Each recipe is written to follow start to finish — with measured ingredients, oven and stovetop temperatures, cook times, and doneness checks — and is built around the Holstead board, blade, measuring guides, and lift-and-funnel silicone mat.
Line food up against the ruler along the board's edge for an even thickness or length — quarter-inch coins, half-inch strips, and so on. Handy when it helps; eyeball it when it doesn't.
Drop a piece into a circle to check its size. Measuring as you go is welcome but never required — it's a helper, not homework.
To move cut food, lift the silicone mat, pinch one side into a spout, and funnel the pieces straight into a bowl, pot, or baking sheet. You can absolutely scoop by hand instead — it's just messier (and, okay, a little more fun).