Classic Vegetable Cuts

We all know the importance of making precise cuts to get a product that is the same shape and size.  Chef Robert Irvine yells that to everyone in every kitchen he walks in on "Restaurant Impossible."  I would think, "What's wrong with these people?  They've been cooking professionally for years!  He just showed them exactly what a julienne is... what's the problem?"  Now I know.

After peeling, squaring, slicing, and dicing 10 potatoes yesterday, I had this uneven mess and a large container overflowing with scraps.  These, my friends, are the classic vegetable cuts that I will be using throughout my career (excluding the large rectangles you see to the upper left).  There are a few others, but these were the ones on my practical exam I had to take after about a half hour or so of practice.

I think the next step for me is a gargantuan bag of potatoes, a cutting board, a ruler, and a big box of Kleenexes (for tears... I would use bandages for bleeding digits).