i aspire to be a chef when im older is there anything i can do to make that dream come true
[QUOTE=flame.james;28506272]i aspire to be a chef when im older is there anything i can do to make that dream come true[/QUOTE]
you'd be surprised to know that most professional chefs started off as dishwashers.
[QUOTE=Sneaky_Pete;28474210]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]
I hear that. I put in 40 hours this past Fri, Sat, and Sun cooking during one of our busy weekends (True/False film festival)...and i didn't want to cook anything at all after work.
McDonald's to the rescue!
[QUOTE=PersonGuy;28503460]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![/QUOTE]
2. They're pretty awesome for holding loads of heat once they've got it, but a lot heavier than other cookware you'd be used to, having a smaller lighter pan is probably a good mix (for quickly frying smaller things or w/e), as well as a thinner based saucepan (if you're boiling water and the like a big chunky cast iron pan will take a long time to warm up)
3. Of my experience they get things hotter a lot quicker, and have more control
[QUOTE=Moobs;28484275]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]
I spent two years at college training to be a chef, amd then spent another year specialising in which area of cookery I wanted to master. I chose saucier, but there are a few different areas that you can take. In terms of money, I come away with about 19k a year. Our head chef is on 70. Dependant upon where you work, head chefs in London are on around 110k a year.
[QUOTE=larrylumpy;28492258]My sister wants to be a pastry chef. Anything you know about that or any advice you would give her?[/QUOTE]
Tell her that if she goes to college to study cookery, to specialise in Patries and Baking. This will put her in good stead for a working kitchen. Rermind her though, that pastries are very delicate, and that getting them right is really difficult. Making the pastry alone is a really exact science, so practise often. I don't think your family will mind if shes turning out pastries constantly.
[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 quite like adding tabasco or chilli sauce to cheese sauces. I love spicy food, and if you do too, then give it a go. Chopped up pimentos and pepperoni work quite nicely too. Also, sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top before you bake it in the oven to give a crunchy layer on the top.
[QUOTE=PersonGuy;28503460]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![/QUOTE]
Personally, I prefer using gas hobs and ovens, because of the direct heat change that you get from turning the gas up and down. Convection or electric hobs take a while to heat up and cool down, so things can burn or stick, even if you turn the heat off. In terms of the cookware you need, a tefal pan set would cover every need you have in the kitchen. They're fantastic quality, and the non stick surface lasts forever. You may need more than one pan to cook different items of the same dish, so I wouldn't just have one cooking vessel. It may cost you a little more, but it's well worth investing in a few. If you love cooking, and would want to spend quite a lot, try buying copper bottom pans. They're the best pans for the job, but cost a fortune.
If your oven is fan assisted, then it will be the same tempreture throughout the whole oven. Let me know if it is, and I can give you more information.
[QUOTE=JohnStamosFan;28517070]I hear that. I put in 40 hours this past Fri, Sat, and Sun cooking during one of our busy weekends (True/False film festival)...and i didn't want to cook anything at all after work.
McDonald's to the rescue![/QUOTE]
Too true!
[QUOTE=Sneaky_Pete;28544200]
If your oven is fan assisted, then it will be the same tempreture throughout the whole oven. Let me know if it is, and I can give you more information.[/QUOTE]
Yes, it's fan assisted. I think the convection means it can heat without turning on the top/bottom coils and blows in hot air from the back.
[editline]13th March 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=DaveP;28532786]2. They're pretty awesome for holding loads of heat once they've got it, but a lot heavier than other cookware you'd be used to, having a smaller lighter pan is probably a good mix (for quickly frying smaller things or w/e), as well as a thinner based saucepan (if you're boiling water and the like a big chunky cast iron pan will take a long time to warm up)[/QUOTE]
That's a very good point, especially about boiling water... thanks!
I love to bake things but I'm always unsure of what some ingredients do to the baking mixture, so when improvising it can be a bit of a shot in the dark. What do the following do to a baked good when baking in an oven?
