"DavidW" > wrote in message
...
> DavidW wrote:
>> I bought some parmesan cheese at a delicatessen and got them to grate
>> it just to save me the trouble, but their machine grates it too
>> finely IMO. I don't think grated parmesan should be the consistency
>> of talcum powder (okay, slight exaggeration, but it's very fine). I
>> could get a coarser result myself with a hand grater, but I was
>> wondering if anyone knows of an electrical kitchen device, or an
>> attachment for a food processor, that would do a similar job.
>
> Okay, so I got myself a plane grater, something roughly like this:
> http://p.globalsources.com/IMAGES/PD...ese-grater.jpg
>
> I grated some Zanetti Reggiano with it. It works okay. It produces short,
> tiny
> filaments rather than grains. Not ideal, but better than talcum powder
> from the
> deli. It takes 4-5 minutes' grating per serve (about 20g), which is too
> long
> really. I'm accustomed to throwing boiled pasta in a bowl, adding some
> heated-up sauce and sprinkling cheese over the top. Very quick and easy
> (not
> counting making the sauce, which takes hours but is 7-10 serves and is all
> done
> in one hit and doesn't require much elbow grease). Now grating the cheese
> requires three times the work of the rest of the meal, which is out of
> proportion. One of the more complicated hand devices suggested or a
> machine
> attachment looks more attractive.

You must use a ton of cheese! I have similar and they sure don't take that
long. Have you tried putting the grater over a bowl, then rubbing the
cheese across it?