A Kitchen full of Kids and Sharp Knives, Really?!

As I taste my last ear of sweet corn and watch my tomato supply dwindle, I realize another summer is behind me. What a summer it was, jam packed with hundreds of Standards of Excellence culinary adventures from sumptuous private chef dinners to celebrity chef demonstration events to cooking with and for homeless residents at Homeward Bound of Marin. Phew.
”Lazy summer” is not a phrase I relate to, yet I cannot imagine missing out on any of the flavors, smells and fun this summer put on my plate. Yum!

Looking back, before I dive headlong into fall and yes, dare I say it, the holidays…I find myself reflecting on one of the most wonderful experiences I had all year. That is…drum roll please, cooking with kids at our Operation C.H.E.F. Youth Culinary and Nutrition Camp. I adore working with kids, camp ages were 7-9 for two weeks and other weeks were ages 10-14.

At Operation C.H.E.F. we cook real food, very, very nutritious whole foods and the kids make their lunch. We break down cases of produce and make daily buffets for 30 guests ready for lunch time and do it again after lunch, 9am – 3 pm. Yes, 22 kids at once , 22 cutting boards and 22 sharp knives. How do we do it? How do we stay safe and still have a blast? Let me share some really fun and easy knife skills tips for all ages to use.

First, we always treat the kids with great respect. We ask the same from them. If the kitchen gets noisy, we have a tiny gong that we ring for quiet. It works.

Secondly, just like I do with my adult students, we write out a list of the most important safety tips. Finally, we make sure to listen to and teach each and every student. They all have so much to give.


Look at the board; I want to show great knife skills as shown by our students.

This is excellent knife skill set up and technique by Chris, age 10. Note: He is following all the knife safety suggestions.


Most importantly, as in the drawing, he always anchored his cutting board down with a non-slip mat or a towel that is wet on half, squeezed dry with the wet side placed under the board, dry side hanging off the tabletop. Who wants to cut on a moving target?

He also knows to NEVER PUT KNIVES IN THE SINK or the DISWASHER. This will ruin the knife, but more importantly, it is SUPER dangerous. Anyone reaching into the sink will find a bad surprise. Please don’t… We had a “sharp knife tray” where all dirty knives went, and one for clean knives.

Finally, he is using “the claw” which means that he has his fingers tucked all the way under so his knuckles touch the knife, preventing his fingers from getting cut.

Then we watched in wonder as these very small people made gorgeous food. Look at this artistry:
and the artist, great vision.

How about James, a brilliant, very young budding pastry chef, who put amazing care into his cut fruit for a superb result…   Such focus!

Good enough to eat, his is in the middle of the bottom row. Did I mention they all made their own dough, baked it and made their own pastry cream?

Use these tips to make your kitchen safer and more fun, hey, if you need a lesson, I can always call James or Chris to come and help out!