We viewed the mandoline as a somewhat exotic kitchen tool, designated for professionals only. Fortunately for us, when we unwrapped a holiday gift, we found a mandoline.

It was not love at first sight, but it is an enduring love. A mandoline is never listed in articles stating cookware essentials, but we find it the perfect gourmet tool - at least one that makes the presentation of food more elegant and that in itself makes us appear to be better cooks.  Perhaps we are.

If you have never worked with a mandoline, you haven't experienced the ecstasy of evenly cut, julienned vegetables. If that seems only for a professional chef, remember what the Japanese say, that the first taste is taken by the eye.

 

With a mandoline you will have perfectly cut fries, elegant matchstick carrots and julienned zucchini.  If you are making a potato gratin, you will be assured of even cooking when your potato slices are uniform.  Garnishes will look professional, and if you like to stir-fry, those matchstick slices will cook rapidly.

Mandoline Safety

An instrument that can work with such perfection is one of extreme sharpness and demands that you give heed to its blades.  Be sure your work surface is comfortable - no reaching too high or too low. A hand guard comes with the mandoline.  Use it.  Primarily you need the guard when you are reaching the end of slicing and are holding a small piece  of food in your hand.  From experience we can tell you that it is easy to wait too long to pick up the hand guard.  Please do not wait as this is not like a mildly scraped knuckle that you can get from a grater.  The mandoline has a very sharp blade.   We used ours all the time as we adjusted to it, even when it didn't appear that we needed it. 

Then smoothly and fluidly, gently rock the food back and forth across the blade.  Fall into the rhythm - it's a pleasant motion. And the key word is gentle - do not press hard, as the mandoline will do the work.

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