Speak Softly & Carry a Big Knife

Ok, maybe that's not really the way it goes. Teddy Roosevelt uttered the West African proverb in the early 1900's.  At the time he was the governor of New York but by the time he was thrust into the presidency that phrase would become a trademark description of Roosevelt’s foreign policy. The whole proverb is actually "Speak softly and carry a big stick and you will go far."   Still, I’m not here for the politics. I’m all about food, so I’m talking about the big knife.

The most common misunderstanding I see in the kitchen is the idea that the big sharp knife is the dangerous one, hence it always stays sharp because people have unfounded fear of using it. The large knife gets a bad rap, much the way a rottweiler is a "bad dog." The truth is, a small dull knife is the most dangerous one in the house. Pair that with your favorite glass cutting board and you may as well go ahead and make a reservation in the ER.

WRONG knife for the job.

Right knife for the job.

The trick is to keep the blades sharp and to use the right size knife for the job. I am a knife junkie. For me personally, the smallest I can even stand to work with is an 8" chef's blade. I do love my little paring knives for small, quick jobs like topping off strawberries or coring tomatoes. I would never consider a knife that small to do any kind of chopping, yet I’ve seen people do it. SCARY.

My babies.

Another important tip about cutting things is always giving yourself a flat surface.  If you’re dicing potatoes or onions or a myriad of any other roly poly veggies, it’s best if you cut them in half and lay them flat side down to dice them into small pieces. Roly poly slicing is another way to get to know your local ER staff.

You also need a few really good cutting boards.  Make ‘em BIG!  Give yourself plenty of room for makin’ a mess.  Give meat & veggies each their own boards. My veggie board is bamboo. My meat board is polypropylene. Bamboo can be soaked with vinegar to kill bacteria. The meat board can be bleached or go in the dishwasher.  Never bleach a wood board & if you put it in the dishwasher, you may just hear it crying. Please don’t (ever) use a glass cutting board. They’re dangerous & they’ll dull your blades.

Lesson of the day?  Don’t fear the big knife!  Treat it with kindness and love. Keep it sharpened & use a nice BIG cutting board.  I don’t know much about the “speak softly” part of that proverb. I’m kinda obnoxious and loud. But most definitely - carry a Big Knife!  

Now how ‘bout some choppin’ practice?

Michael’s Favorite Salad

1 head green leaf lettuce
1 head romaine lettuce.
1 red onion
3 stalks celery
strawberries (however many you like - we like a lot!)
1 Granny Smith apple
1 Pink Lady apple (or Gala if Pink Lady isn’t available)
handful of crumbled feta

Chop Chop!!!

I'll have him make up a batch of his yummy dressing tonight and this time we'll actually measure the ingredients so we can teach others how to make it too. Keep an eye out for it!

Thanks for stopping by!!! Peace out!