Knife Skills

Knife work is the first thing taught in any professional kitchen, and for a practical reason: uniform pieces cook at a uniform rate. This collection covers the classic cuts — dice, brunoise, julienne, batonnet, chiffonade — with the actual dimensions culinary schools teach, plus the grip, board setup, and cutting motion that make them achievable at home speed.

Every tutorial here is written to be followed with a knife in hand: which cut a recipe actually needs, how to break down common vegetables efficiently, and honest notes on where home cooks typically go wrong — a pinch grip that slips back to a handle grip, a board that's too small, a knife that needed honing three meals ago.