Pesto Perfect!

There are fewer things that say summer so quintessentially to me than pesto. Always a seasonal favorite of mine, my mother always served pesto pasta to us kids while we were growing up.  For many years that basil that starred as the main ingredient often came straight from our backyard.  I remember the massive basil plants my mother used to keep that lined the trim of the backyard, growing along our fence, she always encouraging me to pick their flowers.  As the nutrients in our sandy soil eventually became depleted my mother gave up on growing her fresh basil instead opting to purchase it at many of the local fruit markets.  But she still made pasta pesto EVERY year and would even freeze her pesto in quart sized zip lock bags so that she could chip off the perfect amount for pasta dishes throughout the fall and sometimes into winter.  So when the time came for me to move out into my own place I found myself missing her amazing pesto and wanting to make my own.  My mother makes her pesto ONLY with pine nuts/pignoli, which is quite expensive.  So, when I was living in Brooklyn my mother would frequently ask me to stop at some of the Islamic grocery stores down on Atlantic Avenue where I would buy the pine nuts in bulk at a fraction of the price the Italian specialty shops were selling it for here in Staten Island.   Since then I’ve experimented with other kinds of nuts in my pesto and the results were quite good.  Walnut pesto & almond pesto hold up extremely well with a similar flavor result & are a less expensive option than pine nuts, which in some parts of the country are only available in small 8oz jars, shelf life unknown.  

While my mom stuck to her standard basil/garlic/olive oil/parmesan pesto recipes I experimented with other ingredients.  One of my favorites that I go to – is a sundried tomato version.   The warmth & sweetness of the sundried tomatoes are a perfect compliment to the basil and it is truly versatile for other uses.  Freeze this pesto like my mom did in zip lock bags or use ice cube trays for single servings (but be warned, if using plastic the garlic flavor WILL absorb and you will NEVER be rid of it).  I love this pesto tossed with pasta or mixed with vinegar for light salad dressing or even mixed with softened butter, creating a compound that is delicious spread on a crusty French baguette by itself or as part of sandwich.  Also delicious tossed with steamed green beans and a bit of lemon juice or mixed into the mayonnaise of a good red potato salad.  I recently served this mixed with a bit more olive oil and drizzled over goat’s cheese and an assortment of crackers- people were INTO IT.  The pesto possibilities are endless and I’m a big fan! I suggest you give it a shot! This is another beautiful no-heat necessary recipe & perfect if you might be embracing the whole “meatless Monday” movement.

Ingredients

Yields About 2 Cups of Pesto

½ Cup of oil-packed sun dried tomatoes

½ Cup of walnuts, pine nuts or almonds (your choice)

3 Cups of fresh basil

3 Garlic cloves

½ Cup of olive oil

½ Teaspoon of Salt

½ Cup of grated fresh Pecorino Romano

¼ Teaspoon of pepper

Toss all ingredients except the oil into your food processor and pulse the motor until coarsely chopped. Stream in or add the oil a little at a time until all combined- you may need to scrap down the sides of the processor and continue mixing. That’s ALL it takes! 

For the vinaigrette add about two tablespoons of white wine vinegar to about a quarter cup of pesto.

Käse, Queso, Fromage & Formaggio

However you Say It, Cheese = Delicious

Cheese, to me it’s one of the finer aspects of life.  On it’s own, part of platter, sprinkled on a dish or showcased as one of the main ingredients, OR perhaps when it is the main ingredient- it enhances, stands alone (as the cheese often does) and adds to anything it comes in contact with. Okay, I can clearly wax poetic and extol cheese ad nauseam!  So, if you, like me have established that cheese is awesome and you want to learn more, below is a brief overview of some things that could possibly take your cheese consumption to the next level.  Things CAN get a little bit complicated when you get into origin of the animal from which the milk comes, country of origin, aging, etc., so take it slow, take home some cheese to try from the supermarket every now and then, experiment, taste, try & educate yourself.  Generally, cheeses are separated into the following categories:  fresh, bloomy, washed rind, semisoft, firm, hard & blue. Think about these descriptives as they apply to the texture and not the cheesemaking process itself. 

