Good knife work is the difference between cooking feeling like a chore and feeling like a craft. Before you buy another gadget, spend a weekend on these ten fundamentals.
Start with the pinch grip
Choke up on the blade with your thumb and forefinger. Your cuts get instantly more stable, and your wrist stops doing all the work.
The claw protects you
Curl the fingertips of your guiding hand. The knuckles guide the blade; the fingertips stay out of the story.
A sharp knife is safer than a dull one — it goes where you point it.
From there: practice the rock chop, learn a proper julienne, and keep a honing rod by the board. Ten minutes a day for a week beats one marathon session.
