Using peelers as graters

Vegetable peelers can do double duty as graters.  This is a time saver as it reduces the messy clean up involved in graters.  Peelers work best to grate a small batch of cheese, make chocolate shavings and julienne cut veggies very efficiently.  So for a small batch like for garnishes, julienne cut ginger or when cooking for one or two people a peeler works better than a grater to grate or make thin strips.

Grating cheese:
Hard cheeses like Parmesan will work best for this method.  Hold the peeler at a slanting angle like you would to peel a potato.  Then peel/grate away from your body.  To make this method  more efficient insert a knife 1/2″ away from the edge of the cheese and almost all the way through the cheese without actually cutting it.  Stop the knife when it is 1/2″  from the base of the cheese (as in picture).  Then grate the cheese as mentioned above with a vegetable peeler.  This helps in producing two streams of grated cheese.

Grating veggies:
Follow the same procedure as mentioned for cheese to grate or to get thin strips  of veggies like carrot, ginger, potato, parsnips and other hard veggies. Do not try inserting the knife as it may break the veggie.  To grate ginger, first peel the skin of the ginger and then keep peeling the flesh to get julienne cut strips of ginger.  To make long curls of veggies like carrots, and parsnips, use the peeler from the head of the vegetable (the broader part) to the base (the narrower part.  To make long curls of beets, apples or other round produce start at the top and  peel in a circular path around the produce and work your way to the bottom.  Do this slowly in one sweep. If you pause do not take the peeler away from the produce, but hold it right where you paused and pick back.

Grating Chocolate:
It is easy to create those beautiful locks of chocolate (chocolate shavings) that are placed as toppings on pies and cakes and other chocolate deserts.  A bark/block of chocolate and a peeler are what you will need. Peel the chocolate from a corner like your are trying to remove the skin. If you get powder/dust as opposed, then the chocolates is dry and/or old (lacks moisture and breaks up easily).  Microwave the chocolate for 10 secs and try again.  If you are still having trouble microwave it for 5 more seconds.  Do not let the chocolate melt.

Make it Fast, Fun, and Facile! – Sri