Welcome to Season Two of The
Cooking With Chefs
Virtual Cooking Series
in partnership with Sweetwater Union High School District
How Our Program Works
Welcome!
We will prepare great tasting, nutritious food and have fun learning about new recipes, new cooking techniques, and what chefs do in the kitchen to keep everyone happy and safe.
Clean Hands, Clean Kitchen
It all starts with clean hands, clean clothes, clean hair, clean everything! That is important because the germs that cause illness are everywhere.
We will learn the right way to wash hands, keep prep and cooking areas clean, how to a knife, a stovetop, an oven and more.
Get Organized
Always read the recipes at least twice. Collect and organize all the ingredients and equipment you need from measuring spoons to saucepans and knives before you get started.
Chefs spend time preparing before they make the first cut or start to cook. To make cooking faster and easier, you must have good knife skills. And you can only get good by practicing!
Read the lessons, watch the videos, and practice. You will see your skill, speed and confidence grow. But always respect your knife, keep it sharp and handle it carefully at all times.
Skills Over Recipes
You might see some of the recipes and think, "I don't need a lesson to make that!" But! Remember, the goal is to learn good culinary techniques to sharpen chef skills.
If you do not learn the proper techniques, you will find yourself stuck later when there are more advanced menu items.
Remember, it is not about learning recipes. It is about learning techniques and food combinations that work together create exciting dishes.
Chef de Cuisine Education Foundation and team are providing educational information only. This information does not replace the advice of your medical doctor. If you have specific healthcare or medical questions, please reach out to your own health care team.
Warning: Knives are inherently dangerous tools and are used at your own risk.
To reduce this risk, plastic serrated knives are provided. However, they are still capable of causing injury. Parent supervision is required when using any knife. If you choose to use a metal knife instead of the plastic knives provided, you do so at your own risk. Until you have learned cutting skills and develop comfort with knives, parents need to be involved in all cutting exercises.
About Your Assignments
You will follow up each episode with a little bit of fun homework.
Snap some photos!
Time in the kitchen is about de-stressing, having fun, challenging yourself, and nourishing your mind, body, and soul. Our hope is that you find great pride in your efforts after each lesson. We also want you to learn and grow! Take a photo of your recipes and share them with the group. After each episode, you'll be talking with your group about what went well and where you were challenged.
Want something extra for fun?
Upload your photos or videos to Instagram and tag @sdchefsdecuisine
or email them to cwc@sdchefs.org
Chef's Reflections
Chefs take notes! Each experience in the kitchen will provide you with wins and some fails. Writing down what you liked and where you can improve will expand your chef skills and guide you toward your own culinary creations. Start a chef's journal, You'll continue to use it years from now.
Ask yourself questions like:
What worked well with each recipe?
What would you change next time?
How can you make the recipe your own while still keeping it healthy?
Share your Weekly Wow!
After each episode you’ll be prompted to write about something that struck you in the video. Maybe it was something the chef said or an idea for how you can improve the look, or the texture or the taste of your dish.
Are you ready to get cooking?
Episode 1:
In this episode we cover the essentials in the kitchen before you get cooking: hand washing, sanitization and cross contamination.
We then prepare delicious Sushi Rolls.
Episode 2:
In our second episode we share an important concept in the kitchen (and in life): Mise En Place. We then prepare a simple and yummy Chickpea Stew recipe.
Episode 3:
In our third episode we learn and practice your knife skills so you can achieve specific cuts for your recipes. You’ll practice these skills when you make Spring Rolls with a Peanut Dipping Sauce.
Episode 4:
In this episode you’ll learn how to decode the ingredients list on a food label. Then we will show you how to take a vitamin packed fruit and fiber filled grain and turn them into a delicious dessert that will impress all of your friends! This Episode includes a FREE gift for Winter 2021 participants!
Episode 5:
In this episode you’ll learn how to create a nutritiously balanced plate at every meal. Then you’ll take that lesson and create a veggie loaded flatbread recipe that you can customize anytime you want to prepare a healthy snack or meal! If you didn’t reserve your FREE GIFT, get it while supplies last!
