The Secret to Slicing Safely

Want to make perfect vegetable slices both quickly and safely?  Follow these simple steps to save your fingers every time.

What do I need?
-Veggie
-Mandolin (slicer/grater, although this can be handy for slicing with a knife also)
-Work surface
-Paper towel (shown later)

This is the secret to success and the most important step!  After washing the vegetable, keep the stem or root because it can be used as a natural handle that's also disposable.

Remove the tip from the end that you'll start slicing from.

Fold one piece of paper towel to make a long strip.

Wrap the towel strip around the stem.  This will be your slicing shield.

Using the towel-wrapped stem, push the vegetable away from you to make perfect slices.  

No need to worry about slicing too close and losing a finger - once you've reached the paper towel, you'll feel the smooth slicing stop as the towel catches on the blade.

Success of the secret step!  That stem that was saved in the beginning as a handle is now the only piece left and can be tossed (save the paper towel if more slicing is required).

Fingers, check.  Uniform slices, check.  Now you can have fun and cook!
The secret step of saving stems and roots as handles can be used in lots of other situations - slicing carrots, mincing garlic, dicing onions...cutting anything with a free end to hold.  Use it to your advantage!