuts down to the millimetre, but there's more wiggle room for home cooks.
'It's all personal preference, as long as everything is the same size,' Gereta says.
The first cuts are the deepest, or rather, the most important. When dicing a carrot, for example, square off the ends and ensure the remaining sections are the same length to create a common baseline before breaking down the vegetable further.
● Julienne: Long, thin strips
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Julienne cuts create long, thin strips.
● Batonnet: Small sticks; think carrot sticks and French fries
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Batonnet is a small, square stick.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Batonnet is a small, square stick.
● Dice: Small- or medium-sized uniform cubes
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Dice is a uniform cube, made from a batonnet.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Dice is a uniform cube, made from a batonnet.
● Bruinose: A very small dice or mince
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Brunoise is a very small dice, made from a julienne.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Brunoise is a very small dice, made from a julienne.
● Chiffonade: Leafy greens or herbs rolled into a cigar-like shape and finely sliced
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Chiffonade is used to finely slice herbs or leafy greens.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Chiffonade is used to finely slice herbs or leafy greens.
Consider composting or saving your vegetable scraps to use in soup stocks — a topic we'll discuss further in next month's Cooking School on stocks and sauces.
eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com
Every Second Friday
The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney.
Eva WasneyReporter
Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva.
Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Cutting edge tips: Learn kitchen knife skills in the Winnipeg Free Press's new monthly cooking feature
Welcome to the first class of Homemade: Cooking School, a new Free Press series featuring in-depth cooking tutorials from professional local chefs. These monthly guides were created with instructors from Red River College Polytechnic's culinary arts program and will provide useful tips for newbies and confident cooks alike. We're kicking things off with a lesson on knife skills led by chef Terry Gereta. Gereta and his wife owned the former Mise Bistro & Lounge on Corydon Avenue for more than a decade until he made the move to teaching full time in 2015. At Red River, he teaches students how to work in a full-service, public-facing kitchen at Jane's, a fine-dining restaurant on the main floor of the Paterson Global Foods Institute. A culinary career wasn't what he had in mind when he landed his first kitchen job in 1984. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Terry Gereta demonstrates knife skills at RRC Polytech on Monday. He says a sharp knife is a safe knife, as a dull knife may move while cutting. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Terry Gereta demonstrates knife skills at RRC Polytech on Monday. He says a sharp knife is a safe knife, as a dull knife may move while cutting. 'I fell into it and was really good at it,' Gereta says, adding his favourite thing about cooking is 'the speed of it, the variety of the job, the multiple chances to get it right. You're always going for the same thing and trying to perfect it every time.' That's a perfect segue into knife skills. There are knives for cutting tomatoes, knives for deboning meat and knives for slicing sashimi. While it's nice to have the right tool for the job, you'll find more value in multipurpose utensils. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS From top: A honing steel is used to maintain the edge of a knife between sharpenings. A paring knife is used for trimming and precision tasks. A petty or utility knife is used for in-between jobs. And a chef's knife is used for all manner of chopping. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS From top: A honing steel is used to maintain the edge of a knife between sharpenings. A paring knife is used for trimming and precision tasks. A petty or utility knife is used for in-between jobs. And a chef's knife is used for all manner of chopping. Gereta recommends owning three basic knives: ● Paring knife: A small knife with a 3- to 4-inch blade used for peeling, trimming and precision cuts. ● Petty or utility knife: A versatile knife with a 4- to 6-inch blade used for medium-sized ingredients and in-between tasks. ● Chef's knife: A long 6- to 12-inch knife used for virtually any kitchen job, from cutting meat to dicing vegetables to slicing herbs. Knives can be an expensive investment. Keep an eye out for good-quality second-hand knives that can be sharpened back into commission. A sharp knife is a safe knife, says Gereta. 