Last week, we explored why a good chef’s knife can be a game changer in your kitchen.

Once you own that perfect knife, getting comfortable using it makes prepping vegetables, fruits and other ingredients so much faster, safer, and more fun!

In many of our cooking demos, participants comment that they wish they were better at chopping and slicing vegetables.  If that sounds like you, we are adding a new feature to the website.

We are adding short videos to show you how we cut various vegetables and fruits!

Please keep in mind, there is no one “right way.” 

Yes, there are some fundamentals and best practices that can be helpful, but then you can use your own approach that you find the most natural and comfortable.  For example, my husband Scott uses more of a “rocking” motion when chopping sweet potatoes and other vegetables whereas I tend to use more of an “up and down” motion.  Think of this as an art, not a science!

Helpful Tips & Tricks

Some of the fundamentals that can be helpful include:

1. Use a “pinch grip” on the knife.  Place your index finger and thumb on either side of the blade next to the handle (this is where the “bolster” can be useful) with your other fingers loosely curled around the handle (almost like you are shaking hands with the knife).
2. Use a “claw grip” on the food.  Keep your fingers curled inward so they stay out of the danger zone!
3. Create a stable base.  Always cut to create a flat side on round vegetables to prevent them from rolling around.
4. Consistent sizes.  Keep everything the same size for more even cooking and consistent results.
5. Eye on the knife.  Avoid distractions when cutting.  If you need to look up, wait to resume cutting until you can get your focus back.
6. Stabilize your cutting board.  If needed, you can put a cloth or a damp kitchen towel under your cutting board to prevent it from sliding around.
7. Keep it clean.  Clean as you go so scraps and peels don’t get the way or under your blade.  And wipe your blade clean if it gets too much residue on it.

How to Cut…

Here are a few of the very short videos we recently added to the website to show you how I cut a variety of vegetables, they can also be found under the video category “Slice and Dice Like A Pro”.

Bell Peppers & Jalapeno Peppers:

Mushrooms:

Fennel:

Our other videos include onions, shallots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potatoes, eggplant, leeks and avocado. You can see the all of the videos here.

We will continue to add more of these videos to the site.  In the meantime, please send us any requests and let us know what vegetables or fruits you would like to see.  And let us know how we can make these even more helpful!

Remember, cutting and chopping any vegetables and fruits will get easier — the more you do it, the more natural it becomes!

Eventually, it will become second nature, and you won’t even have to think about it!