Knife skills
January 26, 2023 10:03 AM Subscribe
I've gone from cooking for one with lots of spare time to cooking for many with less spare time. The bottleneck is always cutting, slicing, and chopping.
I have decent knives, I know how to use them safely, I know how to keep them sharp.
I do not know how to use them quickly. Regardless of the recipe, knife work always takes me the longest. This morning it took me half an hour to core and chop 4 peppers and an onion.
I don't even really know what knives I should use for what.
Bonus time saving question: Is it reasonable to, for example, chop 6 onions at once and put the remains in the fridge/freezer until I need them?
These two old Asks seemed relevant but the relevant links are all dead so it seemed worth reviving the question.
Note: I am not interested in more gadgets. We have them, they have problems that are outside the scope of this question.
I have decent knives, I know how to use them safely, I know how to keep them sharp.
I do not know how to use them quickly. Regardless of the recipe, knife work always takes me the longest. This morning it took me half an hour to core and chop 4 peppers and an onion.
I don't even really know what knives I should use for what.
Bonus time saving question: Is it reasonable to, for example, chop 6 onions at once and put the remains in the fridge/freezer until I need them?
These two old Asks seemed relevant but the relevant links are all dead so it seemed worth reviving the question.
Note: I am not interested in more gadgets. We have them, they have problems that are outside the scope of this question.
Yes. You can chop stuff ahead of time. Personally, I make mirepoix in a jar for myself when I know I want to make a soup some time this week but will be tired after work. It's kind of fun to just chop, pack, and listen to the radio. You can also chop and freeze vegetables in portions, which is super convenient for soup or sauté applications.
If your grocery store is like mine, they have pre-chopped veg in the refrigerated part of the produce section and all of that lasts easily a week-- if they can do it, you can do it. I can report that chopped onions last at least a week.
My other suggestions are to look at your technique-- for example, coring a pepper got way easier for me when I learned you can slice off the bottom, then slice off the sides and never touch the core. You don't get cool little rings but so what, it tastes the same. Another option is to care less about the chopping and let it be a little rough and ugly. Another option is to avoid stuff that takes too long-- I spend a little extra and get the pre-peeled, pre-chopped squash, for example, because I find handling whole squashes annoying. I also get the whole peeled cloves of garlic because life's too short. And-- practice, practice, practice.
If you wanted gadgets, I'd suggest a Slap Chop or an immersion blender with a food processor blade attachment. A fry/chip maker where you put the whole potato in there and press it like a garlic press will also work for other vegetables. And the Zyliss hand grinder where you put it in the cup and rotate the cup for garlic is a life-changer.
posted by blnkfrnk at 10:15 AM on January 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
If your grocery store is like mine, they have pre-chopped veg in the refrigerated part of the produce section and all of that lasts easily a week-- if they can do it, you can do it. I can report that chopped onions last at least a week.
My other suggestions are to look at your technique-- for example, coring a pepper got way easier for me when I learned you can slice off the bottom, then slice off the sides and never touch the core. You don't get cool little rings but so what, it tastes the same. Another option is to care less about the chopping and let it be a little rough and ugly. Another option is to avoid stuff that takes too long-- I spend a little extra and get the pre-peeled, pre-chopped squash, for example, because I find handling whole squashes annoying. I also get the whole peeled cloves of garlic because life's too short. And-- practice, practice, practice.
If you wanted gadgets, I'd suggest a Slap Chop or an immersion blender with a food processor blade attachment. A fry/chip maker where you put the whole potato in there and press it like a garlic press will also work for other vegetables. And the Zyliss hand grinder where you put it in the cup and rotate the cup for garlic is a life-changer.
posted by blnkfrnk at 10:15 AM on January 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
You'll get better with practice.
Here's descriptions of peppers and onions, but I bet there's a million videos online for any item of produce you'd like to chop.
Peppers: pop the top off, cut in half, remove core. You can probably use the core and seeds for spicy broths, I wouldn't know, I don't like bell peppers and when I worked in kitchens we just threw it away. Chop in one direction. Hold it all together. Chop in the other direction. Someone will be along to tell you how to hold, maneuver, and choose the knife.
Onion: Cut a thin slice to make a cut line all the way through the first layer past the paper layer. Remove that layer, set it aside for broths. Cut the top and bottom off, set aside for broths. Cut the onion in half. Set the flat side on the cutting board. Chop in one direction. Hold it all together. Chop in the other direction. With onions, I find that when you're down to the last 1/3 of a half-sphere and it's taller than it is wide, rotate it so that it's wider than it is tall again, and keep chopping.
I was taught that you keep your fingers curled when chopping. I guess so you chop off your first knuckle instead of your fingertips? Supposedly the knife will just slide right off instead of catching your fingertips.
posted by aniola at 10:15 AM on January 26, 2023
Here's descriptions of peppers and onions, but I bet there's a million videos online for any item of produce you'd like to chop.
Peppers: pop the top off, cut in half, remove core. You can probably use the core and seeds for spicy broths, I wouldn't know, I don't like bell peppers and when I worked in kitchens we just threw it away. Chop in one direction. Hold it all together. Chop in the other direction. Someone will be along to tell you how to hold, maneuver, and choose the knife.
Onion: Cut a thin slice to make a cut line all the way through the first layer past the paper layer. Remove that layer, set it aside for broths. Cut the top and bottom off, set aside for broths. Cut the onion in half. Set the flat side on the cutting board. Chop in one direction. Hold it all together. Chop in the other direction. With onions, I find that when you're down to the last 1/3 of a half-sphere and it's taller than it is wide, rotate it so that it's wider than it is tall again, and keep chopping.