'If you have a dull knife and you try and cut something, it will probably move and, more often than not, you'll cut yourself.' A dull knife will also tear food instead of slicing it cleanly. He recommends getting knives professionally sharpened once per year and using a honing or sharpening steel — a handled metal rod with an abrasive surface — regularly to keep the cutting edge straight and sharp. Hold the steel in your non-dominant hand and keep it steady while running the edge of the knife along the rod from the heel (the area closest to the handle) to the tip at a slight angle. Work slowly and repeat several times on both sides of the cutting edge. Hand wash your knife with soap and water as soon as you've finished using it to avoid the need for scrubbing, which can be dangerous with a sharp tool. Never put knives in the dishwasher. Keep your tools in tip-top shape by storing them properly. 'The bad way is in a drawer, the good way is somewhere they won't bump into other things,' he says. Knife blocks and wall-mounted magnetic strips both fall into the 'good' category. Learning how to handle your knives correctly will make kitchen prep safer and more efficient. Hold your knife as if going in for a handshake. Wrap your fingers around the handle firmly but comfortably and choke up on the blade slightly with your thumb and a curved index finger. This grip allows for more control while chopping. Guide the ingredients with your other hand using a claw-like grip to protect your fingers from the sharp cutting edge. Pinch the item with your thumb and pinky and curl your remaining fingers away from the blade. The flat side of the knife should butt up your knuckles, removing the risk of nicking an outstretched fingertip. Keep the tip of your knife in contact with the cutting board and move the tool in a wave-like motion that begins in the shoulder. Keep your elbow tucked into your side for stability and control. Steady your cutting surface by placing a damp towel or a non-slip mat underneath your cutting board. Repetition and focus are key to improving knife skills. 'Make sure you respect your knife. I've chopped a fair amount of carrots in 40 years, but I still have to pay attention,' Gereta says. Watchers of The Bear might be familiar with the concept of mise en place. It sounds fancy, but mise en place simply refers to the process of gathering ingredients and organizing your workstation prior to cooking. Good mise en place means having all the ingredients in a recipe chopped, prepped and portioned before moving on to the cooking directions. That way you won't be stuck cutting something while another ingredient is left frying on the stove — a form of multitasking that can lead to burned or overcooked food. Solid organization can also make cleanup easier. 'For a home cook, having good mise en place is important because the dishes can pile up pretty quick,' says Gereta, who abides by the 'if you can lean, you can clean' school of thought and usually tidies up while things are simmering safely. Recipes often call for ingredients to cut a certain way. This is because food cooks more evenly when everything is the same size and shape. Flavour distribution, texture and appearance of a final dish can also be improved with cut consistency. Students at Red River learn the textbook dimensions of different cuts down to the millimetre, but there's more wiggle room for home cooks. 'It's all personal preference, as long as everything is the same size,' Gereta says. The first cuts are the deepest, or rather, the most important. When dicing a carrot, for example, square off the ends and ensure the remaining sections are the same length to create a common baseline before breaking down the vegetable further. ● Julienne: Long, thin strips MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Julienne cuts create long, thin strips. ● Batonnet: Small sticks; think carrot sticks and French fries MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Batonnet is a small, square stick. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Batonnet is a small, square stick. ● Dice: Small- or medium-sized uniform cubes MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Dice is a uniform cube, made from a batonnet. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Dice is a uniform cube, made from a batonnet. ● Bruinose: A very small dice or mince MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Brunoise is a very small dice, made from a julienne. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Brunoise is a very small dice, made from a julienne. ● Chiffonade: Leafy greens or herbs rolled into a cigar-like shape and finely sliced MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Chiffonade is used to finely slice herbs or leafy greens. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Chiffonade is used to finely slice herbs or leafy greens. Consider composting or saving your vegetable scraps to use in soup stocks — a topic we'll discuss further in next month's Cooking School on stocks and sauces. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Church's Rooster Town tour seeks to make amends
