Dangerous kitchen.

What's wrong with good old toast or if you want to go all the way, English Muffins?

Bagels are too chewy and have a strange taste, IMHO!
 
I do bagels Mikey's way. Bagel flat on the board, fingers flat on top, and slice through parallel to the board. I got a new Canadian Maple chopping board for Christmas!

For peppers, there are two ways I was taught. Cut the three lobes off the stalk leaving the stalk and seeds behind. I cut the pepper in half through the stalk top to bottom, then I cut around the halved stalk taking the seeds.

For the chewy bagel people, aren't they supposed to be toasted? We always do.
 
Can anyone explain the theory about Dull knives being more dangerous than sharp ones. I'm pretty sure I've heard it a number of times ?????
 
Round food is dangerous, sharp knives aren't. Whether your knife is sharp or not a rounded food item will tend to rotate as you work. If you try and cut a game hen in half it will tend to roll whether you have a sharp knife or a dull knife. If you have a sharp knife you apply light pressure and if the hen rolls the sharp edge can go through your hand with light pressure. If you have a dull knife you have to apply high pressure and if the hen rolls the dull edge can be forced through your hand with that high pressure.

The sharp knife can give you more control because you use less of your strength for the cutting process and leave more strength for the guiding process. This still doesn't protect you much if you don't know how to stabilize the food you are cutting and keep your hands in safe places. For the game hen and a lot of round food it helps to start your cut at a 45 degree point downwards angle. Slice forwards lightly to start your cut until your point is resting on the cutting board. Slicing action cuts into the food with minimum pressure so it doesn't start to roll. Keeping your blade in that cut stabilizes the material so it is less inclined to roll. Finish splitting the food by rocking the handle down while keeping the point end of the blade on the cutting board. This helps you prevent the blade from twisting sideways.

When I coach people in using a knife I bring out an apple and explain that it is a dangerous food. If you try and push cut through the apple the skin will resist penetration as you build up pressure. Suddenly the skin splits and the knife zips throught the soft apple pulp. The roundness of the apple causes it to rotate and deflect your knife sideways. So always start your cut with a little light draw slicing action and whenever possible cut a flat on the bottom of your dangerous fruit so you can stabilize it against your cuttng board.
 
I cut bagels all the time, so I have no problems doing so. However, I went to cut a head of lettuce not all that long ago, something I rarely do, and it rolled on me and I cut myself. Nothing serious, but even people that know their knives are sharp, and put the sharp edges there to begin with, can have accidents. :) I just try and learn not to repeat the mistakes I made that resulted in a cut.
 
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