No Chop Hooey Here....Cutting Boards

Hello, Blog Friends in Cyberland.

I've spent most of the afternoon cooking in the kitchen--cinnamon-sugared Snickerdoodles for my afternoon treats, prepping a Vegetable Jambalaya filling for some omelets in the morning, and, of course, my own dinner.

I think back at the posting on safety I did a few weeks ago. So many "battle wounds" in my long and cool hospitality career! This is the essence of "experience" I guess---doing, learning, re-doing, then perfecting.

Chopping garden vegetables requires a fair amount of technique (I know courses in culinary schools that specifically focus on "knife skills!"). This post is not about this. Rather, it is about the humble, but useful cutting board. Seems easy, right---perhaps not as much as one might think.

Cutting boards come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and compositions. Wooden ones are best for breads (meat juices can get inside the porous wood and become unsanitary). The "plastic" ones are non-porous and best for meats and vegetables. It is best to have separate boards for separate types of items (vegetables, chicken/poultry, meats, fish, etc.) NEVER cut anything on a board on which you have just cut meat (unless it is fully washed/sanitized)! You will cross-contaminate from the meat juices if you do so.

Home Goods, a cool retailer in South Portland, Maine had the "plastic" cutting boards with handles made of a rubber material on each end. These are excellent (I bought two of them). The handles hold the board in place while you are cutting and chopping. Boards that slip should have a damp kitchen towel under them to prevent them from moving---this tip will save you at least one "boo-boo" and 3 bandages! LOL.

Always look for boards that are dishwasher safe. Cleaning with hot, soapy water liberally will prevent any contamination or food handling issues. An approved sanitizer, good detergent with bleach, or a light solution of water and bleach will keep your kitchen and cutting boards happy and clean.

That's all from the inn kitchen today! A storm is a'brewin' and time to close the windows around the inn. Be well and happy chopping!

Keith A. Neubert

Innkeeper-Chef