Equipment - Cutting Boards

     Right after you get yourself a good knife, you need to worry about maintaining it.  The problem with knives, regardless of their quality, is that a knife will begin to go dull as soon as you start using it.  The lower the quality, the faster it will go dull.  There's an old saying that the most dangerous knife is a dull one, and it's true. A dull knife requires more pressure to go through the food and that excess pressure eventually leads to you slipping with the knife and cutting yourself.
     So, the next two weeks in equipment are dedicated to making sure that you have the proper tools to keep your knives sharp and safe.  The first of these tools is a good cutting board.  Cutting boards protect that razor-thin line of steel that makes your knife sharp from the hard surface that most likely makes up your cabinet tops.  That said, I have cut on a cabinet before, but I also had access to an amazing sharpening tool.
     Cutting boards are made of a couple types of materials, all of which are softer than stone and metal.  This is so your knife can press into the material instead of the material pressing into it.  The less give a cutting board has, the more damage it does to your knife's edge.  That being said, you don't want something so soft that your knife goes right through it.  I've never seen a cutting board that did that, but I'm sure someone, somewhere has a horror story about it.
     Your two main materials for cutting boards are going to be wood and plastic.  I've seen glass plates shaped like cutting boards, but I'm almost certain they're supposed to be decorative.  When glass is pressed to hard it breaks.  When it's pressed just hard enough to mar its surface, it creates glass dust which is kind of like sand.  That sand will wear your blade down really fast.
Wood:
      Wood cutting boards are the proverbial favorites of chefs everywhere.  They're beautiful, they're natural, they're long lasting, and they're way better for knives.  However, they're also porous, hard to clean, and expensive.  The website where I found that picture to the left right there sells that board for over $60. I'll admit that wood cutting boards can stay in the family for generations.  In fact, I'd put money that there's a family somewhere using the same cutting board their Great Great Great Great Grandma used to cut vegetables in the covered wagon.  If taken care of properly, a wood cutting board can last forever.
     Proper care is the key, though, because if improperly cared for, your board doesn't just become useless, it becomes dangerous.  I'm seriously in amazement that my image searches for poorly taken care of cutting boards doesn't come up with anything like I've seen, but trust me, wood cutting boards can be scary.  When wood gets really wet and is allowed to dry naturally, it cracks.  When wood cracks, it opens up hollows in the wood and releases splinters that can get in your food.  Hollows in the wood of a cutting board mean that you might not get all the raw chicken out of the board the next time you clean it.  Honestly, I've studied microbiology long enough that the thought of the pores in wood absorbing salmonella today and depositing it on lettuce tomorrow is enough to scare me away from wood boards.  
     However, if you're willing to spend the money on it and aren't nearly as educated about microbes as I (really, don't try, it's horrible), a wood board will meet your needs, if you take care of it.  When you buy a new board, don't assume its already been seasoned or oiled.  I typically don't assume that anyone's done anything to make my life easier, and I'm safer because of it.  Go down to the drug store and buy some mineral oil.  DO NOT USE VEGETABLE, OLIVE, OR ANY OTHER FOOD OIL.  We use mineral oil because it has no proteins which can sour, or go rancid.  Oiling a board with an oil that will later go rancid is as good as throwing it away
     Warm your oil slightly in the microwave for 10 to 15 second and then, with a soft rag or towel rub the oil into the wood slowly and with the grain of the wood.

The grain goes this way

Wait for the oil to soak in and repeat four or five times.  This will fill in the pores of the wood and make it more bacterial resistant.
     Once that's done, maintaining your wood cutting board isn't as hard as you think.  Two main things to remember:  never submerge it in water and never ever put it in the dishwasher.  When you need to wash your cutting board, scrub it gently with soap and water, rinse it, and pat it dry.  That will prevent cracking.  If you've cut something like chicken or raw meat (most people suggest you just don't do that), wipe it down with some white vinegar to kill excess bacteria.  Some people recommend using bleach on your wood board, but I don't.  See, just like bacteria, bleach can soak into the pores of a board and possibly contaminate something later.  I just like to prevent poison in my kitchen.  Vinegar will also remove bad smells that might have stayed on your cutting board.
     As often as once a week and as rarely as every six months, you'll have to reseason your cutting board as mentioned above.  This keeps the bad stuff out of the pores and lessens your family's chance of getting sick.  If your board ever cracks, there are dozens of resources on the internet about how to reseal it.
As with all your other items, this can be purchased used, but you want to be very, very, very careful when buying a wooden cutting board.  As I said, you can keep these things forever, if they're properly maintained, but if they aren't you could end up getting sick or hurt.  Check a cutting board for deep cracks that go all the way through it.  Even though I mentioned resealing resources a second ago, you don't know how long that crack's been in that board or how much the family has worked to keep it clean.  There's a chance that you're buying a board with a crack that's been building up bacteria for 5 years.  Ask the seller when the last time it was seasoned then do it again when you get home.