I was taught that you keep your fingers curled when chopping. I guess so you chop off your first knuckle instead of your fingertips? Supposedly the knife will just slide right off instead of catching your fingertips.
posted by aniola at 10:15 AM on January 26, 2023
Re chop-and-freeze: I've heard that onions begin to lose their flavour after they are chopped. And they're watery enough that freezing them might break down their cell wall and leave them mushy. I'm thinking it might be better to chop and sauté a batch of onions in olive oil, let it cool and freeze that in serving size portions.
posted by Pallas Athena at 10:17 AM on January 26, 2023
posted by Pallas Athena at 10:17 AM on January 26, 2023
With the big chopping knife - slide the knife along the cutting board in between chops, don't bother lifting it off the cutting board.
posted by aniola at 10:18 AM on January 26, 2023
posted by aniola at 10:18 AM on January 26, 2023
Yes, you can absolutely chop onions and freeze them. The biggest key is to either spread them out while they freeze, or if you have to put them in a bag to freeze, then set a timer and agitate the bag occasionally as they're freezing, so they don't freeze in a lump. You can also buy pre-chopped frozen onions. They're a timesaver, but I find that they don't have a ton of flavor. If I use them, I add some extra onion powder. You can also just use onion powder exclusively if you need to. Penzey's is quite potent and a good sub.
Bell peppers can also be chopped and frozen. As long as they'll be cooked when they're used again, the texture won't matter, and they'll be fine. I also find that Trader Joe's frozen chopped bell peppers are great.
My favorite way to chop bell peppers is something I don't see anyone doing:
Be sure to use a serrated knife to easily get through the pepper's skin. To cut: first lay the pepper on its side and make a vertical cut, chopping off a side plank. Rotate the pepper and lob off another plank. Keep rotating until you have about 4 planks. You're left with the core and stem in one piece--discard. Then take the planks and cut each into long strips, then across into a dice.
posted by hydra77 at 10:19 AM on January 26, 2023 [7 favorites]
Bell peppers can also be chopped and frozen. As long as they'll be cooked when they're used again, the texture won't matter, and they'll be fine. I also find that Trader Joe's frozen chopped bell peppers are great.
My favorite way to chop bell peppers is something I don't see anyone doing:
Be sure to use a serrated knife to easily get through the pepper's skin. To cut: first lay the pepper on its side and make a vertical cut, chopping off a side plank. Rotate the pepper and lob off another plank. Keep rotating until you have about 4 planks. You're left with the core and stem in one piece--discard. Then take the planks and cut each into long strips, then across into a dice.
posted by hydra77 at 10:19 AM on January 26, 2023 [7 favorites]
I was just coming in to give that pepper tip. I saw a video of Jacque Pepin doing it years ago and it was life-changingly efficient.
posted by LizardBreath at 10:23 AM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by LizardBreath at 10:23 AM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Get a small immersion blender like this You dice onions in 30s and wash in 30s saves so much time.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:23 AM on January 26, 2023
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:23 AM on January 26, 2023
Garlic or ginger: get a fine grater
Get a mandolin
Buy pre-diced things / salad bags.
We cook a lot last minute aint got no time to chop like a chump
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:27 AM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Get a mandolin
Buy pre-diced things / salad bags.
We cook a lot last minute aint got no time to chop like a chump
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:27 AM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Indeed, you don't want or need cutting gadgets! Just watch Pepin. Or Julia Child. Or their shows together! This is a case where efficiency makes speed. You don't need to make cuts faster (though it helps), you need to cut smarter.
E.g. take the idea of dicing a potato. you can get 45 cubes by making 9 cuts. Two cuts to make three slabs, two more to get nine spears, five more to get 45. Similar tricks apply to peppers as described above, and to really every vegetable, you just have to see the efficient way once or twice to save a huge amount of time.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:30 AM on January 26, 2023
E.g. take the idea of dicing a potato. you can get 45 cubes by making 9 cuts. Two cuts to make three slabs, two more to get nine spears, five more to get 45. Similar tricks apply to peppers as described above, and to really every vegetable, you just have to see the efficient way once or twice to save a huge amount of time.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:30 AM on January 26, 2023
If you're looking for instructions on "how to chop what," then you should look to textbooks. Joy of Cooking includes descriptions of how to break down many ingredients; you may want to see if you can borrow something like the Cordon Bleu textbooks from the library.
My wife takes quite a bit longer than I do to cut the same quantities of things. I've watched her a few times and come to the conclusion that she's a lot more concerned about not wasting ingredients and being millimeter accurate with all of her cuts than I am. For example, she'll carefully pare out the green top of a strawberry, while I'll just lop the whole end off. If you get to a point where you think to yourself, "I know what I'm doing but this still takes forever!" then maybe consider you're being too perfectionist.
And a left field answer: I was listening to an interview with Jacques Pepin a few years ago (I think it was on Fresh Air), and he admitted to buying the pre-cut vegetables at the supermarket. His justification - he has prep cooks at the restaurant, so he just considers the supermarket as his "prep cook." No shame in going that route if one of the most widely regarded cooks does it!
posted by backseatpilot at 10:38 AM on January 26, 2023 [8 favorites]
My wife takes quite a bit longer than I do to cut the same quantities of things. I've watched her a few times and come to the conclusion that she's a lot more concerned about not wasting ingredients and being millimeter accurate with all of her cuts than I am. For example, she'll carefully pare out the green top of a strawberry, while I'll just lop the whole end off. If you get to a point where you think to yourself, "I know what I'm doing but this still takes forever!" then maybe consider you're being too perfectionist.
And a left field answer: I was listening to an interview with Jacques Pepin a few years ago (I think it was on Fresh Air), and he admitted to buying the pre-cut vegetables at the supermarket. His justification - he has prep cooks at the restaurant, so he just considers the supermarket as his "prep cook." No shame in going that route if one of the most widely regarded cooks does it!
posted by backseatpilot at 10:38 AM on January 26, 2023 [8 favorites]
The bottleneck is always cutting, slicing, and chopping
I'm gonna push back on the premise a little here, because no matter how good you get at knife skills, cutting, slicing, and chopping are always going to be bottlenecks. It's a big part of prep work, and unlike the actual cooking part, you don't really ever feel like you're getting closer to a ready-to-eat dish the way you do when you see a sauce thicken, for example. This is one of the reasons chefs and other cooking people care so much about knife skills: they spend a lot of time cutting, slicing, and chopping.
That said, yeah, cutting can be annoying, and anyone who's not a knife-skills hipster would be reasonable to want to do less of it. You absolutely can cut in bulk and then refrigerate/freeze the leftovers for future meals. You absolutely can buy pre-cut ingredients. Where I draw the line is, what do I actually enjoy doing? Personally, I kind of like cutting onions. It's one of those knife-skill hipster things I mentioned where once you get to a certain level of proficiency, you can annoy everyone around you by bragging about how finely chopped your onions are, and, well, I kind of enjoy annoying people around me. But cutting tomatoes? I'd rather not. Likewise, I'd rather buy a bag of Bacon Bits than cook and cut some actual bacon. I just don't have fun while I'm doing that. Herbs? Depends. I like cutting dill, I don't like cutting rosemary or thyme.
