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Here are 7 "do-no-harm" tips for fast knife work in the kitchen.

My late grandmother (Gram) was a chef for most of her life. She was fast and furious in the kitchen, but try as I might, I cannot recall ever seeing a cut on her hands. And she was fast!

TV chefs whacking away on their chopping boards, with bits of food flying from their knives, make speed chopping look like great fun. But, like my grandmother, they learned to safely use their knives first.

And you can, too.

Here are 7 tips that saved my grandmother's fingers for nearly 5 decades.

1. Use the proper tool for the job. Gram always said if the job called for a paring knife, you didn't use a butcher knife; if the job called for a butcher knife then you didn't use a butter knife. She said most accidents with knives were caused because the wrong knife was being used. Paring knives are for peeling vegetables, well-balanced stocky chef knives are for chopping, serrated knives are for cutting bread, and long-bladed knives are for carving meat.

2. Here's another of her kitchen laws. Be sure to use a sharp knife! It sounds contradictory, doesn't it? But you are more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife than you are with a sharp one. Why? Think about the last time you tried using a dull knife and the knife slipped off the food. And where were your fingers?

3. Always (always!) curve your finger tips under and towards your palm when holding foods for chopping. You might need your fingerprints some day. Keep your thumb protected, too, by curving it in towards your palm.

4. Keep your work area clear. Wipe your board after cutting foods, especially after chopping harder foods like nuts and celery. Small bits can cause your knife to deflect towards your hands. A clear large cutting surface is best.

5. Don't chop foods if you are tired. I know you probably will so before picking up that knife, clear your head, and think about what you are doing. Tired chefs get distracted; distraction results in bloody accidents.

6. When chopping rounded foods like apples and onions, cut them in half first. Lay the flat side on the board and chop away. The same holds true for peppers, cut them in half first and then the slicing is easy.

However, when cutting small rounded foods like olives and cherry tomatoes, put your thumb and forefinger on either side of the item. Hold firmly as you draw a paring knife through the middle. You'll be surprised at how quick you'll get at doing this prep job.

7. Never, not ever, hold food in your hand while cutting it. You've seen people hold apples and cut them into wedges with a paring knife aimed directly at the web between their thumb and forefinger. Dumb and dangerous.

A final word. Be attentive when handling kitchen knives. Practice knife safety first; the speed will follow. Then you can whack away like the best of them, with all your fingers intact.

Learn more about this author, Sheree Zielke.
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