| How to Cut Peppers Posted: 18 Nov 2020 04:00 PM PST Peppers are a delicious treat often used in dishes like stir fries for flavor or spice. There are many different types of peppers, from sweet bell peppers to spicy chilies, but they are all pretty similar when you're cutting them up in the kitchen. Every pepper has an interior, seeded core that tastes bitter or spicy. Open up bell peppers or cut smaller chilies in half to scrape out the core. You can then cut the peppers into strips, cubes, or even rings depending on what your recipe calls for. Add the peppers as an ingredient to your next dish to make it unique. [Edit]Slicing up a Bell Pepper - Cut off both ends of the pepper. Lay the pepper down on a cutting board, facing the stem toward your stronger hand. Use a sharp chef's knife to cut horizontally across it, removing the stem. Then, make a second cut across the other end of the pepper to remove its bottom.[1]
- As a rule of thumb, cut the pepper right behind the rounded portions leading to the stem and base.
- Slice down the side of the pepper to open it. Make a single, vertical cut from the stem to the bottom end. Slice through only the top layer of flesh, leaving the core intact. This will let you unfurl the pepper so you can reach inside of it.[2]
- If you cut through the entire pepper, you also cut through the seeded part in the center. Preserving that part makes it easier to remove later.
- Lay the pepper flat to remove the seeds and ribs. Open the pepper up, resting the skin side down on the cutting board. This gives you a good view of the white core in the center. To remove it, cut across the flesh until you are able to pull the core out. Finish by picking out the remaining seeds and scraping off any white ridges still on the pepper's flesh.[3]
- You could switch to a paring knife to help you maneuver underneath the core as you cut it free.
- Remove the stem from the top of the pepper. The top part you cut earlier is edible as long as you take the stem out. Save it by setting it on a cutting board with the stem up so you can cut around it. Slide the edge of a knife about away from the stem, then slowly work around it until you are able to remove it.[4]
- If you don't wish to use the top at the moment, you could always throw it away or save it for another recipe.
- Divide the remaining pepper up into strips or cubes. Spread the pepper out on the cutting board with the skin side down. Then, use your knife to slice up the pepper with a series of vertical cuts. Try to keep these strips as even as possible. When you're done, cut the strips horizontally to turn them into cubes.[5]
- Remember to cut up the top and bottom portions you removed if you plan on using them. They look different from the rest of the cut pepper, so find a different use for them if the shape or size matters in your dish. They often work well in a sauce or soup.
[Edit]Chopping up a Spicy Pepper - Wear rubber gloves to protect yourself from the heat. Pepper juice stings, and many people become acquainted with the burn the first time they open a hot pepper. The only way to protect yourself from the hot stuff is by putting on disposable kitchen gloves before you ever pick up the peppers. Remember to avoid touching any other part of your body before taking off the gloves.[6]
- Rubber gloves are available online, at most general stores, and at other places that stock kitchen supplies.
- If you're unfortunate enough to experience pepper burn, try using a little rubbing alcohol or milk to neutralize the oil. If you get it in your eye, rinse only with water or saline.
- Remove the stem by slicing about below it. Set the pepper on a cutting board with the stem facing your stronger hand. Then, make a horizontal cut all the way through it with a paring knife. Plan on making the cut right underneath the rounded portion of the top.[7]
- Since hot peppers are generally pretty small, use a paring knife for better results. You could also use a sharp chef's knife for larger ones.
- Slice the pepper in half vertically to open it. Hold the pepper still with your free hand so you are able to cut completely through it. One cut along the pepper's length is all you need to split it. Doing this also divides the seeded core in half but exposes it so you can remove it.[8]
- If you don't wish to cut through the core, open the pepper from the top and scoop out the seeds. That is useful if you want to cut the pepper into rings.
- Scoop the seeds and core out if you wish to reduce the heat. Set the halves with the cut ends up on your cutting board. If you have a melon baller or a small spoon, you could use it to easily clean out the inside of each half. Otherwise, use your gloved hand to pull out the seeds and a paring knife to scrape off any of the white core left on the pepper's flesh.[9]
- The heat in peppers comes from that white core membrane holding the seeds in place. Once you remove it, the pepper loses most of its heat, so leave it in place if you don't mind spicy food!
