• Ask A Newly Trained Chef Anything.
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Are you upset when you get back a plate full of awesome food where the customer didn't really eat anything?
[QUOTE=Killuah;28400874]Are you upset when you get back a plate full of awesome food where the customer didn't really eat anything?[/QUOTE] I'm gutted. I also get upset if a customer sends something back, because when you eat out it's all about the experience. Clearly, if you've done something wrong, then it ruins thier evening. Plus, I get a serious bollocking too. I pride myself on being good at my job, and if I'm not, then I might as well not turn up.
Thai fish sauce, can't you just buy that at your local asian grocery? Over here in Australia nearly any kind of asian grocery (whether it be chinese, vietnamese, korean, japanese etc) stocks fish sauce.
Can you learn me make pancakes out of dust? [highlight](User was banned for this post ("DUmb reply" - Autumn))[/highlight]
Do you enjoy cooking at home after a long day cooking at work?
How often do you cook for yourself? Do you prefer cooking for yourself or having someone else cook for you? What is, in your opinion, the best romantic dish?
Alot of professional chefs have said that they like eating simple food like hot dogs and burgers. that, after 20 years of making top quality dishes at the finest restaurant in town, if they get to choose between a dish of say coq au vin and a sleasy burger at some hole in the wall, they'd rather pig themselves with the burger since they're tired of everything else! Is this taking effect with you as well?
I know where you're working! I've been there a few times, very good. What do you think of these cheat meals like delia put forward a few years ago, using mostly tinned or frozen things?
I have 4 packs of flour tortillias with 12 tortillias in each that are going to expire in 4 days. What can I make with them? I know about quesodillas but I am just tired of eating them.
stack a few together, cut them into wedges, fry them up in a bit of oil, tortilla chips? use them to make nachos? soft tacos, enchiladas, i dunno.
What is your favorite topping(s) for pizza?
What is the best way to prepare quinoa?
Preference: pâtissier or saucier?
I live in a dorm and cook on an electric teflon-coated griddle. It's been working very well for my roomie and I. I just made myself two tilapia fillets. I only know how to cook based on what I've learned from my mom. The way that I cook them is pour on some extra virgin olive oil, slap on the fillets (sometimes right out of the freezer. We bought pounds of it for $13 :v:) and use cayenne pepper, some lemon peel, and today I used black pepper for the first time which seemed to help. I also intermittently put a dash of lemon juice on them. When I'm cooking them I flip them about 5 times each, just to make sure they're not being burned. Is it better to only have to flip it once? They're always cooked all the way through. I'm telling you how I make it so that you can maybe give me some tips. For one, the griddle spews sizzling fluids everywhere and on my hands. Am I putting down too much olive oil? I'm also interested in making it kind of breaded and flaky, how would I go about doing this? Also, suggestions for spices I should add to our pantry? Thanks.
Massive apologies for the late replies, had a really busy weekend down in the kitchen, and not had much time to check the thread. Thanks for all of your questions though! [QUOTE=Camp er Joe;28431497]Do you enjoy cooking at home after a long day cooking at work?[/QUOTE] Not much, I'd much rather have something quick and easy. Pasta is usually staple at home, as well as potatoes and stews, that I can slow cook all day while I'm at work. [QUOTE=butters757;28433358]How often do you cook for yourself? Do you prefer cooking for yourself or having someone else cook for you? What is, in your opinion, the best romantic dish?[/QUOTE] I cook for myself quite often, because I'm picky with what I eat. Anything Italian will do when I'm starving. [QUOTE=GreenLeaf;28435062]Alot of professional chefs have said that they like eating simple food like hot dogs and burgers. that, after 20 years of making top quality dishes at the finest restaurant in town, if they get to choose between a dish of say coq au vin and a sleasy burger at some hole in the wall, they'd rather pig themselves with the burger since they're tired of everything else! Is this taking effect with you as well?