Knife Skills Will Save You Money

I fancy myself a wonderful cook – not a great baker – but I know my way around a kitchen with or without a recipe. So when my mom,  and excellent Italian cook, suggested I take a knife skills class, I was astounded. I was stunned. I was nearly offended, but called Chelsea’s Institute of Culinary Education and signed up for a class with Chef Norman Weinstein.

Weinstein was brilliant. He was patient, perceptive, precise and pretty cool to boot. He taught the class knife skills basics – the “proper” way – that decreases time, increases preparedness and makes cooking, especially for groups, inordinately more enjoyable. While my cooking skills haven’t changed much, my own personal experience has been transformed. I’m more patient, perceptive and precise. Plus, my kitchen is more laid back.
Not one to put all of my eggs in one knife skills basket, I intend to check out a few other knife skills classes in the city. Soho’s Sur La Table offers classes as well as the West Village’s neighborhood bistro CAMAJE. The French Culinary Institute also offers knife skills classes for the more serious amateur chef. And if you are just not sure, hire a chef for a private lesson. Sounds snobby, but actually it’s fun and affordable. Consider the hundreds of underpaid, overworked amazing chefs in the city. They revel in the idea of making something else, teaching and scoring some extra dough. Don’t know any? Feel free to email me and I can send you some referrals.

However you do it, transform your inner Bourdain and learn to properly entertain. The experience will sharpen your skills a hundred fold.

Emma Dinzebach

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Posted by Emma Dinzebach at 12:00 AM
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