- Slice the pepper into strips or cubes. The only thing left to do is cut the pepper according to how you plan on using it. Lay the sides skin side down, then slice them lengthwise. Make vertical cuts to divide the halves into strips. Slice across the strips to create cubes if your recipe calls for it.[10]
[Edit]Dividing Any Pepper into Rings - Put on a pair of rubber gloves if you're working with a hot pepper. While you can slice any pepper into rings, you still need to protect yourself from the oil in hot peppers. Put on the gloves before handling the peppers. Take them off carefully when you're done, washing your hands before touching anything else.[11]
- Pick up a pair of gloves online or wherever kitchen supplies are sold
- Hot peppers include jalapenos and chilies. You don't need to use gloves to cut sweet peppers like bell peppers.
- Slice off the top to remove the stem. Use a sharp chef's knife or consider switching to a paring knife to handle smaller peppers. Then, make a single horizontal cut across the pepper. Cut all the way through the entire pepper to remove the stem.[12]
- If you're cutting up a bell pepper, also slice off the bottom end the same way. Doing this gives you more uniform rings.
- The parts you cut off aren't good for making rings. Instead, you could remove the stem and save the remaining flesh for a snack or another dish.
- Run the knife along the flesh to remove the core. Stand the pepper up on its end, then fit your knife through the cut portion. Note where the seeded, white core connects to the flesh. You need to cut through the white ribs on the flesh to free the core. Keep your knife close to the flesh, gradually shaving through the white portions until you are able to pull the core out.[13]
- Check the pepper for any seeds or white fragments left inside. Pull these out with your knife, a spoon, or your finger.
- This part is trickier with smaller peppers like jalapenos. Switch to a small paring knife and gently work your knife around the edge of the flesh to remove the core. You could also leave the core in place if you want to preserve the pepper's spiciness.
- Divide the pepper up into -thick rings. Lay the pepper down on its side again, then use a series of horizontal cuts across it to create the rings. Try to keep the rings as even as possible so they look great when you use them in a recipe.[14]
- The best time to wash a pepper is before you cut it. Give it a quick rinse in cold water to remove any debris, then pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Store leftover peppers by placing them in a resealable plastic container. Refrigerate them to keep them fresh for about 3 days or freeze them for up to 12 months.[15]
- For additional ways to use peppers, roast them whole or try drying or dehydrating them.
[Edit]Warnings - The oil from hot peppers can irritate your skin, so wear rubber gloves to protect yourself. Also, avoid touching your eyes and other areas until you are able to remove the gloves and wash your hands.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Slicing up a Bell Pepper - Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Paring knife
[Edit]Chopping up a Spicy Pepper - Cutting board
- Paring knife
- Rubber gloves
- Melon baller or small spoon
[Edit]Dividing Any Pepper into Rings - Cutting board
- Chef's knife or paring knife
- Rubber gloves for hot peppers
- Melon baller or small spoon
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Play the Guzheng (Chinese Zither) Posted: 18 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST The guzheng is an incredibly unique and interesting instrument to play. Many people like the sound of a guzheng because it can be soothing and relaxing. If you have access to a guzheng, this wikiHow will teach you the basics and how to get a great sound out of it. [Edit]Learning the Basics - Understand the structure of the guzheng.[1] You should see two sides of the guzheng: the right and left sides. You should have 21 bridges for each of the 21 strings on each of the strings.
- The box on the rightmost part of the guzheng can be opened and is usually used to store essentials, such as artificial nails and tuners. The box is usually called the head.
- There should be wood holding up your guzheng. You can adjust these to fit your height.
- On the far left, there is something called an "S-bridge." These are the holes where the strings travel down. The "S-bridge" is just to the tail's right, which is the farthest left part.
- All of the wood between the head and the S-bridge is the soundboard.
- Learn how to put on your artificial nails. Guzheng players will need artificial long nails so they can play the strings. The nails are usually a brown-white marble color. For beginners, you'll usually need 4 of them, including the special one for the thumb. You can get these at a Chinese instrument shop.
- Get the tape. The tape comes in many colours and is used to stick the nails to the fingers. You'll need about of tape for each nail.
