9 Cooking tips from the Pros Written by Joe David
Photography compliments of Relish Culinary, LLC and Vahagn Stepanian
Sometimes just a simple tip can make the difference between success
and failure in the kitchen. While traveling America last year
interviewing respected cooking school chefs for my upcoming book
Gourmet Getaways (Globe Pequot Press, April 2009), I
collected some noteworthy cooking tips from the experts. Here
are nine of them:
Tip #1. Poaching food in vacuum-packed plastic
bags at even temperatures below simmering is a new cooking
technique that has been gaining some popularity in America. The
technique called sous vide (French for under vacuum)
requires special equipment that will maintain a safe low temperature
for long periods of time. One of the benefits of such cooking
is that it locks in flavors and juices and breaks down stubborn
meat or vegetable fibers. The payoff is a truer taste, enhanced
significantly by whatever seasoning added to expand the flavor.
– Chef Marianne Cushing, Peju Province Winery, Rutherford,
California.
Tip #2. It is important to keep in mind that
food changes in flavor the longer it lives. Too much of one ingredient
might be perfect during the cooking stage, but can be totally
overwhelming after it’s been refrigerated for awhile. Therefore,
one must bring to cooking an easy hand and adjust the flavors
slowly, adding the final touch before serving. – Culinary
Director Lisa Lavagetto, Ramekins, Sonoma, California.
Tip #3. One way to give food an elegant twist is to make your
salsa with roasted tomatillos instead of tomatoes and to serve
the salsa in hollowed cucumbers. Other tricks and techniques include
using citrus juices and zest for flavors in lieu of salt; serving
mashed cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes; and arranging
the food artfully as Thai people do (for example, turning a tomato
into a rose garnish for a platter.) – Chef Abigail Hutchinson,
Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island, Georgia.
Tip #4. Established rules for pairing wine and
food can be broken. What you garnish your food with often determines
the wine you need. Food flavors change with each new ingredient,
and sometimes untraditional wines may pair better with the food
than the traditional wines. Matching the right wine and food,
when done successfully, is a delicious moment for everyone. It
is then that the meal sings and suddenly you understand what all
the fuss is about. – Nancy Krcek Allen, Chateau Chantal,
Traverse City, Michigan.
Tip #5. Good stock is the foundation for creating
successful sauces, soups or stews. It should always be prepared
from scratch, and once it is brought to a boil, the heat must
be reduced to a simmer for 5 or 6 hours. Boiling or simmering
stock too long will change the flavor. A chicken stock, for example,
should have a light chicken and herb flavor. Never add salt to
it. – Jill Prescott’s Ecole de Cuisine, Ascheville,
North Carolina.
Tip #6. Whenever adding alcohol to your cooking,
always be mindful that it can burst into flame when it comes into
contact with the heat. By removing the food from the heat before
adding the liquor, you reduce the chances of this occurring (if
desired). Also, pour the liquor from a measuring container, not
the liquor bottle, to prevent a spark from causing the bottle
to explode in your hand. – Chef Leah Caplan, The Washington
Hotel Restaurant and Culinary School, Washington Island, Wisconsin.
Tip #7. Many talented chefs offer the same advice.
Success in the kitchen is achieved by using the best ingredients
available and by continuously refining the cooking process,
until the highest possible results are achieved. – Sentiments
of two top chefs, Patrick O’Connell, Inn at Little Washington,
Washington, Virginia, and Jacquy Pfeiffer, the French Pastry School,
Chicago, Illinois.
Tip #8. For scoring duck, you should have the
duck as cold as possible. It is recommended that you place it
in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm the fat and make it easier
to score. This tip applies to cutting anything fatty such as bacon
or salt pork. – Chef Steve Learned, The Balsams, Dixville
Notch, New Hampshire.
Tip #9. For the perfect burger, purchase freshly
ground beef with a medium fat content (22 percent). Frozen meat
or meat with less fat will have a dry texture. When forming the
burger, shape it into a ball, then flatten it gently with the
palm. Avoid over packing. To maintain juiciness don’t cook
beyond medium. – Chef Hugh Carpenter, Hugh Carpenter’s
Camp Napa Culinary, Napa California.
Joe David’s
writings have appeared in numerous publications including
U.S. Airways ,Go, Chile Pepper, Hemispheres, and more. He
is the author of four books. His fifth book Gourmet Getaways,
will be published in April 2009. For more information visit
www.gourmetgetaways.us.
