[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.92,0:00:03.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Pinch Grip and Claw Grip
Dialogue: 0,0:00:03.11,0:00:05.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or How to Keep Blood Out of your Vegetables
Dialogue: 0,0:00:08.36,0:00:09.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hello, my name is Helen Rennie,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.68,0:00:11.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm the founder of Helen's Kitchen Cooking School
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.68,0:00:13.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and today we're going to talk about
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.18,0:00:15.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cutting vegetables without cutting your fingers.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.74,0:00:17.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To do that safely, you'll need to master
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.95,0:00:19.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a pinch grip on your knife hand
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.95,0:00:22.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and a claw grip on your guiding hand.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.72,0:00:25.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To hold my chef's knife, I'm pinching the blade
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.99,0:00:28.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with my thumb and index finger,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.20,0:00:30.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and wrapping my third, fourth, and fifth fingers
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.43,0:00:31.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,around the handle.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.90,0:00:34.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This handhold gives me a lot more stability
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.32,0:00:36.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than holding the knife just by the handle
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.60,0:00:38.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or placing an index finger on top,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.84,0:00:40.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the way you'd eat a steak.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.53,0:00:43.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You never want the knife to jump around the board.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.34,0:00:45.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You want it to rock.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.04,0:00:46.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Lift the back of the knife,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.31,0:00:48.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and glide it forward on your board.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.55,0:00:50.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you just touch the knife to the board, like this,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.92,0:00:52.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,your pieces might not separate completely,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.79,0:00:55.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the herbs will get bruised.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.12,0:00:56.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now let's talk about your guiding hand.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.76,0:00:59.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Its purpose is to hold the vegetable in place,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:59.14,0:01:00.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and to position the blade of the knife
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.98,0:01:02.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to give you precision.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.20,0:01:04.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It will need to get very close and personal with the knife!
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.80,0:01:07.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To do that safely, you'll need to use a claw grip.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.30,0:01:10.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Imagine you're holding a small ball,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.14,0:01:12.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so that your palm and all your fingers
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.27,0:01:14.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are in complete contact with it.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.64,0:01:16.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,See how my hand is nice and round?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.78,0:01:18.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, any time one of my fingertips
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.61,0:01:21.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,decides to leave the ball, SNICK! bad things happen.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.82,0:01:24.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So do not let your fingers do that.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.66,0:01:25.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By the way, lemons and limes
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.75,0:01:28.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,make perfect balls for proper practice,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.12,0:01:29.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,depending on the size of your hand.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.65,0:01:31.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now stick the elbow out,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.32,0:01:34.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so that the guiding hand meets your knife head on.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.90,0:01:37.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,With the knuckles on your second and third fingers,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.53,0:01:40.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's the first knuckles after the nails,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.17,0:01:43.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,glued to your knife in the widest part, like this.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.55,0:01:46.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The reason you want to be here
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.07,0:01:48.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is because you'll need to lift your knife very little,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.44,0:01:51.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,versus here, where you'll need to lift your knife a lot.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.34,0:01:53.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Not only is it slower, but more dangerous
Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.38,0:01:54.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because you might nick your knuckles.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.98,0:01:57.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You don't have that much blade, to place them here.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.35,0:01:58.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now let's talk about what moves,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.62,0:02:00.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the knife or the vegetable.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.09,0:02:01.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is always the knife.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:01.96,0:02:05.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The knife pushes against the knuckles of your guiding hand,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.49,0:02:08.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the guiding hand gradually crawls back
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.50,0:02:11.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the vegetable.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.13,0:02:12.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the knife follows it
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.53,0:02:15.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by zig-zagging on the cutting board.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.74,0:02:18.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, if you are slicing a celery stick,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.40,0:02:20.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you can just move the celery stick forward
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.94,0:02:24.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,instead of moving the knife back.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.38,0:02:27.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But try that with a diced celery stick
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.58,0:02:29.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it does not work too well,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.14,0:02:32.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because all those french-fry pieces of celery
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.39,0:02:34.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,move at a different pace.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.42,0:02:36.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,People often complain that when they use this handhold,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.76,0:02:38.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they cannot see what they are doing,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.41,0:02:41.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because their hands are so close together.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.06,0:02:42.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, you don't need to see what you're doing,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.76,0:02:44.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you need to feel what you're doing.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.80,0:02:46.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you rely on your eyes to tell you
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.40,0:02:47.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where to place the knife,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.90,0:02:50.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you will never be able to get really small pieces
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.07,0:02:51.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or gain any speed.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.34,0:02:52.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By the time the signal travels
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.61,0:02:54.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from your eyes to your brain to your hands
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.38,0:02:55.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to tell them to move,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.08,0:02:56.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you've already cut yourself.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.65,0:02:58.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here's some common mistakes that I see
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.75,0:03:01.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with claw grip in my classes.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.18,0:03:03.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Problem 1: Collapsed claw grip
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.08,0:03:05.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where your fingertips are lying on the board or vegetable.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.82,0:03:07.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Holding the vegetable with your knuckles
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.59,0:03:09.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is very ineffective.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.76,0:03:11.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You should hold it with your fingertips.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.89,0:03:13.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Problem 2: Flat claw grip
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.60,0:03:16.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Very tense; you won't last long in this position.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.15,0:03:17.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Round up.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:17.45,0:03:19.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Problem 3: Raised wrist
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.27,0:03:20.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Gets tiring very quickly!
Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.99,0:03:24.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Lower that wrist and relax your shoulder.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.07,0:03:26.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Problem 4: Elbow against the body
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.74,0:03:29.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I realise that this position is not very comfy at first,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.61,0:03:32.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but a chopped-off thumb is not very comfy either.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.75,0:03:34.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Problem 5: Fear of the blade
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.05,0:03:35.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Great fear of touching the knife blade
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.98,0:03:37.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with your guiding hand.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.62,0:03:40.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's like being afraid of touching a ruler with a pencil
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.19,0:03:42.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while trying to draw a straight line.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.08,0:03:43.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It doesn't work too well, does it?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.92,0:03:45.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The only way you'll have an effective guide
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.76,0:03:47.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is if you're smack against it.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.69,0:03:50.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you want, practise with a pastry-scraper tool
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.13,0:03:51.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on an empty board.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.16,0:03:54.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's dull; there is no way to cut yourself.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.89,0:03:58.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Last but not least, is go slow.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.20,0:04:00.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Nobody is born with a perfect claw grip.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.41,0:04:03.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It takes lots of practice and feels awkward at first.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:03.68,0:04:05.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But when you've been doing it with perfect technique
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.81,0:04:08.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for about a week, you can pick up speed.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.53,0:04:10.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,From Helen's Kitchen in Boston,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.52,0:04:11.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,happy cooking and baking to you.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.88,0:04:16.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Produced by Helen Rennie. Music by Django Reinhardt.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.49,0:04:18.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Copyright (C) 2011 by Helen Rennie. All Rights Reserved.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.16,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,More techniques at beyondsalmon.com