Male: Since ancient times in a beautiful Far East kingdom of Thailand, the art of Kae-Sa-Luk has been passed from one generation to the next, keeping alive and intricately beautiful art form for centuries. Today, only a handful or art has been practiced this delicate art.
Pam Maneeratana, one of the last masters to be taught this passes her skills on to you through these series of video lessons. Learn now from one of the few remaining masters this art of turning ordinary vegetables into things of beauty, to grace and decorative form of dinner or a casual party.
Pam: First of all we have to peel this watermelon. Use a big knife and peel off only the green part. Make sure you leave the white part of the watermelon.
After you peel the green part off and leave some white, and then we have some finishing touch by peeling it a little bit of to make a smooth surface.
Before you carve anything, you have to level the watermelon by cutting off the bottom in order for the watermelon to stand still, and will not move when you carve.
This is the knife that we use in carving. In the end is sharp. You will hold the knife like you’re holding a pencil. Have the middle finger on this side of the knife a little bit away from the tip. Then we will hold the knife on the watermelon, have three other fingers on the watermelon, and another hand on the watermelon. Make sure that you will not put too much pressure on it.
First of all, we have to make a circle in the middle of the watermelon by pressing the knife in about half of inch. Then you roll the watermelon along and make a circle. Then you slant your knife and make some fresh cut off from the original line.
At the edge of the watermelon, go ahead and make some slant cut in order to expand the surface of the scourge. If you can’t get it out then make a repeat cut.
At this time we need to make it some touch up by making a nice dome-shaped right in the middle of the watermelon.
Now as you could see, you will have a nice dome-shape right here and as a skirt of the watermelon around it.
By pressing the knife right into the dome—at the edge of the dome, make a sewing motion back, and in and out along the outer ring of the dome down to the bottom. Then you slant your knife and peel off underneath of the path that you just made. Once you peel off, you‘d be able to see the petal to stand out.
To make the second petal, you start a little bit underneath of the first petal that you have just made. In this way, all the petal that you make will overlap to each other.
Again slant your knife in order to make the petal stand out. When you make each petal, make sure you start underneath of the former petal, make a sewing motion in and out along the outer ring of the dome around the curve, and down to the bottom. Then slant your knife, make a nice peel off underneath of the first petal that you just made. You will keep doing this around and around until there has no space left here because the spiral petal.
When you start to make the petal, then we have to make sure that we had prepared the surface for the petal. Like if I’m going to start the petal here then I will make some knife wiggly on smooth surface. So the petal that I will make along with this surface will be more natural look.
Once the petal is cut, then I will slant the knife underneath of the cut and peel off in order to see the petals stand out.
For the very next petal, I always start underneath of the first petal by trying to prepare some surface then make the petal along that surface. Once again, you need to peel off underneath of the petal.
You keep rowing in by this in the same pattern until you meet the first layer. At this time you may hold the knife like you grab it in the handle and then just let the tip of the knife work for the watermelon.
Try to be comfortable with the knife. At first, you will feel uncomfortable. Later on for a few more watermelon that you have practiced the knife will come naturally to you.
Wiggling the knife along with surface is a must in order to make the petal look natural and beautiful.
Did you see that I go along with each wave of the surface that I just make?
Now we’re done with the first layer. Start the second layer by right in the middle of two petal, then you make some fresh cut off, then the petal. Then peel off underneath the petal. Prepare that surface, for the next petal, then the pattern along the wavy surface that we just make. Slant your knife, the tip of the knife upward. Then peel off a flesh underneath of the petal that we just made. You will see the petal stand up, everytime that you will peel it off. The size of the waste that you take it off, will determine the distance of the petal from each other.
To carve watermelon this way, it doesn’t come overnight. You need to practice, and do more of watermelon. Try to practice it in summertime watermelon is cheap and you can just afford to ruin it and not to worry about it. We have made the second layer.
On the third layer, we would do the same way, by starting underneath of the two petal above making a whisk cut off. Remember the size of the waste determine the distance of the petal from the first layer to the second, and the second to the third.
Carefully, make a sewing motion of the knife, by pushing in and out, until you are able to get piece out. Then once again the petal around the surface that you just make. Peel it off underneath, so the petal will stand out.
The knife that you use to carve the watermelon, or any vegetable, it needs to be always sharp. Do not use the knife that is too thick, or else, they will break the watermelon flesh.
I always carve the skirt of these flowers until I no longer see the bottom of the watermelon from the birds eye view.
At this time, you can see that the watermelon had come down enough, so I will pull it, skin off some of the flesh and the last petal that they use.
Once, you have skinned off, it will look nicer and that there is a space for you to punch the fern in, which I will show you. You can use the fern leave by cutting the bottom off, then punch it on the surface below.
I always use a nice spoon leave and decorate it at the bottom. This can make a nice centerpiece. And if you want to be a candle holder, simply use the candle and stick right in the middle of the centerpiece.
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