2

Personal Safety
Many kitchen accidents are due to lack of information
or carelessness.
• Chemical poisoning, cuts, burns, fires and falls
are the most common of these accidents.
• Electric shock and choking follow close behind.
You can prevent many accidents by:
• Properly using and caring for equipment.
• Noticing and correcting potential dangers.
• Being organized and following directions.
• Keeping your kitchen clean.
 3

Ways To Prevent Food-borne Illness

Sanitation – Keep yourself and your kitchen clean.
What are things you should be doing before you cook
for personal and kitchen cleanliness?

Wash hands with Scrub hands,wrist

Scrub hands, wrist Rinse with Dry with a
hot, soapy water. and fingernailsforfor
and fingernails hot water. paper towel.
ATleast
at LEAST 20 10
seconds.
seconds.
 4

What About The Dishes?

How to Wash Dishes Properly:

• Scrape extra food into the garbage.

• Prepare your water, make sure it’s very
warm, and has enough soap to clean your
dishes. Do not use too much soap…
• Wash glasses first, then silverware, plates, and
cups. Wash pots and pan last, they will make
the water greasy.
• Dry dishes and put away…not wet please!
 5

Now You’re Ready To Cook

• Plan ahead… know your recipe(s) and what
ingredients and tools you need.
– You may want to develop a plan.
• Get everything you’ll need out ahead of time
and be organized.
• Measure ingredients carefully and follow the
recipe directions step-by-step.
• Wash your hands before and after handling
foods and clean up as you go.
• When finished, wash, dry and put away the
tools and utensils.
 6

KNIVES

©Learning ZoneXpress
 7

©Learning ZoneXpress
 8

©Learning ZoneXpress
The big four:

According to chef Brendan McDermott, these four knives will let you do just about
anything in the kitchen (except serve soup).
Chef's knife
A chef’s knife has a blade between 6 and 14 inches long and 1½ inches wide, with
a curve that becomes more pronounced near the tip. Originally, this type of knife
was intended to slice large cuts of beef , but it's much more versatile than that. 
From cutting meat to chopping vegetables , this multi-purpose tool is a must-have.
Paring knife
The paring knife has a short blade, typically between 2½ and 4 inches long, and an
edge that looks like a smaller, plainer version of a chef’s knife. Its simple, sharp
blade is great for intricate work like peeling fruit or vegetables, deveining shrimp
or creating garnishes.
Serrated utility knife
Also called a tomato knife or sandwich knife, this one has a blade
between 4 and 7 inches in length. It looks like a bread knife, but it’s
shorter and sharper. It'll cut cleanly through fruits and vegetables without
tearing them, and it also works well for small slicing jobs like cutting
bagels or sandwich fixings.

Boning knife
Thin and flexible with a curved blade that measures between 5 and 7
inches, a boning knife is designed to get into small spaces to detach meat
from bone. There are a few different variations here — firmer blades are
better for cuts of beef, more flexible blades are better suited for chicken.
A really bendy version called a filet knife is great for delicate fish.
Large knives

Bread knife 
A bread knife looks like a longer, exaggerated version of a serrated utility knife. Its
grooves let it slice cleanly through bread without crushing it. Bread knives can have a
classic knife handle, or they might have an offset handle to keeps your knuckles from
knocking the bread.
Carving knife
Measuring between 8 and 15 inches long, the carving knife looks like a thinner,
stretched-out chef’s knife. Its length and very sharp edge allow precise, thin slicing of
meat — especially denser, larger items like a roast.
Cleaver
This horror-movie favorite is a large, usually rectangular knife. It has a very heavy,
thick blade that narrows to a sharp edge. It's primarily used for splitting or “cleaving”
meat and bone. The cleaver is a necessity for restaurants that prepare their own meat,
but it's not considered an essential home kitchen tool (though it does look cool).
Small knives

Fluting knife
With a short, straight blade that's 2 to 4 inches long, a fluting knife looks like a
shorter, slightly sharper-angled version of a paring knife. This one's used for
delicate peeling or creating decorations.
Mincing knife
A mincing knife looks like a miniature version of the blade in Edgar Allan
Poe's story "The Pit and the Pendulum." But in the culinary world, it's just
meant to finely cut vegetables and herbs by moving the blade in a rocking
motion.
Peeling knife
Related to the paring knife is a curved blade known as a
tourné knife. This short blade curves downward, but is not
as exaggerated as a hook. Use it to remove skins and
blemishes from fruits or vegetables or to make a specific
cut called tourné, especially popular with root vegetables.
Trimming knife
The trimming knife looks like a miniature boning knife, and
is usually under 3 inches long. It can handle a variety of
small tasks like removing meat from bone in small areas. If
you want to get all retro and make radish roses, a trimming
knife will let you do it.
Specialty knives

