Help me build a culinary tool kit

[Gildwulf]

Hey El D forum,

I am taking a professional cooking class starting this week. Culinary Arts I at a local college, nothing too exciting. Anyways, they require you to have a "culinary toolkit" consisting of the following items:



* apron – bib-style
* comfortable safe shoes – closed toe and heel
* cook’s fork
* dry measures
* knife bag or tool box
* measuring cup
* measuring spoons
* metal spoon
* one plastic/canvas bag to carry home finished dishes

* pastry brush
* rubber spatula
* set of knives (paring, 10"-12" chef or French, serrated and boning)
* three or four heavy cotton side towels
* tongs
* two dessert spoons
* two paring knives
* two wooden spoons
* vegetable peeler

I am most interested in recommendations on paring knives, other knives and anything that will affect cooking in a big way. I'm interested in longevity as these are items I want to keep a while. I'd like to get this stuff for less than $300 if possible.

Do you guys have brand recommendations or any particular advice for building this kit? I'm not looking for custom-made knives shipped from Japan. Just whatever I can find in downtown Toronto (Sears, the Bay, and if necessary a few professional cooking stores...Walmart is accessible but a little more difficult to get to from downtown) that will be good value and last me a long time.