Nancy Young > wrote in message
...
> Can anyone tell me why chefs tap their knives
> maybe 3 times on the counter before starting to
> chop whatever? Tyler comes to mind, but a lot
> of tv chefs do that.
>
> Just nosy.

Timing. It's that simple.

You set the tempo by starting the blade on an open area and then quickly
move the blade to the cutting area.

When I worked as a cook, I'd test an open area and move to the cutting
area quickly and be done before anything was missing. I never missed
when I went through my "motions." (If I tried to skip this step... Well,
I'm not stubby but there were times that sharp knives and fingertips
don't always mix.)

The Ranger