Slicing and Dicing

Cutting carrots into perfect dice is annoying, since carrots are cylindrical, which makes it necessary to cut each carrot into sections and then to square off the sides and waste the outer, reddest and sweetest, part. Except for very formal dishes in which you want the eye-catching geometry of perfect cubes, it makes more sense to slice the carrots instead. If you need perfect round slices, just slice the carrots as they are and put up with their tendency to roll all over the cutting board and onto the kitchen floor (angling the knife slightly toward the cutting board while slicing helps prevent this). An easier method, called slicing en paysanne, is to slice the carrots lengthwise into 3 or more wedge-shaped lengths (the number will depend on the size of the carrot and how big you want the slices) and then slice the lengths into tiny triangles. The triangles stay put and look attractive in informal soups and stews. This same method can be used for parsnips, zucchini, summer squash, or any cylindrical vegetable.