chefdavid321

So, I've been in the industry for about 15 years, starting at the bottom and working my way to the top, then going back to the bottom in order to learn more. I have 3 degrees, 2 in the culinary arts, and have studied abroad. My love of cuisine started when I was young. Cuisine has always been a window into the soul of a culture and humanity for me. I think the word "culinarian" has a stigma about it, but I I'm proud to call myself a culinarian, a bonafide food nerd and I don't think many who call themselfs chefs should, but I've cut my teath in enough places and I'm a Chef through and through. I've held so many different positions in this field throughout my career, and now I teach. I love teaching, but I want to learn more. I never want to stop learning about cuisine and culture. My question is this: where can someone like me take classes, learn new techniques, expand my knowledge, and just be a sponge for more? I should have done a stage or two but didn't (regret). I should have gone somewhere, accepted being treated poorly, and learned in kitchens here (did some of tha there), in Spain, France, Italy, or wherever, and just absorb and learn, but I feel I'm too old and just don't think I could do it unless it was someplace amazing. I just want to grow more as a chef. The most amazing thing about being a chef is that I learn every day! I teach cooking school now, am recently divorced and can do what I please. Any and all advice would be appreciated. The bottom line is this: If I could spend a few weeks or months just working or taking classes (classes would be best I think). where should I look? I find many classes offered throughout the world are for tourists and novices. Thank you for any and all info and help.

the black berries with the little green stem look exactly like the mulberries that are beggining to ripen on our trees here in texas. I remember climbing the trees to get at the berries when I was a kid and wish I could climb so well today. Love the postings. I have been fortunate enough to visit China and really want to go again and bring my wife. I live vicariously through you.

Love oysters Rockefeller and have tried them all sorts of ways, with no spinach, sometimes with a ton of green onion or watercress. I have worked in a number of restaurants where they were a "signature" item. I don't know if it is the best, but this is the recipe I use. Enjoy and of course, play with it. And use frozen spinach if you want to, just squeeze it dry. Oysters Rockefeller 8 Appetizer Servings 4 Tablespoons Butter 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced 1/3 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs 2 Shallots, Minced 2 Cups Chopped Fresh Spinach ¼ Cup Pernod or Other Anise Liqueur Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste Dash of Hot Pepper Sauce 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil ¼ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Chervil or Parsley 2 Dozen Oysters, on the Half Shell Rock Salt Lemon Wedges to Garnish METHOD: 1. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. 2. Place the bread crumbs in a bowl and add HALF of the garlic butter. Set aside. 3. To the remaining garlic butter in the skillet, add the shallots and spinach. Cook for about 3 minutes until the spinach wilts. Deglaze the pan with the Pernod. Season with salt and pepper and add a dash of hot pepper sauce. Allow to cool slightly. 4. Finish off the bread crumbs by mixing in the olive oil, parmesan, and chervil or parsley. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Spoon a spoonful of the mixture on each oyster followed by a spoonful of the bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle a baking pan amply with rock salt. Arrange the oysters in the salt to steady them. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges and hot pepper sauce.

Love the Deba, let me know how you like it, I have been looking at buying one. I mentioned earlier that I love my Takeda, and I really do, but I feel a bit torn. I really, really love my Misono UX10 gyuto. I'm thinking about getting the sujihiki next. I work with guys who have Masamoto, Tojiro, Nenox, Global, Shun, etc... and apart from the Nenox which is beyond my price point, the Misono is my favorite. So sweet and they have a little paring knife which is not easy to find with Japanese knives.

I bought myself a Takeda Gyuto AS with a little belly added to the blade. I have used Japanese knives for some years now (LOVE Misono UX10!) but this was my first handmade one. It has taken a little getting used to because it is rather large, extremely light, and super, unbelievably, crazy sharp (it can get stuck in the board). However, I must say that this knife is absolutely a must have for any knife nut like me. It was inexpensive, arrived quickly, takes a lazer like edge, stays sharp, and is now my favorite knife. I recommend Takeda to anyone. They look rough, like they just came out of the forge, but I like that.

