1. Knife Skills

2. Cutting Boards
A cutting board is used to cut food to prevent damage to the countertop and to prevent cross contamination.

3. Wooden Cutting Boards Keep knives sharp longer
Are porous and cross contaminate more easily

4. Plastic Cutting Boards
Can damage knifes
Safer to use because it’s easier to sanitize
Available in different colors
Each color is designed for use with a specific food type.
Adopting a color-coding system reduces cross contamination.

5. Stabilizing Cutting Boards
Place a damp towel under the cutting board.

6. Sanitizing Wooden Cutting Boards
Scrubbing in hot soapy water
Use a diluted bleach solution
Never put in the dishwasher
Never soak in water

7. Sanitizing Plastic Cutting Boards
Scrubbing in hot soapy water
Use a diluted bleach solution
Wash in the dishwasher

8. Use of Cutting Boards
It is advised to cut raw meat on a separate cutting board from cooked meat, vegetables or ready to eat foods to prevent cross-contamination.

9. Chef’s Knife Among the most versatile knives
Used for daily chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing.
Demonstrate how to properly hold a chef knife.
Shape:
To rock back and forth
Hold:
Forefinger on one side of blade, thumb on other side, three other fingers gripping the handle.
Used for:
Most of your kitchen cutting needs
The most commonly used knife in the kitchen

10. Paring Knife
This indispensable knife is handy for smaller precision tasks
Garnishing, peeling, trimming and slicing small fruits and vegetables.
Paring knife uses:
Peeling and garnishing

11. Serrated Knife
A serrated bread knife cuts soft, fresh loaves without squashing or tearing.
It’s also great for cutting tomatoes and citrus.

12. Care of Knives
Should not be washed in the dishwasher or placed in the bottom of the sink.
Hand wash knives immediately after the knife enters the dishwater with warm soapy water.
Dry immediately

13. Storage of Knives Knife block
Cover each blade with a protective sheath
Knives should not be stored loose in a drawer with other knives or utensils.
The knives will bang against each other and the blade will become dull.

14. Knife Cutting Techniques
The following are descriptions of various knife cutting techniques.
These can be incorporated into a soup or salad you prepare.

15. Batonnet Knife Cut French word for baton or stick.
Size: 1/4” x 1/4” x 2.5 to 3”

16. Julienne Knife Cut
Size: 1/8” x 1/8” x 2 ½”

17. Brunoise Knife Cut Begin with julienne cut and then cube.
Size: 1/8” x 1/8” x 1/8” (1/8” cubed)

18. Small Dice Cut
Size: 1/4” x 1/4” x 1/4” (1/4” cubed)

19. Medium Dice Cut
Size: 1/2” x 1/2” x 1/2” (1/2” cubed)

20. Large Dice Cut
Size: 3/4” x 3/4” x 3/4” (3/4” cubed)

21. Diagonal Knife Cut
Cut on a 45 degree angle

22. Chiffonade Knife Cut Cutting leafy vegetables into long, thin strips.
Stacking leaves, rolling them tightly then slicing the leaves perpendicular to the roll
Size: Long, thin, curly strips

23. Knife Skills Lab Demonstrate 4 of the 6 different knife cuts: Batonnet
Julienne
Brunoise
Dice
Diagonal
Chiffonade