When did you figure out you were mincing garlic wrong your whole career?
I have been cooking professionally for about 8 years now, mostly in a busy Italian place downtown. Last month a new sous chef showed me how she preps garlic with just the flat of her knife and a coarse salt grind. She crushed each clove flat, then chopped it in like three passes. I always used to slice it thin, then try to dice, which took forever and gave me uneven pieces. She pointed out how much faster and more consistent it was, and I felt like an idiot. 40 cloves for family meal used to take me almost 10 minutes, now I am done in under 3. Has anyone else had a basic prep skill that just clicked late for them?