• Fresh- young, tart, smooth, lemony, creamy, no rind (goat cheese or mozzarella)
• Bloomy- the name refers to the blooming rind.  Buttery, decadent, fluffy, rich, mild to mushroomy in flavor with an edible rind (Brie, Camembert)
• Washed Rind- cheeses that are washed during the aging process in a brine, which can be a traditional salt brine or can be beer, wine or other spirits. These can be stinky, meaty, intense and aromatic with a bright pink or orange edible rind (French epoisses which is VERY stinky, Taleggio)
• Semi-Soft- Early, pliable, think of hay, wet straw, leaves and melting (Fontina is a good example)
• Firm- Dense but supple, fruited, sharp, has a natural rind that is not typically eaten (cheddar, gruyere, manchego)
• Hard- Think about those GIANT aged wheels of cheese, that are dry, caramel-ish (Parmigiano Reggiano, Aged Gouda)
• Blue- Easy right? Moldy,veiny, with craters that are complex & smelly (Blue, Stilton, Roquefort)   

When you try some of the above cheeses, the best option is to start with small pieces.  Don’t wrap your cheese in plastic! Cheese is a living, breathing organism and needs oxygen! Without it your washed rind cheeses will go bad and your Parmigian-Reggiano will dry out, so try wrapping these bad boys in a layer of wax paper and THEN wrapping in plastic. Try not to forget about your cheeses- we all know of that mystery foil wrapped thing in your fridge, chances are that’s a cheese you might have forgotten about. 

NOW, how do I put together the perfect cheese platter for my very adult cheese and wine gathering? Good question.  Pick one to two cheeses from each group from the above listed categories, serve at room temperature, cut the portions when the cheese is JUST out of the fridge (easier), arrange your cheeses from mildest to strongest and figure that each guest is going to eat 3-5 pieces.  Serve cheeses alongside appropriate food accompaniments, below are some examples.

·                                              Fresh

o   Goat cheeses are great with a drizzle of honey or a drizzle of chopped fresh herbs in olive oil

o   Ricotta- lovely with fresh fruits (think dessert) like berries and apricots

o   Mozzarella- obviously good with olive oil, basil and tomato

·                                              Bloomy

Grapes or a nice baguette to spread that cheese on! Think mild to 

offset the thick nature of the cheese

·                                             Washed Rind

Again, since many of these are stinky and spreadable a nice bread 

accompaniment is ideal- a raisin bread or a rye

·                                              Semi-soft

Since the cheese is creamy and woodsy, fruity acidic parings like 

cranberries, figs and dried cherries are good

·                                               Firm

o   Cheddar- apples and chutneys are great

o   Manchego- almonds, mustards & olives (Spanish pairings, duh)

o   Gruyere- ham and crusty bread (the ingredients in a Croque Monsieur)

·                                              Hard

Prosciutto is the classic for some of these guys and also arugula and 

balsamic to offset the earthy, nutty flavor

·                                              Blue

                        Think sweet pairings to offset the strong aspect of this cheese like 

                        dates pears and walnuts (yum!)

So, you think you got that? Pretty cut and dry, right?  Where did the above information come from? A few years ago this cheese expert appeared on the Martha Stewart Show, her name was Liz Thorpe and she’s second in command at the famed Murray’s Cheese in NYC, which is a legendary cheese store that supplies cheese to numerous restaurants throughout the city and operates a retail cheese store on Bleecker Street.  Murray’s (now in its second location) was founded by a Spanish Civil War Veteran named Murray Greenberg who relocated to NYC and opened his wholesale cheese and butter store in 1940. Back then the store was on Cornelia Street- since then it has changed owners a few times and changed locations, but the passion, quality and variety is 100% there. So, after I saw Liz Thorpe appear on Martha, I went out and purchased her books and a Murray’s Cheese Handbook. Liz is really hardcore, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend her books to beginners, instead opt for the Handbook if you want to learn the basics.  Murray’s offers a variety of cheese classes from basics (Cheese 101) to more in-depth regional specifics (Cheeses of England). If you are in the tri-state New York area, I highly recommend you take a class! 

