The viral spiral

I've been hosting dinner parties since college, and while they've come a long way since then, one piece of advice runs throughout: presentation is everything.

When I was too poor to afford a vast charcuterie selection, I grilled sausages, sliced them, and stuck fancy toothpicks through each disk. I'd toast a loaf of French bread and cut open a small wheel of brie, and fill out little dishes with whatever I had. I'd dress the table with flowers I picked from obliging lawns around the neighborhood, which yes, was technically stealing. 

Cucumbers? Going viral?

Now I'm a little (okay, a lot) older and while I still scoff at the price gouging they try to pass off as inflation, I can now afford the charcuterie board. But my focus on presentation is no less ardent. Case in pont: the viral spiral. A specially-cut cucumber, when extended, looks like a strand of DNA. Something as humble as a cucumber can turn into something exciting, with just a few swipes of a knife. Dress it up with some flavor and you have a gorgeous side dish that requires zero cooking.

And it's oh so photogenic - which is the main reason it went viral. Watching it unfold harbors the same excitement of cutting and unfolding paper snowflakes.

How to cut a cucumber into a viral spiral 

Here's how:

• Grab a cucumber (English tastes best, but American works) and wash it.
• Some like to peel the cucumber. I like stripping the skin into stripes.
• Place the cucumber on a cutting board, and line up a chopstick on each side of it.
• Using the chopsticks to ensure that you don't slice the cucumber the whole way through, cut the cucumber width-wise at a 90-degree angle.
• Flip the cucumber over to the uncut side. Stabilize the chopsticks.
• Make slices at the same width, but cut at a 45-degree angle.
• Once finished, hold up one end of the cucumber to marvel at the shape!

Cucumber salad recipe ideas

Now that you have this cool shape, how do you dress it up? There are so many ways! You can go as simple as pouring ranch or a viniagrette over it. My favorite option is Korean-style. 

Classic Korean

• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Sesame seeds
• Red pepper flakes

Southern style

• White vinegar
• Simple syrup
• Dill
• Salt

The Greek 

• Yogurt
• Crushed garlic
• Dill
• Salt
• Mint

Don't let these options stop you from looking further. The following items may be sitting around in your kitchen, and can offer incredible flavor to your cucumber salad.

Cucumber salad add-ons

• Cilantro
• Basil
• Furikake
• Balsamic vinegar
• Crumbled feta
• Sriracha
• Lemon
• Fish sauce
• Spicy mayo
• Any salad dressing

Presentation matters, but making vegetables fun also matters. Especially for those of you with picky eaters. I'm sure you can tell by the photos that my son does not fall into this category. But vegetables shouldn't be something you squeeze into a meal for a perfunctory health boost. They should be delicious. And on special occasions, pretty cool to look at.