Technique: Grating Cheese

While applying a bit of pressure, rub a wedge of cheese along the sharp edges of a cheese grater.

Choose a grate size (the size of the hole in the grater) that works best with the kind of cheese you're grating. Smaller grates work well for harder cheeses like Parmesan, and Romano; coarser grates work best with slightly softer cheeses like Cheddar and Jack.

Hard cheeses are the easiest to grate -- little mess, and it's easy to clean the grater. While softer cheeses are more difficult to grate, the process can be made easier. Simply chill the cheese prior to grating. For example, a whole milk, aged Mozzarella is generally designated to be used as shredded in recipes, yet it's soft texture makes it a difficult one to grate. Chilling hardens it slightly, making it easier to grate.

To reduce the amount of cheese that sticks to the grater, give the grater a quick spray of oil just prior to grating.