June 8, 2010 The Chopper!

I discovered this glorious device and finally got one of my own. My first introduction to the hand-powered spinning chopper was at a Tupperware party years ago, but I just couldn't justify the expense at the time. Recently, though, I found out that other manufacturers made something just like it, so I started hunting. I found another version, the Progressive International Manual Food Chopper, and someone on Amazon was selling it used...cheap. I have had SO much fun using this little machine.

It uses no electricity--only human power, it's really easy to use, and cleanup is super fast.

Before now, I just chopped everything by hand, and considering the small pieces I prefer for a lot of my cooking, that took quite some time. And don't even get me started on chopping onions. I didn't even bother putting on makeup until after the crying stopped.

I've had electric choppers and food processors before, and I found them to be a royal pain in the tush. You have to lug them out, find space on the counter, plug them in, find all the parts, find the RIGHT part, and hope to God you don't turn what you're chopping into soup when what you really want is just a nice chunky chop.

Anyway, I love this thing, and I've been making all different varieties of salsa, pico de gallo, whatever you want to call it. In fact, my first post, the minced Waldorf salad, was incredibly easy using the spinning chopper.

So here's my favorite salsa/pico de gallo (whatever you want to call it). Remember that most of these ingredients are probably already in your fridge, so they don't have to be exactly what I used. If not, next time you are in the grocery, pick some up and give it a try.

5 Roma tomatoes (Romas make great salsa)
1/2 white onion
2 stalks green onions
2 sprigs cilantro
1/4 bellpepper
1 stalk celery
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Chop everything small, stir it up in a bowl, cover and put in the fridge for about an hour.
This is great with tortilla chips, or you can use Romaine lettuce fronds to scoop it up as an appetizer or snack. It's also fabulous when dolloped on morning eggs with a little cheese sprinkled on top.