Thread: slicing cabbage in the right directions

On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then slicing a
>white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters (mandolin)?
>
>If you are not hitting the leaves in a certain direction, parts of leaves
>just float off. So is there a specefic economical way of cutting up; and
>then slicing to avoid this ?

I quarter and slice paper thin with a 10" carbon steel chefs knife..
but if you're not skilled perhaps this: http://tinyurl.com/y8zhefu


https://www.lehmans.com/store/Kitche...__Triple__x2D_
Bladed_Cabbage_Cutter___30340011?Args=

On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, john hamilton wrote:

> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then slicing a
> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters (mandolin)?

<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bLaSJk-pyFg/SxfifCRmsmI/AAAAAAAACJE/1rs26_MDPHo/s320/mouli+open+b.jpg>

It's shredded at about 50 heads of cabbage over the years and still
going strong. Bought it for $3.

-sw

"Sqwertz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, john hamilton wrote:
>
>> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then slicing
>> a
>> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters
>> (mandolin)?
>
> <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bLaSJk-pyFg/SxfifCRmsmI/AAAAAAAACJE/1rs26_MDPHo/s320/mouli+open+b.jpg>
>
> It's shredded at about 50 heads of cabbage over the years and still
> going strong. Bought it for $3.
>
> -sw

Thanks to all. That last machine looks like it does what we call *grating*.
I'm looking to *slice*.

It's not what a knife can do, since i'm looking for about 0.3 mm thin
slices. I have a mandolin which does it, but some parts of the cabbage work
fine, others not.

So thats why I'm wondering if there is a way of preparation of the cabbage
for the mandolin, that works better.

On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then slicing a
> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters (mandolin)?
>
> If you are not hitting the leaves in a certain direction, parts of leaves
> just float off. So is there a specefic economical way of cutting up; and
> then slicing to avoid this ?
>

The only thing I can think of would be to slice it toward the core,
not away from it. Otherwise consider those leaves collateral damage
and slice them by hand when you're finished using the mandoline.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

In article <[email protected]>,
brooklyn1 <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then slicing a
> >white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters (mandolin)?
> >
> >If you are not hitting the leaves in a certain direction, parts of leaves
> >just float off. So is there a specefic economical way of cutting up; and
> >then slicing to avoid this ?
>
> I quarter and slice paper thin with a 10" carbon steel chefs knife..
> but if you're not skilled perhaps this: http://tinyurl.com/y8zhefu

I have one of those somewhere. Mom used to use it when cabbage was on
sale to make saurkraut.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 10:11:31 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then slicing a
>> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters (mandolin)?
>>
>> If you are not hitting the leaves in a certain direction, parts of leaves
>> just float off. So is there a specefic economical way of cutting up; and
>> then slicing to avoid this ?
>>
>
>The only thing I can think of would be to slice it toward the core,
>not away from it. Otherwise consider those leaves collateral damage
>and slice them by hand when you're finished using the mandoline.

No, no, no... cutting a cabbage towards the core is the worst thing to
do... and using an ordinary mandoline will gaurantee you'll lose some
skin. First thing is to remove those few loose very outer leaves, not
really good for much other than compost. Next carefully slice off the
very top of the head to create a small flat. Then slice off the stem
flush to the head. Stand the head in your sink on the stem with flat
up and run some cold water into the flat, this to crisp up the head,
it will be easier to slice when crisp. Allow to drain. Stand on flat
on a board and carfully bisect the head through the stem. Next lay
each half on it's side and slice into quarters... with the stem core
intact the leaves will hold solidly. Lay a quarter on its side on a
board on a cut face with the other face facing away. With a large
well sharpened chefs knife begin to slice at the top end working
towards the core.. you'll be able to see when you are there... then
stand the section on the flat you just made and continue to slice
parallel to the core all around. Proceed to the next quarter. With
experience one should be able to shred an entire head paper thin in
under eight minutes. I like to use a carbon steel knife for shredding
cabbage, they can be steeled to a much keener edge than any stainless
steel cutlery. For one, two, even three heads once in a while one
doesn't need a cabbage shredding device like the one I posted earlier,
a hand held knife will more than suffice. It's not possible for a
home style food processor to shred cabbage, it will produce a chewed
up mess. For me the only time consuming part is to pare away the
bitter outer parts of those core quarters to produce cook's treat.
Those tough outter leaves are good for wrapping fish for grilling.

