Before you start cutting, run the knife over a honing steel several times; chopping is not safe until the cutting edge is aligned.

Curl the fingertips of the hand holding the ingredient inward and rest them against the side of the blade.

Cut one side of a round vegetable to create a flat base, then continue chopping with it resting on that base.

Cut pieces that will cook in the same pan to a similar size, using the previous piece as a reference rather than estimating by eye.

When cutting raw meat, poultry, or fish, use a board reserved for that item; do not use the same board for another food without washing it.

Before turning on the stove, measure and chop all the recipe ingredients and divide them among small bowls.