J&W Culinary Demonstrator Shows How to “Do the Claw” and “Protect the Paw”


Chef Austin Vennetti, a Culinary Demonstrator from Johnson and Wales University, visited Theresa Formyduval’s Culinary Arts students in their classroom on September 14 to discuss opportunities at Johnson and Wales University in Culinary Arts as well as many other majors offered. He also demonstrated the preparation of the recipe for Pasta Amatriciana which the students sampled and enjoyed.  One of the highlights was his demonstration of the “bear claw” method of cutting with a knife when he was dicing an onion. He demonstrated how to roll the fingers and thumb on the non-dominant hand while cutting with knives so one does cut the hand or fingers. He told the students to remember to “do the claw” and “protect the paw” as they cut. 

He also discussed the many scholarships available including a $1000 scholarship offered per year at J&W for having used the Culinary Essentials textbook in their Culinary Arts classroom at SVHS written by J&W chefs.  He explained how J&W is a private non-profit college which also provides a university scholarship to qualified students and how to apply. There is no fee to apply to J&W which is unlike many other colleges. Click here for more information on JWU