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04.26.2004

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chop chop how to prep + cut  your veggies 
by Yee-Fan Sun
 | 1 2 3
continued from page 2

carrots
Use a vegetable peeler to peel your carrot. Trim off the ends and discard (or save the nubs for making stock). If you just want to chunk your carrots, simply make cross-wise slices along the length of the carrot.

But maybe you're looking to get a little schmancier. You can create matchstick cuts (julienne cuts) by first cutting the carrot into 2" or so long chunks. Next, thinly slice each carrot chunk lengthwise. Make a stack of these slices, and slice the stack into skinny strips. Voila -- perfect matchsticks. You can then also dice up the carrot by lining and piling up some of the matchsticks, and making additional crosswise cuts. For thicker diced carrots, just start with fatter slices.

tomatoes
So your recipe calls for peeled, cored tomatoes. But how the heck do you get that paper-thin skin off a fresh tomato? Easy-peasy; bring a big pot of water to a boil. While you're waiting for it to bubble, wash your tomatoes and slice a shallow X on the bottom -- try not to cut too deeply into the flesh, as you're just trying to score the skin. When the water's boiling, slide in your tomatoes. Leave them in for about 20 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse them under cold water so they're cool enough to handle. The skin should now slough off easily.


To core your tomatoes, you'll need a small paring knife. Stick the tip of your knife about a ½" into the tomato flesh close to the stem. Hold the knife at an angle with the tip aiming towards the center of the tomato, and rotate it around to make a circular cut around the stem. The stem should now pop out.

Having peeled and cored your tomatoes, most recipes will now also tell you to de-seed those babies. The easiest way I've found to do this is to slice the tomato in half cross-sectionally. The different chambers of the tomato will now be revealed, and you can easily clean out the seeds with your fingers.  

o o o

Armed with a little know-how, anyone can learn how to prep those veggies like a pro. So chop chop: all you need now is a little practice.

o

check out these related articles: 
technically speaking | essential cooking tools 

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