I don't know if this will help, but we used to use the chain for making tortellini or to feed the staff by making tacos, carne guisada, cheese steaks, and beef teriyaki stir fry. I think I may make a tenderloin for Xmas dinner....

Li Hing Mui is a plum powder often sweetened with saccharine. It's popular in Hawaii and I have some sour patch kids coated with it as well as dried mango. Hope this helps

So, I'm teaching a class on gulf coast seafood on tuesday and am working on a good shrimp and sausage gumbo recipe. I was going to go all seafood, but the class includes oysters rockefeller, ceviche, stuffed flounder and crawfish etoufee. I think shrimp and sausage is enough. I thought about adding a ham hock to the recipe but does anybody think that it would get too "smoky?" I have adapted this recipe from 5 well recieved ones on the internet. I will post it here for you all to see. I would appreciate any thoughts. Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo 12 Servings ¾ Cup Vegetable Oil ¾ Cup Flour 2 Cups Chopped Onion 1 ½ Cups Chopped Green Pepper 1 Cup Chopped Celery ½ Tablespoon Salt 1 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning (Whatever Brand You Like) 1 Teaspoon Cayenne 3 Bay Leaves 8 Cups Homemade Shrimp Stock 1 Ham Hock (Optional) 2 Pounds Medium Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined (Save Shells for Stock) 1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Sliced ½-¼ Inch Thick ¼ Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onions ¼ Cup Finely Chopped Parsley File Powder (Optional) 2 Cups Cooked White Rice 2 Tablespoons Finely Sliced Green Onions, For Garnish French Bread (Optional) METHOD: 1.In a large heavy pot, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, whisk in the flour. Stir the mixture constantly for 15 to 20 minutes for a dark brown roux. 2.Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened. 3.Add the salt, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and bay leaves. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the stock and mix to blend with the roux. Add the ham hock if using and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4.Add the shrimp and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sausage, green onions, and parsley and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Season to taste with Cajun seasoning and salt. Add the file powder to thicken at the end if you wish. 5.Ladle the gumbo into shallow bowls. Plate a heaping portion of the rice in the center of the gumbo. Sprinkle green onions over the top. Serve with French bread and hot sauce.

Thomas Keller teamed up with Mac to create a line of white handled knives with his name on them. I have used Mac knives and find that they are some of the best knives you can get for the $. But Nenox knives are a dream. Check out Korin.com. They have a section where famous chefs answer questions about which knives they use.

Good stuff. I like the flowerpot idea and will go to the hardware store to check it out. I also like the brick idea and may consider that when I move into a house. I like the son of hibachi, and may research it more. Keep it up!

Thank's for your help. I love the homemade one and thought about it, but is it safe with the glazing inside of the pots? Also, I wonder if there is a U.S. source for those yakiniku tables with the grill in the center? It would be great to have one of those on a back deck (when I get one).

So, I am interested in purchasing a little japanese grill. I have researched the topic for some time and have found two that I am considering. Anybody have experience with these or any advice? Here are the websites. http://www.korin.com/product.php?pid=418&df=korin And http://www.imperialkamado.com/shichirin/i_...hirin_index.htm The korin model is expensive but really cool. The shichirin is more traditional and cheaper. I would buy some sumi or binchotan charcoal and have a grand old time grilling on the patio. I really want a kamado, but live in an apartment and think that one of these little grills would be ideal.

