Rolando teaches knife skills classes, free to all staff. We started inviting customers too. At the end of the class you take a practical test. To pass, you have to dice an onion, chop a carrot, chop 4 tomatoes, mince 4 garlic, mince 1 bunch parsley, slice a tomato, and peel a potato in under 12 minutes.

The class I took got really, really competitive. Beans and I were making a lot of Hunger Games references.

That’s Gabe (HSQ customer). At the moment this picture was taken, he thought he was done, with 2 seconds left on the clock. Then I saw that tiny tomato in the middle of that pan and screamed, “He’s not done! He still has one more tomato to slice!” Rolando reset the clock, and just like a basketball game (?) he had 2 seconds to cut that tomato. Read on to find out if he made it.

And he made it just in time. Here’s everyone else who passed, and their times. I’m pretty proud of mine, because I did it on my first try (some other people had to do theirs twice).

Rolando (chef) 6:30
Lucia (MIT) 9:54
Manlio (DWY) 9:34
Sonia (HUB): 9:42
Mary (DWY): 8:12
Beans (LMA): 8:12
Gabe (HSQ customer): 12:00

We’ll be having another class Wednesday. Want to come? Leave your name on this post.