OACC “Flavors of Asia” Class #1: Technical Foundations

Sauteed noodles and veggies with Chef Sicily!

After an exciting round of introductions with our students who will be meeting for the next 10 Sundays during our Food Studies Program, we eagerly began our first “Flavors of Asia” class at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center!

For class #1 we focused on the technical foundations of kitchen safety, through the guidance of our Program Coordinator, Sicily Johnson. Whether in a commercial kitchen, cooking at home, or in The Cooking Project, communication is one of the most important things. We learned basic kitchen terminology and etiquette, like saying “hot behind!” if you are carrying something hot behind someone’s back, or “corner” when coming around a corner. These, and other simple phrases, help keep accidents from happening in the kitchen, and help make a safer more open environment for everyone in the space.

We also learned about knife skill do’s and don’ts like how to hold a knife safely and securely with the “claw” method, and what type of knife is best to use for different cuts. We practiced different knife skills like julienne cuts and mincing by chopping up bok choy, radishes, onions and garlic for our sauteed noodles.