Sur La Table is offering cooking camps for children and teens in the coming weeks. The cost of the five-day camps is $350 per person. Camps, which are held at the cookware store in Stony Point Fashion Park, are designed for children ages 8-12 or 13 and older. For details, visit http://www.surlatable.com or call (804) 272-7094.

For years, I have cooked with minimal clues about how to properly use a knife in the kitchen, or even what knife to use and when. Those who have seen me assault an onion with a paring knife—which can be viewed as the equivalent of teeing off in golf with a putter—are amazed that I still have all of my fingers, not to mention my thumbs.

Select a knife not by its brand name or how it looks, but by comfort: how it feels when you hold it. “Find one that feels good in your hand,“ said Art Ganger, chef and instructor at Sur La Table.
A dull knife is much more dangerous than a sharp knife and much less efficient, said Christine Wansleben, chef and owner of Mise En Place Cooking School in Shockoe Slip. “You shouldn’t have to saw your food,“ she said. If you do, you’re more likely press harder on the knife and make a mistake.

On a cold winter day, there’s nothing better than a pot of hot soup simmering on the stove. Smells great. Tastes great. Good for you. What’s not to like?

“Everyday Kitchen Essentials,“ a series of three classes to help you get cooking with the right skills and the right tools, will begin next week at Sur La Table in Stony Point Fashion Park. The daytime class—at 11 a.m.—will begin Tuesday and continue Jan. 20 and Jan. 27. The evening class—6:30 p.m.—will begin Jan. 14 and continue Jan. 21 and Jan. 28.