I opted for the Murray’s cheese tasting and cave tour, which was fantastic. Murray’s receives their cheeses from various producers and continues the aging process in their specially built underground caves.  I know, caves sound exciting right?  Stalactites and dampness, but not really- they are carefully created rooms with controlled temperatures, and ventilation each varied for the specific cheeses housed within.  We scrubbed up, put our hairnets on and went inside THE CAVES.  Some caves were really cold, some very mild and two extremely stinky, smelling of ammonia from the aging process of those bloomy and washed rind cheeses described above. Some cheeses looked normal and some looked like they were scraped up from the tire of a sanitation truck. Regardless of appearance its safe to say I wanted to try them ALL!  Below are some highlights from the tour, NAME that cheese! Okay, I’ll do it for you!

This one below reminds me of Young Frankenstein when Igor is tasked to find the right brain and they are all labeled, he takes the "Aby-Normal" brain. 

Castelmagno (D.O.P)- Sometimes considered the real "King of Italian Cheese", has a recorded history dating back to 1277! This semi-soft cheese has a pleasantly milky taste with older aged varieties tasting having a more sharp mushroom flavor. The D.O.P refers to a controlled designation of origin, in this case from Italy "Denominazione di Origine Protteta"

Epoisses de Bourgogne (A.O.C)- This washed rind stinky cheese from France is said to have been banned from public transportation in France due to its smell! Dating back to the 16th Century, this little guy is salty and runny & good to spread on crusty bread. We really enjoyed this one, but beware, it is expensive!

Pecorino Foglie De Noce & Pecorino Ginepro (Firm Italian Cheeses)- The Pecorino De Noce (of Night) has a distinct black rind that sometimes comes with walnut leaves adhered to it. The flavor of the mature variety is that of walnut and pepper with a flaky texture. The Pecorino Ginepro are submerged in an aromatic bath of balsamic vinegar and juniper berries to age for four months. Being a goat's milk cheese, it has a sweetness paired with a mellow, wooly taste.

Fluer Du Maquis- Looks funky right? This semi-soft goat's milk cheese from France is named after the  wild flowers that grow in Corsica. The rind is crusted with herbs like rosemary and sariette that develops into a furry mass that believe it or not is STILL edible!  Tastes like sunny herbs that are salty and a bit sour. 

Caciocavallo Silano- This firm, Italian cow's milk cheese is known for its gourd shaped balls- is named for its method of aging where the pair of cheeses are tied together with a rope and strung over a beam as if astride a horse (cacio- cheese, cavallo- horse).  This cheese is typically pulled like a mozzarella

and ages to a salty finish similar to a provolone.

So, hopefully this is enough cheese porn to get you excited about trying some new cheeses! Thanks to Murray's for the excellent tour and their resource guides for which much of the above info was taken.  Go CHEESE!!

No Heat Meals for Hot Times in The City

So, just as quickly as winter ended here in New York City, summer welcomed itself!  Rolling in during Memorial Day weekend, the season made it’s debut suddenly and without the luxury of a slow, lovely spring to transition us to the heat.  No time for “light jackets” or a few extra weeks to melt off those winter layers- just ninety something degree heat, immediately.  Temperatures are predicted to reach 97 degrees tomorrow in the tri-state area, possibly making this day the hottest temperature to be recorded so early in the summer season.   Keeping this in mind, I think it’s a good idea to consider some dinner options that a) require minimal effort, b) require minimal amounts of heat and c) require minimal amounts of space in your belly or at least, don’t have you reaching for your elastic waist sweatpants!   This week’s featured recipe doesn’t make you feel guilty after eating it, yet is delicious and satisfying.  This cold peanut soba noodles combines some ingredients I love like edamame, peanut butter and buckwheat noodles.  Who doesn’t like peanut butter and who doesn’t like eating those lovely, lightly salted edamame soybeans when you go out for sushi? 

            

This recipe combines several ingredients you would typically find in Asian dishes like a good soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and the good old standby hot sauce favorite, Sriracha! 

If you haven’t been to a good Asian grocer, I definitely recommend that you make the trip to one.  We have a HUGE Asian grocer here on South Avenue in Staten Island called Asian Food Markets that is phenomenal.  A full aisle devoted to soy sauce, tea & noodles, amazing produce that is cheap and fresh & yummy frozen items like mango ice cream, red bean ice pops, green tea mochi which I can’t resist purchasing.  When I hit this particular grocer, I load up on many things but ALWAYS end up with some baby bok choy, fresh ginger ($1.35 for OVER a pound of ginger, which I freeze), Japanese eggplant (perfect for stir fry), lemongrass and sprouts WHICH are really cheap there.  The shopping experience there CAN be a little intimidating since most items are not in English, but take your time, do a few laps around the supermarket and acquaint yourself with where things are.  Try something new out & don’t be afraid. Take it home and do a little experimenting, you won’t be sorry!