On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 17:10:11 +0100, john hamilton wrote:

> "Sqwertz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]..
>> On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, john hamilton wrote:
>>
>>> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then slicing
>>> a
>>> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters
>>> (mandolin)?
>>
>> <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bLaSJk-pyFg/SxfifCRmsmI/AAAAAAAACJE/1rs26_MDPHo/s320/mouli+open+b.jpg>
>>
>> It's shredded at about 50 heads of cabbage over the years and still
>> going strong. Bought it for $3.
>>
>> -sw
>
> Thanks to all. That last machine looks like it does what we call *grating*.
> I'm looking to *slice*.

It has different disks that do different things. There is a slicing
disk. But it's not 1/100th of an inch. You didn't tell us that
part.

-sw

john hamilton wrote:
> "Sqwertz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]..
>> On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, john hamilton wrote:
>>
>>> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then slicing
>>> a
>>> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters
>>> (mandolin)?
>> <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bLaSJk-pyFg/SxfifCRmsmI/AAAAAAAACJE/1rs26_MDPHo/s320/mouli+open+b.jpg>
>>
>> It's shredded at about 50 heads of cabbage over the years and still
>> going strong. Bought it for $3.
>>
>> -sw
>
> Thanks to all. That last machine looks like it does what we call *grating*.
> I'm looking to *slice*.
>
> It's not what a knife can do, since i'm looking for about 0.3 mm thin
> slices. I have a mandolin which does it, but some parts of the cabbage work
> fine, others not.
>
> So thats why I'm wondering if there is a way of preparation of the cabbage
> for the mandolin, that works better.
>
>
Finding the right wide blade knife and making it VERY sharp is the trick
, then use it correctly which means cut the cabbage in 1.4 and slice to
suite , I normally remove the core cutting base to tip so with practise
a very thin slice results

http://common1.csnimages.com/lf/1/ha...%27s+Knife.jpg

I figured Sheldon would know how to cut cabbage for cole slaw.

I make lots of coleslaw, now that I discovered it's the glucosimine
and chonroitin and the vitamin c pills that were doing havoc with my
stomach.

What I do is I take off the loose leaves and I like the green leaves
that are clean so I roll them up and slice them thinly and I also cut
them in half because they'll be too long.

Then I cut the rest of the cabbage in quarters and do a diagonal cut
to remove the hard stem. Then I cut each quarter in half and put them
in the Cuisinart with the thin blade. If it's a big cabbage you might
have to do extra surgery. That goes pretty fast. I also go through
the sliced cabbage looking for large or thick pieces, there are always
a few, and throw them in the Cuisinart with the chopping blade on
pulse a few times.

I use the shredding blade for the baby carrots, green pepper ( and
drain the liquid) and the thicker slicing blade for scallions and
celery. Then some vinegar (not too much maybe 1/3 of a cup, some mayo
( about a cup), some sugar (3/4 of a cup) or 10 splenda and some water
and you have great cole slaw. For a medium sized cabbage you should
get three quart containers. I never made it any other way than by
site so you may have to adjust some of the amounts.

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:26:06 -0400, brooklyn1
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 10:11:31 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then slicing a
>>> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters (mandolin)?
>>>
>>> If you are not hitting the leaves in a certain direction, parts of leaves
>>> just float off. So is there a specefic economical way of cutting up; and
>>> then slicing to avoid this ?
>>>
>>
>>The only thing I can think of would be to slice it toward the core,
>>not away from it. Otherwise consider those leaves collateral damage
>>and slice them by hand when you're finished using the mandoline.
>
>No, no, no... cutting a cabbage towards the core is the worst thing to
>do... and using an ordinary mandoline will gaurantee you'll lose some
>skin. First thing is to remove those few loose very outer leaves, not
>really good for much other than compost. Next carefully slice off the
>very top of the head to create a small flat. Then slice off the stem
>flush to the head. Stand the head in your sink on the stem with flat
>up and run some cold water into the flat, this to crisp up the head,
>it will be easier to slice when crisp. Allow to drain. Stand on flat
>on a board and carfully bisect the head through the stem. Next lay
>each half on it's side and slice into quarters... with the stem core
>intact the leaves will hold solidly. Lay a quarter on its side on a
>board on a cut face with the other face facing away. With a large
>well sharpened chefs knife begin to slice at the top end working
>towards the core.. you'll be able to see when you are there... then
>stand the section on the flat you just made and continue to slice
>parallel to the core all around. Proceed to the next quarter. With
>experience one should be able to shred an entire head paper thin in
>under eight minutes. I like to use a carbon steel knife for shredding
>cabbage, they can be steeled to a much keener edge than any stainless
>steel cutlery. For one, two, even three heads once in a while one
>doesn't need a cabbage shredding device like the one I posted earlier,
>a hand held knife will more than suffice. It's not possible for a
>home style food processor to shred cabbage, it will produce a chewed
>up mess. For me the only time consuming part is to pare away the
>bitter outer parts of those core quarters to produce cook's treat.
>Those tough outter leaves are good for wrapping fish for grilling.

