Introduction

When one thinks about safety in relation to cooking, the first thing that comes to mind is safety related to the handling of equipment, mainly knives; but have you ever thought about food safety? Both are equality important and that is what we are covering in this 4-week course.

The course programming increment was created to help you stay organized, but it is up to you to decide how much you want to learn in a week.

Week 1 - Topic 1 - Food Safety

Anyone who desires to learn how to cook should be aware of the following basic food safely guidelines. When dealing with food, common sense principles apply. Food safety must be thoroughly respected at all times to avoid food-borne illnesses and should be taken very seriously. The next topic will give you a good understanding and will help you and those you cook for avoid food poisoning.

Important: This course is an introduction to food safety. In some States or Provinces, when working in the food industry, it is required to pass a test that will guarantee a more complete knowledge of the subject.

This course is not certified by any government body. Therefore, we highly recommend that you inform yourself about the regulations of your own country. Indeed, careless handling of food can have deadly consequences.

Week 2 - Topic 2 - Everything about Knives

Choosing a kitchen knife is an important decision and can be costly. Select the right one and the tasks of cutting, chopping, and slicing will be satisfying and pleasurable.

Week 2 - Topic 3 - Everything about Cutting Boards

Cutting boards have become the mainstay of our kitchens, from providing the chopping platforms for food preparation to the serving of the finished meal.

Traditionally, cutting boards were mostly made of hard woods, but over the past few years, a new generation of boards has emerged. Made of various substances, each type has its own benefits and drawbacks.

Week 3 - Topic 4 - Getting Started

In this topic, I will introduce you to the notion of "mise en place" and how important it is to get ready for the "service". You will learn how to safely hold your chef knife and where to place your guide hand.

You will also get to know your vegetables! Before working with produce it is important to understand where each vegetable comes from, how to choose them, how to clean them and how to store them.

Week 3 - Topic 5 - Basic Vegetable Cuts (Part 1)

This is a huge topic that we have split into two weeks. In part 1, you will about "émincer, hacher, and cicelé" techniques with onions, shallots, garlic, parsley.

Why Cut Vegetables the Same Size? Cutting vegetables the same size allows them to cook evenly and at the same rate so that by the time you're done, everything will have a uniform degree of "doneness".  Uniform cuts are made for both practical and aesthetic reasons. Practical, because if your executive chef asks you to cut a julienne, you will know what is expected from you without any additional explanation. Aesthetic, because your dish will look more appealing if all vegetables are cut evenly.

Week 4 - Topic 5 - Basic Vegetable Cuts (Part 2)

In this second part, you will learn how to cut sticks ("batonnets"), dices, "chiffonade", "paysanne", "rondelles", "obliques", lozenges, "tourné", and "macédoines" using carrots, green beans, potatoes, turnips, and other great vegetables.

It will then be time to cook all these perfectly cut vegetables to create delicious dishes!