Every cook should have their own cutting boards, or so I’ve been told. Our two sons, married with families, cook. I don’t guess you could say I cook. Oatmeal probably doesn’t count. One day, the subject of cooking and owning a cutting board came up. I guess because I brought it up. I was and am curious about the very personal connection between cooking and cutting boards.
I began a very unscientific survey with somewhat antiquated tools. I used the landline phone to contact a few of my friends and family. I learned some interesting things. Questioned about owning a cutting board, I found out each household in Angelina County; Tampa, Florida; Castroville, Texas; and New York were proud owners of four cutting boards. Even more interesting is, many men who are cooks, good cooks, have two of their own. “They are mine and no one uses mine.”
These home cooks gave me very useful information about choosing a personalized cutting board. Let’s get started in setting up your kitchen with its own selection of four cutting boards. There are a few basic questions to answer. Plastic, hardwood, or bamboo? Then, how do I find one that is not either too big or too little?
Look at the kitchen area or work area. Select a size that fits within that area while leaving plenty of room for bowls and ingredients. There is no specific size for any area or specific food, although you do want to exercise common sense with cross contamination. I guess that’s why most of the people I talked to had four cutting boards. In terms of space, just don’t get a very large cutting board if you have a somewhat small working area. It seems that a size of 9inx13in or 10inx14in is a good all-around size. If you are looking for a breadboard you might want a 6inx14in or 7inX15in.
Most big box stores will have cutting boards in a lot of sizes. But, we’re talking about the connection between cook and cutting board. And that would mean one thing. Hand crafted, wooden cutting boards are made from the heart, to be enjoyed for generations. Hard woods like walnut, red oak, white oak, maple, mahogany, and purpleheart all make lasting pieces. Check out my facebook page, CountryWoodShopEtx, to find handmade examples available for sale.
Buy a cutting board that is you. Solid walnut is rich and has beautiful wood grain. Walnut with a maple or white oak strip is personal. Red oak with a walnut strip is personal. Sometimes with a round hole is neat.
I know you can get plastic cutting boards cheap at Big Box stores. Each unique piece will be treated with care to ensure that it will be used, talked about, and appreciated for generations.
For custom, handcrafted cutting boards, or for more information on Country Woodshop ETX, visit my Facebook page: countrywoodshopetx, call 936-674-9806 or email countrywoodshopetx@consolidated.net.
Bon appetite!
