Get A Grip

If you're doing a lot of cooking this holiday season, especially in someone else's kitchen,  chances are you are risking life and limb (well, at least digit) while chopping and dicing with a less-than-sharp knife on a slippy cutting board. I mean, honestly, you are practically begging for a bleeding wound. If you've listened to me at all, you know what I think about dull knives- and that's not much. It's easy (and kind of fun) to sharpen your knives (I'll show you how one of these days), and a sharp knife is much safer than a dull one.  But while you may not want to take on the task of sharpening your great-aunt's Miracle Blades, there is something simple you can do about that ridiculous cutting board. This is one of the most valuable lessons I picked up during my brief stint in culinary school (unlike whipping egg whites into meringue by hand, which is a total waste of time and energy in the age of hand mixers): dampen a paper towel or rag, lay it flat on the counter, and place the board on top. The towel will stick to both surfaces and keep the board from budging. 

This same trick works for anything that slips around- like my parents' orange juicer, which slips and slides all over the kitchen counter and nearly dislocates your wrist when you use it. But place a wet paper towel or rag underneath it, and voila- juicing becomes less of a squeeze and more of a breeze. 

photo credit: startcooking.com