- Stick one end of the tape to the nail.
- Put the nail before your first joint on your finger and wrap the tape around the finger. [2]
- You should have about 2.5 loops. If you don't, you may need to get more/less tape to fit your finger.
- Test the nail on the guzheng to see if it works by plucking a string.
- Use the above steps for the middle, index, and ring fingers.
- For the thumb, follow the same steps, except you should turn the nail at a 45-degree angle to the left.
- You'll need to get new tape once every week or so, as sweat and other things cause it to be less sticky.
- As you get later into your studies, you'll also need tape and nails for your left hand.
- Learn the basics of plucking the strings of the guzheng. When plucking the strings, you shouldn't emphasize your wrist, but instead, you should use your fingers to pluck the strings. Practice moving your fingers into a curve, then back up.[3] These are the basic techniques for plucking:
 - To pluck the string with your thumb, position your thumb at a place where it will be able to make a sound out of the string. If you put on your nail correctly, the thumb should be able to pluck the string. Remember not to move your whole hand, but just the thumb's joint.
- The name for the thumb's plucking is "tuo." In music, its symbol is a shape of a right angle.
- To pluck the string with your index finger, tuck all the other fingers in your palm. Use your index finger to pluck the string, and during that, quickly move it so it aligns with the other fingers in the palm.
- The name for the index finger's plucking is "mo." Its symbol is a slash.
- Pluck the string with your middle finger. Do the same as you would with the index finger, except using the middle finger.
- The name for the middle finger is "gou." Its symbol is a rainbow-like shape.
- Try using your ring finger to pluck. Only do this when you have mastered the other 3. Pluck it the same way as your index finger.
- This is called "da." A mountain-like structure represents it.
- During, before, and after plucking, your other fingers should be curved in your hand.
- Sometimes when playing a very fast-paced song, you might need to keep the fingers close to the strings to pluck them quickly. In the beginning, you don't need to worry about this, though.
- You can also connect notes. Instead of playing just one individual note for each note, you can play multiple notes, lifting and plucking the last note of the sequence. The note's finger denotes it for the first note, and hyphens on top of the other notes. Make sure to lift and pluck for the last hyphen you see.
- Understand how to tune your guzheng. To tune your guzheng, open the box on the right end of the guzheng. There should be many little silver rod-shaped keys. To do the steps below to tune it, you should have a tuner to check your notes and a lever to adjust the strings. If you don't have a tuner on you, you can find an app or online website to tune your guzheng.
- Play a note on your guzheng while the tuner is on. If the tuner indicates that your note is correct, go to the next note.
- If it flashes a red light, figure out what to do. If the line is pointing toward the left, it is flat, and the string needs tightening. To do this, get your lever and position it on the corresponding silver key to the note. Push it forward a bit. Then recheck it, then repeat.
- If the line is pointing to the right, it is sharp, and it needs to be looser. Do the opposite of the above: push it back to loosen the string.
- Repeat for all strings.
- Learn to read the notes. In guzheng music (Jian Pu), there are only 5 notes: 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. 4 and 7 can be made by manipulating the strings, but the basic five are the pentatonic scale.
 - Beginners will usually start using D major. This is denoted by "1=D" on top of the music.
- The numbers represent each note. For example, in D major, 1 would be D, 2 would be E, 3 would be #F, etc.
- To understand which note is which, find the green strings on your guzheng. Every green string represents an octave. In D major, every green string is 5.
- Counting down from the green string, the notes are 3 and 2.
- Counting towards you from the green string, the notes are 6 and 1.
- Next, you'll need to learn the octaves of Chinese music. The highest note, 1, on the guzheng, is the string that is closest to you. The lowest note, also 1, is the string that is furthest away from you. The highest 1 will have 2 dots above it in sheet music. So, that will be represented by 1 with 2 dots above it. The lowest 1 will have 2 dots below 1.
- The second note that is most towards you is 6. It will have only 1 dot above it.
- The second note that is farthest from you will be 2. It will have 2 dots below it in Chinese music.
- Note that you will try G and A scales when you get more advanced, where "1=G" or "1=A," respectively. It can be done by manipulating the wooden blocks or tuning to a different note. In G major, every green string is 2, and the topmost/bottommost note is 5.