Think about it like this: A lot of foodies make a really big deal about grinding your own beef. "Soooo much better," they say. Maybe, but even if there were a way to grind five pounds of beef in a minute, I'd still buy my ground beef pre-ground from the store, because the benefit (in terms of taste) isn't worth the cost (in terms of time). There's not even an argument to be made against pre-chopped veggies; they taste the same. The only reason not to buy pre-chopped onions is if you enjoy the process of chopping an onion. This is why "convenience foods" became so popular.
As for what knife to use, it doesn't really matter. Certain knives are better for certain things, but when I started cooking, I was told that you only really needed one knife (a chef's knife), and so for most of my adult life, all I've used is a chef's knife, whether I was chopping onions or slicing bread or carving a turkey. Ideal? Probably not. Good enough? Absolutely.
That last part is what I suspect you're struggling with. You don't need to chop an onion or pepper *perfectly*. You just need to chop it good enough. Depending on your recipe, "good enough" could actually be "pretty lousy", because you're going to cook your onions long enough that they liquefy. For a lot of things, you can just lay it in a flat-ish pile, and just slam the knife down haphazardly, and if you see any pieces that stand out as being bigger than the rest, you just slam the knife down haphazardly on those until they're about the same size. When I learned the fancy way to cut onions, I spent a lot of time working on it to make all my cuts the same size and get them really close together so that my dice would be extra-fine, and you know what that did for the flavor of my dishes? Nothing. Try setting yourself a rather ambitious time limit (say, two minutes for a regularly-sized onion), and see what you can get done in that time. The recipe will still probably taste as good.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:42 AM on January 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
I'm gonna push back on the premise a little here, because no matter how good you get at knife skills, cutting, slicing, and chopping are always going to be bottlenecks. It's a big part of prep work, and unlike the actual cooking part, you don't really ever feel like you're getting closer to a ready-to-eat dish the way you do when you see a sauce thicken, for example. This is one of the reasons chefs and other cooking people care so much about knife skills: they spend a lot of time cutting, slicing, and chopping.
That said, yeah, cutting can be annoying, and anyone who's not a knife-skills hipster would be reasonable to want to do less of it. You absolutely can cut in bulk and then refrigerate/freeze the leftovers for future meals. You absolutely can buy pre-cut ingredients. Where I draw the line is, what do I actually enjoy doing? Personally, I kind of like cutting onions. It's one of those knife-skill hipster things I mentioned where once you get to a certain level of proficiency, you can annoy everyone around you by bragging about how finely chopped your onions are, and, well, I kind of enjoy annoying people around me. But cutting tomatoes? I'd rather not. Likewise, I'd rather buy a bag of Bacon Bits than cook and cut some actual bacon. I just don't have fun while I'm doing that. Herbs? Depends. I like cutting dill, I don't like cutting rosemary or thyme.
Think about it like this: A lot of foodies make a really big deal about grinding your own beef. "Soooo much better," they say. Maybe, but even if there were a way to grind five pounds of beef in a minute, I'd still buy my ground beef pre-ground from the store, because the benefit (in terms of taste) isn't worth the cost (in terms of time). There's not even an argument to be made against pre-chopped veggies; they taste the same. The only reason not to buy pre-chopped onions is if you enjoy the process of chopping an onion. This is why "convenience foods" became so popular.
As for what knife to use, it doesn't really matter. Certain knives are better for certain things, but when I started cooking, I was told that you only really needed one knife (a chef's knife), and so for most of my adult life, all I've used is a chef's knife, whether I was chopping onions or slicing bread or carving a turkey. Ideal? Probably not. Good enough? Absolutely.
That last part is what I suspect you're struggling with. You don't need to chop an onion or pepper *perfectly*. You just need to chop it good enough. Depending on your recipe, "good enough" could actually be "pretty lousy", because you're going to cook your onions long enough that they liquefy. For a lot of things, you can just lay it in a flat-ish pile, and just slam the knife down haphazardly, and if you see any pieces that stand out as being bigger than the rest, you just slam the knife down haphazardly on those until they're about the same size. When I learned the fancy way to cut onions, I spent a lot of time working on it to make all my cuts the same size and get them really close together so that my dice would be extra-fine, and you know what that did for the flavor of my dishes? Nothing. Try setting yourself a rather ambitious time limit (say, two minutes for a regularly-sized onion), and see what you can get done in that time. The recipe will still probably taste as good.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:42 AM on January 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
Chef here!
I use my chef's knife for damn near everything because that's the knife I'm most comfortable with. Find your "happy knife". Parer is good for wee things that I can do in my hand.
Is it reasonable to, for example, chop 6 onions at once and put the remains in the fridge/freezer until I need them absolutely yes. You have a few days of "life" on them in the fridge, and I do this allll the time.
I use a similar technique to blnkfrnk for peppers, and my onion technique is thus: cut onion in half stem-to-stem. Peel. Peels if not rotten go into stock bag in the freezer. Cut radially (following the lines of the onion) in desired width. THEN cut across those cuts. Muuuuch less fussy and gets the job done. Alternatively if you already have one, a few pulses in a food processor is a beautiful thing (caveat, you get 1-2 days fewer shelf life bc of the extra thwacking they get)... This is similar to machines we use in large scale catering. Love it for making chopped garlic or minced onions.
I use the roll-and-slice pepper technique : cut bottom off of pepper. Make a cut in the pepper wall. Roll along the core (kinda like a barrel?). You get one biiiig piece and one small piece. Stack to cut as needed.
I agree with SaltySalticid on efficiency, so that's something to assess if you haven't already. I find cutting in a rhythm or to music keeps me focused and more efficient/faster, YMMV.
I also love love love my Benriner ... Inherited my grandma's 20 years ago, used it in a professional kitchen for years, only replaced it 7 years ago when it finally cracked. Kept both boxes to compare marketing, haha...
