DC Eats Magazine_First Issue_Update

tips
Here’s why: Those boards
with the handles on
them…. they take up
much needed space on
my counter and just get
in the way. The one shaped like a
pear, that might be nice for serving
something on but it’s just a little too
impractical for me. I don’t need cute,
I need efficient. The one in the center
– waaayyyy toooooo small. Round –
useless. Put a bowl of fruit on it and
it’ll look nice.
Give me a nice, rectangular cutting
board. When I need a new cutting
board here’s what I look for and
where I go:
First – the cutting board must be
wood or bamboo. These have been
How to Pick a
Cutting
Board
Even though this photo I found is cool,
I wouldn’t use any of these.
[ By Chef Marilyn, www.thenourishingwell.com ]
proven to be the safest
surface to work on, bacteria
wise.
Second – walk into
Home Goods. If you don’t
have a Home Goods near you,
then TJ Maxx or Marshalls (all
three of these are owned by the
same company), any place that
gets lot ends (but you know it can
be hit or miss). See what they have.
Or if you have a restaurant supply
place near you that can be a good
place to get reasonably priced cutting
boards.
Pick the cutting board that suits
the space, but not one that’s too
small. Something around 16 x 24
generally works well. I really like the
bamboo cutting
boards that are available
these days. Bamboo is a
great, quick growing, renewable resource.
There are some absolutely beautiful
cutting boards like Boos, but they
are just outside my budget.
To clean your
cutting board
just use
some warm
soapy water.
You’ll find some cutting boards
have a groove about an inch or so
in from the edge. This is for catching
the juices of foods that, well,
are juicy. Meat and poultry have
plenty of juice that will get all over
your counter without a board like
this. Not good! Tofu or seitan can
be a bit drippy too (but not full of
bacteria so no worries on that end).
You don’t want these plastic
cutting boards! →
One, because they’re plastic. We
already have too much plastic
in our lives, and it’s toxic and I
always wonder if little, unnoticeable
bits of plastic get into the
food somehow.
Two, because these plastic cutting
boards get deep grooves
in them when you cut on them.
Those deep grooves hold bacteria.
And three – I’m convinced they
dull a knife faster than a wooden
cutting board.
However, see that rack the boards
are standing in. You could use one of
those. I got mine at, ummm, Home
Goods (these guys should be giving
me a stipend! They’re not, no
worries). You want one of those
racks so you can stand the
cutting board up to
dry after you clean
it at the end of
your work day,
or work hour,
or work minute.
I guess
for me it’s a
work day (I’m
a personal
chef), but not
for most of you.
You don’t want to
tuck a damp cutting
board into a cupboard or
closet. It’ll start to mold if it doesn’t
get a chance to dry. Yuck! If you
don’t have the space for a rack like
this then just stand the board up on
end and lean it against a wall where it
won’t fall or get knocked into. Once
it’s thoroughly dry then you can tuck
it away in a closet or drawer.
Oh, I forgot to mention glass cutting
boards. I have no idea who ever
invented those. Nobody who cooks. I
always know if I’m in the home
of someone with one of these
they definitely don’t cook. Maybe
you can cut a bagel on them.
Glass cutting boards are dangerous
since the knife can slip on
them and they dull a knife
faster than anything. Put a
plant on it. It’ll look pretty.
I have several cutting
boards, some that
I use only for meat,
poultry and fish and
the others are specifically
for plant-based
foods. Is that necessary?
Probably not. But it keeps
me happy to know they are
kept separate. And my vegan clients
like to know that too.
To clean your cutting board just
use some warm soapy water. If you
want to disinfect it, which I do immediately
after prepping any sort of
animal foods on my board, I rinse the
board off in an empty sink and then
spray it with a natural disinfecting
spray or simply white vinegar or diluted
tea tree oil. I also wash the sink
with hot soapy water, then spray the
sink with a natural antibacterial cleaner.
Don’t – let me repeat – DON’T
put your cutting boards in the dishwasher.
Great way to ruin them.
There are other things you should
know – like how to oil a cutting board
so it doesn’t crack so you can keep
it for a lifetime and how to keep the
cutting board from slipping around on
your table or counter top. I’ll be blogging
about those things in the near
future. Keep an eye out for those
Happy Cooking!
Marilyn
22 DC Eats Magazine #1 issue
#1 issue DC Eats Magazine 23