Cheese knives
Cheese knives are designed for — you guessed it — slicing cheeses. Knives
designed for soft cheeses will have perforated holes, which keep the cheese from
sticking to the metal; sharper knives are used for harder cheeses.
Decorating knife
Designed to make elaborate cuts, decorating knives have a simple pattern in the
blade. One of the most common decorating knives is adorned with a zigzag shape,
which is about as much fun as it sounds.
Grapefruit knife
The grapefruit knife has a long, flat, dull blade that looks kind of like an artist palette
knife with a serrated edge. This is used in the kitchen for separating the fruit of a
grapefruit from the peel and pith. Some fancy versions have a double blade — one
on either side of the handle — with one for the peel and the other for the inner
membrane.
 15

Knife Construction

©Learning ZoneXpress
 16

Tang
The tang is the part of the blade that continues into the knife’s
handle. Some knives have full tangs, while others have partial
tangs. A full tang is as long as the whole knife handle. Knives
used for heavy work, such as chef’s knives and cleavers,
should have a full tang. Knives used for lighter work, such as
paring knives and utility knives, may have a partial tang

Rivet
The tang is attached to the knife handle with rivets. A rivet is a
metal fastener. For comfort and sanitation, the rivets should be
smooth and lie flush with the handle’s surface.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 17

Blade
The blade of a high-quality, professional knife is made of a
single piece of metal. The metal has been cut, stamped, or
forged into the desired shape. The metals most often used for
the knife blade are stainless steel and highcarbon stainless
steel. Stainless steel is a hard, durable metal made of
chromium and carbon steel. It does not rust or discolor.

Stainless steel also will not transfer, or pass to foods, a

metallic taste. The main drawback is that it is hard to sharpen.
High-carbon stainless steel is a mix of iron, carbon, chromium,
and other metals. This metal combines the best features of
stainless steel and carbon steel, but it is expensive.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 18

Handle
Knife handles can be made of several types of material,
including plastic, vinyl, and hard woods such as rosewood and
walnut. Because you will hold the knife for long periods of time,
the handle should feel comfortable in your hand. Your hand may
cramp from using a handle that is either too small or too large.
Manufacturers make various sizes of handles. Try different sizes
to find one that fits.
Bolster
Some knives have a shank, or bolster, in the spot where the
blade and handle come together. Knives with a bolster are very
strong and durable. The bolster helps prevent food particles
from entering the space between the tang and the handle.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 19

Sharpen a kitchen knife

Kitchen knives are the basic tool in the kitchen.

Since its function is important, it should be well
treated.

A good kitchen knife will effectively reducing food

preparation time as it slice through ingredients
quickly and safely. To do so, kitchen knives can be
sharpened at home using a few basic tools.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 20

1. Gather the necessary materials including: a. a double-sided

(coarse and fine grit) synthetic sharpening stone. b. a
sharpening steel, which is typically sold in the form of a
lightly grooved, magnetized iron rod.
Both of these materials can be found at the local hardware
store.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 21

SHARPENING

Once a knife is dull – test it by drawing the blade along the

edge of a piece of paper to see if it cuts – it needs to be
sharpened. We strongly recommend using manual, not electric
sharpeners. It’s too easy for a home cook to get carried away,
exerting too much pressure and making too many strokes,
while the whirling machine eats the edge of your knife. With a
manual sharpener, use gentle pressure while pulling the knife
through, and test often as you go.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 22

HONING
Many people don’t know the difference between honing and
sharpening. But they are equally important for efficient knife
work. Honing, which makes the blade of a knife straight, is
done with what’s often (and incorrectly) called sharpening
steel, by drawing the blade over and over along an abrasive
rod of metal, ceramic, or stone.