"brooklyn1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 10:11:31 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then
>>> slicing a
>>> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters
>>> (mandolin)?
>>>
>>> If you are not hitting the leaves in a certain direction, parts of
>>> leaves
>>> just float off. So is there a specefic economical way of cutting up; and
>>> then slicing to avoid this ?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"brooklyn1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 10:11:31 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



******Many thanks for your excellent and detailed response. I had to get
some help to understand exactly what you were saying since i'm not too
bright.

Next carefully slice off the very top of the head to create a small flat.

Then slice off the stem flush to the head.

*****(This is cutting bottom of stem off parallel to the head right?)

Stand the head in your sink on the stem with flat up and run some cold water
into the flat, this to crisp up the head, it will be easier to slice when
crisp.

Allow to drain. Stand on flat
on a board and carfully bisect the head through the stem.

*****(If the cabbage is planet earth, then thats straight down through from
artic to antactic....)

Next lay each half on it's side and slice into quarters... with the stem
core
intact the leaves will hold solidly.

Lay a quarter on its side on a board on a cut face with the other face
facing away.

With a large well sharpened chefs knife begin to slice at the top end
working
towards the core.. you'll be able to see when you are there...

Then stand the section on the flat you just made and continue to slice
parallel to the core all around. Proceed to the next quarter.

With experience one should be able to shred an entire head paper thin in
under eight minutes.

> cabbage, they can be steeled to a much keener edge than any stainless
> steel cutlery. For one, two, even three heads once in a while one
> doesn't need a cabbage shredding device like the one I posted earlier,
> a hand held knife will more than suffice. It's not possible for a
> home style food processor to shred cabbage, it will produce a chewed
> up mess. For me the only time consuming part is to pare away the
> bitter outer parts of those core quarters to produce cook's treat.
> Those tough outter leaves are good for wrapping fish for grilling.

****** Many thanks Brooklyn for educating us. (This would look good in
action on you tube....)

>
>>On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>

>>> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then
>>> slicing a
>>> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters
>>> (mandolin)?
>>>
>>> If you are not hitting the leaves in a certain direction, parts of
>>> leaves
>>> just float off. So is there a specefic economical way of cutting up; and
>>> then slicing to avoid this ?


"brooklyn1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 10:11:31 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:


I like to use a carbon steel knife for shredding
> cabbage, they can be steeled to a much keener edge than any stainless
> steel cutlery.

I can understand one type of steel being harder than another. and so keeping
an edge longer. But i don't understand why carbon steel can be made sharper
(keener); since any steel can be reduced down to a couple of atoms on its'
edge, so thus would be equally sharp, wouldn't you say?

john hamilton <[email protected]> wrote:

> I can understand one type of steel being harder than
> another. and so keeping an edge longer. But i don't understand
> why carbon steel can be made sharper (keener); since any steel
> can be reduced down to a couple of atoms on its' edge, so thus
> would be equally sharp, wouldn't you say?

This seems logical, but I do believe the common wisdom that carbon
steel can take a sharper edge is correct. I've love to hear
a scientific explanation of this.

Steve

On Fri, 9 Apr 2010 21:43:17 +0100, "john hamilton"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>>
>>>On Sun, 4 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
>>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>
>>>> Is there any way that professionals set about cutting up and then
>>>> slicing a
>>>> white cabbage very *finely* on one of those fixed blade graters
>>>> (mandolin)?
>>>>
>>>> If you are not hitting the leaves in a certain direction, parts of
>>>> leaves
>>>> just float off. So is there a specefic economical way of cutting up; and
>>>> then slicing to avoid this ?
>
>
>"brooklyn1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]. .
>> On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 10:11:31 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> I like to use a carbon steel knife for shredding
>> cabbage, they can be steeled to a much keener edge than any stainless
>> steel cutlery.
>
>I can understand one type of steel being harder than another. and so keeping
>an edge longer. But i don't understand why carbon steel can be made sharper
>(keener); since any steel can be reduced down to a couple of atoms on its'
>edge, so thus would be equally sharp, wouldn't you say?

