Hi-Rawkus

Radicchio, kale, parsley, thyme, zucchini, romaine lettuce, orange bell pepper, chioggia beet, cucumber, radish, golden delicious apple and avocado. Off to the side were also goji berries, hemp seeds and a lemon.

Have a peep into the bowl…

…filled with chopped, spiral sliced, minced, grated, julienned, and cubed ingredients.

Doesn’t it look like a giant lunchable? [giggle]

Chop onions without tears, pulverize nuts effortlessly, and process fruits and vegetables in mere seconds by way of a rotating stainless steel blade, activated through tapping a button-like top. Mess is minimal as chopped bits are kept inside the base container, which later can be removed and secured with an accompanying lid for quick storage. As illustrated in the second picture above, the model has detachable lower components and sides that are hinged for ease in cleaning. Multipurpose choppers are available in many brands, styles and sizes.

:Microplane:

Also known as a kitchen rasp, this tool is primarily used to finely grate items such as fresh ginger root, garlic cloves, whole nutmeg, and the peels of citrus fruits. Don’t let the shape of this instrument fool you. It is quite sharp, so do be careful. Something Fun: For extra kick and to brighten up flavors, use a mircroplane to lightly dust the zest of a lemon onto various types of soups, salads and pastas right before serving. Add more color to your dishes by incorporating a bit of finely grated carrot or beet root.

:Citrus Zester:

While the preceding utensil can be used to create finely-grated citrus peels, this zester will produce both large and small curled shreds from the peels of citrus fruits as well as the flesh of firm fruits and vegetables. Something Fun: Use the curled shreds created by this device to decorate meals. If your smoothie has orange juice included as an ingredient, garnish the top edge of the drinking glass with a large curl of orange peel right before serving. The next time you prepare carrot soup, pile a few curls of fresh carrot right in the middle of the liquid for an interesting presentation. Make your veggie dip more festive by using a citrus zester to score unpeeled cucumber, zucchini, yellow squash, etc. before cutting them into sticks. Score the vegetables straight up and down to be simple or at an angle for a fancy twist. Place the curled vegetable peels across the top of an accompanying dip.

:Four-Sided Grater:

This grater is like having four appliances in one with a side each for small, medium, and large-sized shredding, and one side for general slicing—very good for creating different textures. Something Fun: Instead of using all chopped ingredients, make your simple green salad more alluring by including some red cabbage shredded large and part of an apple shredded medium.

:Manual Citrus Juicer:

Manual citrus juicers come in very handy when you only need a small to medium amount of fresh juice. The manual juicer with the green top shown in the picture above is the ideal size for lemons and limes, while the larger one in white is better suited for oranges and grapefruits. Something Fun: Instead of using vinegar in salad dressings, try the juice of a lemon or lime for a similar zing and the juice of an orange for a sweeter variation. Remember to zest your citrus fruits before juicing.

:Garlic Press:

A garlic press is the perfect utensil when you need fresh garlic to melt into your ingredients sans the smelly hassle of mashing it into a paste using a knife and cutting board, or for times when you just don’t feel like mincing it. You simply place a garlic clove into the container, with the peel on if you wish, and then squeeze the handles together for instant cream-of-garlic. If you insist on using fresh cloves instead of any that have been pre-prepped, it’s pretty safe to say that you will like using a garlic press. As shown in the third picture above, this particular press includes a specially made cleaning tool (that blue item) to help remove any leftover garlic pieces that may have become lodged within the holes. Leaving the garlic peel on will dramatically lessen the chance of clogging. A garlic press may not be the first thing you’d think of trying, but once you have you may wonder how you ever got on without it. Something Fun: Try processing thru a garlic press soaked items such as dates (pit removed), raisins, or apricots for adding a touch of sweetness to savory sauces and salad dressings.

:Mortar And Pestle:

A mortar and pestle is wonderful for grinding coarse sea salt, cacao nibs, herbs and spices, seeds, nuts, as well as mashing ingredients together to create recipes such as pesto and guacamole. Mortars and pestles are available in numerous styles and sizes. Pictured above is a small set in dark marble and a larger set in white porcelain. They can also be made from granite, stainless steel, wood and ceramic. Something Helpful: Invest in more than one mortar and pestle set so that you can dedicate one to constant requirements and keep the other one free to use as needed.

:Fine-Mesh Strainer:

You may already have a strainer and wonder why I’m mentioning the type you see here. The fine-mesh construction makes this one exceptional for rinsing tiny items such as seeds, separating pulp from nut milks and juices, and for sprouting. If you’re not keen on working with cheesecloth or similar fabrics, a fine-mesh strainer is a good alternative. It would be useful to have both a small and a large size. Something Helpful: Assume that you’ll be using your fine-mesh strainer for processing large or heavy amounts, and look for sturdier models with double-rod handles that are made for carrying more weight. The mesh should be made of stainless steel to allay any concerns of rusting, and the body should have a wide brim with a loop opposite the handle for balancing on the edge of a sink or for securing over a bowl. A good fine-mesh strainer will last you a long while.