159/365 01/28/2026

The shallots get minced by hand: bulb separated, a single cut lengthwise, top to bottom. The sound like turning a page when the sharp knife first cleaves the tender skin, the warm clunk as the heel finds purchase on the wooden cutting board. No plastics here. 

Place the half shallot perpendicular to your shoulders. There, yes. Make precise, even slices again, top to bottom. Let the knife glide across your knuckles, fingers bent. Relax. Relax. The knife’s heft does work. Your eyes almost unnecessary. The knife glides, the knuckles guide, and you shift. Your body. Not your hands. Shifting hands introduce the smallest curves. Chaos in the cooking process.