Mission: Impossible

The good news is: Operation Flute is underway. The bad news? Well, fluted mushrooms look like this:

And, you know, I'm having trouble with the fluting of the mushrooms:

But it's all good. I'll get there.

We also tried this cut called Tourne, or "turned" vegetables, which shapes the vegetables into a 6 or 7 sided football-styled shape. It's a tough one, I think I'll be able to get it, but because it wasn't presented to us as a cut that only one person in the class will be able to do by the end of the summer, it's just not high on my list of goals. And I have goals, people. Real goals. Like fluting mushrooms, for one.

Cutting an onion: how basic. I'd say I'm pretty good at cutting onions. Today I learned that I've been cutting onions the wrong way for years. The practical difference? Probably not much. Chopped onions looked like chopped onions, don't they? Chef says after you peel the onion, when you cut your onion in half, you cut right through the root. I always sliced it the other way so that I could slice rings and then cut the rings into half moons. I'm told it's not efficient. Oops.

Tip of the day: Wood is the best surface to use for cutting. Your knife strokes will be smooth and the wood won't dull your knives. However, wood boards get tiny scratches. These grooves can be a trap for bacteria. For this reason, NEVER cut raw poultry on your wooden boards. Make sure you wash your wooden boards well. Composite boards are made from phenolic resins and a combination of wood fibers. This type of board is a better choice when dealing with raw meats and poultry.