Fundamental knife skills --dicing

[cameraman]

I don't claim to be a knife master but I thought a quick photo tutorial on the basic dice might be useful to a few folks. Two things before we start. I should have shot the grip but I didn't. You don't wrap your hand around the handle, you hold the knife from the top with your grip spanning the end of the handle and the butt of the blade. This gives you more control. The second and most important thing is you control what you're cutting with your fingers tucked under, using the flat "finger wall this creates as a guide to position your knife for slicing. Dicing begins with cutting planks that are then stacked and sliced into sticks which are then cut to bits. On round objects like carrots and zucchini you slice one side off first to make a flat stable platform for your planks.

http://dacamerawork.com/food/meatloaf_march_13/_F3K9216.jpg

http://dacamerawork.com/food/meatloaf_march_13/_F3K9219.jpg

http://dacamerawork.com/food/meatloaf_march_13/_F3K9220.jpg

With onions you start by slicing the globe in half through the poles
http://dacamerawork.com/food/meatloaf_march_13/_F3K9229.jpg

Leave the root tip in place and cut the stalk tip off. With your cut edge down make a series of slices parallel to your cutting board being careful not to cut through your root tip These are your planks.

http://dacamerawork.com/food/meatloaf_march_13/_F3K9230.jpg

Again, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the onion make a series of cuts perpendicular to your planks. This makes your sticks.

http://dacamerawork.com/food/meatloaf_march_13/_F3K9232.jpg

Finally cutting across your sticks gives you your diced onion.
http://dacamerawork.com/food/meatloaf_march_13/_F3K9234.jpg

Remember to ALWAYS keep your finger tips tucked under, your knife sharp, and your eye on the blade.

[aawa]

Nice little tutorial. For dicing up onions, I do the same thing you do, but i actually tell people I'm trying to teach how to use a nice to leave the roots on the 1 end instead of just the root tip. That way the onion doesn't fall apart on them the further down the onion they get. This helps so that they don't have fingers trying to keep the onion together and become a liability to get cut or chopped off.

[dadsr4]

Very well done. A picture from the Web to illustrate keeping your finger tips tucked under.
http://www.thehungrybutterfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0140.jpg

[JazzyBadger]

Great tutorial. I truly feel as though the pinch grip on a knife makes the knife itself become a 'part of your hand.' It really is a world of difference.

[caseydog]

My fine knife skills suck. So, I cheat. :becky:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/vegetable-chop-and-measure/?pkey=e%7Cvegitable%2Bdicer%7C1%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C2 4%7C%7C1&group=1&sku=7871247&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

CD

[cameraman]

To tell you the truth C Dog it was that post that inspired this one.