About me
I AM A SELF-TAUGHT CHEF…
I have no formal training, experience, or expertise. I taught my self everything you see here. As a kid, I would watch shows on the Food Network like Iron Chef America and Alton Brown's Good Eats (still my favorite cooking show). These shows sparked a curiosity in me that ignited a passion for food and cooking.
Cooking is about feeling. The way it makes you feel when you sit down at the table for dinner with family, to the way certain flavor combinations can transport you to your childhood. These flavors are within your grasp, and you can achieve the Ratatouille moment, yes, the cartoon, of transporting someone back in time to a fond memory. This, however, takes a little bit of work. You have to use your senses sight, smell, touch, sound, and most importantly taste. Armed with your five sensory knights, you can defeat any culinary battle set in front of you. Trust your knights, and they will guide you to success.
Intuition will allow you to know if there is too much oil in the pan, too little salt in a dish or if you have too much acid in a sauce. Your intuition is the key to success. Your palate, no matter if you think you have a good one or not, is a New York Times Critic giving you direct feedback on what you are making. To help you in the quest for culinary prowess there are a few tools you should enlist.
HARDWARE
Set of thick-bottomed skillets and pots.
A set of sharp kitchen knives. Personal preference for Shun or Wusthof knives. Make sure to get your knives sharpened at least once a year, if not every six months!
Thick blocked cutting board and cutting board oil. Once a month, oil your board, and it will last you a lifetime. You want a board in the 1.5-3 inch thick range.
Stick blender/ immersion blender. If you have one of these, you don't need an actual blender.
Tongs, spatulas, whisks, dry and wet measuring cups (yes they are different), scale, teaspoons, lemon press, Microplane, peeler
Bar flow tops are super helpful for olive oil bottles and for mixing cocktails.
PANTRY STAPLES
flour
sugar
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil & regular olive oil
sun flower, canola, or another high-temperature oil
balsamic, white wine, sherry, champaign vinegar
toasted sesame oil & chili oil
pasta
butter
eggs
cheese