The purpose of this lab was to ensure that I could use a knife effectively and safely.
Safety and Sanitation
Knives are dangerous tools, and can easily cause cuts (as that’s their job). To use my knife safely, I had to follow all the knife safety guidelines I learned last year. Using claw or bridge technique, holding the knife with thumb and 2 (or one) fingers, and keeping the sharp edge away from other people around the kitchen are a few of the considerations.
Tools and Equipment
For each part of the lab, I used a cutting board, a chef’s knife, and three metal bowls (ingredients, scrap, product). In the first lab, I used a peeler, and in the last two, I also used a zester.
Fries
Ingredients
In this lab, we used several whole potatoes.
Procedure
First, each station was set up with three bowls, and a cutting board with a chef’s knife & peeler. Next, one bowl was filled halfway with water, to serve as the product bowl. A handful of potatoes was also added to the ingredient bowl. Once the station was set up fully, I began by peeling a potato over the scrap bowl. Once the potato was peeled and the eye removed, I cut a flat edge on one side of the potato. Then, putting the potato down on the flat side, I cut it into ¼ inch flat slices. From there, I just had to cut each slice into batonnets; ¼ inch sticks. These sticks along with any other peeled potatoes were placed in the product bowl to prevent them from oxidizing. Once all the potatoes were peeled and cut, the fries were placed in a large bucket of water. From there, they were deep-fried, and covered with salt.
Challenges
I would say cutting consistently is still the most difficult part about making fries, however my cuts improved as I went. I have also improved from last year’s lab.
Successes and Growth
I improved my knife skills when it comes to cutting consistent sizes, and I am now very good at cutting fries properly. I also improved my cutting practices from last year.
Advice for Beginners
My advice when peeling potatoes would be to watch for deep marks on the potato. If there is a black spot that doesn’t shrink when you cut it out with the peeler, you might have to cut off a large chunk of the potato to get rid of it.
Final Evaluation
The fries were a 7/10. They tasted great, but they weren’t quite as crunchy as I had hoped. The fries varied quite a bit in thickness and quality, but they were still even enough to cook and taste consistent. As far as the labour, I cut a lot of potatoes, but the procedure is extremely simple so it was relatively easy. The only downside is the long repetition.
Salsa
Ingredients
The ingredients used were 6 tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 1 red onion, 1 jalapeno, 1 cup of cilantro, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 cups of crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, 2 tsp of cumin, and 3 limes.
Procedure
First, my station was set up with three bowls as usual, along with a cutting board and chef’s knife. All the ingredients were first gathered and placed into one bowl, minus the powder ingredients. Next, the tomatoes, green pepper, red onion, and jalapeno were diced (brunoise), and then placed into the product bowl. All scraps from the tomatoes, peppers, and onions were placed in the scrap bowl. Next, the cilantro was finely minced, along with the garlic cloves. These were scraped into the product bowl. Finally, 2 cups of crushed tomatoes were added, along with the brown sugar, cumin, and salt. Lastly, the 3 limes were zested over the bowl with a zester, and then they were juiced. The juice was also added to the salsa. Finally, the salsa was mixed well with a spoon, until the final product was uniform.
Challenges
The most challenging part of making the salsa was cutting the tomatoes. Cutting full-size tomatoes while they were somewhat soft was extremely difficult, and while my knife was still pretty sharp, it should have been sharper.
Successes and Growth
I gained a lot of experience dicing different vegetables, including onions. I also improved in my ability to add seasoning to something where needed, in this case salt.
Advice for Beginners
My advice: Make sure you wash all the vegetables if you’re supposed to! It is very important, and unless otherwise indicated, you are the one who should be responsible for it. That way, you won’t end up with nobody taking charge.
Final Evaluation
The salsa was definitely a 9/10, as it tasted wonderful. Texturewise, I feel like it was a bit chunkier with less liquid than I normally prefer. The salsa looked very good however, with a great mix of red and subtle green + purple accents. The salsa was quite a bit of work to make as I had to cut a lot of vegetables, however it was worth it in the end.
Bruschetta
Ingredients
For this recipe, I used several basil leaves, one tomato, a few garlic cloves, some olive oil, some balsamic glaze, a baguette, some chili flakes, and some salt and pepper.
Procedure
First, the station was set up with a bread knife and a chef’s knife, along with a cutting board and two bowls. To begin, a baguette was sliced into 1-½’’ slices (2cm). Then, each slice was placed on a sheet of parchment on a sheet pan, and all the slices were drizzled with olive oil. Then, some salt, pepper, and chili flakes were sprinkled over the whole pan. Then, they were toasted until golden. Next, the tomatoes were gathered and diced, then placed in the product bowl. The scraps from the tomatoes were placed in the scrap bowl. To chop the basil, all the leaves were stacked together, and then rolled into a long bundle. Then, they were finely chopped, creating short strips of basil. Then, this was also added to the product bowl. Lastly, all the garlic was minced, and the toppings were seasoned with salt and black pepper. To make the final bruschetta, the toasted baguette was topped with the tomato mix, and then drizzled with balsamic syrup.
Challenges
Slicing the tomatoes for bruschetta was also a bit difficult for the same reason as the salsa.
Successes and Growth
I got better at cutting bread in this lab, and I learned a unique way to cut large herbs, such as basil.
Advice for Beginners
Bruschetta usually turns out well, but make sure to not squish or crease the basil hard if you want it to turn out well. It’s best practice to keep the moisture inside the leaves.
Final Evaluation
The bruschetta was almost a 10/10. All of the parts tasted really good together, with good amounts of salt, balsamic vinegar, and sweetness. The texture was good, with soft tomatoes, slightly crunchy baguette, and crisp basil. The bruschetta also looked good, especially with the black glaze of balsamic syrup.