How to Chop Onions, Garlic, and Herbs

A great many recipes call for chopping herbs, or onions, or both, and while the herbs are one thing, the tears associated with chopping onions have made the fortune of many appliance and gadget makers. And these gadgets are useful if your recipe calls for several cups of chopped onions.

However, if you're just chopping one (or even two), doing it by hand is much easier, quicker, and gives better results: You get a uniform dice that will cook more evenly, and since the onion isn't crushed or liquefied by whirling blades it doesn't give off bitter juices. Also, cleanup is so much faster!

Before we begin, a word about the hands in these photos: they belong to Leonardo Romanelli, friend, journalist (Quinto Quarto, his blog), and instructor at one of Florence's restaurant schools.

And now to work; you'll need a sharp knife and a chopping board. Begin by cutting the onion in half.