Plastic:

     Plastic cutting boards are my favorite thing in the world, for many reasons.  First off, though they may not be as pretty as a wooden cutting board, they're inexpensive.  That ad up there (click it, just for fun!) has plastic cutting boards for $16 a piece.  That might seem like a lot, but it's at Sur La Table, a really expensive store, and they do that folding thing.  Just think, for the price you paid for the wooden board I put up there, you could buy 3 of these with the tax.  On the other hand, you could go to Wal-Mart and buy a 3-pack of different sized cutting boards for $13.  They don't fold or anything like that, but they work.

     Here are the pros of plastic boards:  they're non-porous, they clean easily, they're cheap as heck, and I have yet to have to throw one away.  There are even really thin cutting mats that look like cheap place mats that we have in our cabinets 4 years later.  It's really hard to destroy these things.

     The other thing I like about plastic cutting boards is that you can get them in more than one color.  You may wonder why that's important, but it really is when you have more than one.  See, when I make food, I'm often cutting meat and vegetables at the same time instead of cutting one, washing the cutting board, then cutting the other.  The other day, I had my daughter tenderizing chicken while I cut vegetables.  When you have those kinds of things going on in the same kitchen (I always recommend training your kids to help), you absolutely need more than one cutting board.  When you have more than one cutting board, it's easier to keep track of them if you have more than one color.

     See, you probably realize that you can't cut your salad vegetables on the same cutting board that you cut your chicken before you cooked it without washing them in between.  What you may not realize is that the grooves that the knife leaves in your cutting board may not have been cleaned out by that quick scrub with soap and water that you gave the board between prep.  To eliminate this problem, we have multiple cutting boards.  I found this set of colored cutting boards at Ross for $20.  It has 3 colored cutting boards, red, blue, and green, and a holder for them.  This thing retails at $65.  I call it a win.

     When I cut my vegetables, I know that I used the red one (I'm supposed to use green, but that's the one I picked), so I know I can't cut my chicken on the red one, I have to use the green or blue.  In OSHA approved kitchen, there's actually a full color-coded method to this, but my rule is to just not use the same color for two different types of food.  You can pick up colored cutting boards just about anywhere nowadays.

     The best thing about plastic is its ability to be washed.  When I'm done with my cutting for dinner, I stick them in the dishwasher.  The high temperatures of the dishwasher make it so no bacteria can survive.  If you don't have a dishwasher, you can always put hot water in your sink and add a tiny bit of bleach to it for your cutting boards to soak in.  Always make sure to rinse them off afterward.

     No matter what cutting board you choose, you have to be comfortable with it.  Make sure, if you find a cutting board at an estate sale that's got 1" long legs, that you'll be comfortable cutting on top of it.  Heaven forbid you spend money on something you'll hate.

Planning - Sale Shopping

     Every week, on Tuesday, my mailbox is filled with something that looks like this:
That would be the full ton of ads that appear at our house on a weekly basis.  In there are ads for pool supply companies, furniture stores, and other stores in the area.  If you dig through them and know what the names of your grocery stores, you can find the weekly specials on food in your area.  The problem with sale shopping is that we usually end up spending more than we would have without the sales.  That's what this post is dedicated to - making sure you actually save money when you shop using the ads.
     The problem I usually run into is that the ads always make me say, "Hey! We haven't had that in a while!" and I go get it.  Though this seems innocent on the surface, the issue is that, if we haven't had it in a while (like six months), the reason was probably because we didn't need it.  Why do I want to go out and buy something that we don't need just because it's on sale?
     Unfortunately, that's what the grocery stores are hoping to get you to do.  They want you to go buy things you don't need or won't use because they were on sale.  I will say that sales provide you a great opportunity to try new things, but only if they fit in your budget.  They also provide you the ability to stock up on things you will use when they're on sale.  The problem is finding the balance.  So, this week, when you get the grocery ads, look through them and ask yourself these questions when you see something that draws your eye:

1. Do I need that?
2. Do I have it?
3. How much will I save?
4. How much will I spend to get it?

     See, we tend to buy things we already have or that we don't need.  For example, just because fruit roll-ups are on sale doesn't mean I need them.  On the other hand, if I have 5 cans of carrots and the ad says they're 50¢ each if I buy 10, do I need that many?  How much will I really save if I go get that $5 of canned foods?  How far do I have to travel?
     Let's look at each item in your grocery ads and figure it out.  Some of my grocery ads say what the price usually is, but most of them say things like the circled part:

