Celery's true purpose: Best Supporting Role. Along with pungent onions and sweet, earthy carrots, celery's slight bitter edge forms the backbone of at least half the dishes in the Western repertoire. This slideshow will help teach you to cut celery into all of the major shapes and sizes. Learn these cuts well, you'll be using them all your life. More
If there's one knife skill that can save you money and make you look cool at the same time, it's breaking down a chicken. Consider that boneless breasts often cost around three times more than whole chicken does. Follow the slide show and you'll be breaking down chickens like the pros. More
Many people confuse honing with sharpening, but there is a distinct difference. We've already discussed using a water stone to sharpen a dull knife. When you sharpen a knife, you're actively removing material from the blade, creating a brand new razor-sharp beveled edge. More
Personally, I find nothing more frustrating in the kitchen than a dull knife. Not only does it make prep work a chore and your finished product less attractive, it's also downright dangerous. A dull blade requires more pressure to cut into a food, and can easily slip off of a tough onion skin and into your finger. Ouch. Here's a slideshow on how to sharpen a knife with a sharpening stone, with recommendations on what stones to buy. More
Fresh herbs play a vital role in many savory dishes, adding a last minute burst of flavor and color. If you don't know how to chop herbs properly, this slideshow's for you. Also included are tips on shopping for herbs and storing them. More
In the mood for some chili? You're gonna need three cups of onion, medium dice. Making chicken stock? Two onions, large chunks, please. And what about onion soup? Yes, believe it or not, you'll need onions for that too. No matter how you slice 'em, onions are used in a good 30 to 40 percent of any cook's savory dish repertoire, if not more. They are the first thing you should learn how to cut when you pick up a knife, and, at least for me, are still one of the most pleasurable foods to take a sharp blade to. In this slideshow, we'll go step-by-step through all of the basic onion cuts, as well as talking about the differences between various flavors of onions. More
Easter's right around the corner, so I thought I'd kick off our new knife skills series with one of the more advanced techniques: how to trim and french a lamb rack. What exactly is frenching? Well, when applied to meat, it's all about appearances. Stripping meat away from bones in order to give roasts and chops a more attractive presentation doesn't really do much for its texture or flavor, but it sure makes it look pretty on the plate. Think of it as a necktie for your roast. More
©iStockPhoto/lbrinck The boy I was seeing last year, a cook, passed on his knives to me before I started my first gig in a restaurant kitchen. They were his set from culinary school--sturdy and unfancy in their utilitarian black case. His nonchalance gave way to unfamiliar gravity as he ceremoniously bestowed them upon me. He demonstrated how to sharpen them, first with stone and then with steel, and looked concerned when I was catching on slowly, if at all. Knives are serious business—any cook knows that. On my first day in the kitchen, the cooks asked to see my knives. "They're hand-me-downs from a friend," I explained. But the chefs proved far more interested in showing off their own. They... More
Friend of Serious Eats Shuna Fish Lydon is bringing her knife skills class to New York City. The class costs $68 and will be held Thursday June 21, 6:30 to 9 p.m. at an Upper West Side location. Sign up now to secure a spot. Still undecided? Check out Shuna's description of the class.... More
