[Sca-cooks] Videos on Kitchen safety and how to use a knife

[vandraedha at charter.net]

On Jan 2, 2013, at 5:39 PM, Kathleen Gormanshaw <kgormanshaw at gmail.com> wrote:

> My son will be helping in a feast kitchen in February, and I'd like him to
> watch some videos on kitchen safety, especially things we don't think about
> at home but might be relevant in a bigger kitchen like cross-contamination.
> I'd also like one on how to properly cut with a knife.  He doesn't listen
> to Mom nearly as well as he listens to outside experts.  He's 8, but I'd
> like something aimed at an average cook, not a kid, but not an expert;
> 30-60 minutes in length for each topic.
> 
> Any recommendations?

In addition to the offerings by other commenters, I have a few more possibilities for you to consider:

If you want him to use knife skills in the kitchen at a feast, I'd recommend you practice with him using your preferred method (knife to food or food to knife) for quite a while before the feast so that you are both comfortable with his practices.

For food to knife technique (how Julia Childs did it), you might like the segments that Alton Brown has done for the Food Network/Good Eats at least one is available on YouTube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=pKgGlpe45t0). He explains a lot of the mechanics and whys of not just cutting, slicing & chopping, but also choosing the right knife and surface for the job. He doesn't have the best skills, but he breaks the technique down in a way that may be easier for a novice cook to understand.

For kitchen sanitation, You might be interested in the USDA videos and pamphlets on food safety that have been posted to this list a few times. Here's a fresh link to their website in case you haven't seen it:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Cooking_For_Groups_Index/index.asp

Also, if he hasn't already done so, now would be a great time for him to take a course on Adult & Child Basic CPR & First Aid (such as the ones offered by various guide/scouting organizations). Prior knowledge of how to take care of someone else with burns, cuts, falls, choking, and anaphylaxis can really help him be more calm and comfortable if an emergency (major or minor) does develop in the kitchen or dining room.

-- 
YiS,
Anne
from my phone