Apple Wings

1. Cut apple in half and place on cutting board. Make 2 diagonal cuts, angling the knife to form a small wedge. Place in lemon juice.
2. Cut out four more wedges, each 1/4 inch wider than the previous wedge; place in lemon juice.
3. Place wedges together and gently move each slice to form layers.
      

Green Onion Brushes

1. Trim root and green top. For single brush, slash top 2 inches repeatedly. For double brush, slide a ring of red chili pepper on onion and slash both ends.
2. Chill in ice water for at least 1 hour.
        

Carrot and Daikon Knot

1. Cut carrot and daikon into 6 x 1/4-inch strips. Soak in solution of 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt until pliable.
2. Make a loop with a carrot strip. Weave daikon loop through carrot loop and pull ends to secure.
        

Tomato Flower

1. Place tomato stem side down. Cut skin across top and about two-thirds down sides. Repeat three more time to make eight segments.
2. Carefully lift tips of petals and separate skin from flesh
       

Fruit and vegetable carving is a form of art used to garnish the foods on the table, or to use them instead of flowers. You can dye your own colour choices and arrange them nicely. This art can be used as a welcome to your guests at the dinner table, and make a meal on special occasions with your family more enjoyable. Ideally, we suggest you contact an expert to learn the minute aspects of this art. What we can do for you is to tell you how to carve a few simple things at home.

Tomato baskets
Select smooth, firm tomatoes. Cut the top off each tomato to give a flat base. Cut the tomato vertically and horizontally. Carefully scoop out the pulp, leaving the basket. If liked, the cutting can be done in a zigzag design to make the baskets more decorative.

Chili flowers
Select smooth undamaged chillis of an even colour. Using the point of a sharp knife, slit each chilli several times lengthways, cutting from the base to the point. The cuts can be made to look spiky, for extra effect.
Toss the chillis into iced water. When the 'flowers' open, remove the seeds.

Tomato roses
Select smooth, firm tomatoes. Cut the top off each tomato. Cut a very thin slice across the tomato at the same end, without cutting quite all the way through. In a spiral motion, remove the skin, together with a thin layer of the flesh underneath. The slice will become part of the spiral of skin. When all the skin has been removed in one long strip, roll it up to form a rose, with the original slice forming the base.

Cucumber lotuses
Select small cucumbers. Cut off the ends, and then cut each cucumber in half. With a small knife, trace 8 equal triangles on the surface of the cut sections. Then continue each triangle down the length of the cucumber halves, cutting right to the middle but keeping them joined at the base. Carefully shape the top of each triangle slice to resemble a petal. Inserting the point of the knife as far as possible into the middle of the cucumber, cut the outline of the inside of each petal, following the dotted lines in the drawing.
Holding the cucumber together, firmly cut around it not more than 5 mm (1/4 inch) in from the outside. Cut down as far as where the petals are joined at the base. Repeat this cut another 5 mm (1/4 inch) in (and a 3rd time if the cucumber is large enough), scooping out the soft flesh in the centre. Put the cucumber into iced water. The petals will open.