[/QUOTE] God yes! Especially after long days. I'm not a huge fan of foie gras or caviar anyway, but when you're working with it for 12 hours at a time, you'd much rather just go home and eat something really quick and filling. I don't eat fast food that often, but when I do, it's usually because I'm too tired to cook for myself. [QUOTE=T-Bag-T;28436716]I know where you're working! I've been there a few times, very good. What do you think of these cheat meals like delia put forward a few years ago, using mostly tinned or frozen things?[/QUOTE] Fantastic! I'm glad you enjoyed our food. For me, Delia Smith put forward these culinary 'cheats' because she knows that taking the time to prepare a decent meal is (for some people) a boring and time consuming job. I don't have any problems with these cheats, but I'd rather watch something like Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals, which allows someone to prepare a well cooked three course meal, rather than use mince beef in a can. [QUOTE=Moobs;28443635]I have 4 packs of flour tortillias with 12 tortillias in each that are going to expire in 4 days. What can I make with them? I know about quesodillas but I am just tired of eating them.[/QUOTE] BoosLee has the best idea here, frying them will remove the water content from inside and keep them for longer. Plus, tortilla chips last for quite a while when sealed in an air-tight container. [QUOTE=Apache249;28451906]What is your favorite topping(s) for pizza?[/QUOTE] Personally, I like Black Olives, capers, Rocket and grana pedano cheese. drizzled with garlic oil. Give it a try, it's on the menu at pizza express if you're from the UK and interested. [QUOTE=cmrna;28452913]What is the best way to prepare quinoa?[/QUOTE] Ive never prepared Quinoa but I've heard it's got a cous cous like texture. I'd prepare it in the same way and serve it with moroccan foods such as harissa, lemons, lamb or apricots. [QUOTE=DaveP;28454161]Preference: pâtissier or saucier?[/QUOTE] Saucier, but only because I enjoy something wet with a meal.I'm also not very good at making pastries. (I'm quite northern, and yes I do like gravy on everything) [QUOTE=CottonTM;28466161]I live in a dorm and cook on an electric teflon-coated griddle. It's been working very well for my roomie and I. I just made myself two tilapia fillets. I only know how to cook based on what I've learned from my mom. The way that I cook them is pour on some extra virgin olive oil, slap on the fillets (sometimes right out of the freezer. We bought pounds of it for $13 :v:) and use cayenne pepper, some lemon peel, and today I used black pepper for the first time which seemed to help. I also intermittently put a dash of lemon juice on them. When I'm cooking them I flip them about 5 times each, just to make sure they're not being burned. Is it better to only have to flip it once? They're always cooked all the way through. I'm telling you how I make it so that you can maybe give me some tips. For one, the griddle spews sizzling fluids everywhere and on my hands. Am I putting down too much olive oil? I'm also interested in making it kind of breaded and flaky, how would I go about doing this? Also, suggestions for spices I should add to our pantry? Thanks.[/QUOTE] You're having trouble with your griddle spitting because of the water content that frozen fish contains. When you place it on the hot griddle, it begins to defrost, causing water to seep out and come into contact with the olive oil. We know that water and oil don't mix, and the oil spits quite violently. this is the same for pan and deep frying, your food item needs to be as dry as you can make it. I'd reccommend defrosting your fish in the refridgerator before cooking, as this will allow the water to defrost first. You can then place the fillets in a cloth, to dry it out. Lemon juice and black pepper are best friends with fish, they sound delicious together. Finally, if you want to breadcrumb your fish (also called a pane in gastronomical terms) you need to go through three stages. First, cover your fish with flour, then beat two eggs, and wash your fillets with them. Shake off any excess. Then, roll the fillets in breadcrumb until well covered. You can then deep fry these or bake them in the oven, which will produce a lovely crisp shell. In terms of spices, I love paprika, cayenne (Add some to the breadcrumbs when you're breading your fish, if you want a spicey shell), and hot chilli powder. If you're into Indian food, then try making a curry with garam masala, turmeric and cinnamon. You'll find loads of excellent recipes either online, or in an indian cookery book.