On review, I also have a similar situation as backseatpilot re: perfectionism and cutting. I DGAF as much unless it's for a REASON, OhHaieSpouse does. I am faster. And also... Pre-cut can defs be your friend. I prefer to use the scraps for compost or stock, but every person and kitchen and everyone's needs are different.
Safe & happy chopping!
posted by OhHaieThere at 10:43 AM on January 26, 2023 [8 favorites]
I use my chef's knife for damn near everything because that's the knife I'm most comfortable with. Find your "happy knife". Parer is good for wee things that I can do in my hand.
Is it reasonable to, for example, chop 6 onions at once and put the remains in the fridge/freezer until I need them absolutely yes. You have a few days of "life" on them in the fridge, and I do this allll the time.
I use a similar technique to blnkfrnk for peppers, and my onion technique is thus: cut onion in half stem-to-stem. Peel. Peels if not rotten go into stock bag in the freezer. Cut radially (following the lines of the onion) in desired width. THEN cut across those cuts. Muuuuch less fussy and gets the job done. Alternatively if you already have one, a few pulses in a food processor is a beautiful thing (caveat, you get 1-2 days fewer shelf life bc of the extra thwacking they get)... This is similar to machines we use in large scale catering. Love it for making chopped garlic or minced onions.
I use the roll-and-slice pepper technique : cut bottom off of pepper. Make a cut in the pepper wall. Roll along the core (kinda like a barrel?). You get one biiiig piece and one small piece. Stack to cut as needed.
I agree with SaltySalticid on efficiency, so that's something to assess if you haven't already. I find cutting in a rhythm or to music keeps me focused and more efficient/faster, YMMV.
I also love love love my Benriner ... Inherited my grandma's 20 years ago, used it in a professional kitchen for years, only replaced it 7 years ago when it finally cracked. Kept both boxes to compare marketing, haha...
On review, I also have a similar situation as backseatpilot re: perfectionism and cutting. I DGAF as much unless it's for a REASON, OhHaieSpouse does. I am faster. And also... Pre-cut can defs be your friend. I prefer to use the scraps for compost or stock, but every person and kitchen and everyone's needs are different.
Safe & happy chopping!
posted by OhHaieThere at 10:43 AM on January 26, 2023 [8 favorites]
There are a lot of videos on Youtube about knife skills. I've got a cooking skills website in my bookmarks with a whole series of videos on knives and another series on onions.
I get the impression that one aspect of being quickly with a knife is just being comfortable with working more quickly. I've seen some people who seem like they're considering each cut. When you're chopping onions, you don't consider each cut any more than you consider each pedal stroke when riding a bike. They're both cyclical actions.
posted by adamrice at 10:48 AM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
I get the impression that one aspect of being quickly with a knife is just being comfortable with working more quickly. I've seen some people who seem like they're considering each cut. When you're chopping onions, you don't consider each cut any more than you consider each pedal stroke when riding a bike. They're both cyclical actions.
posted by adamrice at 10:48 AM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Over the last few years, I learned how to chop onions, apples, and bell peppers more efficiently, and it's great! I use my 8" chefs knife for all of them. I also buy pre-sliced veg where possible, but onions in particular are noticeably less flavorful if I don't chop them myself.
For apples and onions, I use the techniques described here:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/23-basic-knife-skills
And a big realization for me was that it was ok to not be perfect -- making chopping take less time so I eat fresh produce more often is totally worth a little bit of waste around the core of an apple. (Once I have my 8 wedges, I use the chef's knife to chop out the remnants of the core in one slice. No more faffing about with precise cuts with a paring knife!)
For bell peppers, I do what blnkfrnk does:
* slice off top (if you get it juuust right, the stem will fall out, leaving a ring of pepper)
* put pepper on the just-sliced surface
* slice off each lobe, trying to avoid the ribs
* throw out core, slice lobes length-wise (skin-up while cutting)
posted by Metasyntactic at 10:51 AM on January 26, 2023
For apples and onions, I use the techniques described here:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/23-basic-knife-skills
And a big realization for me was that it was ok to not be perfect -- making chopping take less time so I eat fresh produce more often is totally worth a little bit of waste around the core of an apple. (Once I have my 8 wedges, I use the chef's knife to chop out the remnants of the core in one slice. No more faffing about with precise cuts with a paring knife!)
For bell peppers, I do what blnkfrnk does:
* slice off top (if you get it juuust right, the stem will fall out, leaving a ring of pepper)
* put pepper on the just-sliced surface
* slice off each lobe, trying to avoid the ribs
* throw out core, slice lobes length-wise (skin-up while cutting)
posted by Metasyntactic at 10:51 AM on January 26, 2023
I found that using small knives work much better for me than huge chefs knives. I have big hands but those big and heavy knives make me clumsy and slow.
I use a small curved paring knife and serrated breakfast knife.
Both have plastic handles and were quite cheap but very sharp.
I also have this one but prefer the curved one.
posted by 15L06 at 10:52 AM on January 26, 2023
I use a small curved paring knife and serrated breakfast knife.
Both have plastic handles and were quite cheap but very sharp.
I also have this one but prefer the curved one.
posted by 15L06 at 10:52 AM on January 26, 2023
You will get better and faster with repetition so don’t give up! Also, if you’re cooking very often for many people you might benefit from some convenience prepped things that previously wouldn’t have been worth the upcharge, like jarred minced garlic and ginger, chopped aromatics from a fancy produce section, trimmed green beans, etc. Every once in a while make a point to revisit your preferences and biases in your purchasing decisions, since you’re taking a skill you learned in one circumstance and applying it in a very different one.
Everyone has a different technique for bell peppers and they are all valid. Here is mine, it mostly is about using my hands:
Chef’s knife, slice in half vertically into crease between lobes around the outside, not cutting through the stem (but if you do, no big deal.) Put down the knife and hold both halves in your hands, split them apart. One half will take the stem and seeds with it, the other will tear from the stem (or if you cut straight through the stem and seeds you will have some on each side.) Pull the stem and seeds away with your fingers, then also using your fingers, pinch and pull away any of the light colored ribs you see (but it’s really not vital if you’re cooking them, only bother with the ribs in spicy peppers or raw applications.) If you don’t have the dexterity or are more particular, you can cut the ribs by holding your knife parallel to the cutting board and perpendicular to the ribs and cutting away from you through the membrane. You will be left with two approximately shell shaped halves with seeds scattered inside. Turn each one skin side up over a bowl or the sink and smack the top of it with your other hand or other blunt tool like the side of a knife, and the loose seeds will all scatter and fall off the pepper.
You can then decide how you want to cut your peppers depending on use. If you are prepping a bunch, just chop the curved parts off the top and bottom and set aside for stocks and salads and whatever, and then you are left with a fairly simple curved rectangle which you can cut easily into strips or whatever, either direction. If you want to keep the curvy bits on, just cut them vertically into strips, gather together into bunches, and cut the curved ends off in a couple big chops, regroup, and chop or mince the slices as desired.
Oh, one big time saver that I started doing after I learned to cook well but before I didn’t find it exhausting: big compost bowl. Get yourself some wicked cheap stainless steel bowls and just always have one out when you are cooking. Any compostable garbage goes in there. You can hold the bowl in front of and below the cutting board and sweep your scraps into it with your hand or a knife. You can peel carrots directly over it. You can put stems and such right in there. It seems strange but the convenience factor really adds up. No lifting the lid for a compost bin constantly, no cleaning the counters after, no carrying your cutting board to the trash to scrape it off… just one scrap bowl to dump and clean when you’re doing the rest of the dishes (and if you are lucky enough to have someone else who cleans because you cook, it’s not your problem at all!)
Find a knife that feels good and balanced in your hand. Maybe it’s a chef’s knife and a pairing knife, or some other combination. I am small and have small hands so the knives I prefer seem to be relatively small but with a good weight and width for smashing with the side of the blade and pushing through dense items. The more comfortable you are holding a knife, the more confident you will be and the faster you will cut things. Make sure the handle gives you good grip, that it’s not too long or short so it doesn’t bonk your wrist or get lost in your palm.
Think about your hands as an extremely useful kitchen tool, and don’t be afraid to just grab things and tear or pinch or snap. We are much faster and confident with all the information we learn from touch. Use your hands in tandem with your knife.
posted by Mizu at 10:56 AM on January 26, 2023 [4 favorites]
Everyone has a different technique for bell peppers and they are all valid. Here is mine, it mostly is about using my hands:
Chef’s knife, slice in half vertically into crease between lobes around the outside, not cutting through the stem (but if you do, no big deal.) Put down the knife and hold both halves in your hands, split them apart. One half will take the stem and seeds with it, the other will tear from the stem (or if you cut straight through the stem and seeds you will have some on each side.) Pull the stem and seeds away with your fingers, then also using your fingers, pinch and pull away any of the light colored ribs you see (but it’s really not vital if you’re cooking them, only bother with the ribs in spicy peppers or raw applications.) If you don’t have the dexterity or are more particular, you can cut the ribs by holding your knife parallel to the cutting board and perpendicular to the ribs and cutting away from you through the membrane. You will be left with two approximately shell shaped halves with seeds scattered inside. Turn each one skin side up over a bowl or the sink and smack the top of it with your other hand or other blunt tool like the side of a knife, and the loose seeds will all scatter and fall off the pepper.
You can then decide how you want to cut your peppers depending on use. If you are prepping a bunch, just chop the curved parts off the top and bottom and set aside for stocks and salads and whatever, and then you are left with a fairly simple curved rectangle which you can cut easily into strips or whatever, either direction. If you want to keep the curvy bits on, just cut them vertically into strips, gather together into bunches, and cut the curved ends off in a couple big chops, regroup, and chop or mince the slices as desired.
Oh, one big time saver that I started doing after I learned to cook well but before I didn’t find it exhausting: big compost bowl. Get yourself some wicked cheap stainless steel bowls and just always have one out when you are cooking. Any compostable garbage goes in there. You can hold the bowl in front of and below the cutting board and sweep your scraps into it with your hand or a knife. You can peel carrots directly over it. You can put stems and such right in there. It seems strange but the convenience factor really adds up. No lifting the lid for a compost bin constantly, no cleaning the counters after, no carrying your cutting board to the trash to scrape it off… just one scrap bowl to dump and clean when you’re doing the rest of the dishes (and if you are lucky enough to have someone else who cleans because you cook, it’s not your problem at all!)
Find a knife that feels good and balanced in your hand. Maybe it’s a chef’s knife and a pairing knife, or some other combination. I am small and have small hands so the knives I prefer seem to be relatively small but with a good weight and width for smashing with the side of the blade and pushing through dense items. The more comfortable you are holding a knife, the more confident you will be and the faster you will cut things. Make sure the handle gives you good grip, that it’s not too long or short so it doesn’t bonk your wrist or get lost in your palm.
Think about your hands as an extremely useful kitchen tool, and don’t be afraid to just grab things and tear or pinch or snap. We are much faster and confident with all the information we learn from touch. Use your hands in tandem with your knife.
posted by Mizu at 10:56 AM on January 26, 2023 [4 favorites]
Peppers: lie it on its side, cut off half an inch at the stem end & same amount at the bottom. You now have a cylinder of pepper - slip the knife down the inside of the cylinder if needed to loosen the core, but it will probably drop right out. Slice the cylinder vertically into strips, then horizontally too if you want it smaller. You can easily cut the top & bottom pieces to whatever size you like.
Source: Ken Hom on TV about 25 years ago
posted by Puppy McSock at 11:00 AM on January 26, 2023
Source: Ken Hom on TV about 25 years ago
posted by Puppy McSock at 11:00 AM on January 26, 2023
I am pretty fast with a knife, but I just got this little mandoline a couple months ago and now I am constantly making salads of super thin cucumber slices in about a minute. It’s small and easy to rinse off. It wouldn’t solve all your chopping problems, but maybe could help with anything that needs slicing or julienning.
posted by snofoam at 11:17 AM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by snofoam at 11:17 AM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
I agree with other posters that familiarity with your knives is most of the task. I have a 40 year old 8" chef's knife that recently had a huge chunk of the handle fall out. It's been a faithful tool for 40 years, and the handle is some sort of dense plastic, like melamine, I think. I sent off to Zwilling for a replacement under their lifetime guarantee, and am using my 10" while I wait. I feel like a novice cook. It's awkward in a way that is obvious to me every single time I use it. I have trouble rocking it while I chop parsley, for example, and while the heft of the 8" felt "right", this feels clumsy and "wrong". I keep losing track of the tip of the knife while chopping, and so forth. All to say that it's all about practice. And mandolines are a wonderful device, too, especially for extremely thin slices, but won't replace a good knife and good knife skills. Your knife is your backbone instrument in the kitchen.
