Hannah wants to cook more at home but finds meal kits expensive and time-consuming. To help Hannah and others gain cooking skills, the document proposes a workshop on knife skills and meal planning. The workshop would teach knife grip, cuts like dicing and mincing, and a vegetable soup recipe. It analyzes learner needs to create objectives around meal planning, knife skills, and grocery shopping. Modules cover knife selection, safety techniques, cutting demonstrations, and knife care. The goal is to help participants cook more at home confidently and affordably.

1. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Core modules from a workshop for aspiring home cooks.
Redefining Dinner
A Fast Track to Knife Skills
Theresa Berg & Maureen Hannan
EDIT 705: Dr. Kevin Clark

2. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Introduction
Background:The DIY Meal Kit “Solution”
DIY meals kits
are BIG business.
Busy
professionals
want “Instagram-
worthy” meals at
home.
But are meal kits
really delivering
all their patrons
need?
Is there a better
way to fill the
knowledge/skills
gap?
It’s a training
problem.
(Blue Apron alone
hit $1Billion in sales
this year.) (No casseroles!) (No.) (Yes.)
(One that can be
addressed close
to home.)

3. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Introduction
Meet Hannah.
She has a problem.
Hannah wants
to cook more
at home—but
she’s so busy
she ends up
ordering out!
And…she
always feels
like she’s
messing up in
the kitchen.
She signs up
for a meal kit
delivery
service. Ta da!
Problem
solved, right?
It puts a big
dent in her
budget. But
it’s less than
eating out,
right?
My goodness,
it takes a long
time to do the
food prep!
(She’s clumsy
with a knife.)
Her household
waste just
doubled. And
trash pickup
day has gotten
embarrassing!
Plus, she’s
putting on
weight—it’s
more starch
than she’s
used to.

4. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Introduction
Yes, Hannah needs help planning and shopping.
But if that instruction is going to help her, she also needs to gain some
critical skills.
Hannah needs to
learn how to prep
with a chef’s knife.
How to hold it
and guide it…
…and keep it
sharp.
But no meal kit
service is going to
teach her that.

5. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Introduction
Here’s what we learned about Hannah’s needs, beliefs, preferences, and
goals. It led to a combined topic and task analysis that was part
meal/shopping planning guide, part knife skills development.
•Young, college-educated
professional female.
•Faces budget & time pressures.
•Foodie! (Posts lots of “food
porn” to Instagram.)
•Fan of celebrity-chef shows.
•Environmentally conscious.
•Believes it’s best to shop local
and buy organic.
Learner
analysis
• Informal survey results: “Yes,
please offer me a supermarket-
based class in knife skills!”
•Best setting: Saturday afternoon
workshop at a local Whole Foods
classroom/kitchen.
•Small group. Up to 12
participants, at 6 workstations.
Contextual
analysis
•Show Hannah how to use a
mobile app for meal planning on
the fly.
•Teach her knife skills to prep a
classic veggie soup.
•Show her how to “power-shop.”
•Review, to make sure she can
apply the knowledge/skills on
her own at home.
Topic/Task
Analysis

6. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Introduction
Here were the objectives that came out
of all of that. Hannah will…
Conquer
decision
fatigue and
take control
of meal
planning.
Learn how to
handle a
chef’s knife
safely and
comfortably.
Learn 3 knife
cuts—and use
them to make
a veggie
soup!
Be able to
choose a
recipe,
produce a
grocery list,
and buy
ingredients in
15 minutes or
less.
Come up with
her own
individualized
plan for
eliminating
the main
obstacles to
cooking more
at home.

7. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Introduction
With all that in mind, here’s a look at the training we
created to help the many Hannahs of Northern Virginia.

8. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Introduction
4 “meal assistance” workshop topics, including a training in basic knife skills
1: From Mobile App
to Grocery List in 3
Minutes
2: Fast Track to
Knife Skills
• Know Your Knife
• Grip & Guide
• Prep a Veggie Soup!
• Care for Your Knife
3: “Hacking”
Grocery Shopping
4: Review & Home
Practice Prep
Prototype Focus: Knife Skills Modules

9. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Selection
Why’s a chef’s knife so important?
Weight – Heavier vs.
Lighter
Balance- Stability front to
back/side to side
Size Matters – 8” Most
popular
One size does NOT fit all. Test-
drive your knife!

10. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Selection
What should you look for in a chef’s knife?
Fit
• Handle Type
• Full/Partial Tang
• Width of blade/spine
Blade
• Material
• Stamped/Forged
Purchasing a knife is a hands-on experience.

11. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Selection
Know your tool: The parts of a chef’s knife
Bolster – adds strength/stability
Heel – Broadest/thickest part
Edge – Sharpest edge
Rivets & Tang
• Rivets smooth/flush
• Full Tang

12. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques

13. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Safety
Handling a Chef’s Knife: Overview
Handling a knife properly/safely  confidence in cooking  more
cooking  healthier lifestyle.
Knife selection/sharpness
Grip and Carry
Correct positioning techniques
Cleaning between different products

14. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Safety
Grip the chef’s knife right.
Blade Grip – Preferred
• Thumb and forefinger rest in front of bolster
• Better Control and Balance

15. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Safety
Position the guide hand (non-knife hand)
properly
CLAW GRIP
•Fingers curled inward
•Grip food firmly

16. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Safety
Perform the rolling technique safely.
Practice Activity 1
Using a bench scraper and flour, practice the rolling
technique. Try making several fine, straight cuts in the
flour, keeping the fingertips of your guide hand safely
curled under. Also, make sure the scraper never leaves
contact with the cutting board. Do this for 3 minutes.
Practice Activity 2
Still using the bench scraper, shift your focus to your guide
knuckle and its contact with the bench scraper. Slowly drag
your fingertips through the flour without changing your
guide hand position. Focus on maintaining the connection
between your guide knuckle and the bench scraper at all
times. Do this for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Video clip courtesy of Rouxbe.com.
(Used here as an example. For noncommercial educational purposes only.)

17. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Cutting Techniques
Trying the Knife: 10 Stalks of Celery
If you can apply your new knife skills to
10 stalks of celery, you should be able
to do it easily at home, too.
Go slowly at first. Take note of the
techniques demonstrated and work on
form before you try for speed.
After 4 or 5 stalks of celery, continue to
practice technique but slowly add a
little bit of speed and find your rhythm.
Insert technique video here.
Video clip courtesy of Rouxbe.com.
(Used here as a prototyping example. For noncommercial educational purposes only.)

18. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Cutting Techniques
From Slice to Chop: Medium-Dicing a Zucchini
1. Square off the vegetable.
For a medium dice, make ½-” slices.
3. Lead with the knife tip to slice ½”
strips.
3. Holding strips together, reposition to
cut (crosswise) ½” cubes.
4. Voila! You now have a uniform dice
for your soup.

19. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Cutting Techniques
The “Cross-Hatch” Dice: Small-Dicing an Onion
1. Remove end (just barely).
2. Halve onion.
3. Place onion half flat on cutting board.
4. Cut vertical strips.
5. Place palm of onion half and cut horizontal strips.
6. Slice as far as you can safely go. Video clip courtesy of Rouxbe.com.
(Used here as a prototyping example. For noncommercial educational purposes only.)

20. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Cutting Techniques
Mincing Garlic, Using the Pivot Technique
Video clip courtesy of Rouxbe.com.
(Used here as a prototype example. For noncommercial educational purposes only.)
Dice it just like a teeny
little onion.
Now, pivot the chef’s
knife to get a fine mince.

21. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Cutting Techniques
Tuscan Vegetable Soup Recipe
Ingredients Directions
1 15-ounce) can canellini beans, drained and
rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, small-diced (about 1 cup)
3 carrots, large-diced (about 3/4 cup)
4 stalks celery, sliced, (about 1 cup)
1 small zucchini, medium-diced (about 1 1/2
cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or
1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or
1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or
vegetable broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional
In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a
masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-
high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery,
zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of
salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook
stirring occasionally until the vegetables are
tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice
and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole
beans and the spinach leaves and cook until
the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.
Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.
You now have three main vegetable ingredients
prepared for this classic soup!
For carrots, use the large-dice technique shown in the video.
For herbs, combine slice and pivot techniques.
The remaining ingredients are packaged for you. Grab ‘em on
your way out.

22. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Care
Overview: Extending the Life of Your
Knife in 5 Easy Steps:
Use proper technique at all times
Use plastic/wood cutting boards
Hand wash/dry
Sharpen and Hone
Use good storage practices

23. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Care
When to Hone When to Sharpen
Honing maintains knife’s edge; Sharpening removes small
ensures straight blade amounts of material to
make it sharper

24. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Care
Honing: The everyday knife safety habit
A safe knife is a sharp knife.
If you don’t hone your knife, you’ll have
to have it sharpened professionally.
Get into the habit of honing every time
you use your chef’s knife.
Most beginning cooks prefer the vertical
honing technique shown in the video.

25. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Care
How to Sharpen a Knife
We recommend learning to use a free-form sharpening stone
rather than a pull-through sharpening device.
You need to hold the knife at a constant angle as you drag it
across the stone.
You should have two stones: a coarse one and a fine one.

26. Introduction CareSelection Safety Techniques
Knife Care
Safe Storage for “Scary” Sharp Knives
Magnetic Strip In-Drawer Knife Block