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I would have to say my favorite is a Victorinox Forschner 7 Inch Santoku. It's light, nimble, quick and razor-sharp. It was also very reasonably priced and easy to re-sharpen when needed.

chickpea and spinach stew with potatoes has to be one of my favorites.

Oh my! That brings back the memories. Used to live in Marburg, DE and loved, loved, loved Doeners. Turgut 2 had by far the best doeners in town, though Ali Khan's could put out a mean one too. Always asked for mine "wahnsinnig scharf" (insanely spicy) and then they'd bring out the secret blend of peppers, herbs and spices that they'd sprinkle liberally on top. Here are my tips for a good doener shop -
1. Look for a place where you can actually see the layers of meat on the kebab - some places use meat mush for lack of a better word that's then shaped into a cone. A proper kebab should be layers of marinated lamb that are smeared with a marinade and then stacked on a giant spit and roasted.
2. Pitas are ok - but fresh baked turkisch fladenbrot (flat bread) is better. Kind of like a giant round foccacia. A wedge is then cut off and toasted in a sandwich press. I think this one is personal preference because I just like the airy, but bready texture of the flatbread over the pita. Plus the press gives it a nice textural contrast.
3. Always look for a place where they cut the meat off the spit with a knife - never an electric shaver or knife. The electric knives get it too thin and the ratio of juicy meaty bits to crunchy exterior suffers.
4. Fresh crispy veg and a good sauce are key as well. These two can really make or break the doener.

Wow - I haven't thought about doener's for years! Anyone know of a good Doener place (not gyro joint) in the US? I gave up looking a few years ago, but was wondering if anyone else has been able to find one? Oh - and for those who want to go one step further - try a lahmacun. It's basically like a thick tortilla or thin pizza crust, smeared with a tomato and minced lamb mixture, topped with the doener meat, veg and sauce and rolled like a burrito. That one's definitely tops in my book as well.

Oh no! my long-standing chocolate chip cookie secret ingredient is out: molasses (it really does give the cookies a nice depth of flavor). I've always used Grandma's Original (unsulphured).