So, here’s the recipe! One other thing I love about this is that it calls for rotisserie chicken, a favorite weekday cheat item, which you can pick up ready-made at ANY supermarket for about $5.99. This recipe only uses a cup of shredded chicken, so save the rest and serve up some quick Mexican chicken tacos later in the week. Eat twice from ONE store-bought bird! How easy is that?

Cold Peanut Soba Noodles with Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

12 Ounces of Soba Noodles (buckwheat)

1 Cup of Frozen Shelled Edamame

½ Cup of Smooth Peanut Butter

2 Tablespoons of Rice Vinegar

1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce

2 Teaspoons of Grated Ginger

1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil

1 Teaspoon of Sriracha Hot Sauce (less if you are heat sensitive)

1 Cup of Shredded Rotisserie Chicken

1 Cup of Diced Cucumber (I use seedless English)

½ Cup of Chopped Scallions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the soba noodles and edamame and cook as the noodle label directs (which is usually 2-3 minutes!) Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the noodles and run under cold water to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and Sriracha. Add ONLY ½ cup of the reserved cooking water and continue whisking until smooth.  Add the noodles and edamame, toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.  If the peanut sauce is too thick, add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen, if needed.  Divide amongst serving bowls and top with the chicken, cucumber and scallions. ENJOY!

Those Delicious Biscuits from that Place You Get Seafood

*which shall not be named*

You know those delicious cheddar biscuits from that seafood chain restaurant that you don’t admit going to? That place where you go to devour massive amounts of mediocre seafood, but in truth really get most excited about the prospect of devouring several of those cheddar biscuits?

Yeah, I don’t know anything about that, because I obviously don’t go there. EVER.  But I’ve heard *cough*cough* that these cheddar biscuits are an experience onto themselves. Warm, cheesy, bacony- delicious!  ENDLESS. Oh wait, I think endless bread happens at another chain restaurant.  But you wish you had an endless supply of those biscuits right?  Well, now you can!  I’ve discovered a recipe that pretty much mimics that biscuit experience to a T.

If you are like me, us Northerner folk have been at a disadvantage when it comes to biscuits.  I’ll be honest, growing up the only biscuit I’ve ever experienced came from a can and while I always enjoyed the novelty of peeling the paper off the can and it popping open, the biscuit itself kind of fell flat.  I didn’t experience an excellent fresh from scratch buttermilk biscuit until I had made a few visits to the South.  It was then that I realized we were missing out because, quite frankly, biscuits are not hard to make and the finished result is impressive.  Pop a few biscuits into a picnic basket, make a batch to take to a dinner party, pull the biscuit card when you have guests over for brunch, they will think you have unlocked a “domestic diva badge” and bestow great gifts of magic & healing onto thee.  Okay, maybe not gifts of magic, but I’m sure they will be impressed.  Try a breakfast sandwich using this recipe, throw some Canadian bacon or a sausage patty on there and a smear of preserves, it will blow your own mind.  But enough talk, right? Let’s get on with the biscuits. This recipe involves no yeast, minimal kneading (over working the dough results in a tough biscuit) and easy to find ingredients.  I’m really generous with the serving sizes because don’t you want a lovely, substantial biscuit?

Ingredients

Makes About 12 Large Biscuits

7 Slices of Bacon

3 Cups of Flour

3 Tablespoons Sugar

4 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 ½ Teaspoons of Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 ½ Sticks of Cold Unsalted Butter cut into pieces

1 ½ Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Chives

1 Cup of Buttermilk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray liberally with cooking spray.

In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp and brown. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Chop and set aside.

Whisk your dry ingredients together- the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.  Using your fingertips incorporate the chilled butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cheddar cheese, chives, and cooked bacon. Mix to distribute the ingredients evenly.

 Add the buttermilk and stir just until moistened. Using 1/2 cup dough for each biscuit (or a good handful), drop the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the mounds about 2-inches apart.