 On the surface, that looks like a great deal.  You could save up to $2!  But wait, you have to buy 10 avocados to save that $2 which means you only save 20¢ on each one.  I'm not saying it's not a good price on avocados, I'm saying you probably won't save what you think you will.  Were you planning on making guacamole this week?  Do you think you'd use more than 2 avocados for it?  I know my family wouldn't, even if we were making it for the extended family.  At the most we'd use 3 which is still a savings of 60¢, but it isn't the $2 the ad promises.  The fact of it is, that you're usually not going to buy the quantities that the grocery ads advertise.  I can't remember the last time I needed 10 boxes or cans of anything.
     The nice thing is, a lot of grocery stores have started getting away from you actually having to buy the ten items to get the sale price.  The stores I shop at usually allow you to get a 10 for $10 item for $1 a piece instead of requiring you to buy 10 of them.  This is really beneficial.  However, you should know your local grocery stores, so you don't end up with 7 rotting avocados because they don't separate the price.
     There is one exception to this rule.  One of my grocery stores has a special they run about once every 2 months that states "Save $5 when you buy 10!"  The idea is that you buy 10 of the items they specify and you save 50¢ on each item.  When they run these ads, they often have over 30 items to choose from.  The problem is that I often need two or three of those 30 and I have to decide if I want to buy 5 of each to save my 50¢.
     Sale shopping is tricky that way.  The money you spend this month is probably money you don't have to spend next month.  For example, if your local store has a buy one get one free sale on ketchup and you're not out of ketchup yet, do you buy it so you don't have to get it in a month when you are out?  Each sale is different, so you have to evaluate everything in your ads and decide if you're going to use it.
     Step 1 is to decide if you need what's on sale.  If you're me, you're going to automatically decide you don't need anything that's premade or premixed.  With few exceptions, eliminate your convenience foods and junk foods.  Also eliminate anything you don't normally use or fresh foods you won't use this week.  For example, if fresh broccoli is on sale and you're not planning on using it within the week, it's a waste of money to buy it.  Frozen broccoli isn't so much.
     Step 2 is to see if you have what's on sale.  Like my example with ketchup a moment ago, you have to go look and see if you have what you're looking at before you put it on your list.  If your ketchup bottle is 3/4 full, don't go get two more unless you use a full bottle in a month.  If, however, it's sitting upside down with 1/2 an inch of ketchup in it, go ahead and get your two bottles for the price of one and you won't have to worry about it for a while.  The most common exception to this rule for me is canned food.  If  I have less than 10 cans of a vegetable, I'll probably replenish my stock when they go on sale, even if I only buy two cans each.
     Step 3 is to see how much you're going to save.  After you do this for a while, you'll know what a good price is for an item you buy often.  If I say to my dad, "What's a good price on chicken breasts?"  He'll automatically respond with "$1.39 or less."  If you're just starting out, look at the original price in the ad or how much it says you're saving.
     Step 4 is probably the one no one thinks about when they're making their list.  How much are you going to spend to get the sale price?  If every ad you have in your mailbox comes from a grocery store that's within 5 miles of you, you really don't have to worry about this.  However, I have grocery ads from stores that are in excess of 10 miles away from me.  I have to decide if the sale prices in those are worth the gas I'm going to spend to get there.  The answer is usually no, but I hate to pay full price if I know it's on sale elsewhere.
     I've found a solution to this problem, at least where I live.  See, I have a grocery store that most towns have that promises to match the prices from local grocery stores.  I'll put money that you've got one of these stores nearby.  I'll give you a hint, their stores are usually painted blue and grey and start with the letter W.
     The beauty of price matching stores is that I don't have to drive all over town to get the lowest prices.  The problem is you have to know exactly what you're getting and for what price.  You should probably also go on a day and time that isn't so busy because there's nothing worse standing behind someone who's saying "Those bananas are 88¢ a dozen at Safeway" for ever item in their cart.  So, here's how to plan your shopping list, whether you're price matching or not:

Not price matching:
     Take your ads one at a time and pour over them like I've mentioned above and have a piece of paper nearby to write them down.  Write the store's name at the top and then make your sale list under it.  Organize your stores from farthest to nearest and go to them one at a time to get your sale items.  Any items that aren't on sale should be purchased at the last store you go to so that perishables aren't sitting in your car.  For that matter, this method is especially dangerous if you're buying perishables in multiple stores.  I'll admit to taking vegetables and meat into a store that I need to get other items in.  Make sure to take your receipt and keep your groceries in their original bags to prevent the greeter from questioning your honesty.

Price matching:
     This is the best thing to do if you have perishable goods on sale at 4 different stores.  Really.  You avoid having to go to the stores and take your food into each one or go home between each one.  To do this, go through your ads like I mentioned before, but this time, write down the price of each item next to it and the store at which it's on sale.  When you do this, you have to write down any brand names that might pertain to the item.  For example, if Farmer John sausage links are on sale, you need to note the brand.  If there's a specific size that's on sale, write that down too.  This might seem like a lot of work, but it will save you a lot of time in the long run.
     When you go shopping, make sure you get what's on sale in the ads.  If the sale item is the store brand for that store (Kroger, Fresh Select, etc.) the stores that match prices will usually substitute their store brand for those.  The first time you do this, take your ads with you.  That way, if your checker asks for proof of the sale price,  you can show him or her.  Put your items on the belt with your non-price match items first.  That way, you're don't have to stop unloading your shopping basket to tell your checker what price is what.  Have them written down clearly so you can say each item and its sale price.  Make sure you can break down the price for the checker if you have to.  For example if your Farmer John sausage is on sale 4 for $5 at Fry's, be sure you can tell the checker that the price per unit is $1.25.  Sometimes, they need that help.
     When you do this the first time, be prepared to show the ads if you're asked.  In fact, be prepared to do the same for the first few times.  Eventually, you'll know whether the checkers at your price matching store are going to ask.  I've never been asked once for the ad.