Today's item: the stainless steel veggie cutters I bought on Amazon (but can also be found, in various sizes and collections, in probably any catering, restaurant supply, cooking or Japanese store). I bought these four cutters at $3.50, a total bargain, considering the durability and sharpness. They are tiny, about an inch diameter, and work perfectly for vegetables and fruits, although you'll need large sized carrots and you'll probably only use the top half of the carrot. To be quite honest, it's tough to find organic carrots this early in the season that are large enough to accomodate these cutters. They come with a "mum" flower shape, a star flower shape, a traditional 5 petal flower shape, and a cherry blossom flower shape. The cherry blossom is best on harder fruits/veggies because it has tiny "divots" at the end of each petal that won't show up well on softer things like bananas. The 5 petal flower one is the smallest.
Once you start building up your bento utensil collection, you'll find that the 5 petal flower shape is very common, and that it's handy to have a small one. I used it successfully on my smoked salmon tea sandwiches and they came out gorgeous!
In retrospect, I would consider purchasing cutters that have a hand guard. The cutters were fine on fruits and cucumbers, but on raw carrots or maybe raw potatoes, they're too hard and you'll end up with imprints on your hands. If you had arthritis, the tiny size of these cutters would be difficult to use on a continuous basis. When I prepped a bunch of carrot cut-outs for the week, my hand was sore afterward. Cutters with hand guards run about $10.00 for a set. However, for the low price of $3.50, this set can't be beat!
Updated Note: After browsing the web for more bento ideas, I've found that most Japanese bentos feature cooked (boiled or steamed) veggies, so in retrospect, those Japanese moms probably aren't hurting their hands with these little flowers, cutting through softer veggies. Since Mike and I like to eat lots of raw veggies or fruits, I am using these to cut harder substances, and I think a hand guard would still be nice!
Updated Note: After browsing the web for more bento ideas, I've found that most Japanese bentos feature cooked (boiled or steamed) veggies, so in retrospect, those Japanese moms probably aren't hurting their hands with these little flowers, cutting through softer veggies. Since Mike and I like to eat lots of raw veggies or fruits, I am using these to cut harder substances, and I think a hand guard would still be nice!
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