Rosemary, Potatoes, and waxing poetic: Part Three

Since I love to cook with fresh herbs (you get the best flavor from them, really!) I use a chopper - if you don't have one, I highly suggest picking  one up.  I got mine at Tuesday Morning, and it was reasonably priced.

These have extremely sharp blades, so I do not suggest running your finger along the edge to see if it's "sharp enough". Wash the blade by hand, don't put it in the dishwasher, it will dull up. Chop your herbs/spices with a rocking motion

And in a matter of seconds, you have your herbs as finely chopped or as coarsely chopped as you wish

It's really a must-have kitchen tool if you use fresh herbs a lot (which I do) and if you have five thumbs in the kitchen (which I don't, but it makes my life SO much easier).  The board has a shallow indentation, which keeps the majority of the herbs I am chopping IN the bowl instead of scattered on a flat board.  I can chop as little as a few sprigs of rosemary to a whole bunch of parsley, and not worry about fingers being partially amputated, or my hubby cautioning me around knives. 

Hubby has a memory like an elephant.  Back in our dating days, I was over at his apartment making dinner. I accidently cut myself on a knife he had.  It didn't even leave a scar. However, he still remembers the incident and admonishes me every time he sees me wielding a knife. That happened about 22 years ago and I haven't cut myself on a knife since then.  In fact, the only reason I cut myself was because knowing his lack of culinary prowess in the kitchen and the paucity of cooking paraphenalia in his cabinets, I just assumed the man would not own a sharp knife :-P.  Well, he DID have a sharp knife - One.  That I used and cut myself on slicing potatoes.  This knife had a serrated edge and looked like one of those inexpensive steak knives you pick up for like $2 in the supermarket.  You know the kind - with the brown plastic handle? Except it wasn't. (Thank you brother in law Eric who at the time was a college kid trying to make a buck selling Cutco knives on the side).  It lulled me into a false sense of security with its plastic handled demeanor, but in reality you could probably shave your legs in a pinch with a Cutco knife. Luckily it was a minor injury and it didn't even leave a scar, but that still doesn't stop hubby from cautioning me.  Oi.  All the more reason for getting one of these chopping block curvy knife thingies so you keep all your digits away from the sharpiness and you keep hubby/friend/so/parent/roomie from nagging you about the possibility of a trip to the Emergency Room.