Thanks muchly, that was all very helpful! I can now cook tilapia without looking like a leper! What other types of fish would you recommend to a beginner cook, with similar lightness as tilapia? I'm not a huge fan of salmon but it can be pretty good, my mom made it with a very sweet crunchy skin. My roomie and I bought "manager's choice" haddock and it went bad insanely fast and we didn't actually get a chance to cook it, so I've never had haddock. Also, basic tips for cooking burgers on a griddle? I'm doing them tonight. What we usually do is smother them in Emeril's BAM Burger rub and Worcestershire sauce, lol.
Not to overtake the topic big: Mackerel is godlike for burgers, have the heat high and let them cook for a while before flipping them (if they're sticking to the point where they want to break the bottom off, it's not been cooked long enough, if it's hot enough you'll get a nice meaty 'crust' of flavour on the outside, and it'll be easy to turn over
also i looked up cooking instructions on the back of a packet of quinoa, you have to boil it for like 20 minutes or something, you can't just soak it in hot water like cous cous. Quinoa Cooking Directions: 1. Soak the quinoa for 15 min in the cooking pot. Soaking helps quinoa to cook evenly, and loosens up the outer coating of saponin, which can give a bitter taste if not removed 2. If you don't have time for a longer soaking, use hot water and soak for five minutes 3. To Rinse: Stir the quinoa with your hand, and carefully pour off the rinsing water, using a fine mesh strainer at the last 4. Drain quinoa well in the strainer, transfer to the cooking pot, add 1 1/2 cups water & 1/2 tsp salt if desired 5. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer 6. Cook for 15 minutes 7. Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on 8. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and serve Quinoa is delicious by itself or with any of the recipes listed above p.s. do you call it kwin-oh-ah or keen-wah? :P
In what order do you usually cook things? I have a chronic problem of preparing things in the wrong order, so the veggies wind up burnt, or the meats are undercooked, yadayadayada. I happened last night with stir fry, and it happens every morning with breakfast!
Yeah I have a question!: During your education, was there any greater "weight" at learning how to chop things?
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[QUOTE=CottonTM;28476489]Thanks muchly, that was all very helpful! I can now cook tilapia without looking like a leper! What other types of fish would you recommend to a beginner cook, with similar lightness as tilapia? I'm not a huge fan of salmon but it can be pretty good, my mom made it with a very sweet crunchy skin. My roomie and I bought "manager's choice" haddock and it went bad insanely fast and we didn't actually get a chance to cook it, so I've never had haddock. Also, basic tips for cooking burgers on a griddle? I'm doing them tonight. What we usually do is smother them in Emeril's BAM Burger rub and Worcestershire sauce, lol.[/QUOTE] I'd agree with DaveP, mackerel is really tasty, especially smoked with cracked black pepper. I usually make a pate out of it for french toast using mayonnaise and horseradish. That crisp outside that you get on burgers are the sugars in the meat caramelising, also known as charring. It's how you produce that delicious meaty flavour with ground beef in bolognese sauces etc. I'd cook them over a highish heat, in a small amount of olive oil. In terms of different fish, I like any kind of white flakey fish. Pollock, Cobbler and Coley are a few of my favourites. I try not to buy cod any more, mainly because of overfishing, and if I do then its line fished every time. [QUOTE=Autumn;28477685]also i looked up cooking instructions on the back of a packet of quinoa, you have to boil it for like 20 minutes or something, you can't just soak it in hot water like cous cous. Quinoa Cooking Directions: 1. Soak the quinoa for 15 min in the cooking pot. Soaking helps quinoa to cook evenly, and loosens up the outer coating of saponin, which can give a bitter taste if not removed 2. If you don't have time for a longer soaking, use hot water and soak for five minutes 3. To Rinse: Stir the quinoa with your hand, and carefully pour off the rinsing water, using a fine mesh strainer at the last 4. Drain quinoa well in the strainer, transfer to the cooking pot, add 1 1/2 cups water & 1/2 tsp salt if desired 5. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer 6. Cook for 15 minutes 7. Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on 8. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and serve Quinoa is delicious by itself or with any of the recipes listed above p.s. do you call it kwin-oh-ah or keen-wah? :P[/QUOTE] Thank you for this! I learn something new every day, which is why I love cooking. I call it kwin-oh-ah, by the way, even though I'm not sure what the correct pronunciation is. [QUOTE=ewitwins;28480197]In what order do you usually cook things? I have a chronic problem of preparing things in the wrong order, so the veggies wind up burnt, or the meats are undercooked, yadayadayada. I happened last night with stir fry, and it happens every morning with breakfast![/QUOTE] There isn't a certain order in which to cook things, as every dish is different. If the meat is thicker in one dish for example, then it takes longer. It's one of the greatest qualities a chef must have, the ability to time different items down to perfection, otherwise things are overdone before other things are even cooked. With your stir fry, cut your vegetables thinly, so they cook really quickly in the hot wok. (the wok should be really hot before you add the oil) And cook your meats in another pan unless they are sliced really thinly too, otherwise you run the risk of not cooking them. I've had food poisoning, and it's horrible. [QUOTE=Satyria;28480441]Yeah I have a question!: During your education, was there any greater "weight" at learning how to chop things?[/QUOTE] Weight? Can you explain what you mean?