In 1930, when Harrow United Church was built at the corner of Mulvey Ave. and Harrow St., on what was then the southwest fringe of the city of Winnipeg, its neighbours included people who lived in Rooster Town. That community, made up of mostly Métis residents, was founded in 1901 and lasted until the late 1950s when residents were pressured to leave so the growing city could sell lots for new houses. Today, the church is honouring Rooster Town and recalling the injustice of the past through a self-guided walking tour of the former community. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Rooster Town tour committee members Susan Ketchen (from left), Virginia Platt, Rae Leaden, Teresa Moysey, Jacquie Corrigan and Marc Whitehead at Harrow United Church. The 5-km tour, which takes about 75 minutes, is happening from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the church at 955 Mulvey Ave. The event will also feature a celebration of Métis and Indigenous heritage in the neighbourhood. The church's interest in Rooster Town goes back to the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, said Harrow's former minister, Teresa Moysey. 'It became part of our fabric here,' she said of how the church sought to incorporate the findings of the commission into its congregational life. The discovery of potential unmarked graves of children at former residential schools in Canada prompted the congregation to want to do more, as did the publication of the book Rooster Town: The History of an Urban Métis Community, 1901–1961 by Evelyn Peters. Recognizing the church's historical connection, the congregation wanted to memorialize Rooster Town, known to its residents as Pakan, the Michif word for the hazelnut bushes in the area. They also wanted to counter the negative stereotypes about Rooster Town that might still linger from newspaper reports at that time that characterized residents as poor, filthy and disease-ridden people. 'It was a healthy community,' Virginia Platt said of Rooster Town, which once had about 250 residents in 59 residences. Men in Rooster Town mostly worked as labourers, and the women as domestics, she said, adding they paid taxes even though they didn't have access to services such as water, sewer and electricity. 'They were hardworking, doing the best they could to look out for their families,' Platt said. 'They were very resilient.' The tour is an effort to make amends, Platt said, adding she would like to see the City of Winnipeg formally apologize for how the residents of Rooster Town were maligned and mistreated. During the tour, participants can see some original Rooster Town houses that still exist, along with sites of historical significance to the community, such as Rockwood school and the locations of a former greenhouse, stable and dairy where Rooster Town residents worked. 'We hope it will increase interest among Winnipeggers about the Indigenous and Métis people who once lived in this area,' Moysey said. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. Jackie Corrigan, who wrote the script for the walking tour, said she hopes it will 'expose government ignorance and neglect and show the resilience of Rooster Town.' For Harrow church minister Marc Whitehead, the tour can be a 'reminder of what used to be here … we can be witnesses to an effort to remove that history.' In addition to the tour, visitors can learn about the medicinal plants in the church's healing garden, and view a reconciliation mural painted on the front of the church by Indigenous artist Jeannie White Bird and a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. More information, and a tour map, click here. faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
MMF command centre gives evacuees ‘retail therapy'
A tired-looking man walked into the Manitoba Métis Federation's makeshift command centre for people displaced by wildfires with a simple request Friday afternoon. 'I just want to get settled in,' he told a group of volunteers that gathered around him at the building's entrance. The man arrived in Winnipeg earlier that day, one of more than 18,000 Manitobans who have had to flee their homes due to out-of-control wildfires across portions of the province. He knows he needs toiletries, and would appreciate a snack, but isn't sure what else he might need. A volunteer gestured toward the wall-to-wall piles of organized donations. 'Let's get you some retail therapy.' MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Kit Carleton a staff member at the Louis Riel Institute volunteers at the MMF's emergency centre. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Kit Carleton a staff member at the Louis Riel Institute volunteers at the MMF's emergency centre. The building, at 406 McGregor St., thrums with activity. Thousands of donations fill every room and line the walls — food, drinks, stacks of folded clothes, books, baby formula, children's activities and hygiene products. In the back are some of the most hotly requested items: wheelchairs, walkers, baby chairs, strollers — assistive supports that people were forced to leave behind in the rush to get to safety. Volunteers of all ages run from room to room, helping visitors and organizing donations. In the front of the building, more immediate needs are met. Computers with Wi-Fi are arranged on a table for people to get online, a kids movie is projected on a rare empty wall, and colouring pages and toys are strewn about. Individual Saran-wrapped pieces of bannock with jam is popular with people walking in. The doors are open for any evacuee who needs it, Red River Métis or otherwise, and MMF-sponsored buses pick up people staying in hotels who may be short on essentials, or for those just looking for something to do. They're encouraged to take their time and browse — volunteers and organizers describe it as shopping, and a break from the emergency that's defined their lives for the last while. 