Kevinbelt, your comment on the extreme of grinding your own beef reminds me of a New Yorker feature I read many years ago about an unnamed kind of throwback chef in a small community in Upstate New York or Connecticut, I think, who ran a small restaurant with his wife and used no machinery of any kind. He chopped all his own meat with his knife and had no food processor or mixer. He had a fanatically faithful clientele for his ever-changing menus. I respect that. I, however, don't grind my own meat and use kitchen short-cut machinery with abandon.
posted by citygirl at 11:40 AM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Kevinbelt, your comment on the extreme of grinding your own beef reminds me of a New Yorker feature I read many years ago about an unnamed kind of throwback chef in a small community in Upstate New York or Connecticut, I think, who ran a small restaurant with his wife and used no machinery of any kind. He chopped all his own meat with his knife and had no food processor or mixer. He had a fanatically faithful clientele for his ever-changing menus. I respect that. I, however, don't grind my own meat and use kitchen short-cut machinery with abandon.
posted by citygirl at 11:40 AM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
I will be the asshole: use the food processor, as it sounds like you have one. Whatever the objection is, it is the solution to simply too much chopping.
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:14 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:14 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
My friend, an accomplished home cook, has a mini food processor and swears by it.
Personally I like knife work: I find it meditative and pleasant. But it got a lot easier after taking a knife skills class from my local culinary school. They taught me a lot of basic skills that make knife tasks significantly faster than how I had been doing it before. You can pick up the skills from YouTube if you want, but I really enjoyed the class, especially having someone to correct me in the moment.
posted by kdar at 12:21 PM on January 26, 2023 [5 favorites]
Personally I like knife work: I find it meditative and pleasant. But it got a lot easier after taking a knife skills class from my local culinary school. They taught me a lot of basic skills that make knife tasks significantly faster than how I had been doing it before. You can pick up the skills from YouTube if you want, but I really enjoyed the class, especially having someone to correct me in the moment.
posted by kdar at 12:21 PM on January 26, 2023 [5 favorites]
If using a mandoline, get some cut-proof gloves. Slice fast without blood!
posted by Enid Lareg at 12:27 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Enid Lareg at 12:27 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
I feel like this is one of those questions that is much easier to show than tell.
Basic knife skills with demos on onion, garlic, carrot, basil.
How to chop every vegetable.
Less basic knife skills.
I agree with those who say find a knife you are comfortable with, but try a chef's knife if you are using a small knife. It can be intimidating at first but it is so much easier to chop everything once you get comfortable with it.
posted by Athanassiel at 12:56 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Basic knife skills with demos on onion, garlic, carrot, basil.
How to chop every vegetable.
Less basic knife skills.
I agree with those who say find a knife you are comfortable with, but try a chef's knife if you are using a small knife. It can be intimidating at first but it is so much easier to chop everything once you get comfortable with it.
posted by Athanassiel at 12:56 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
It's all about the practice. My daughter is a chef. If I ask her to dice four onions it will be done in less than ten minutes, because she has done this every day, several hours a day, every week when she was a line cook. She doesn't think about it. I'm a home cook and I'm not bad, but I have done it once a day some days for decades. Today I don't mind, and I am almost as fast as my daughter, but ten years ago it was a challenge. I think a lot of what frustrates people about home cooking is exactly this. You need to practice, and there is no work-around.
A small food processor is really a good helper. If you watch Jamie Oliver videos, he uses them all the time. You can finely chop stuff, or you can use the slicers. I'm not talking about a mini-processor here, though I love mine, because you say you are cooking for many. I have a 2 liter processor and it is excellent for when I'm cooking for a large group. If I'm cooking for four or less, I use my knife or mandolin.
But you said you weren't interested in gadgets. The first thing is to find the knife that works for you. I prefer using my paring knives or my santoku for onions and bell peppers and most other vegetables, because they suit my hands. I love my chef's knives, but not for this. I have very good paring knives, and a well-worn santoku. The most important thing is that they are really sharp. I use a cheap IKEA sharpener, and if one day my knives are worn down, I will buy new knives. So far, it has not been an issue and some of my knives are more than 50 years old (I've inherited them). Sharp knives are a game changer for most people. You need a chef's knife for celeriac and pumpkins and some other big and hard vegs.
ATK is currently showing a new onion trick in their shows, where they cut the onions into quarters and that makes it much easier to dice them. I've tried it and it is fine, but I am an old dog and this is a new trick, I prefer the old methods. (Sorry, when I search, I only find the traditional method).
I agree with everyone who point to Jaques Pepin's videos. Note that he uses a paring knife for just about everything.
For bell peppers, I cut off the top, gently, so I can pull out the core and seeds with the top, and then the rest is easy to slice or dice however you want. The same applies to chilis.
posted by mumimor at 1:23 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
A small food processor is really a good helper. If you watch Jamie Oliver videos, he uses them all the time. You can finely chop stuff, or you can use the slicers. I'm not talking about a mini-processor here, though I love mine, because you say you are cooking for many. I have a 2 liter processor and it is excellent for when I'm cooking for a large group. If I'm cooking for four or less, I use my knife or mandolin.
But you said you weren't interested in gadgets. The first thing is to find the knife that works for you. I prefer using my paring knives or my santoku for onions and bell peppers and most other vegetables, because they suit my hands. I love my chef's knives, but not for this. I have very good paring knives, and a well-worn santoku. The most important thing is that they are really sharp. I use a cheap IKEA sharpener, and if one day my knives are worn down, I will buy new knives. So far, it has not been an issue and some of my knives are more than 50 years old (I've inherited them). Sharp knives are a game changer for most people. You need a chef's knife for celeriac and pumpkins and some other big and hard vegs.
