Study Buddy (Challenger): Cookbook designed for trainee surgeons has recipes that challenge dexterity

[2] The act of slicing also gives an idea of what to expect within the pages: recipes that call for the finest of blades for laser-sharp cuts, syringes for injecting tissue with fat or saline, tweezers for precise grip and exact placement of materials, and needle and thread for suturing skin and flesh. But rather than being a collection of recipes for heart health or post-operative care, this book has been specifically created for trainee surgeons to improve their dexterity.

[3] Of course, it is not only surgeons who can enjoy the recipes, which have been developed by Swedish chef Fredrik Berselius, of two-Michelin-star Aska, in New York. The nine complex and intricate dishes could be followed by any home cook up for a challenge. Recipes include a beautifully presented “rose” of kingfish with green gooseberry; langoustine tail and claw with blackcurrant; and ice cream and meringue with lavender cream and honey.

[4] When Swedish medical equipment company Getinge contacted Berselius about its idea for the cookbook, he immediately cancelled his holiday to work on it. “My first thought was, ‘Why hasn’t anyone thought of this sooner?’” he says. “It made me take a step back and look at what we do every day in a different light.

[5] The team introduced Berselius to Dr Nirav Patel, director of robotic cardiac surgery at Northwell Health and vice-chairman of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital. In their initial phone call, the chef and surgeon found unexpected similarities between their professions.

[6] Berselius first described how chefs have to be aware of, and respond to, delicate variations in produce. “I explained how, for example, from summer to winter, the size of a fish may change, and how even though two fish may look more or less the same, there can be minute changes in the density of the flesh,” he says. “Immediately Dr Patel jumped in to say that surgery is exactly the same. There are nuanced differences in the thickness of the heart’s auricle wall, for example, and that surgeons have to be aware and feel their way around, and be conscientious of how they cut. I know nothing about heart surgery but the conversation was fascinating.”

[7] For the cookbook, Berselius chose recipes by looking, some based on those served at Aska, at cooking from a surgeon’s point of view – recipes that would require deft use of the hands and fingertips.

[8] The book also has a section on repetitive practice – something else that surgery and cooking share – with exercises including peeling a blueberry with a scalpel without harming the pulp, removing all the seeds from a strawberry without nicking the berry, and cutting an orange segment then stitching it back together using a needle and thread. An e-book version of The Heart Surgeon’s Cookbook is available to download for free in English and in simplified Chinese.

Source: South China Morning Post, April 1

1. Why is it impossible to read The Heart Surgeon’s Cookbook without damaging the book cover according to paragraph 1?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. In paragraph 2, who is the intended audience of this book?
A. those who are undergoing further training to become qualified surgeons
B. professionals who specialise in creating healthcare recipes
C. individuals who design and manufacture tools used by surgeons
D. anyone who is looking to improve their hand and finger movements

3. What do the dishes mentioned in paragraph 3 have in common?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. In paragraph 4, Berselius most likely felt ______ when Getinge contacted him about the cookbook.
A. incensed and confused
B. excited and intrigued
C. humbled and inspired
D. edgy and anxious

5. Find a word in paragraph 5 that means “a type of work that needs special training or education”.
_______________________________

6. According to paragraph 6, how is preparing fish similar to performing heart surgery?______________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. In paragraph 7, did Berselius have to create all the recipes in the cookbook from scratch, and why?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Based on your understanding of paragraph 8, what is the purpose of the practice exercises?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Which section of a medical website is this article most likely to appear in?
A. wellness and prevention
B. clinical practice guidelines
C. medical journals and research
D. none of the above

1. It is because readers need to cut the cover to access the recipes.
2. A
3. They are all complex to prepare and involve a high level of detail and presentation. (accept all similar answers)
4. B
5. profession
6. Both require awareness of subtle variation. For chefs, this involves considering factors like seasonal changes in fish size and slight variations in flesh density. Similarly, surgeons need to be aware of variations in the thickness of the different parts of the heart. (accept all similar answers)
7. No, because some of them are based on existing dishes served at Aska.
8. It is likely to improve hand-eye coordination, dexterity and precise control of tools. (accept all reasonable answers)
9. D