Fun or Efficient ways to cut Fruit and Veg

Microplane: I have one from pampered chef that I absolutely adore...just one of those easy, quick things. Obviously using for zest works but another beat demo is macadamia nuts--they end up resembling Parmesan cheese.

Mandolin: make quick work of your vegetable cuts for vegetable rolls, etc. Michel Richard even makes quick work out of making potato 'rice' for his much loved risotto in his cookbook. (1) peel potato (2) rice length in potato keeping whole potato still intact similar to how you would with an onion (3) cut perpendicularly to those cuts but thinner for the width of the rice (4)mandolin it into 'rice'

Gimmicks: of there are any kids or anything, you can do some of the cutesy garnish stuff--there's a YouTube video that I found helpful for turning carrot rounds into butterflies

The thumping the lettuce trick works for iceberg. I haven't done it in decades but it always worked.

Yeah, the rice paper rolls would be good for that event now I'm thinking about it. You could even use the salad you made and make 'hand rolls' to pass around--dressed with the dressing you make. . And reserve some of the same chopped stuff in another bowl and go more Asian with a dipping sauce. and maybe small dish of red chili peppers chopped. (remember to bring gloves if you do that as a tech/tip for chopping hot peppers).

That's a good idea I hadn't thought of. The problem is that most everyone is in California, so that is known to our group. Using a dish towel is a great idea I haven't used, so thanks for that. The bride however, who doesn't cook I'm told, except for salads. Is from Philly, lived in Chi and now recently in Dallas. Might be a neat trick for her, I think I will have one around and ask her.

I should have said 'using a chef knife' to wack the pit...holding the half in a dish towel.
You could also mention a good way to eat a avocodo half is to fill the pit hole with some vinegar and olive oil...salt/pepper. and go it with a spoon. It makes it own bowl.
/me being verbose again...and missing the edit post button.

Cutting an avocado is a good one to demo. Holding it cutting down to the pit all the way around twisting it open to two halves, using a dish towel to wack the pit so you don't cut your hand if it slips. And twisting to remove the pit and making 'cross hatches' in the shells and scooping out the cubes with a spoon .

Stress using the towel to hold the fruit when you wack the pit....I made that mistake, Once.

Oh and has anyone been able to thump a head lettuce core and pull it out? I tried it once or twice and it didn't work for me, but that sounds neat.