M. JL Esq. wrote:

> Christine Dabney wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:12:23 -0700, "M. JL Esq."
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>
>>> But the first time i ever saw the ER (Elderly Relative) make a salad
>>> it just confirmed to me she was suffering from OCD (obsessive
>>> compulsive disorder).
>>>
>>> Then i ate her salad and it was marvellous. Not just good tasting
>>> excellent, but toothsome and a veritable amuse bouchee
>>>
>>> Her trick was to patiently and with extreme diligence cut up the
>>> broccoli, sweet peppers, cauliflower & etc. into very small dice, not
>>> more than a quarter of an inch on a side. A slightly larger dice for
>>> tomato, cucumber & etc.
>>
>>
>>
>> Nancy Silverton, formerly of La Brea bakery, Campanile restaurant, and
>> now of Mozza in LA, talks about this in a few of the cookbooks she has
>> written. Evidently at one point she was in search of the perfect
>> chopped salad of Hollywood fame, and determined to create one such
>> salad. She has carried it to Mozza now..
>>
>> She talks about making sure everything is chopped to exactly the same
>> size...nothing bigger than anything else in the salad. She says it
>> makes a world of difference in such a salad, that nothing is
>> overwhelming of the other ingredients.
>>
>> Christine
>
>
>
> Kathleen had very bad teeth but a keen sense of nutrition, after i
> bought a FP she liked her salads pureed
> --
> JL


And by that, i meant, Christine, I agree with your citation and by
implication your asserting of it.

IMO the cutting up of the raw veggies to a small and uniform size
increases the pleasure of the salad in a "the whole is greater than the
sum of its parts" kind of way. The small size and uniformity of the
various veggies make for a more pleasant eating of them, thus
contribution in however sleight a way to the enjoyment of the basic
flavours of them, which are not inconsiderable.

When i am cooking veggies i like to keep them large, when im eating them
raw i like them cut very small. The flavours seem to mingle in a way
better they don't if cut large and raw.

I routinely puree veggies in the FP for meat loaf.

Going so far as to think that if any one would bottle that scent, the
aroma of freshly pureed veggies... i would buy and wear it
--
JL