* Mise en place
* Mirepoix
* Knife skills and different kinds of cuts
Mise en place (meez-on-plahs) means “set in place”, getting everything for a recipe ready beforehand, including preparing any vegetables, measuring out liquids and dry ingredients, and assembling the equipment you will need.
Mirepoix (MEER-pwah) is a basic flavouring for soups and stews according to Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques comprised of a coarsely diced mixture of onions (or leeks), carrots, and celery. Roughly half the mixture is onions, a quarter is carrots, and another quarter is celery.
A knife is the most important tool in the kitchen, and therefore knife skills are one of the most important skills a chef can learn. With proper technique, accomplished chefs can quickly cut through mounds of vegetables quickly and efficiently. That’s not me! I’m still learning. I have been enjoying learning from the latest handbook about knives called Knife Skills Illustrated by Peter Hertzmann. Here is a list of the different types of cuts, their sizes, and a picture:
Large dice
¾ inch cube
2cm cube
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB1ApLV1-Pzyi_3f2WNwubhSd5gOxCewsWImofaSGVx-RGwImO0buJBxlH2GBcWOiwQ72C-FJXwLUPUtTE4NdMlkDervCJeLoUHgd8KqB9CBU_KkJQcaN8PGzPlgm_4dmvJ7WPPKkvmvc/s576/Large+dice.jpg)
½ inch cube
1cm cube
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-CfifuGU1eOGP-vzlh7-mZzbqX2tI1-PE7sakyHXQf_NDLMi7DSdcvT9JEts_WgTJ8IXANLfvj6Ji-ayVImJefgUDG3T0i1ST3UiJLN-B70FmxVHWJ2n4tzEqGKfan4uEtNmxn5fdnQ-/s576/Medium+dice.jpg)
¼ inch cube
6mm cube
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKkFWRdU6vP18r8qtBJhH2jQz9wv7F_V1KdMWM0vrH-xBufsYJ5t78IStI7myf0E6B6tc5zbarC3yVbbpaH0golYl683JEglIfXP0D5lUDJ9zwZdqSlfakfq_pBevpiRPSUY1s1WkUeKE/s576/Small+dice.jpg)
between 3/16 and ⅛ inch cube
2-3mm cube
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHlhiWtzMgI5ptg1a8sXD5As-p58jEmYjFC5WF9SfqPd1VHVyacKdi37HQQYQdo_vOe-eNrreWsDY95eQTsDVW9iWBNnPZxPjDUoIXLnCpPeSj42L7q2eZdVGoYHeKV_AoV5JoxXT7BaF/s576/Brunoise.jpg)
finely diced cube
1/16 inch cube
1.5mm cube
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnX-xv934gxaLorJfU2qsDDFdEaRP20ReX_OIPKGff6uI0L9XLXonfbb6LoGxYblaKxALx_v-TtDDyw-hVXH9-fz_CyoSF4F-sOkg8IUU6EXfKDAZl8e9b4V4MJfuFKT3axQO-5RU3urw/s576/Fine+Brunoise.jpg)
flat square or triangle
½ inch by ½ inch by ¼ inch
1.2cm by 1.2cm by 6mm
To cut a paysanne, take one of the dices and cut it in half.
Bâtonnet (BAH-toh-nah)
matchstick shape
¼ inch by ¼ inch by 2-2½ inches
6mm by 6mm by 5-6cm
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk47dKl0jYq9Z2SIH4JIlEdAekMmd86UcnAs8muf6Bqg10kKCGEcuU-sdWi_Hu5RazcQt-uvJvS16pJ66vE-7PF33zPjnOEKKmuH9cHmm_JxKF1rMZ6j1izj16Ep7FDKVbcQGrRMiu2dRv/s576/Batonnet.jpg)
Julienne (JU-lee-en)
long, thin sticks, sometimes called matchsticks
⅛ inch by ⅛ inch by 1-2 inches
3mm by 3mm by 2.5-5cm
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUU2aZptsJkvNHDSQM4iDUHGLwGlWI0Ebm64DO6m0iFi7XgmfWejEZdJ6JQb_IUiE0WKIwUH3u-SUIWwCHiRMPU256zQCDN6VCaOnwIpShHUzIKi7nf4hWVZld2_BeKIppD0Z_7a8UDIIt/s576/Julienne.jpg)
Here is a video showing an introduction to some of the knife cuts given by Aïda Mollenkamp, food editor at CHOW.
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