Last night I attended a quick class on knife skills at The Natural Gourmet Institute (Carlin’s alma-matter!). It was laid back and fun and jam-packed with helpful information. In addition to cutting technique, we learned a few easy-to-implement tips to help anyone get started in the kitchen:

1. You don’t need an armory of knives
What you DO need is: A good chef’s knife (French or Japanese is fine – they both do the same thing, just have a different shape), a slicing knife (for meat), a paring knife, a serrated knife (for bread, tomatoes, anything with a tough outer skin) a good peeler and a steel for keeping your knives performing well.

2. Keep your knives sharp
A dull knife is dangerous and much less effective. If your knives have not been sharpened in a long time, take them to be professionally sharpened, then maintain them by using the steel to re-hone the edge after each use. You can check to see if they’re sharp by folding (but not creasing) a piece of newspaper and using your knife to slice from the top of the fold away from you. If the knife fails to slice cleanly, you can try steeling it. If it still fails, it needs to be sharpened.

3. Use a good cutting board
Wood or plastic will do, but never cut on metal, glass or acrylic. You can place a sticky mat under your board to keep it from slipping.

4. Keep your space clean and orderly
Have a damp rag nearby to wipe down your cutting board and knives as necessary. Also, inexpensive small bowls are helpful for organizing things that you’ve already cut and keeping them out of the way.

5. Do not put your knives in the dishwasher
Hand wash them with soap and water then towel dry them. Store them on a magnetic strip, a block (make sure they’re dry before placing in), or a drawer with protective wooden or plastic sheaths.

6. Cut right
Learning how to cut safely and efficiently (and beautifully) is really the end goal, and there is a technique to it. It’s worth a class or picking up a book if you’re unsure of your skills or are interested in trying new things. I’d recommend Knife Skills Illustrated by Peter Hertzmann. It’s great for visual learners like me, and shows both right and left-handed techniques for vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and poultry. Most culinary schools also offer short courses for non-students ranging from one evening to several days of instruction depending on the school and the intensity of the course.