Now that I'm dicing, slicing, chopping and mincing a lot I find my fingers in the way. I rarely ever used to before and now I'm finding myself with close calls of not losing my fingers. Is this happening with anyone else?

Today I was worried I might need stitches, but the pain is gone and so I looked at it and it seems it will heal in a week or so.

I had a magic bullet and it burned out. I bought a vitamix but it doesn't do the job for one to 2 servings. I have a small processor that is weak and can not chop all. Any suggestions?

A month ago I took off the end of a finger with my Mandoline Slicer. Thankfully, I wasn't making thick slices! It's mostly healed up now. I do find I get more cuts, but fewer burns these days.

I've spent so many hours in the kitchen with a knife over the years that I almost never cut my fingers with a regular knife.

For mincing you might try a manual food chopper like this one: [www.pamperedchef.com] It's fast and very safe, and my only complaint is that you can't fit that much food into it at a time, so I never bother with it unless I'm trying to make very small pieces. It's especially good for nuts, which are liable to go flying if you're chopping them with a knife.

Frances, I feel your pain with the mandoline... i've been making lots of zuccini "pasta" with my mandoline and for a while my fingertips were all cut up with little nicks exactly 1/8th of an inch apart. I finally bought a butchers glove which has a wire mesh woven into it... it may dull the mandoline or my knives but it's better than constantly shredding my digits.

On a side note...besides the lack of burns in the kitchen, i've noticed that my sponges stay really clean now. I just moved into my own place a few weeks ago, disconected the propane to the stove and built a counter-top over it. I remembered when I cooked and lived with roommates who cooked, our sponges would get so skanky after a week or so. I just thought it was normal, but now that i've been alone for the last few weeks, my sponges are as clean as when I bought them. It really illustrates how much gunk goes into our bodies when we eat cooked food. Now instead of grease in the drain trap, i've got sprouts!!

Well, if you're cutting yourself with kitchen knives I have a few tips. First off buy quality knives (German cutlery rocks like Henkels & Wusthof) and keep them as sharp as a surgeon's scalpel. I know that's counterintuitive to what you might think but most folks cut themselves with dull knives. You'll be pushing harder to make your cut, dice, or slice and this opens things up for accidents. I'm not joking.

Second of all, learn to rotate your fingers inward so you're advancing whatever is being cut with your knuckles. I know I'm not explaining this like Alton Brown so if you have a moment peruse the Food Network site where they host videos that show the correct way to use a kitchen knife. I love to cook and when I travel to my wife's family during the holidays, my knives come with me.

Finally, I've never owned one but I know they make a steel mesh type of glove you can wear to save your fingers. Again, check out sites such as Cooks.com, Williams Sonoma, or Sur la Table. I don't know how adroit your hand will feel with this glove, but it's worth looking at.

So sorry to hear that you're injuring those fingers!

Best of luck,

David

magic bullets got a 2 for 1 sale right now .. cheaper then stitches hehe

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Excellent advice from diamond dave.
I sliced the tip off my thumb about a year ago, so glad our bodies regenerate
Since then I've learned to respect my knife and always make enough time to use it conscientiously.

deegarry

There are gloves that can be purchased that will protect your fingers from being cut..

You do not want to look for a stainless steel mesh glove..Not only are they very heavy, but they are very expensive..

The ones you want to look for are made from a tough synthetic fiber that somewhat resembles steel mesh..They should cost approximately $15.00 from a restaurant supply store..Check out Ka-Tom Restaurant Supply at www.katom.com

They will completely protect your fingers from the blades of any mandoline..

They allow one to push virtually all of a vegetable through the blades of the mandoline using your hand & not the pusher that comes with the mandoline..This allows you to utilize all of the vegetable..

You can use them while wielding a knife, although I find them awkward to use that way..

A corporation where I was employed as a chef, as a company policy, insisted that all employees use one whenever using a knife..

They substantially reduced injuries due to cuts, thus reducing the corporations insurance premiums..

I only use mine when using one of my mandolines..

As regards the ability to eat squash, sweet potatoes, & yams raw; go ahead & do so to see if you like the taste..

Sweet potatoes come in two main varieties..

The first has a pale yellow skin, & when cooked has a flesh similar to that of an Idaho baked potato..It is NOT very sweet..The second is the traditional one that most everyone is familiar with..It has a dark skin, & is much sweeter..

