Mezzaluna
No, this post isn’t about the Italian restaurant at Serendra. Not even about the more famous little Italian pizzaria/restaurant from the Upper East Side in New York or its cousin in Vail(?), Colorado. It’s about the actual tool, a half moon shaped cutting implement/blade/knife known as a Mezzaluna. When you have lots of herbs to chop up, I find that using a good sharp mezzaluna is far more finger friendly than using a chef’s knife. When you make a porchetta or any of several mediterranean/mezze style dishes with hugh quantities of chopped herbs, try using one of these knives… they are excellent. The problem with it is I don’t get to use it enough and it tends to get shunted into some dark corner of a drawer or cabinet, for me to discover a few years later…
I tend to use mind on a flat wooden chopping board. But I also have a much smaller version with one central handle that is used in a small concave wooden bowl, designed with an angle or curve that mimics the smaller mezzaluna. That version works well for olives, garlic, etc. It takes a few second to get used to the rocking motion needed to use a mezzaluna properly, but once you nail it, you’ll love it!
aaaah i’ve always wanted to have one since seeing bibba use it on TV years ago. problem is i don’t know how to shop for one….
September 17th, 2008so, it is called mezzaluna.
September 17th, 2008i always see nigella use this gadget.
i wonder if its available locally…
Ah yes, I have this one. I got it because I was jealous of Nigella Lawson’s natural ease in chopping herbs hehe
September 17th, 2008Just like you, I need to use my mezzaluna more often. It tends to be forgotten because it is tucked away in a drawer with certain seldom used knives and I, instead, automatically reach for the easily accessible knife on the counter.
September 17th, 2008MarketMan do you know where can I buy one locally and how much do you think it may cost????!!!!!=)
My eyes brightened the moment I saw it!=)
September 17th, 2008Oh, MM!!! My face lit up when I saw your featured gadget. Coolness!!! This is so perfect to coarsely chop my walnuts. Did you get this any of our local stores? I don’t think I’ve come across it in the homestores I usually go to. This will definitely be on my Christmas wishlist. :)
September 17th, 2008I bought a mezzaluna some years ago when I still lived in England. I found it in John Lewis, an excellent department store in Oxford Street, London.
September 17th, 2008I use it mainly for herbs but also if I need finely chopped garlic or onions. It is definitly a “must have” tool for the amateur gourmet.
Difficult to sharpen though, because of the curved blade.
Gourdo’s used to carry mezzalunas, together with the concave chopping bowl/board. I got mine from them a few years’ back…not sure if they still have them
September 17th, 2008I’ve always wanted one of these!
September 17th, 2008I’ve seen Nigella Lawson use this on several episodes already, and now I finally know it’s name…
September 17th, 2008Stopped chopping my own fresh herbs with the notable exception of cilantro and chives. Instead, I now pick up already chopped herbs, basil, dill, savory (sarriette) in tiny cubes (smaller than bouillion cubes) arranged in a blister pack that looks like tiny tiny ice-cube tray. I used a small mezzaluna manufactured by Wusthof that cradles in the palm of your hands which was efficient and safe for cutting off equal sizes of pastry dough and still have a gadget that promised so many bright uses while it was in the shop shelf but proved to be vexingly inutil and dangerous in use. It looks like five pizza cutters in a row that trapped between the blades all the herbs that you have chopped that then requires special dexterity and a subsequent trip to the doctor to take out.
Btw, mezzaluna simply means half-moon. Argentines call their croissant medialuna.
September 17th, 2008I thought you’re going to use this to the staff of Mad Crowd Media if they send you another mail….hehehe.
September 17th, 2008Have a nice day MM!!
ahh so that’s what it’s called.
September 17th, 2008that is nigella’s favorite kitchen tool
September 17th, 2008That is just an ancient tool use to chop stuff by the italians. We have modern gadgets food processor or the mini version.
September 18th, 2008I love using my mezzaluna. There’s something sensual about gripping the two handles whilst chopping then releasing the wonderful aroma of fresh herbs.
September 18th, 2008i bought my mezzaluna in rustan’s cebu a couple of years ago.
September 18th, 2008they have those at zwilling and henckels stores. there’s one in shangrila
September 18th, 2008Landmark in Makati sells a decent Mezzaluna on the cheap :)
September 21st, 2008So that’s what it’s called. Mario Batalli uses that and I used to wonder how it’s called…and also Nigella.
October 26th, 2008Hmmmm….would be nice to have one…but it might end up like yours MM…in a drawer..often forgotten. Good to know. Learned something today.
i saw one in sm home world, under 400php.
November 10th, 2008