Wondering, dcarch....do you cook? Or just cut?
Your "cuts" are amazing, but I'm not at all sure I could make a meal out of paper thin sheets of zucchini and carrots.
What do you do with those lovely paper thin sheets of vegetables? It seems a shame to just cut up squash and tomatoes and carrots for the pictures...
But I studied art with Henry Rox a lot of years ago and he made a name in the art world with pictures of fruits and vegetables, is that the direction you are looking toward?
Linda C

"One important aspect of cooking is in the techniques of cutting. Cutting is important in that you can discover different qualities of foods and come up with more enhancements to typical recipes."

I agree, good knife skills are vital in the kitchen, both for recipes and safety. Would you please share your recipes for the paper thin zucchini and carrots sheets? I am drawing a blank, other than carrot roses.

dcarch - Somewhere around 45th and 2nd there's a Japanese restaurant that I would regularly go to for lunch when I worked in the city more. More than a few times I'd watch the sushi chefs do that with cucumber. What they ended up doing with it I have no idea, probably some sort of roll. But it sure was impressive to watch especially given the fact that it took them mere seconds to turn a cucumber into paper-thin sheets. On the way back to the office I'd stop at Bridge Restuarant Supply, sadly no longer there, to look at knives among other things.

Bittersweet memories; the loss of a friend/colleague has kept me from feeling the need to hit the NYC office too much this past year. In fact I avoid it.

Other than once, I've only seen that in garnishes. Someone did bring a dish into the office that was done with long slender slices of cumcumber. All I can remember is that it was a cold dish and delishous.. And I don't think they did it with a knife, just a vegetable peeler.

I make vegetable ribbons often...with the aid of a mandoline, that is.

I'd try it with a knife, but, over the years, I've developed an attachment to all 10 digits.

Peppi, a vegetable lasagna would be quick to assemble with DC's knife skills.

Sol

I think these are stunning. All with that knife?

Now that is a talent. Very nice.

Ann

I've been thinking of taking a knife skills class at Central Market here in Houston. I think your beautiful pictures may actually make me get up off my behind and do it. Once you have the veggie sheets you could use cookie cutters to make shapes for salads or a cooked veggie dish. I think either would look amazing on a plate.

I can imagine all kinds of things to do with the sheets of veggies. What about a different take on spring rolls? The veggie lasagna that Sol brought up. Spread peanut butter on the carrot sheet, roll it up, and pack a fun lunch. Stuff either of them with anything that tastes good, steam them or batter and fry them or bake them ..... All it takes is imagination. Oh, and skill and patience!

Sally

One could absolutely make all kinds of beautiful foods with paper thin cuts of veggies. Being vegetarian that appeals to me. Appealing to the eyes and tastebuds takes food to a higher level. Probably also very medatative to assemble. As for me though, I am the opposite in my cooking style. Hack it up as quickly as possible to get it on the table. No patience or knife skills or assembly skills. My food all looks like hash or stew. Baking is mostly drop cookies and coffee cakes and crisps, muffins and quick breads--not even frosted! Tastes good most of the time though! I would love it if someone arranged food for me though!!

Actually this was easier than I thought it would be. Although mine isn't as thin as dcarch's zucchini, I was happy with my first attempted.

The rest of the zucchini ended up in the vegetable soup I made this morning.

Thanks everyone. Food is fun!

"Posted by pkramer ------------. Would you please share your recipes for the paper thin zucchini and carrots sheets? I am drawing a blank, other than carrot roses. "

"Posted by lindac -------------Wondering, dcarch....do you cook? Or just cut? ----, ---What do you do with those lovely paper thin sheets of vegetables? It seems a shame to just cut up squash and tomatoes and carrots for the pictures... "

Last night, made roast Cornish hen on carrot, zuc, and parsnip sheets. I was going to make deep fried crispy veggie sheets.

"But I studied art with Henry Rox a lot of years ago and he made a name in the art world with pictures of fruits and vegetables, is that the direction you are looking toward? "

I have " played " with food and art. I will post some when I have time.

"Posted by foodonastump ------ I'd watch the sushi chefs do that with cucumber. ---------"

It is doable with cucumbers and zucchinis, they are very soft, but I also cut carrots and parsnips and other hard to cut stuff .

"Posted by ann_t -------------------Actually this was easier than I thought it would be. Although mine isn't as thin as dcarch's zucchini, I was happy with my first attempted. "

Good job! Not bad!, Now try this: (Very ap peeling? LOL) Endless possibilities!

dcarch

I guess I don't get the appeal.
Ok, so it was a bad pum. ;)

My designer side loves the potential for interesting presentation, though I do not like food that seems fiddly and too precious. These thin sheets of vegetables can be both creatively alluring and natural seeming.

I can just see myself in hospital getting my thumb reattached.

Very impressive but if I ever need sheets like that I'll just have to give you a call.

I did make a very good grilled zucchini salad that called for paper thin slices of zucchini. Sliced them on a mandoline but it still took two hours to grill all those paper thin slices. Don't think I'll be making it again

"Posted by loves2cook4six ------------ I can just see myself in hospital getting my thumb reattached. "

Actually, I am very impatient when it comes to cooking. This kind of cutting does not take long for me to do, and itÂs not dangerous either. The blade is always at a safe distance from my extremities.

"Posted by barnmom ----My designer side loves the potential for interesting presentation, though I do not like food that seems fiddly and too precious. These thin sheets of vegetables can be both creatively alluring and natural seeming."

There are many reasons why I try different cutting techniques, aesthetics would be the last reason, and I totally the same way that I donÂt want to decorate my food in an unnatural and pretentious way. I donÂt use carrots to garnish if carrots are not part of the recipe, and then I donÂt cut the carrots to look like a butterfly either if carrots are part of the recipe.

One of the many reasons, I have found that, different parts of one vegetable are actually very different. For instance, the skin, the meat and the core of the zucchini are not the same in taste, in cooking time and in looks. By separating them you almost have three different veggies.

And the "peeling" of the orange to make orange duck opens up interesting possibilities.

dcarch

There are many reasons why I try different cutting techniques, aesthetics would be the last reason...

LOL dcarch, but I'm having a tough time with that. As I hope you well know by now I have a definite appreciation for your artistry, but that statement seems to go against any picture of plated food you've ever posted, let alone your own admissions to being interested in presentation over the actual cooking process itself!

That aside, I DID notice the carrot in your original post, and immediately recognized an added challenge to that as opposed to something like a soft cucumber. Did you really use just that seemingly modest knife on that carrot??? I'd love to see that on youtube.