Cutting, Slicing, Grating, And Peeling Foods

The actual process of peeling, slicing, or grating is no different for the blind than for the sighted. As in all phases of cooking, safety depends upon competence and care rather than upon sight. It is much easier and more satisfactory to grate or cut into a large bowl rather than onto a flat surface. The food is then automatically collected and easily manageable.
If you are a beginner who has had little or no experience in using a knife, you may find it easier and safer at first to cut downward toward a cutting board. The experienced cook uses a knife in various positions, however; and the newly blinded experienced cook will probably not change her ways of using a knife.
A suggested method for chopping vegetables into small pieces is as follows: Slice the vegetables into a large bowl. Then use a "Kwik-Kut Food Chopper," which resembles a round cookie or biscuit cutter but is very sharp on the bottom. (This cutter is available on the general market.) Chop the cutter up and down through the slices, moving around within the bowl and continuing until the pieces are the desired size and uniformity.


This excerpt from an article by Ruth Schroeder and Doris Willoughby first appeared on the National Federation of the Blind's website and is reprinted with special permission.

A Guard for Cutting Ingredients


I've written in earlier posts that I am not the cook of the house. My wife would be the first to tell you that. However, on the rarest of occasions, I do enjoy going into the kitchen and attempting a meal.
My wife is always sure I'm going to chop off my fingers when I'm cutting things, so she would be happy if I got this. The Cooks' Cutting Guard is a great device for any kitchen.
When cutting ingredients with a knife, slip this stainless-steel guard low onto your middle finger and slice without fear of accidental encounters with a sharp blade. The edge of the curved shield holds food in place. The adjustable ring fits most hands. Dishwasher safe. 2" in diameter.

Click this link to purchase the Cooks' Cutting Guard from the Williams-Sonoma Online Catalog.