-Eggs
-Butter
-Oil
-Milk
-Sour cream
-Heavy Cream
-Baking Powder
-Baking Soda
-Salt
-Vanilla Extract (I assume simply a flavoring?)
Also do eggwhites effect anything seriously when used for baking? Is the type of flour you use important?
Thanks :)
[QUOTE=KorJax;28593232]I love to bake things but I'm always unsure of what some ingredients do to the baking mixture, so when improvising it can be a bit of a shot in the dark. What do the following do to a baked good when baking in an oven?
-Eggs
-Butter
-Oil
-Milk
-Sour cream
-Heavy Cream
-Baking Powder
-Baking Soda
-Salt
-Vanilla Extract (I assume simply a flavoring?)
Also do eggwhites effect anything seriously when used for baking? Is the type of flour you use important?
Thanks :)[/QUOTE]
If you don't understand what those basic ingredients purposes are when baking, you need to do a lot more baking and read more books on baking.. there's too many non-textual properties that you have to get a feel for in a way that you can't just read on a page. The interplay of ingredients is too complex to make things up as you go along (and depends as much on the physical processes you enact on the mixture as the ingredients themselves), the reason people follow recipes is the ratios, ingredients and method work
To take a single thread of your questions (of which you could probably write a book), different types of flour can have different mineral content (roughly translates to stretchyness and other workability properties, as well as taste and aromatics), come from different grains (taste and mouthfeel), be bleached (white flour vs unbleached), be ground to different consistencies (texture) and have additives (self raising and the like have baking powder mixed in)
The dumbest question: I attempt to make 3 scrambled eggs. I put them on the pan and add a tad bit of milk. Then a little bit of it sticks to the pan. Worse, I get just barely a handfull of egg. When my dad makes an egg, it alone is more than that. How do I cut my losses?
:smith:
Do you get to scream like gordon ramsay:
[img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fJBF_3QrCRE/SroKDH0rnrI/AAAAAAAAAfw/gVD1B1LSx8o/s400/Gordon.jpg[/img]
Oh, do you guys scream and shout in the kitchen often? Including vulgarities?
My challah bread.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/hJL5q.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/PUQ72.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=Potatoes;28649059]The dumbest question: I attempt to make 3 scrambled eggs. I put them on the pan and add a tad bit of milk. Then a little bit of it sticks to the pan. Worse, I get just barely a handfull of egg. When my dad makes an egg, it alone is more than that. How do I cut my losses?
:smith:[/QUOTE]
Keep that bitch fluffy like whipped cream
Possibly the best video on how to do Scrambled eggs ever made:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_B3QNu_Ks[/media]
What is your favourite type of food?
How was your school? Which one did you attend?
[editline]31st March 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Jah'maaun;28680997]My challah bread.
[img_thumb]http://i.imgur.com/hJL5q.jpg[/img_thumb]
[img_thumb]http://i.imgur.com/PUQ72.jpg[/img_thumb][/QUOTE]
Did you rub it with olive oil for the golden brown look?
[QUOTE=Pred4tor;28901647]How was your school? Which one did you attend?
[editline]31st March 2011[/editline]
Did you rub it with olive oil for the golden brown look?[/QUOTE]
An egg and butter wash. Sometimes I dip it into olive oil after a little while out of the oven while its still warm and eat it that way. It's a really good snack bread, a lot different from your regular white bread you buy at the store.
[QUOTE=Jah'maaun;28903124]An egg and butter wash. Sometimes I dip it into olive oil after a little while out of the oven while its still warm and eat it that way. It's a really good snack bread, a lot different from your regular white bread you buy at the store.[/QUOTE]
Do you have a recipe? It looks really good
Hi guys, again a massive apology for the long delay between my posts, I've been working hard last month in an expansion in the restaurant, so 12 hour days are now the norm.
Please, continue with your questions. It seems like DaveP has been doing a fantastic job while I've been away, so thanks for that.
How good is the kitchen when it comes to cleanliness and the equipment that you guys use? Do you guys use the best cooking equipment?
Did your school give you the worst hours possible to prepare you?
Have you ever tried making a milk steak?
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