Hey Julienne

A while back, I started coming across the term 'Julienne' a lot when I was reading recipes that referred to peppers (or carrots - but I'm not bothered about them now). What did this mystifying term mean, I wondered. Have they concocted some kind of crazy new way to chop my capsicum-challenged chums? I almost tingled - well, convulsed - at the prospect of learning this venerable gold nugget of slicing information. What could it be? For the answer, I shall quote you epicurious: Foods that have been cut into thin, matchstick strips..



Needless to say, it hardly set my world on fire.

But, nonetheless, it's a good trick to know how to do on some stuff - especially a pepper. With the recent rise of the fajita on our tiny little secluded island, more and more people are making these things at home, abiet with their good friend Senor El Paso (blurgh). Unfortunately for these budding folks, slicing the pepper can cause a nightmare; seeds scattered everywhere, thick unruly slices of pepper that are still connected at the skin and slices that are so vertically challenged they look like babies; common pepper problems that I hear about a lot from my friends and family.

So, how does one rectify the problem? Julienne!

1. Chop the top and bottom off your pepper.
2. Make a vertical cut.
3. Gently lay the pepper out on a board.
4. Slice off the membrane and the other nasty bits.
5. Chop it (skin side down) into itty bits.

Like I said; it's nothing special. But something good to know if you don't already, right?