Whenever I cook, even following a famous recipe, my dog won't eat it.
A great chef must first love to eat.
Then, he needs to be a bit of a pyromaniac and have a very good feel of temperatures and fire. We Chinese call it "wok hei" or wok-breath where exactly the right amount of heat is used for each dish.
Then, a bit of alchemy because cooking afterall is blending the symphony of flavors - to know that the tomato is bland, and knowing exactly how much acidity and sweetness to put in.
Finally, an artist (which I fail miserably at but Keith seems to have mastered) to plate the meal in an appetizing and appealing manner.
Love to eat!!!!!!!! Too bad it shows on me. LOL!!!!
There's nothing like exposure. Some people eat to live and some people live to eat. That said, I'll always take quality over quantity and quality need not be expensive. To build up a good frame of reference, eat out more. There's so much inspiration to be derived from sampling the work of professionals that make a successful living off of their talents.
Gary, Cantonese cuisine has always had me in awe precisely because of wok hei. I was at a birthday banquet last night in Makati among the dishes were finely sliced abalone, shrimp and cuttlefish in XO sauce, steamed grouper and a variation of yang chow using black olives, Salt and Pepper Duck Bones (2nd way of the Peking Duck). The symphony of flavors and textures was terrific.
A perfect example of proper temp is shrimps that pop in your mouth. That's not too hard. Now getting cuttlefish to be cooked through being firm but not rubbery in the slightest.......that's wok hei!!!
Attitude plays a large part, IMHO. Do you truly enjoy preparing for friends, colleagues, family, self, or is it a chore that has to be done.
Attitude plays a large part, IMHO. Do you truly enjoy preparing for friends, colleagues, family, self, or is it a chore that has to be done.
What makes someone a great chef?
The ability to improvise. Which is why so few women are great chefs.
What makes someone a great chef?
The ability to improvise. Which is why so few women are great chefs.
What makes someone a great chef?
The ability to improvise. Which is why so few women are great chefs.
Soundproof, better NOT say that to your mother or your wife/significant other, otherwise someone in Oslo, Norway, may be losing a lot of weight, LOL.
Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator | Ron Resnick Site Co-Owner | Administrator | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |