the dough to spend? A plastic one is not ideal, but it will do
just fine. The OXO Good Grips 15-by-21-inch version is a
quarter of the cost and a great value.
With a wooden board, you’ll want a small bottle of
mineral oil to rub into the surface with a soft cloth or paper
towel after each use to prevent staining and enhance its life.

FEELING SHARP

There is nothing more frustrating than a dull

knife.  Not only    does    it  make    prep    work    a   chore   and

your     finished    product     less    attractive,     it’s    also

downright    dangerous.  A   dull    blade   requires    more

pressure    to  cut into    a   food,   and it  can easily  slip    off a

tough   onion   skin,   for example,    and into    your    finger.

Ouch.   Most    home    cooks   should  sharpen their   knives

at  least   twice   a   year,   much    more    frequently  if  they

use their   knives  every   day.    There   are three   ways    to

go  about   it.

Method   1:  Use     an  Electric    Sharpener.  A   good-

quality electric    sharpener   is  an  option, but I   strongly

discourage   their   use.    First   off,    they    remove  a

tremendous   amount  of  material    from    your    edge.

Sharpen  your    knife   a   dozen   times,  and     you’ll  have

lost     a   good    ½   centimeter  of  width,  throwing    it  off

balance and rendering   any blade   with    a   bolster (i.e.,