We're talking kitchen cutlery here, you can't steel Gilette blades...
if you wanna shred your cabbage with a Trac III be my guest.

john hamilton wrote:
>
> I can understand one type of steel being harder than another. and so keeping
> an edge longer. But i don't understand why carbon steel can be made sharper
> (keener); since any steel can be reduced down to a couple of atoms on its'
> edge, so thus would be equally sharp, wouldn't you say?

Steel and iron is made of crystals. Different alloys and different heat
treatments lead to different crystal sizes. The steel does not reduce
the edge to layers of atoms but to layers of small crystals. Nearing
the atomic level all blades are serrated because of the crystal
projections. I don't know which type has what size cyrstals but I
suspect that's why the softer carbon steel can take a sharper but
shorter lived edge than the hardest steel.

On Fri, 9 Apr 2010 20:54:06 +0000 (UTC), [email protected] (Steve
Pope) wrote:

>john hamilton <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I can understand one type of steel being harder than
>> another. and so keeping an edge longer. But i don't understand
>> why carbon steel can be made sharper (keener); since any steel
>> can be reduced down to a couple of atoms on its' edge, so thus
>> would be equally sharp, wouldn't you say?
>
>This seems logical, but I do believe the common wisdom that carbon
>steel can take a sharper edge is correct. I've love to hear
>a scientific explanation of this.
>
>Steve

Same as there are many stainless steel alloys there are also many
carbon steel alloys. In the configurations utilized in kitchen work
stainless steels are primarilly engineered to prevent corrosion,
whereas carbon steels/tool steels are primarilly engineered for their
ability to receive a sharp edge. In order for a stainless steel to be
capable of taking a sharp edge it would need to be configured too thin
for kitchen work.. stainless steel blades are fine for shaving hair
but then need to be too thin for kitchen work and other heavy bearing
cutting. Straight razors are still made of carbon steel, stainless
steels at that thin configuration would quickly dull and couldn't be
re- sharpened. For stainless steel razors to work the blades need to
be of a very thin foil-like ribbon, that's why they are disposable.
There's a lot more to cutting tools than material alone, configuration
and usage plays a great part. I've never seen stainless steel wood
cutting tools, certainly not metal cutting tools. Most pro food
workers resent having to use stainless steel cutlery but health laws
dictate they need to. Fishery workers get to use carbon steel knives.

Clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz blathered:

> Most pro food workers resent having to use stainless steel cutlery but
> health laws dictate they need to.

Bull****.

Bob

"Bob Terwilliger" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:4bc17f72$0$32104$[email protected]..
> Clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz blathered:
>
>> Most pro food workers resent having to use stainless steel cutlery but
>> health laws dictate they need to.
>
> Bull****.
>
> Bob
Unfortunately in the EU it's true. Everything has to be DW washable. I
have only just recently found a SS knife I can stand, but it will be many
months before I know if it's really easy to re-sharpen or not, as it
presently seems to be.
I have bought two high carbon steel knives in recent years. Both were
custom made, both are close to unusable for me, but they sharpen a dream.
Unfortunately, the clumsiness of the design means the sharp gets applied to
me too often.

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:11:33 +0200, "Giusi" <[email protected]>
wrote:


>>
>>> Most pro food workers resent having to use stainless steel cutlery but
>>> health laws dictate they need to.
>>
>> Bull****.
>>
>> Bob
>Unfortunately in the EU it's true. Everything has to be DW washable. I
>have only just recently found a SS knife I can stand, but it will be many
>months before I know if it's really easy to re-sharpen or not, as it
>presently seems to be.
>I have bought two high carbon steel knives in recent years. Both were
>custom made, both are close to unusable for me, but they sharpen a dream.
>Unfortunately, the clumsiness of the design means the sharp gets applied to
>me too often.

Giusi wrote:

>> Clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz blathered:
>>
>>> Most pro food workers resent having to use stainless steel cutlery but
>>> health laws dictate they need to.
>>
>> Bull****.
>>
> Unfortunately in the EU it's true. Everything has to be DW washable.

I can't imagine a sushi chef agreeing to that.

Bob