Bake the biscuits until they are golden brown on top, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the biscuits warm with melted butter and enjoy instant biscuit bliss.

Pizza Time!

Pizza time is somewhat like t-shirt time, but less testosterone fueled and more delicious!  If you haven’t gathered anything from this blog, the number one takeaway is that I value convenience.  I’m sure you do too.  Quick, easy and delicious- it’s possible to have all three!  I’ve spoken previously about the convenience of store-bought pizza dough here.  In the tri-state area, you can pick it up almost at any supermarket or Italian specialty grocer.  99 cents to $1.50 will get you a pound of raw pizza dough so that you don’t have to worry about yeast or resting time.  I buy a few at a time and freeze them, they defrost perfectly, just put them in the fridge the morning before you want to use them.  Also, I’ve found that the defrosted dough is easier to manipulate and doesn’t spring back as much, this is probably because the gluten has had more than ample time to rest, so it all works out to my favor.  I like to use a bit of parchment paper when making pizza (or roasting vegetables), it virtually eliminates cleanup time and prevents the pizza from sticking to the pan. You can also use cooking spray to prevent the pizza from sticking if you don’t have parchment paper in the house. 

With pizza I really love to experiment & try out different combinations beyond pepperoni, cheese and sauce.  I’ve made a delicious Thai chicken peanut sauce pizza that was truly kickass (I’ll share that recipe soon) and lots of variations of spring pizzas with different cheese combinations.  I don’t own a pizza stone or a pizza oven even though most people swear by them.  My father has a pizza oven and I'm convinced the thing just complicates matters as it seems to take HIM about an hour and a half to make a pizza.  I just stretch and roll out my dough (with a rolling pin for a nice thin crust) onto a cookie sheet, cover with toppings and bake at a high heat.  The below recipe is a fantastic potato, pepperoni & broccoli rabe with manchego cheese variation.  It requires a pre-cook with the potatoes but it’s still fast and easy.  The manchego cheese lends a lovely nutty flavor that compliments the potatoes perfectly.  The flavor result is similar to truffle, I swear!   A few words about this recipe- be sure to season each of your layers.  Be liberal with your seasoning here.  Any chef will tell you how important seasoning each element/layer of your dish for the best possible result.

Pepperoni, Potato, Manchego, Broccoli Rabe Pizza

Serves 4 Normal Folk or Two Who LOVE to Eat

2 Yukon Gold Potatoes- thinly sliced (get that mandolin out!)

1 Purple Onion- also thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

½ Bunch of Broccoli Rabe, stems trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

3 Ounces of Pepperoni (or however much you like)

6 Ounces of shredded Manchego Cheese

Preheat your oven to 500 °, with your rack in the middle (important, so that that your crust does not burn).  Roll your dough into your desired shape. You might prefer a traditional 14 inch round or you may like to just free-form your pizza as I do, creating a lovely long, rectangular shape that fits on my baking sheet. In a large bowl toss potatoes and onions with two tablespoons of olive oil , salt and pepper (be liberal!).  Arrange your potatoes neatly onto your dough and top with onions, leaving room for a bit of a pizza border ¾ of an inch. Brush your borders with a bit of olive oil and bake for five minutes.

In your same bowl, toss your broccoli rabe with another two tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Remove pizza from the oven and top with broccoli rabe and pepperoni.  Return to the oven and allow to bake for an additional 5 minutes, rotating halfway. 

After 5 minutes remove pizza from oven and cover with your shredded manchego cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown 3-4 minutes.  Enjoy!!

*Recipe adapted from Everyday Food 

Meaty Mac Attack!

I don’t know about you but when speaking of myself, there are two things I am most certain about when it comes to food:  I like Mac N Cheese and I like chili.  So, it’s only natural that I as well as others would try to combine the two to create one supreme, one-pot meal.  I’ve tried a variety of meaty mac recipes and I keep coming back to this one.  It combines well-seasoned ground beef with pasta and cheese for a result that is pretty damn good.  Pasta bakes are a really great option for when you don’t want to slave over a multi-course meal- you just throw everything together into a baking dish, top with cheese and bake!  Your meal is done quickly and covers most food groups.  I’ve baked everything from roasted vegetables with my pasta to variations of pesto pasta with a crunchy topping, traditional mac ‘n cheese & even tortellini with sauce and additional cheese piled on top! The end result of a pasta bake is a transcendent experience:  melty, delicious and hearty!

