Mine aren't great, I try, but honestly they're pretty mediocre, as are most of my knives. Yeah, they're ok, but I don't have any really great knives, and if I did, they'd be wasted on my mediocre skillz.
But really I just wanted to make this thread to show off - today I made some nice looking cut tomatoes and I was super proud.
Especially this little guy -
Now that I posted this, you can't really tell much from this angle, but this one was super thin. Guess my photog skillz aren't all that good, either.
Mine are good but not great. I think TV shows sometimes overemphasize speed. It's a good skill to have in a pro setting when you might need to prep dozens of veggies, but now I strive more for precision since I'm usually dicing a single onion, not 20.
I don't think you need fancy knives but DO keep them sharp. Dull knives are harder to work with and more dangerous.
Tomatoes are actually a really good way to display the sharpness of a knife. I know if my knife has lost its edge, it struggles to cut through the skin (the the skin is facing up) and you either get squished tomatoes, or the slices are all over the cutting board.
My knife skills are medium, and this reminds me I need to sharpen them (the knives, that is.)
I've enjoyed using the mandolin I bought a few months ago. Being able to generate a pile of consistently thin-sliced onions or tomatoes in a few seconds is a joy. And, in spite of reading warnings from people who cut the the tip of their finger, I cut my finger, too. Use the slicing guard they provide!
Edit: Apparently, the kitchen device is a 'mandoline', and the musical instrument is a 'mandolin'. I can learn how to use the former, but the latter is beyond my capabilities. 😄
Last edited by SmokingPat; September 19, 2022, 10:01 AM.
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I’m pretty dang good, if I must say. But that comes from culinary school and muscle memory and my old job. Keep your knives sharp and you will be amazed. Sharpen properly on a regular basis and use a steel to hone between sharpenings. And go slow, unless you are practicing to do rapid fires on top chef. 🤣
+1 and +2 on slicing a tomato being a knife sharpness test.
Yup, I don't go too fast - on those above I used the 'drag through' technique. It apparently worked out well. I used a steel to hone that 6 year old cheapo Victorinox before I started.
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
I still have all my original fingers (he says while knocking wood) so I guess they are good enough. I have never been able to consistently cut slices the same width. I just use that as an argument why we need a mandolin. My dear wife counters that retaining all original fingertips is less likely if we have one. So far, she is winning this debate.
I'm still learning. Here is a good video on how to cut veggies. Chef Jean-Pierre. It's just the basics and he does not show off speed. I love how he breaks things down for the home cook and does not stress that each piece of diced food is not exactly the same size.
Mine are basic in the extreme. Barely enough to get by with. Just not enough reps... we haven't cooked for more than just us two in years, with a couple of exceptions, everything just a little bit at a time. No major accidents though, so I've got that going for me...
I forget where I read this, and it’s probably not that practical now with food prices being outrageous. I bought a big bag of carrots, a bunch of celery, and a big bag of onions, and whacked at them for a weekend. I got good enough, made some soup, and froze the rest, using it up over the next month.
I still forget to curl my fingers, though.
Last edited by Mosca; September 19, 2022, 07:37 AM.
I curl my fingers, though not quite enough... I watched a video about sliding the knife up and down on your middle finger, never losing contact - I can't do that just yet, I would slice a knuckle off, because I don't curl it under quite as much as I should. Honestly, it's my thumb I catch most often - several times lately, I use the thumb to hold whatever I'm cutting and while my fingertips are kind of curled, the thumb is chronically sticking out a bit.
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