- Understand how to read rhythm. Guzheng music uses lines below the numbers.
- Notes without any lines below them are worth 2 beats. They have a hyphen-looking character to the right of them. If there are two hyphens to the right, it's worth 4 beats.
- Notes without any lines below them without the hyphen are worth 1 beat.
- Notes with one line below them are worth half a beat.
- Notes with two lines below them are worth 1/4 of a beat.
- Notes with three lines below them are worth 1/8 of a beat.
- Notes without any lines below them with a dot to the right can be worth 1.5 beats or 3/4 of a beat. If the note has one line and a dot below it, it's worth 3/4 of a beat. If there isn't a line below it and has a dot, it's worth 1.5 beats.
- Play a simple song. There are many simple songs you can find on the internet, so try one!
- Go for songs with a simple rhythm, as those are easier for beginners.
- Don't play something like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" as that requires a 4. Since it requires more technique to play 4 on the guzheng, it's best if you don't try as a beginner. Learning to pluck and getting basic knowledge of the strings are the top priorities.
[Edit]Learning Intermediate Techniques - Try doing a glissando. A glissando is when you start at one string then move the hand to pluck every single string until you stop at another string. It is similar to piano glissando.
- When doing a glissando with your thumb, shift the other parts of your hand forward.
- This motion is denoted by a star shape when you need to do a glissando with your thumb (often to a note). It can also be denoted as a normal piano glissando shape with the direction you're going.
- If a glissando is right before a note, it can be denoted as a star shape with two lines below it, just to the left of a note. When playing these, the glissando is played using your thumb and is going the direction away from you. Make it fast to stay on beat!
- Glissandos don't have to start from the top of the guzheng.
- Try plucking away from your palm. This is the opposite of basic plucking. This takes practice, but the result is worth it!
- Start by doing this with your thumb, then move on to other fingers.
- This can be done by any finger, though the pinky rarely does it.
- The notation for this will be the opposite of the notation for normal plucking with that finger. For example, for the thumb, the normal notation is a right angle. For plucking away, it'll be rotated 180 degrees.
- The term for plucking away from your palm with your thumb is called "pi."
- Play some chords. Using your right hand, use your thumb and another finger to play a chord (two notes together).
- There are 2 forms of this - playing a chord with your index and thumb, middle finger and thumb.
- For 2 notes with less than 4 other notes between them, use your index and thumb.
- For 2 notes that have 4 or more, use your middle finger.
- In extreme cases when the distance between the two notes is very large, you use the thumb and ring finger. Sometimes the left hand can play the other note.
- Make sure not to touch other keys when playing the chord.
- This will be denoted by two notes on top of each other. Play the two notes you see.
- Chords can also be done with 3 fingers or 4 fingers, but the most common is 2 fingers.
- Don't let your nails come in contact with each other after playing the chord; otherwise, your nails will collide and hit each other.
- Incorporate your left hand. Here are a couple of ways you can do this:
 - Remember that to press down on a string, use your index, middle, and ring fingers. Use your fingertips. This also works if you have nails on.
- When playing the note 3, on the other side of the guzheng (your left side), press down on the string. The note will turn to a 4.
- To play 7, pluck the note 6 while pressing down on the other side.
- Use your left hand on the right side to do some simple glissandos and chords/notes. When a piece of music wants you to do this, it'll have two "sections" for right and left hands, just like in western notation.
- Right after playing any note, lightly press down and wiggle your wrist on the corresponding string on the left side to do vibrato. A squiggly line denotes this on top of a note. If you see a squiggly line on top of a chord, you should do this effect on the top note. You can also press down heavily to create a stronger effect.
- Pluck any note on the right side and then press down on the left side. For example, you could try plucking 3 without doing anything, then less than a second later, pressing down on the left side to 4. An arrow denotes this from one note to the next. It can also be denoted as an arrow pointing up. This is called portamento (and the same word for the next point). [4]
- Try doing the same as above, except backward. Press down on any note, play it, then let go. An arrow can also denote this to the next note, or an arrow pointing down.
