Wooden Cutting Boards 101
Why I prefer them, how to care for them, and which ones I recommend
In today’s newsletter, I’m diving into everything you need to know about one of my most used kitchen essentials: wooden cutting boards. I’ll cover why I prefer them, how to care for them, and a roundup of some favorites if you’re in the market for one. But first, a little backstory on the inspiration for this post, which was a recent exchange I had with a friend of mine, Irene Wong.
Irene and I first met many years ago when she worked as a segment producer at the television studios of Martha Stewart Living. She only worked there for a month (!), and I only went to the studio in Connecticut occasionally, but I always liked her and remembered her. Since then, I’ve followed her career as she’s gone on to start her own production company, producing many shows for the Food Network, as well as other outlets.
We reconnected last year, initially through Instagram. (One of the most positive things about Instagram is how it helps us keep up with old friends and acquaintances, am I right?) We both happened to be in Paris at the same time, so we met up for dinner. A few weeks later, back in NYC, I attended her annual epic cookie swap party. People say it’s hard to make new friendships later in life, but I seem to be pretty good at it!
On a beautiful crisp autumn weekend, when Steve was on an extended meditation retreat, I asked Irene to visit. I thought it would be fun to have a girls’ weekend, since I’d be spending so much time alone (which I honestly don’t mind, but still—I didn’t want to be too much of a hermit).
Irene was keen to shoot some video together for Instagram, which seemed like a fun idea. The videos I record and edit myself are pretty rudimentary, so I welcomed the chance to take a more professional approach. As I prepared for our shoot, I realized that though my kitchen is always camera-ready (at least before the fire), the two walnut end-grain cutting boards I keep on my counter were not.
To remedy this, I decided to oil my boards the night before we were planning to shoot. I went about it in my usual way: scrubbing them first, then oiling them generously with cutting board oil (and sometimes conditioner), leaving it on overnight to soak in. I didn’t think what I did was so unusual, especially given that the instructions on the bottle clearly say to leave the oil on overnight if possible. But I was soon proved wrong.
A few weeks ago, after a heavy holiday season of cooking and entertaining, Irene decided to give her cutting boards some much-needed love. She tagged me in her Instagram stories documenting the process, saying this was the best thing she’d learned from me. When I reposted her story, I got lots of comments and questions, so I thought it was worth writing a newsletter on the subject!
Keep reading for more info and my favorite cutting boards—but first, let me try to convince you why your cutting board should be made of wood (if it’s not already).