How do you get flavors in a steak I've been trying to get my steak to taste garlicky but I just can't seem to do it right
[QUOTE=PILLS HERE!;28481474]How do you get flavors in a steak I've been trying to get my steak to taste garlicky but I just can't seem to do it right[/QUOTE] The best way is to add garlic butter at the end of cooking, allowing it to melt over the steak. The problem with cooking garlic is that it goes from the strong garlic taste that I think you want, so a mellow sweet taste when exposed to heat. If you want any other kinds of flavours, then buy a small shaker of steak seasoning, which usually contains things like paprika and black pepper. These lend really spicy/beefy notes to your food. Sprinkle liberally over your raw steak before cooking.
What kind of training do you need and how long does it take to become a chef? What is the average salary for a new chef, what's the salary for a chef with alot of experience?
[QUOTE=Autumn;28477685]also i looked up cooking instructions on the back of a packet of quinoa, you have to boil it for like 20 minutes or something, you can't just soak it in hot water like cous cous. Quinoa Cooking Directions: 1. Soak the quinoa for 15 min in the cooking pot. Soaking helps quinoa to cook evenly, and loosens up the outer coating of saponin, which can give a bitter taste if not removed 2. If you don't have time for a longer soaking, use hot water and soak for five minutes 3. To Rinse: Stir the quinoa with your hand, and carefully pour off the rinsing water, using a fine mesh strainer at the last 4. Drain quinoa well in the strainer, transfer to the cooking pot, add 1 1/2 cups water & 1/2 tsp salt if desired 5. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer 6. Cook for 15 minutes 7. Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on 8. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and serve Quinoa is delicious by itself or with any of the recipes listed above p.s. do you call it kwin-oh-ah or keen-wah? :P[/QUOTE] Keen-wah is the correct pronunciation if I remember correctly. I asked a friend and she said that if you chicken broth instead of water, it gives it a nice flavour.
My sister wants to be a pastry chef. Anything you know about that or any advice you would give her?
I'm trying to think of a way to add variety to my Mac&Cheese, I occasionally add chopped up chicken or hot dogs but I want more... Any experimental tips?
[QUOTE=Dustinm16;28502511]I'm trying to think of a way to add variety to my Mac&Cheese, I occasionally add chopped up chicken or hot dogs but I want more... Any experimental tips?[/QUOTE] I hear semen works pretty well. [URL]http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/natural-harvest---a-collection-of-semen-based-recipes/5198959[/URL]
I recently moved and for the first time have a gas stove and convection oven. 1) I can't quite figure out when the right time is to use partial or full convection. My instinct says that you don't want convection if you want it crispy/brown on the top... is that right? 2) I'm thinking about getting a dutch oven where the lid has a handle that converts into a pan to replace almost all my pots, pans, and baking dishes. Is there a big disadvantage to this where I'd still need some other basic cookware? I'd still want a large sauce pan for stir fry and such... they make one of those in the same material. Does that have any drawbacks? 3) Any other tricks I should know about gas stove top that is different from the electric rings? Thanks for making this thread!
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