Like many cooks, I started my career with no formal training. My first job was flipping burgers at the local Dairy Queen, and after a failed attempt at university, I decided to cook full-time until I knew what else to do with my life. The months went on and on, and I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I learned a lot on the job, and while I am a cooking instructor, I still firmly believe that there is no better education for an aspiring cook than to be in the thick of things on the job.
But there are a few skills that you can learn in school that can help you accelerate in your career without the worry of harming yourself or others, and knife skills are one of those things. I truly wish I would have gone to school at the beginning to learn proper knife grip since it may have saved the top of my thumb.
In June of 1993, I was working at the Chateau Lake Louise as a second cook, and was on the cold line for the Poppy Room. This was a busy and demanding job in a hotel that was serving thousands of people each day. I was prepping lettuce for salads or sandwiches, who knows, when woosh, I took a piece the size of a dime of the top of my left thumb. I don’t know if there are many cuts that can be worse in the kitchen, and I certainly stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb. Ever since, and particularly since I have become a cooking instructor, proper knife grip is something that I strive to teach.
In my humble and honest opinion, good knife grip is the most important skill to develop for cooks, whether you are working at a 5-Star restaurant or simply cooking for yourself at home. It will give you confidence in what you are doing, and will help to improve the speed and accuracy of your work.
Today’s video talks about the most important knives that you should have in your kitchen and then demonstrates the proper grip to hold your knife while demonstrating where to place your other hand.
I will do another video in the future that goes a step further, and will demonstrate specific cutting techniques.
I love this and it certainly was education I need on proper knife use. George is always horrified at me chopping my fingers off. D’Arcy I still have one of your knives you had in cooking school.
wow. I’m glad to hear that the video has helped and impressed that you still have that knife.
Great demonstration and explanation on proper knife use and placement plus you look super,
Thanks mom.