My babies from top to bottom: chef's knife, santoku knife, serrated bread knife, mini santoku, med paring knife, paring knife.
I use my chef and santoku knives for pretty much everything. Don't be intimidated by the size, it is easier and faster to use a real knife to cut things. The santoku has grooves in the side help keep food from sticking. The bread knife is obviously for bread. You saw back and forth with it instead of cutting straight down like other knives. The small santoku is nice for small veggies like carrots. Although, I can cut two carrots at a time with a big knife. I pretty much only use paring knives if I am cutting something small on my hand (bad form I know but..)
Hold the knife with your thumb and pointer finger, like you would a pencil. Place your fingers on the blade of the knife. I know it feels funny, but trust me, you will have more control of your knife this way.
Then wrap your fingers around the handle.
A side view. When you cut, you will keep the tip of the blade on the mat. You will move your knife up and down in a circular motion. It takes practice but it is a much easier way to cut.
DO NOT hold the knife like this. you will lose all control and power. Its kind of like a gun, you don't hold a pistol like a thug with one hand, cocked sideways, it just doesn't make sense.
and do not hold a knife like this. This is a good way to cut your pointer finger. you are going to be putting all the pressure on our pointer finger and it will tire out quickly.
So there is my little rant about knives! Ill have to talk about tools more often. I think they are almost as important as the ingredients you use! So, if you don't have one, I encourage you to invest in a good chef's knife! If you don't have money, splurge on yourself and buy the kitchen aid chef's knife for $20! I've had mine for 7 years and it is still in great shape! You do have to sharpen them often. I use one of these:
I was a prep chef for a couple of years, so I had some training and practice from a chef. I loved that job! It took me a while to learn how to hold a knife and cut the right way. So it will feel awkward at first but keep practicing and you'll be able to cut things twice as fast!
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