- Try sweeping. Use your nails on the left hand (it may help to put on artificial nails) and sweep your nails on the right side's lower strings. It should create a banging noise. A screwdriver-like symbol denotes this. You can also do sweeping after a glissando using your thumb to push the end of the guzheng.
- Try doing arpeggios.[5] This technique is an essential one and is used in various songs.
- You can do this with your left hand or right hand.
- Find the notes you want to do the arpeggio on. Usually, it'll be 4 notes, but there are arpeggios with 3 notes or two notes in rare cases.
- Place your fingers so they're ready to play the notes. When the arpeggio is 4 notes, the 4 fingers are your ring finger, middle finger, index finger, and thumb. When it's 3 notes, the 3 fingers are your middle finger, index finger, and thumb. Don't play it just yet.
- Pluck the strings, starting from the string farthest away from you.
- Keep on plucking until all the strings are plucked.
- Remember to move your fingers in after plucking!
- This is denoted by a vertical squiggly line with the 4 (or 3) notes to the squiggly line's right.
- Play harmonics.[6] These are notes that sound like bells and an octave higher than what is expected from that note. They are softer than normal plucking.
- This is denoted by a circle on top of a note.
- Move your left hand to the right side of the guzheng.
- Find the note you want to play.
- Locate the approximate midpoint from where the string starts at the head to the string's bridge and put your left pinky on the midpoint.
- Play the note.
- Just after you play the note, lift your pinky.
- If you get a sound like wood clanking, make sure your pinky is correctly positioned. Try lower notes first, as those are easier and have more wiggle room for the pinky.
- Learn the "finger shake."[7] This technique requires a lot of practice and is used to replace long notes. Since long notes can't be played easily with the guzheng, the finger shake is an essential thing to learn.
 - The finger shake is denoted by three straight lines at a 45-degree angle to the right of a note.
- Put your hand in the finger shake position. Put the side of your index finger on the tape of your thumb. Relax the other fingers of your hand, and straighten your pinkie.
- Find the string you want to hold a long note on and place your straightened pinkie outside the strings on the side. Put it at a comfortable distance. Usually it's one or two strings counting from the note away from you.
- Put your elbow up and wrist down (this will help you do the finger shake easily).
- Start the finger shake. Pretend you're twisting a doorknob or waving goodbye, and twist your wrist towards you, playing your desired note with your thumb (remember that this is called pi!). Then, twist in the other direction away from you (tuo). Your elbow should remain relatively still. You'll have to go slowly and gradually make your way to a continuous note.
- Keep on twisting your wrist front and back to pluck the note with your thumb.
- Practice this until your speed increases.
- This is a hard skill to master, so you'll need a lot of practice to get it right.
- Remember to relax your hand.
- You can add modifications to the finger shake. For example, you could let go of your pinky and shake it in thin air, and/or use your other 2 fingers (middle and ring) to sweep the strings farther away from the note you're holding. Remember to master the basic way first, though.
- Improve the looks of your playing. This will allow your playing to seem more elegant and beautiful.
- When playing a long note (2 beats), raise your hand after playing the note, slowly drop it, and get ready for the next note.
- When playing a note that's supposed to sound soft, position your hands towards the left side of the tuned side of the guzheng. When playing a louder note, position your hands towards the right (head).
- When playing a glissando from the last note to the first note towards you, lift your hand at the glissando's end.
- When your right hand and left hand are about to play together, lift them simultaneously.
- When moving from one string to another on the left side, turn your hand so your fingertips are pointing to the right and then moving to the next note. Make this movement fluid.
[Edit]Warnings - When tuning your guzheng, don't tighten it too much, or you can risk breaking one of the strings.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Working guzheng
- Artificial nails
- Special tape
- Sheet music
- Tuner
- Teacher (optional)
[Edit]References |
-Step-1-Version-2.jpg)
-Step-1.jpg)
-Step-2.jpg)
-Step-3.jpg)
-Step-4.jpg)
-Step-6-Version-2.jpg)
-Step-5.jpg)
-Step-6.jpg)
-Step-7.jpg)
-Step-8.jpg)
-Step-10.jpg)
-Step-12.jpg)
-Step-13.jpg)
-Step-9-Version-2.jpg)
-Step-11.jpg)
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário