Knife Skills

Chop: No, I'm not talking about the karate technique. A chop is messily cut food that has been demolished into irregularly cut peices with a knife—I'm talking about food, so don't misunderstand me. I'm not cereal killer, promise. Or maybe I am...

Dice: Nope, this is not a game. Using knives is never a game. This is when you cut the food into very exact cubes of all the same length. Depending on the size you want to dice and what the food is, it can be cubes between about 1/2 inch and 2 inches in length/width.

Mince: Don't mistake this for the herb mint. A mince is a actually a very fine dice. The best mince is practically a paste or a powder—kidding. Not really. Sort of. It depends on the amount flavor you want to get from it and such. It's really up to you. As is most things in cooking.

Peel: To peel or not to peel? That is the question. This is actually a valid question. Peeling is removing the outer layer of something, like the skin of a orange. However, not everything needs to be peeled, like apples. But sometimes it depends on what we aim to do. Best thing to do is follow normal judgement.