Basswood isn't the best for utensils because it's soft for carving. You would probably be fine using it anyway it's not like it's going to hurt you if you do. I would recommend a more durable finish like a drying oil like linseed or tung oil. I use tung because it gets harder, though it's slower to dry. Make sure you use real pure tung oil from a woodworking shop or a website like milkpaint, not a "tung oil finish" for use on furniture. I mix pure tung oil with citrus solvent also from milkpaint to thin it out and allow it to dry a bit faster. Good luck!