I am not one to putter around the kitchen. At some point in my life, I attempted to bake a few items (unsuccessful!) but to whip up ulam? Never!
Jen, one of my BFFs speculates that I don’t like cooking for the same reason I don’t like sports — I am afraid of getting hurt (uy teka, baka applicable din sa falling in love ‘yan ah!). Cuts, burns, broken bones terrify me. The sight of a splinter has caused me to almost faint! And mere talk of accidents leave me pale and weak. Ganu’n ako ka-duwag!
Obviously, I would not want to work with a knife. So when Gourdo’s conducted a Knife Skills Class recently, I just watched and cheered on my brave friends as they wielded their Wusthof knives and chopped and sliced away.
A student’s station at the Wusthof Knife Skills Class
The two-day workshop was held at Living Well in Podium. Under the instruction and supervision of Global Academy’s Chef Brando Santos, the participants learned everything from caring for a knife and the proper stance behind the chopping board to executing a tourne and allumette and creating the perfect chicken drumstick.
Chef Brando Santos of Global Academy
Chef Brando emphasized the importance of precision and uniformity which can only be achieved through practice.
On the first day, it was all fruits and vegetables. The second day was a bit more messy and challenging, with seafood and poultry — deboning, filleting and all! I could see that it was hard work but all the participants persevered and took pride in their trays of finished products. Sa totoo lang, medyo nainggit ako.
A student’s tray at the end of day one.
The class was a mix of clueless beginners, home cooks, and culinary professionals. They all took turns in letting out ooohs and aaaahs as they discovered techniques in making kitchen work more efficient. Of course, the sharp Wusthof knives they used also made a world of difference. A sharp knife requires less effort from the user. It’s safer too!
Wusthof is favored by professional chefs and cooking enthusiasts around the world, it is the official supplier of the German and Japanese national teams of chefs. Each knife goes through 40 major manufacturing steps from forging to tempering, to grinding and polishing. Production follows strict rules in order to achieve the finest quality, while remaining environment-friendly.
Wusthof Knife Skills Class Batch 1 – 2014.
Chef Brando prepared a graduation feast using all the ingredients from the 2-day session. We had chicken teriyaki, Japanese stir-fried vegetables, herb rice pilaf and crispy chicken fillet. Actually, dapat crispy fish fillet ‘yun kaya lang na-murder ang mga isda! Hehe! We all went home happy and busog. At may take out pa!
Chicken Teriyaki
Japanese stir-fried vegetables
There will be another Wusthof Knife Skills Class on June 7-8, 1:00 – 4:00 pm also at Living Well, Podium. Fee is P5,000 inclusive of ingredients, a certificate and Wusthof discount coupons. The instructor for this round will be chef Mike Yap, also of Global Academy. To reserve a slot, call the Gourdo’s 24-hour hotline, (02) 8123022.
For more information on other workshops (scrapbooking, cake decorating, etc), log on to www.gourdos.com
Here’s a sneak peek of Chef Mike’s class:
