On Friday March 11, 2016 I had the pleasure of observing the JSI Workshop to Go Knife Skills: Be a Cut Above the Rest! presented by Chef Tracey Burg, RD at Auburn Public Schools. The school nutrition director at Auburn Public Schools, Janice King, MEd, RDN, SNS, CDE, scheduled the 2-hour workshop as a fun, hands-on way to incorporate professional development for her staff as she hopes to cultivate a culinary culture within the district’s school nutrition program.
During the workshop Chef Tracey reviewed knife-handling skills where she explained the importance of using knife safety precautions. She emphasized that using the proper blade for the task at hand can greatly minimize risk.
Blade sharpening techniques were also reviewed and Chef Tracey explained that a dull knife could sometimes be more dangerous than a sharp one because it requires extra pressure that could cause food to slip.
Chef Tracey also did several culinary demonstrations that were followed by participant practice time. Participants learned how to do various types of cuts including dice, cube, and batonnet. Lastly, Chef Tracey demonstrated fun garnishing techniques that really got participants excited to practice!
Bring this and other workshops directly to your school! Visit JSI’s website to request a workshop today. Materials from this workshop are available on the Cooking Basics and Knife Skills page within the JSI Resource Center. Check out more images from this workshop on JSI’s Pinterest page.
