Salad days are here again

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Sept, 2004

As we have been enjoying the harvests from our summer garden, we've found the perfect tools from Zyliss USA, Foothill Ranch, Calif., to help make all those vegetables as presentable as they are delicious. For the lettuce crop, we love the Easy Spin Salad Spinner. It is simplicity itself. Just rinse the greens and herbs in the basket provided, place them in the bowl, and cover. One pull on the retractable handle removes the water and impurities. The stop button on the lid is engineered to fluff the greens. No more watery salads and dressings for us. Easy Spin comes in six- ($19.99) and 16-cup ($24.99) capacities.

To really dress things up, try the Safety Rail-Guided Mandoline Vegetable and Fruit Slicer ($49.99), which uniformly slices or juliennes vegetables and fruits from paper-thin to one-quarter-inch thick. With a sliding rail on both sides, it adapts for left- or right-hand use and contains four slicing inserts (1/32", 1/16", 1/8", and 1/4") and two julienne blades (1/8" and 1/4"). The inserts snap into a caddy that slides onto the base for safe, compact storage. So, whether you're creating the perfect tomato slices, or garnishing a punch bowl or crudite platter, the Mandoline makes it seem as if your own personal chef prepared the meal.

To pare fruits and vegetables, the Swivel Peeler and Y-Peeler are unbeatable. Their extra-sharp steel blades strip the skin in one motion, whether working with tough-skinned sweet potatoes, rutabagas, or fragile tomatoes or ripe peaches. For quick julienne strips of carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, etc., try the Even-Cut Julienne Peeler, ideal for toppings or garnishes. These peelers retail for $6.99 apiece.

Zyliss also offers Multi-Purpose Shears ($14.99), the ultimate instrument for cutting chicken bones, removing fat from meats, trimming herbs, or even craft and hobby projects. Spring-assisted, they require minimal effort and disassemble in a snap for easy cleaning.

Zyliss products can be found nationwide in fine retail stores.