Yams are a tropical tuber & come in many sizes & shapes..They resemble the dark sweet potato in taste & texture..

Sweet potatoes are often mistakenly called yams in the South..Even here in Baltimore (we are really a part of the South, tradition wise!), sweet potatoes are called yams..

Yuca (yucca), which is really the cassava root, is also mistakenly called a yam..Cassava is also known as manioc..There are two main types of cassava tubers..

The first is the bitter type, & this root MUST be boiled or baked in order to render the poisonous enzymes in it harmless..It CANNOT be eaten raw..The second type of cassava root is the sweet type..This can be eaten raw, although it is somewhat bland..The ones that I have used as a chef (cooked) have been stringy, similar to a winter squash..

Tapioca flour, the thickening agent, is produced from the cassava root..On Alissa Cohen's site I sugested to someone that making their own raw tapioca flour to thicken raw pie fillings, might be possible if a safe, reliable source for the sweet cassava roots could be found..

Good luck,

Bruce



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2007 01:33AM by baltochef.

Thanks for the great suggestions, Bruce. I just bought a pair of "Polar Bear Cut Resistant Gloves" from ktom.com for $20.84.

I have trouble cutting off the white husk of a young coconut without damaging my right thumb. Any suggestions for getting that husk off? I've seen the youtube demonstration, but there might be an easier method?

This is so timely for me - I definitely need to invest in those gloves. I just cut off the end of my thumb on a mandoline (thin setting, luckily) last week - and ended up getting a ride to the ER in an ambulance because the police officer I talked to sent a paramedic since I didn't have my car or carseat for my 4 year old son to ride in - and in ER all they did was flush with a saline solution and wrap in gauze. I can't wait to see how my insurance reacts! =:O

For want of a glove...

Emily

yeesh ya all .. i think yer taking the concept of FINGER FOOD wayyyyyyyyyyyy too seriously =D

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Here is a site for opening up young coconuts

[rawfoodmedia.com]

I will get a better knife, thank you Diamond Dave, I should definitely get a mesh glove thanks for the advice on which kind baltochef, I even found the right one you were talking about [www.katom.com].

You are very funny Jodi!!!!!!

I'm sorry that I'm not alone with finger slicing, but I wish everyone well and careful cutting!





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2007 02:19PM by deegarry@yahoo.com.

There is an inexpensive glove made of kevlar that will protect you from most cuts for about 10 bucks. [tinyurl.com] for one source. Wood carvers use them a lot and their tools have to be surgically sharp. There is a lightweight glove that has stainless steel fibers but they cost considerably more.

I agree with what other have said about sharp knives: a properly sharpened knife will cut without excessive force which causes you to lose control. One of the ways I keep my knives sharp is to rinse and dry them after each use and not leave them in the sink or dish drainer where the edge gets dinged and dulled. This is a must for ceramic knives which are easily chipped or broken.

Choosing the right style of knife for the job will make the job safer too. I can live with only 2 knives: a paring or fruit knife and a Japanese style Santoku vegetable knife. I have other knives which I use less frequently like a long chef's knife for watermelons. My old long meat slicing knife is now used as a spatula/ spreader when we make dehydrated tortillas or crackers.

In the end consciousness is what counts the most. It's a great place to practice loving yourself by focussing on the job. I don't often cut myself, but when I do or have a close call I get reminded to return to the present moment and not let my mind wander off. Knives are dangerous tools if used in fear or wonderful helpers if used with respect.

Remember, we're vegans.....no cutting of body parts

is it still vegan if the body part you ingest is one of your own? ewww....

and eww greg, your sponge story, yuck!

ok, i'm going to renew my search for an affordable stainless steel mandoline, a ceramic knife, a non-finger-slicing glove and a magic bullet (the one for the kitchen, not the bedroom ).

coco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------


and a magic bullet (the
> one for the kitchen, not the bedroom ).

ROFL Coco !!!

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Last Jan. I was trying to take the blade out of a mandolin that I had gotten at a garage sale and when I pushed, the plastic popped out and my thumb went right down on it (at the bend). I sliced my tendon and could NOT move my thumb! I had to have surgery and weeks and weeks of recovery. I'll never be able to bend it exactly like I could before, but at least I can use it now. Sheesh! All for zucchini noodles!??!