"Brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:16:13 -0700, Oregonian Haruspex
> > wrote:
>
>>On 2014-10-17 10:10:05 +0000, Julie Bove said:
>>
>>> "Brooklyn1" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I cut my squash with an axe. Really. I grab my nice, razor sharp
>>>>> Gransfors Bruks carpenter's axe, start it into the flesh, and then
>>>>> gently hammer it through with a mallet. This works great and it
>>>>> totally prevents any possibility of injury from over-exerting yourself
>>>>> with the knife.
>>>>
>>>> What kind of squash requires it being cut with an axe hammered with a
>>>> mallet... has to be an inedible gourd. I'd like to have seen a photo
>>>> of this squash with your axe buried into it.
>>>>
>>>> I've cut too many winter squash to count, all sizes, with an ordinary
>>>> 8" chefs knife. Iv're found the larger tha squash the easier to
>>>> slice, smaller squash are like slicing ball bearings, but a large
>>>> winter squash is no tougher than a small specimen. I have larger
>>>> chefs knives but they have thicker blades so require more force, and
>>>> exerting more force than necessary is dangerous. Actually I find
>>>> slicing smaller winter squash more dangerous because their smaller
>>>> diameter makes them more apt to roll. I have two good sized winter
>>>> squash to cook this weekend... my 8" chefs knife will slice them
>>>> handily... the blade of that 12" carbon steel Sabetier is too thick
>>>> for slicing squash but it's razor sharp and is my go to tool for
>>>> shredding cabbage micro thin for slaw. That butcher's braker knife
>>>> has a blade too thin for winter squash but is perfect for attacking
>>>> large watermelons. So Paul Bunyan, lets see what you can do.
>>>> http://i57.tinypic.com/2rqf33a.jpg
>>>
>>> I had difficulty cutting a squash when I lived in CA. I can't remember
>>> what kind it was. I wound up throwing it out. I then had difficulty
>>> cutting a watermelon so I asked my dad to try. To which he replied
>>> something like, "God dammit! Where did you get these crappy knives?"
>>> He had given me the set for Christmas! Heh. I can't remember what
>>> kind they were now. But since they were new, I got rid of all my old
>>> ones. Mistake! The new knives wouldn't cut much of anything. That's
>>> when I got the set that I have now.
>>>
>>> But with these knives, I do remember having difficulty cutting into a
>>> spaghetti squash. I did do it but it was a PITA.
>>
>>Get an axe and a mallet. It's easy and there is far less risk of
>>personal injury. The right tool for the job right?
>
> Nonsence, ****ghetti squash is opened *after* it's cooked... stab a
> few slits and nuke... the skin will tenderize making it easy to cut
> open.... obviously you've never cooked 'sghetti squash.

This one was far too big to put in the microwave. I had to boil it in my
canner. Then dealing with a steaming hot squash was no fun.