Good knife work is a lot like good foot work, when it’s happening you’re mesmerized and when it’s done you’re satisfied. I know I’m stretching my metaphors like Mr. Fantastic stretches, oh, forget it.
Knowing how to cut is important. You don’t necessarily need to know how to chiffonade or batonnet (yet) and you definitely don’t need to know how to tourne (ever). But knowing what is meant by chop, dice, mince and slice is really helpful.
Chop – Simple cuts that break the larger piece of food into mouth sized rough pieces.
Dice – A finer chop with uniform – usually square – pieces.
Mince – The finest chop.
Slice – Think bread. It’s a big cross section of whatever you’re cutting.