ATK is currently showing a new onion trick in their shows, where they cut the onions into quarters and that makes it much easier to dice them. I've tried it and it is fine, but I am an old dog and this is a new trick, I prefer the old methods. (Sorry, when I search, I only find the traditional method).
I agree with everyone who point to Jaques Pepin's videos. Note that he uses a paring knife for just about everything.
For bell peppers, I cut off the top, gently, so I can pull out the core and seeds with the top, and then the rest is easy to slice or dice however you want. The same applies to chilis.
posted by mumimor at 1:23 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
One more thing: those old-school great home cooks just spent a lot of time in the kitchen.
I can make a very good meal in 30 minutes. But if I want to make granny-level food, it will take 3-4 hours. It's taken me years to accept this.
posted by mumimor at 1:28 PM on January 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
I can make a very good meal in 30 minutes. But if I want to make granny-level food, it will take 3-4 hours. It's taken me years to accept this.
posted by mumimor at 1:28 PM on January 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
I will third making more waste. It really speeds things up to not chop the last bit of things.
Additionally I start cooking before I'm done cutting all ingredients if it's one of my regular recipes and I'll have time. I'll have lemongrass and onion and garlic ready, and chop zucchini and bell pepper while stirring occasionally. But unless I'm practiced I'll always mise en place.
posted by flimflam at 2:07 PM on January 26, 2023
Additionally I start cooking before I'm done cutting all ingredients if it's one of my regular recipes and I'll have time. I'll have lemongrass and onion and garlic ready, and chop zucchini and bell pepper while stirring occasionally. But unless I'm practiced I'll always mise en place.
posted by flimflam at 2:07 PM on January 26, 2023
big compost bowl
Chez nous we have a stack of (IKEA) steel bowls that fit into the corner of the sink, and the chopping board gets set right at the edge of the sink, and scraps get knife-swept into the bowl. V fast. I do have to lift the chopping board to sweep the chopped bits whereever they're going.
That particular trick may not do you much good, but a collection of slight efficiency/comfort improvements can add or even multiply up into a much smoother workplace. It's still a workplace though!
posted by clew at 2:18 PM on January 26, 2023
Chez nous we have a stack of (IKEA) steel bowls that fit into the corner of the sink, and the chopping board gets set right at the edge of the sink, and scraps get knife-swept into the bowl. V fast. I do have to lift the chopping board to sweep the chopped bits whereever they're going.
That particular trick may not do you much good, but a collection of slight efficiency/comfort improvements can add or even multiply up into a much smoother workplace. It's still a workplace though!
posted by clew at 2:18 PM on January 26, 2023
I like a 6-inch chef's knife with a curved blade for rocking action.
And if I'm cooking a big meal, I'll throw those things in the chopping machines. Not a problem. I'm thinking about which will take longer: chopping? or cleaning the machine?
You can definitely freeze and add onions later especially to things like soups.
Also, I keep my scraps in a big freezer bag to make stocks later.
A non-chopping tip - Mark Bittman says just start a pot of water boiling as soon as you start cooking. You'll either use it or have some water for tea :)
posted by jander03 at 2:26 PM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
And if I'm cooking a big meal, I'll throw those things in the chopping machines. Not a problem. I'm thinking about which will take longer: chopping? or cleaning the machine?
You can definitely freeze and add onions later especially to things like soups.
Also, I keep my scraps in a big freezer bag to make stocks later.
A non-chopping tip - Mark Bittman says just start a pot of water boiling as soon as you start cooking. You'll either use it or have some water for tea :)
posted by jander03 at 2:26 PM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Mise en place rules. Once you've gotten used to it, you will realize it is a huge time-saver and quality improver.
Personally, I minimize waste. That chef-kid is a big boss when it comes to waste, which is both a generational thing and a cheffy thing. When you cut out the top of the pepper with your paring knife, and the core and seeds with it, you can make a very narrow cut. And yes, you can use them for a sharp fond that will work well in a chili. If you aren't ready for cooking fond, you can keep big containers in your freezer for different types of fond. Bell pepper scraps go with onion scraps and tomato tops and chillies and perhaps some celeries for chilies, Mexican and cajun food. Carrot scraps go into a different container with onions and celeries and parsley stalks for Italian food. Coriander stalks with garlic skins, scallion tops and mushroom scraps for Asian foods. And so on. And you can do you.
posted by mumimor at 2:30 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Personally, I minimize waste. That chef-kid is a big boss when it comes to waste, which is both a generational thing and a cheffy thing. When you cut out the top of the pepper with your paring knife, and the core and seeds with it, you can make a very narrow cut. And yes, you can use them for a sharp fond that will work well in a chili. If you aren't ready for cooking fond, you can keep big containers in your freezer for different types of fond. Bell pepper scraps go with onion scraps and tomato tops and chillies and perhaps some celeries for chilies, Mexican and cajun food. Carrot scraps go into a different container with onions and celeries and parsley stalks for Italian food. Coriander stalks with garlic skins, scallion tops and mushroom scraps for Asian foods. And so on. And you can do you.
posted by mumimor at 2:30 PM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Knife technique is covered amply above, but here's advice a prep cook gave me on my second day of my first job that I still use at home 40 years later:
"Open your mouth and waggle your jaw."
Nuts, right? But as I was chopping, he could see how tension building up in my arms and shoulders and neck was making repetitive motions, that should be fast and fluid, slow and stiff – to the point that I was gritting my teeth!
Shaking out that tension – just in my jaw, without taking a break from chopping – relaxed everything and I got much faster even while I felt calmer.
posted by nicwolff at 4:33 PM on January 26, 2023 [5 favorites]
"Open your mouth and waggle your jaw."
Nuts, right? But as I was chopping, he could see how tension building up in my arms and shoulders and neck was making repetitive motions, that should be fast and fluid, slow and stiff – to the point that I was gritting my teeth!
Shaking out that tension – just in my jaw, without taking a break from chopping – relaxed everything and I got much faster even while I felt calmer.
posted by nicwolff at 4:33 PM on January 26, 2023 [5 favorites]
Practice, yeah, but practice giving yourself some grace also--every time you chop something you are getting better, even if it's hard to see it in the moment. If you have one knife that's more comfy or fun, use it even if it's not the "right" knife. Or learn the specific function of each knife and get really into it, whichever sounds better for you. Japanese chefs with their suite of specialty knives and Chinese chefs with their one big cleaver both make great food!