When I first bought my global knife in England in 1996, I thought it was the best knife ever. I almost entirely gave up European blades. I used it for years, but then I worked in a really, really upscale kitchen and I found out quickly that I could never get my global sharp enough to do the intricate work that I needed. I sharpened it for hours to no avail, but my chives were still bruised and my cucumber brunoise was still not exactly right. What I really needed was a true Japanese blade. Most of the chefs were using Mac knives and so I bought one. I was hooked, but decided to go one better and I bought a Misono UX-10 Gyuto and a good stone. I had a stone for my carbon steel sushi knife (which chips), but got a medium/fine stone combo. I am beyond happy, and can shave with my knife, it is a breeze to sharpen, and doesn't chip. I love it. It also cost me over $200.00. I recently worked with a master sushi chef who used a Nenox knife that I have been dreaming of, but it costs a ton. He and his Sous both agreed and said that if you can afford a knife that costs, say $50.00, then save your money until you can buy a Nenox knife. It sharpens easily, stays sharp, and is just plain fantastic. I have to agree. I love my Misono, though. There are some things to consider, though. Are you going to sharpen it on a regular basis? I sharpen mine almost every other day. Are you going to take care of it and protect it? Never throw your knives in a drawer. Having a very good Japanese blade is like driving a Ferrari compared to a tank or a torn up coupe held together with chewing gum and duct tape. If you don't want the responsibility or the expense, I often recommend to students that they go to a restaurant supply store, get a $30.00 Dexter Russel chef knife, and a sharpening tool of some sort (not a steel, although that is important too). Sure, stick it in the dishwasher, and in a year or three, give the thing to goodwill and hopefully you have saved money to buy a good Japanese gyuto. Good luck, and yes, I am a knife nut. I think I started in this business because I could play with fire and knives.

You all may laugh at me, but everybody will become believers if you try this at home. Take your fish, season it, dip it in cornstarch. Pat off all excess and then dip in your favorite beer batter. Then, roll it in slightly crushed Rice Crispies. Deep fry until G.B.&D and you have the most crisp, flaky, unbelievable fish fillet. MMMMM....

I love my Benriner slicer! The blade is razor sharp and the julienne blade attatchment makes gorgeous carrot strands. I cut the tip of my finger off with it while making radish slices and it was the most painful cut of my career. I picked mine up for $17.99 at a local Asian grocery store, but my local gourmet grocery store sells them for over $30.00. They make great Christmas gifts.

I remember my favorite fish taco experience very well. My brother and I had driven from Texas to Puerto Escondido, Mexico in the state of Oaxaca, on the Pacific. It was a very long trip with many interesting moments along the way and a roaming mescalero. Well, we arrived at Puerto in the late morning and found a tiny restaurant on the beach. The guy was not really open but he agreed to make us some tacos. Oh, man. Delicioso! Tacos De Tiburito, Baby Shark Tacos. He grilled up this shark, cradled it into thick, uneven corn tortillas cooked just so that they managed to be tender and toothsome at the same time, with a sweet and husky corn essence. The salsa has been forgotten, but the fish, so fresh and flaky and hot, with just a bit of cabbage, onion, cilantro, and a short shower of lime and salt. The tacos, the beer, the breeze, the beach. Wow. Later in the trip a mango that I had been watching ripen while I read in a hammock below the tree in which it grew graduated to lunch when it fell into my lap one lazy afternoon. I had to jump in the surf to get all the perfumed, sticky juice off of me. These are some of my fondest food memories and the best damn fish taco that I have ever eaten. However, there are some others that come close.

I don't really use mayo much, but it is great on grilled corn. I have a fond memory of returning to my friend's ranch after hunting when we were kids and stopping to pick some corn. We threw them in the coals, pulled them out when the kernels were just caramelized, smeared them with mayo, cheese, and salt, and went to town. Corn is also fabulous when deep fried. Seriously. Shuck the ear and drop it in the fryer. The kernels shrink, get nice and brown and sweet. I met someone once who told me that their family used to fill their dishwasher with ears of corn and run the wash (without soap). The hot water and steam would cook a full dishwasher of corn to perfection and the whole family would have a summer corn feast with tons of sweet butter and salt. Anybody ever done this?

I grew up next to the border and when I go home I try and go to a raspa stand for a fresh fruit snow cone and un elote con todo. The way they do it is to grill or boil the corn, then smear it with butter, mayonnaise (yes, mayo), sprinkle it with chile powder or cayenne, top it with crumbled queso fresco (parm is good too), and squeeze on some lime. For those lazy among us, they will also add all of the above ingredients to a bowl of corn cut from the cob. The corn they use is not the super sweet version we get in the grocery store but a kind of field corn that has a great chewy texture and pure corn flavor.