what inspires me about life….also cooking tips for the home cook

After 13 years working my way up through the intense ranks of the restaurant world, I began to give some serious thought as to where all these experiences have led me. From working salad stations, flipping tenderloins on the grill, to learning the ins and outs of the pastry world, I truly feel my exploration of all aspects of the kitchen has given me the knowledge I have been looking for. So when it was finally my time to run the kitchen and make the decisions, I realized the true sense of responsibility that was necessary to be a success. I discovered it was a combination of so many things that has gotten me to the place I am at today. I feel that having so many different experiences in the restaurant industry has truly led me to a very interesting path indeed. Working for some incredibly talented chefs and also working with some very inspiring cooks has given me an extremely broad perspective on food and on life in general. I managed to develop a serious passion not only for food and cooking, but also for traveling as well. I began traveling at the ripe age of 19 and haven’t looked back since. I have been all over the world with nothing more than a backpack and a passport and I feel that my travels have truly allowed me to incorporate my love for food, cooking and people into every aspect of my life. I think the most important things I’ve learned throughout my career always come back to the idea that food really is the most universal thing in the world. It is celebrated by every culture on the planet in various ways, and ultimately always brings people together in happiness no matter where you my be or what the circumstances are. Even the poorest people in the poorest countries will invite you into their villages and offer you a meal as the ultimate expression of a kind welcome into their culture. It is a true gift of the world, one I wish everyone could experience.
So with this idea in mind, I can say that my greatest experiences and memories have all been about people and food. Possibly because I grew up in a close family that has always celebrated food together. I do believe that growing up with such great people oh whom have always gathered together with food have inspired me since I was a child. So whether it’s eating cuy (guinnea pig) and llama in the mountains of Peru, fresh caught lobster (for about 5 dollars, by the way) on the coast of Mozambique, sampling the numerous types of biltong( beff jerky) throughout South Africa, albondigas in Spain, or the best darn pho you ever had in Vietnam, it is always the same idea; food is what enhances life, it draws communities together, it gives us something to look forward to every day when we wake up, and it is ever changing and yet it manages to stay constant all at the same time. Food is not only essential for survival, but is truly one of life’s greatest gifts. We are lucky to live in a society with such massive wealth and access to food on a daily basis; a luxury the rest of the world does not have. So I am fortunate to be able to share my love for food and cooking with the world and all who will listen. Whatever way I can spread this passion, I take full advantage of.
I think the best way to share a passion is to spread the knowledge and therefore, this is what I plan to do. Thirteen years of cooking has taught me many things, and I really want people to develop a great sense of passion for cooking on any level. So, with that in mind I would like to share just a few good cooking tips for the time being in the hopes that these few things may enhance the cooking experience and will ultimately inspire those who enjoy the art of cooking to learn more, to practice, and ultimately make life fuller for everyone.
The first and most important tip to cooking ( and I will say this again and again) is to always cook with love. It sounds cheesy (no food pun intended), but it really is the truth. There absolutely must be a great aspect of love and interest in the food you cook. Trust me, you will literally taste the difference. That being said, I feel I can set up a bit of an outline here to really give some helpful cooking tips, so here we go….
Important food tips:
1. Always have a sharp knife. It’s important to learn how to keep your knives sharp, it’s essential to maintain the edge on your knife and also can be fun to sharpen and hone it. You should feel at one with your knife and really enjoy using it. Also, learn what each knife is used for. Most of us only really need to use 2 or 3 knives in our daily lives.
2. Keep it simple. It’s not necessary to use 10-15 ingredients, a few ingredients cooked properly will make your meal delicious.
3. Use a large cutting board, it’s much safer to have a large cutting surface, always!
4. Always season your food with salt and pepper!!!! This is a big one. Use pure ingredients like kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper. It makes a world of a difference.
5. Try to use fresh ingredients whenever possible, it just tastes better
6. Have patience while cooking. Cooking takes time, so don’t rush the process
7. Take a paper towel and dampen it with water and place it under your cutting board to prevent it from sliding…a kitchen secret that is extremely useful and much safer.
Some important tips for cooking meat
1. Always sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the meat. Once again, season your food!
2. Try not to over cook it when in doubt pull it out of the oven or grill before you think it’s done.
3. ALWAYS let meat rest before you cut and serve it. Meat needs to rest before it is sliced otherwise all the yummy juices will bleed all over your board or plate and the juices are where all the flavor is contained. So even your 23 pound turkey on Thanksgiving needs to sit and rest for about 20-30 minutes before slicing…that’s the key to a juicy turkey, well that and basting it with plenty of liquid.
3. Marinate your meats whenever possible, it adds flavor and will tenderize the meat as well.
Now for a few fish cooking tips:
1. Once again, try not to over cook fish. Fish is very delicate and does not require a lot of cooking time. Most fish should not be cooked for more that 8-10 minutes.
2. Always try to get fresh fish whenever possible, it just tastes better.
3. Ask you local fish market purveyor what just came in that day, it will no doubt be the freshest.
So whatever you do when you cook, please always remember, once again, the most important thing is to always cook with love, it truly is the most important ingredient in all cooking all the time. Food will always taste better with love!!!
I hope these few tips will help to enlighten the cooks of ‘The Loop’ for the time being. There will be so much more to come and I welcome all questions and comments. The more we know about food the better it will taste. So happy cooking to all and please don’t forget the most important ingredient….love!