SC - shredding vegetables

[Seton1355@aol.com]

Seton1355 at aol.com wrote:
> 
> Folks,
> Some things are really hard to shred: leeks, celery, scallions leap to mind.
> since something that is shredded would be really small, with the fibers
> broken up by the cutting process, how about just cutting the leek into long,
> very thin strips and then cutting cross wise into tiny pieces...
> Phillipa
> <<
>  When the directions say "shred", how long are the shreds supposed to
>  be?
>   >>

Well, that's certainly a good method of cutting them, but then the fact
that the leek is already in layers helps, and what you're talking of is
more of a dicing technique.

I find that when you have a very sharp knife, most vegetables can be
conquered. Cutting them in half, for example, provides you with a flat
surface to keep the critter from rolling around. Celery can be smashed
with the heel of the hand until it lays flat on the cutting board, and
there are several other techniques that are helpful on a veg-by veg basis.

Probably the biggest obstacle in kife work is a lack of practice, which
is certainly understandable in this day and age. Few people want to come
home from a hard day's work and start shredding leeks.
 
Adamantius, whose daily mise en place, at one point, used to include
four pounds of brunoise garni (_perfect_ 1/8-inch dice) of unpitted
French green olives, a job not unlike filleting about a million guppies 
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com