I’ve been cooking the below Meaty Mac recipe for a good 10 years now.  The recipe is quick, taking under 30 minutes from start to finish to prepare and cook. The added bonus with any pasta bake recipe is copious amounts of leftovers, which I then bring to work with me or eat later in the week. Pasta bakes= cook now & eat for the rest of the week!

Meaty Mac

Makes: 8-10 servings

1 pound box of elbow macaroni (or rotini, penne or WHATEVER you have)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups chopped green bell pepper

2 cups of diced onion

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (depending on your affinity towards garlic, mine is high)

2 pounds of lean ground beef (80% or better)

3 cups canned crushed tomatoes

Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon each of dried basil, ground cumin, oregano & salt

2-3 cups of grated cheddar

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Cook the macaroni according to package directions, drain and set aside.  Heat the oil in a deep skillet.  Add the peppers, onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Add the ground beef and sauté until browned. Skim or drain some of the fat out of the pot that comes from the beef. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, basil, cumin, oregano and salt. Once the beef is cooked and spices are well combined, transfer the beef and pasta into a 9x13 baking dish. Mix well to incorporate beef mixture throughout the pasta and top with the cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes prior to serving.  Top with sour cream and enjoy!

A Little Kitchen Workhorse

I’m a big fan of anything that makes prep work faster & easier and I’m sure you are too.  Our lives are busier than ever, whether your responsibilities include a stressful job, children or just worklife balance- it’s always best to find those little kitchen tools that serve as the workhorses.  Personally, I’m always on the lookout for items that serve multiple purposes.  How many times have you opened your kitchen “junk drawer” and the thing is just LOADED with stuff? Or can you even open it? Mine is so jammed that my measuring cups prevent me from fully opening it!  A tool for zesting, a tool for juicing, measuring spoons, cups, vegetable peelers, pizza cutters… the list goes on!  So, in my quest to make perfect fresh zucchini ribbons a few years ago, I had tried a few methods with little success. I mean, my vegetable peeler worked, but the pieces seemed, I don’t know, kind of short and chunky.

I set out to look for a mandoline. Since at the time, I was working across the street from Crate & Barrel I decided to go check it out. They had ONE mandoline and here’s the kicker, it was $200!! It was huge, stainless steel with numerous blade attachments and a giant finger guard. I needed it, but I didn’t need it for $200, plus I had some space constraints living in my tiny apartment.  So, I went without a mandoline for a few years until I discovered a jewel in a small Asian grocer, THE JAPANESE BENRINER!! 

This madoline is small & compact, easy to clean, easy to use, no electricity necessary (buh-bye food processor) cheap and comes with extra blades for a variety of dicing & julienning styles. Its also sharp as hell, the blades made of carbon steel so it is best to use the finger guard it comes with.  I myself am guilty of not using the finger guard, but I’ll throw away that last bit of whatever I’m slicing to save my finger tips! I definitely am not interesting is slicing away a bit of my index finger with my fingerling potatoes! No pressure is necessary as you glide the food over the blade, the Benriner pretty much does all the work for you. 

As with any cutting implement, be sure to wash and immediately dry your tool to prevent the blade from dulling.  The main blade on the Benriner is permanently attached and you basically adjust the cutting surface on the back with a screw to vary the thickness of your slices.  If you want to julienne or would like to fancy up your salad with carrot or cucumber sticks, you then would screw in one of the special blade attachments.  

I’ve sliced up everything from cabbage for slaw to potatoes for pizza (yeah, potatoes on pizza are awesome non-believer!) and perfectly sliced radishes for salads. This mandoline is truly fantastic. I paid $15 for mine, it’s the 2 ½ inch sliding surface and it’s available at Asian grocers or on Amazon.com

There are a few size options and you may also want to consider purchasing some Kevlar gloves with yours if you might find the finger guard awkward to use. Grab this guy if you love ease & convenience.  And By the way, the "benri" part of "benriner" apparently comes from the Japanese word for "useful" but a more accurate translation would be “convenient, isn’t it?” It definitely is!!