Knife Skills II: Chiffonade

What is a chiffonade? It's both a technique and the result of doing that technique...
When a recipe calls for a chiffonade of an herb what they're asking for are thinly shredded leaves of that herb. Usually done with Basil, it can be used on a variety of foods.

First you take whatever herb you want to chiffonade (in this case Kaffir Lime Leaves)...

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...and you stack leaves with the largest ones on the bottom...

...roll them up like a cigar...

...then start cutting thin strips...

...and voila! Chiffonade!

You would usually do this when you don't want to bruise your herbs. Works great for basil on a caprese salad or if you want to slice up some green leafy vegetables like chard for sauteeing.

Hearing is eating

The chewiness of the fresh pasta should go well with the smooth squash puree, make sure its thicker than before. Accented with the firmness of the toasted walnuts and fried bacon should be a nice contrast. The chopped chicken thighs in there should give it that meaty texture that no combination of nuts/vegetables could ever create, and the broccoli should be a way to reset the mouth for another bite.

Sweetness from the onions, squash, and brown sugar. Saltiness from the Bacon, Chicken Broth, and parmesan cheese. Herbal from the fresh thyme and sage, and earthy from the walnuts. The cream and gelatin should keep the flavors lingering. Simple Broccoli to finish.

Make sense? If I can think about what it should be like, then I can focus the meal on those aspects. We'll see how it goes. This is going to be for a dinner date after all...