Kitchen Safety Starts Before You Cook

A kitchen is hot, small, and stressful — and a knife is basically a weapon. Everything needs to be checked carefully to avoid accidents.

The French Kitchen System
Set up like a military operation by Chef Escoffier, who was an army colonel. That is why chef jackets have two layers — like armor against heat. Only the chef talks, everyone else says yes chef and follows orders.

Your Safety Checklist

• Put a wet paper towel under your cutting board so it does not slide
• Keep towels for heat protection, NOT for cleaning
• Always keep at least one towel dry — a wet towel transfers heat and burns you
• Blade always faces away from you
• Curl fingers like a claw when cutting to protect your fingertips

French vs Japanese Knives
French knives are thick and strong — great for cracking bones. Japanese knives are thin and precise. One good chef knife handles 90% of kitchen tasks.