Rouxbe

Hello,

There is a problem with the handling the chefs knife quiz. The images do not show up for some of the questions.

Thanks for noting this. We just uploaded the Cooking School and have not announced this as we are still adding some images, copy, etc.

The school will officially open on Monday. Until then, you might see a few errors from time to time but by Sunday, all should be go to go.

Enjoy your Sneak Preview.

I gotta tell you - it is very unnerving to watch a southpaw with a knife.

It's the same only we are smarter...ha ha!!!! :-)

Yeah, we're good with that left hand :)

I've been seeing Ceramic knives lately, and I got a cheap one just to see what it's like. It seems to slice very well, but it's a little disconcerting, since I think they're more fragile than steel knives. Any comments from the chefs?

One thing about ceramic knives is that you either love them or not. Some find them too light, too fragile. For cutting vegetables and fish, they're awesome, but for tougher work, they feel too fragile. Plus, the real good ones are very expensive. My hands are big and my grip firm, so I have not found them to be so comfortable, but have had students with small hands that swear by them.

Hope this helps.

I just received a beautiful 9" Wustof Cook's Knife for Christmas and now I'm looking into purchasing a sharpening steel to keep the blade in good shape. I checked out Wustof`s site and they show two types of steel: a regular sharpening steel and a diamond sharpener. Am I right in assuming that the diamond sharpener does not hone the blade and only sharpens it (I would love to put a question mark here but my keyboard seems to be failing me). Additionally what length of steel should I be investing in assuming I will be purchasing additional knifes as I continue my training and career (haha again question mark).

Diamond steels do actually sharpen some of the edge, and they do hone too, so they too have some advantages. But only if they're of very good quality. Wustof makes quality steels. As for length, the longer, thicker and heavier (really) the better. Hope this helps.

Thanks very much that does clarify things. I think I'll be getting a normal steel for now and maybe invest in those industrial diamonds down the road. Thanks!

particularly the step for Positioning Your Guide Hand. i damaged some nerves in my right hand years ago and have switched over to using my left hand for many different maneuvers, including transitioning knife chopping duties over to my left and using the right hand as the guide.

in the past, i could not figure out how to hold things down and feel that they were secure enough for me to chop away with confidence that i won't be bleeding into my pile of vegetables and what-not. but watching your video, i've adapted your backward crab crawl into a gripping style that seems to suit me. could probably take some adjusting as i go along and would greatly appreciate anyone else's input.

presently only using the middle and pointer finger as the guide. the thumb, pinky and ring finger now anchor. just so you know, the pinky and ring are the gimpy ones of the bunch. trying to bring ol' gimpy up into position with the middle and pointer is just very awkward, but allowing it to curl up next to the pinky seems to work for me so far and feels "natural".

if this at all sounds like a script for disaster please advise on what i should be doing.

thank you

I would suggest doing 15 minutes exercises with the bench scraper for 4 or 5 sessions (or more if needed). It's great for confidence building.

As for your hand position, you seem to be on the right track. It is fine to adjust to another variation that is comfortable to you, just remember to find a position whereby if you were to slip, you simply cannot cut yourself. Safety first. It will become second nature in no time.