I think I know the answer to this one...aliantha wrote:Why oh why can't restaurants serve bite-size pieces of lettuce in their salads? I *hate* having to take a knife to a salad....
Back in the day, before stainless steel knives, knives used on lettuce tended to turn the edges of the lettuce an unappetizing black. So the tradition of hand tearing the lettuce began. Chef training is full of "traditions." Apparently hand tearing lettuce is one that is living on beyond technical advances that make it obsolete.
I think even if a knife or kitchen shears are used to cut the lettuce, the pieces are left large to give the appearance of having been hand torn.
Any of our classically trained chefs around to confirm if this is the case?