'It's a little bit of normalcy, and it's a little bit of something that's pleasant and good and gives them some choices, in a world where they haven't had a ton of choices,' said MMF spokesperson Kat Patenaude, ho has also taken on a liaison role in wildfire support evacuee efforts. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Stephanie Meilleur (right) director of Red River Métis community resources department talks to MMF media relations advisor is Kat Patenaude (left) in the command centre. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Stephanie Meilleur (right) director of Red River Métis community resources department talks to MMF media relations advisor is Kat Patenaude (left) in the command centre. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for at least 27 communities in Manitoba. While some are staying with family or friends, others are in hotel rooms or staying on cots in evacuee shelters. Patenaude says hundreds of evacuees have passed through the doors in the weeks since the wildfires first broke out. When it became clear the MMF wouldn't have trouble soliciting donations or ensuring the needs of their membership were met, they began to strategize on how best to ensure people were getting the highest standard of care they could, with an Indigenous-led focus, said Stephanie Meilleur, the MMF's community resources department director. On the ground, it presents itself in different ways, she said: products for elders, mothers and infants stacked high, and hot cooked meals in the evenings consisting of staples like corn, fish, fry bread and soups — what someone visiting might have eaten at home. 'Evacuees are sitting in congregate shelters in other areas, and they're being fed pizza and Subway and foods that they are not used to, and they are looking for that Indigenous warm meal, and we are happy to provide those meals at supper time every night here,' she said. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Kitchen mama, Savannah Sauvé (left) and Bus Girl, Shelby Broatch, put together a hamper of sandwiches for evacuees and volunteers. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Kitchen mama, Savannah Sauvé (left) and Bus Girl, Shelby Broatch, put together a hamper of sandwiches for evacuees and volunteers. There are still a few high-demand products the centre seeks, namely baby formula, suitcases and luggage, strollers, and grocery carts. Meilleur said that evacuations, and the wildfires themselves, remain unpredictable, and they're taking the level of need day-by-day. 'We are setting ourselves up to potentially be doing this long term. No one knows anything,' she said. Meanwhile, at Red River College Polytech, therapy dogs were brought in Friday — but not for stressed-out students. More than 100 evacuees were set to arrive at RRC Polytech's Notre Dame campus Friday, where a temporary shelter with 180 cots has been set up in the North Gym. The college has brought in counselors, and is making use of the educational tools at their disposal by offering tutoring services and programming for school-age evacuees. 'We're stepping up for whatever it is that the the evacuees need, we're going to be able to figure out a way to help them,' spokesperson Jodi Pluchinski said. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Volunteers load up a trailer headed to The Pas at 406 McGregor St. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Volunteers load up a trailer headed to The Pas at 406 McGregor St. Other shelters, like the one set up in Winkler's Meridian Exhibition Centre, are waiting on standby. Winkler Mayor Henry Siemens said the entire city leapt to action when the province said evacuees could be sent their way. Within 24 hours, the building was filled with cots and basic supplies. Local businesses, religious organizations, and the neighbouring city of Morden reached out to ask how they could help. 'We mobilized extremely quickly,' Siemens said. Despite around 800 Manitoba evacuees having been sent to hotels in Ontario, Winkler's shelter remains empty. Siemens said around 40 evacuees are staying in hotels in the city. He knows that could change at a moment's notice, and said Winkler's emergency response team is on high alert. 'At this time, our facility is fully ready,' he said. 'We have everything in place.' Malak AbasReporter Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg's North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak. Every piece of reporting Malak produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
