Itwas ofgreatimportancetoneveruseapotatopeelerwhenpeelingpotatoesinmygrandparentshouse.Thepotatopeeler,apieceoftechnologydesignedtomakeliveseasier,toautomateandcreateuniformityinataskotherwisetediousandpainstaking,wasnotarespecteddeviceinthathouse.Accordingtomygrandmother,itwasadeviceofhorriblewaste.Itsimplyremovedsuchanevenlythickportionofthepotato,thatwasabsolutelyunacceptable.Itwaslikethrowinghalfoftheediblepotatomaterialawayinthebin.Yousee,mygrandparentswere kids duringtheSecondWorldWar,andthereweretimesofscarcity,wastingsomuchofthepotatomeantlesstoeat.Andweallwillagreepotatoesaredelicious stuffthat,nomatterhowsimplyoroverlycomplexprepared,managetosatisfyalmostanytaste,especiallythatofahungrychild.Andsomygrandmotherlovedcookingpotatoes,andso shelovedeatingpotatoes,andwe alwayshadtouseaknifetopeeltheskin.Thepeelingprocesswasspecial,itwasnotaboutspeed,butaboutdexterity.Theskinhadtobepeeledpaperthin,astowasteaslittleoftheediblematerialaspossible.Ittookalongtimetoacquiretheskillandmasterytobeabletosatisfymygrandmother's potato peeling standards. And even being the most skillful peeler, the process was slow, time lost meaning when peeling, it was all about disposing strictly an absolute minimum of the potato'spreciousentirety.
When myparentswereemptyingthehouseofmygrandparents,Ikepttheknifemygrandmotherwouldalwaysgivemetopeel.Isometimestryusingittopeelapotato,orevenacucumber.AndIalwayscutthepotatoesinlongoddlookingpiecesthathavemorethan4corners.</p>
My parentsemptiedoutthehouseofmygrandparentsanditgotsold.Ikepttheknifemygrandmotherwouldalwaysgivemetopeel.Isometimestryusingittopeelapotato,orevenacucumber.AndIalwayscutthepotatoesinlongoddlookingpiecesthathavemorethanfourcorners.</p>