I’ve partnered with Craftsy to offer a free Knife Skills video course that you can watch online anytime. Craftsy sponsored this promotion, but all opinions and narrative are my own.
Knife skills are essential in the kitchen. Investing time to learn them makes your cooking faster, safer, and the results more consistent and attractive. The reason is simple: uniformly cut ingredients cook evenly. When pieces vary wildly in size and shape, some will finish long before others, creating uneven textures and flavor. Nobody enjoys fishing out tiny, overcooked carrot bits while the larger pieces take forever. Good knife technique helps you avoid that and makes meal prep more efficient.
To help, Craftsy and I have teamed up to bring you a free online video course on knife skills. Your access never expires, so you can rewatch lessons whenever you need a refresher. I’ve even had each of my kids go through the course because the lessons are clear and practical.
Photo Courtesy of Craftsy
Taking this free class will make a big difference, but practice is key. You don’t need culinary school-level dedication—just apply what you learn and be a bit more deliberate when you prep. Over time, several small improvements add up and actually save you time in the kitchen.
Here are some of the practical skills covered in the class:
- Which knives you really need and which are most useful at home.
- Which cutting surfaces work best and how to care for them.
- What dicing means and how to do it properly.
- How to julienne and brunoise (it’s not related to Dancing with the Stars).
- How to break down an onion quickly and tips to minimize tears.
- Names and techniques for common knife cuts used in professional and home kitchens.
Photo courtesy of Craftsy
This course is valuable whether you’re new to knife work or need a fundamentals refresher. The instructor is clear and engaging, and the production quality is excellent. If you want to build confidence and speed with sharp tools, this free course is a fantastic place to start.
Click Here to Sign Up for this Free Knife Skills Class!
After you finish the course, put your new skills to use with a batch of Ratatouille. This garlicky French vegetable stew is an ideal recipe for practicing your slicing, dicing, and timing—and the reward is delicious.
Cook’s Notes
- Eggplant needs a little extra attention: after dicing, toss it with salt and let it rest in a colander for about 20–30 minutes to draw out bitterness and improve texture. Do this first and let it sit while you prepare the other vegetables.
- The main effort in ratatouille is in slicing and dicing. Once the vegetables are prepped, the cooking is straightforward.
- Leftover ratatouille can be blended into a flavorful sauce for pizza, pasta, or to accompany grilled, roasted, or pan-fried meats.
Classic Ratatouille
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 small or medium eggplants trimmed and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil divided, plus more if needed
- 3 medium onions peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 8 to 10 cloves of garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 stems of fresh basil tied together, plus additional leaves for finishing
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 bell peppers stemmed, seeded, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 medium yellow squash trimmed and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 zucchini trimmed and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 to 5 ripe tomatoes cored and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 teaspoons salt divided, or more to taste
Instructions
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Toss the diced eggplant with 2 teaspoons of salt and let it rest in a colander for 30 minutes while you prepare the other vegetables.
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Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the eggplant and fry, stirring frequently, until golden. If the eggplant soaks up the oil and starts to stick, add a bit more oil. Remove the eggplant to a plate and return the pan to the heat.
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Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook about 6–7 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic, the basil bouquet, crushed red pepper, and another pinch of salt; cook 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Add the bell peppers and cook 4 minutes, then add the squash and zucchini and cook 8 minutes.
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Stir in the diced tomatoes and cook 10 minutes, then return the eggplant to the pot and cook 10–15 more minutes until all vegetables are very soft. Squeeze the basil bouquet to extract flavor, discard the stems, slice the remaining basil leaves into thin ribbons (chiffonade), and stir into the ratatouille. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if desired. This dish is delicious hot, warm, or cold.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred tool.
Did you make this recipe?
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Please do yourself a favor and take this free online knife skills course. You’ll be glad you did!