Whatever knife you're using, make sure that your cutting board is big enough. Ideally, it should be large enough to completely fit onto it the biggest knife you'll be using; however, I think using a small board is miserable and have the biggest board I can fit on my counter.
Definitely pre-prep veg in bulk if that works for you. If you have the brain space, try to plan your cooking so that the freshest dishes get the most recently chopped things. That is, salads day one when everything is super fresh, stews and casseroles with the ones that have been sitting around in the fridge for a while.
(Also, if you happen to have among your gadgets this microplane grater let me tell you it is incredible for turning garlic and ginger into seasoning pastes. Zip zip your aromatics, take out the grater bit, add the rest of the seasonings and your mise is totally placed.)
posted by radiogreentea at 6:05 PM on January 26, 2023
Whatever knife you're using, make sure that your cutting board is big enough. Ideally, it should be large enough to completely fit onto it the biggest knife you'll be using; however, I think using a small board is miserable and have the biggest board I can fit on my counter.
Definitely pre-prep veg in bulk if that works for you. If you have the brain space, try to plan your cooking so that the freshest dishes get the most recently chopped things. That is, salads day one when everything is super fresh, stews and casseroles with the ones that have been sitting around in the fridge for a while.
(Also, if you happen to have among your gadgets this microplane grater let me tell you it is incredible for turning garlic and ginger into seasoning pastes. Zip zip your aromatics, take out the grater bit, add the rest of the seasonings and your mise is totally placed.)
posted by radiogreentea at 6:05 PM on January 26, 2023
Pick one good chef's knife and one good parer. Other knives are nice but not relevant to most of home cooking.
I switch between a Japanese MAC and a German Solingen chef's knife.
Practice, practice, practice.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:01 PM on January 26, 2023
I switch between a Japanese MAC and a German Solingen chef's knife.
Practice, practice, practice.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:01 PM on January 26, 2023
Since several people have recommended a mandolin, a warning. I love them but be careful, I've lost a couple of fingertips over the years to them. Use the cover thing that comes with them and be willing to throw out the last bit of whatever you are mandolining.
posted by aspo at 9:29 PM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by aspo at 9:29 PM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
I don’t see this mentioned upthread, so I feel it’s important to talk about what you are cutting on. I use an enormous, heavy wood butcher block cutting board. It doesn’t move when I’m cutting and is so satisfying to wipe down.
Small, light cutting boards are going to slow you down.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 1:39 AM on January 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
Small, light cutting boards are going to slow you down.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 1:39 AM on January 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
I sat at the seafood counter at Eataly and coincidentally watched a sous chef prepare that day's brunoise, the vegetables that will be showy on top of a dish. These must be small, square, uniform. He wasn't moving fast! Oh course, cutting vegies for a soup or meatloaf, etc., they do not have to be small and uniform so one can go fast.
I have found only a few years ago how to hold a kitchen knife and it has improved my quality and speed of cutting. It will feel a little weird at first but quickly become second-nature. The best way to hold a chef knife is to grip the heel of the blade with your thumb and forefinger and wrap the remaining three fingers around the handle. A good grip will give you better control increasing cutting accuracy and speed while preventing slippage and lessening the chances of accidents.
Here's a link to Serious Eats that shows photos of the kitchen knife held correctly.
posted by tmdonahue at 6:11 AM on January 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I have found only a few years ago how to hold a kitchen knife and it has improved my quality and speed of cutting. It will feel a little weird at first but quickly become second-nature. The best way to hold a chef knife is to grip the heel of the blade with your thumb and forefinger and wrap the remaining three fingers around the handle. A good grip will give you better control increasing cutting accuracy and speed while preventing slippage and lessening the chances of accidents.
Here's a link to Serious Eats that shows photos of the kitchen knife held correctly.
posted by tmdonahue at 6:11 AM on January 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
tmdonahue: "Here's a link to Serious Eats that shows photos of the kitchen knife held correctly."
Nice. I have used another grip from time to time. I don't know if it has a name, but I think of it as the "ping pong grip" because it's similar to the way some people hold ping pong paddles: like the blade grip, but with the index finger laid flat against the back of the blade.
posted by adamrice at 8:09 AM on January 27, 2023
Nice. I have used another grip from time to time. I don't know if it has a name, but I think of it as the "ping pong grip" because it's similar to the way some people hold ping pong paddles: like the blade grip, but with the index finger laid flat against the back of the blade.
posted by adamrice at 8:09 AM on January 27, 2023
Small, light cutting boards are going to slow you down.
Put a dish cloth under the small board to keep it from sliding around. As a bonus, you have a towel you can use to clean it immediately after prepping.
Big wooden cutting boards are very pretty but often cosmetic: they are heavy and very difficult to clean in most sinks, and they require more frequent oiling than a smaller board.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:55 PM on January 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
Put a dish cloth under the small board to keep it from sliding around. As a bonus, you have a towel you can use to clean it immediately after prepping.
Big wooden cutting boards are very pretty but often cosmetic: they are heavy and very difficult to clean in most sinks, and they require more frequent oiling than a smaller board.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:55 PM on January 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
Lots of folks have mentioned knife skills techniques, but I found that I learned more from an in-person class than I did from YouTube videos. If you are also that style of learner, I recommend Sur La Table's knife skills course. 100% worth the cost. Turns out my grip was entirely wrong. There are a number of other in-person courses out there, depending on where you live, that may also be worth the money to you.
posted by librarylis at 9:16 PM on January 29, 2023
posted by librarylis at 9:16 PM on January 29, 2023
like the blade grip, but with the index finger laid flat against the back of the blade.
Anne Burrell would color your finger red if you were in her kitchen.
posted by soelo at 12:50 PM on January 30, 2023
Anne Burrell would color your finger red if you were in her kitchen.
posted by soelo at 12:50 PM on January 30, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
For coring the peppers: your smallest knife. I think of it as a paring knife but this may not be the right term.
For chopping: big chopping knife (also called a chef's knife) or santoku, depending on what you find most comfortable.
I've been cooking for about 30 years now and I still get excited about using THE BIG KNIFE.
posted by Pallas Athena at 10:13 AM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]