The Proper Tool

When prepping food, I try to follow my “safety third” principles.  I avoid using a knife to break apart a big frozen chunk of frozen something-or-other into smaller frozen chunks of something-or-other.  As we like to say in my hometown of East Helena, Montana, “knives is fer killin’ folks.”

The best tools for busting up a big frozen chunk of soup, for example, are an electrician’s hammer and a monster (pronounced monžahžstir) Phillips screwdriver.  You can easily spike-apart the frozen soup by driving the tip of the screwdriver into the soup.

I know.

And you are so welcome.

Yesterday, I found myself confronted with a new one.  I needed to cut in half a spaghetti squash.  If you are unfamiliar with this type of squash, they are something of an industrial grade vegetable.

This is especially weird—considering squash is technically a fruit.

Anyhow (pronounced inžeeeežhoo), a spaghetti squash is, as I suggested, a pretty tough nut to crack.  You need only bonk a spaghetti squash once to know a knife is likely not going to be such a great idea.  These babies have armor on the outside.

So, out to the garage tool bench I went.  Once there, the proper tool presented itself at once.

The tool: a 20” crosscut hand saw.

Getting the cut started can be a bit tricky, but once you do, it is smooth sailing to the other side.

I have posted a couple images for anyone interested.

—Mitchell Hegman