Many professionals hone their chefs’ knives daily, but doing it

weekly is plenty for most home cooks. It’s a quick process
once you feel confident – and it’s fun, making you look, feel,
and sound like a serious cook. But remember: honing helps
maintain the blade’s sharpness, but doesn’t actually sharpen it.
©Learning ZoneXpress
 23

2. Sharpen the knife blade using the stone.

a. Hold the knife with the fingers of one hand fanning across the
length of the blade while placing it flat against, and
perpendicular to, the coarse side of the sharpening stone.
b. Raise the blade approximately 20 degrees off of the face of the
stone, with the edge of the blade facing away from you.
c. Grind the blade onto the stone in a counterclockwise motion,
from tip to bolster. Use consistent pressure and grind until a
burr forms on the underside of the blade.
d. Flip the blade over so it faces toward you and repeat grinding
in the same manner until the edge forms another burr.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 24

3. Polish the edge of the blade using the fine grit side
of the sharpening stone.
a. Position the blade in the same manner as above.
b. Grind the blade in a counterclockwise manner. Do the same
for the alternating sides every 4 strokes.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 25

4. Steel the blade to remove debris and irregularities that

have formed as a result of grinding.
a. Hold the steel perpendicular to your work surface, placing
the metal edge on top of a cutting board for stability.
b. Place the blade against the rod. The end of the blade closest
to the knife's handle should touch the top of the steel. The
tip of the blade should point skyward and the blade itself
should be angled approximately 20 degrees to the rod.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 26

5. Move the blade against the steel in a downward,

sweeping motion.
a. Pull the knife toward you as it glides down the steel. Position
the knife so the blade's middle touches the steel's middle
and the blade's tip touches the bottom of the rod.
b. Use gentle, consistent pressure. Then, turn the knife over
and repeat.
c. Eight to 10 alternate passes should effectively restore the
knife's edge.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 27

How to Hold a
Knife

©Learning ZoneXpress
 28

©Learning ZoneXpress
 29

c. For cutting technique, your hand’s job is to hold the food to

keep it from sliding around on the cutting board. With the knife
blade flying up and down, you need to keep those fingertips
tucked safely away, while still being able to firmly hold the
food.
The fingers curled inward and gripping the food with the
fingernails, the fingers stay out of harm's way. The side of the
knife blade actually rests against the first knuckle of the guiding
hand, which helps keep the blade perpendicular to the cutting
board.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 30

d. In this modified version of the claw grip, the first knuckle of

the guiding hand rests flat on the food product, with the fingers
again curled inward safely. And this time the knife rests against
the second knuckle rather than the first.
Each of these claw grips is acceptable, so use whichever one
you feel comfortable with.

©Learning ZoneXpress
 31

BASIC CUTS

©Learning ZoneXpress
 32

©Learning ZoneXpress
 33

©Learning ZoneXpress
 34

©Learning ZoneXpress
Bâtonnet (bah-toh-ney)
Bâtonnet refers to cutting vegetables into sticks. Bâton in French means
“stick,” the et indicates a diminutive, and thus bâtonnet means “little
stick.”
Vegetables are cut into bâtonnets when they are to be served as a
garnish on the plate or platter.
Variations of the bâtonnet cut would be:
cheveux,
paille, allumette,
mignonette,
and pont neuf, but these cuts are used exclusively with
potatoes.
Accompanying garnishes such as jardinière and porte-maillot
call for the vegetables to be cut in a bâtonnet.
 38

©Learning ZoneXpress
 39

©Learning ZoneXpress
Brunoise (brun-wah)

To describe brunoise as a fine dice does not do it

justice. Brunoise describes the cutting of a vegetable
into small, precise cubes no larger than 3 mm square.
It is often used as an aromatic garnish and can be
served with the principal element in the sauce, jus, or
fonds de braisage.

It can also be used in stuffing or forcemeat fillings

and it is one of the classic garnishes in the soup
family. When the brunoise is served with the main
ingredient, it is presented on the platter.
Brunoisette

Brunoisette describes a very small brunoise, around 1 mm

square. This designation is relatively recent and came out of
the Nouvelle Cuisine movement of the 1970s. French chefs
who had traveled to Japan discovered new styles of
presentation and cooking and brought these ideas back to
Europe where they became incorporated into the cooking
style at the time.
The brunoisette is specifically used as a garnish for soups
and fillings and as a decoration. The brunoisette is prepared
to be presented on a plate due to its smaller size. (The
brunoise, on the other hand, is often made to be presented
on a platter.)
Chiffonade
The term chiffonade has replaced ciseler in referring
to the shredding of leafy vegetables and herbs.

Ciseler
The closest translation of the term ciseler in English
would be “to finely mince.”
Used in particular with bulbs, such as onions and
shallots, it is a methodical way of cutting them very
finely. The term originally was used to describe the
method of finely slicing leafy vegetables such as
sorrel, spinach, or lettuce and also fresh herbs.
 45

Chiffonade
©Learning ZoneXpress
 48

©Learning ZoneXpress
 52

©Learning ZoneXpress
 56

END
©Learning ZoneXpress