Thomas Keller: Superstar chef in Haute Cuisine

“The mixture of perfection and pleasure” this phrase has represented the trajectory of the chef Thomas Keller who has managed to surprise palates and elevate American haute cuisine to fineness and emotion schemes. The media refer to him as a magician, a purist, a man obsessed with doing better … clearly a well-known “Superstar chef” with numerous books, TV appearances, film advice and many other achievements.

But if there is something to highlight about his character, it is his excellent contribution to the gastronomic field that has influenced many with his guidelines and techniques of preparation of dishes, handling of ingredients and assembly art. We will concentrate on that. Continue reading “Thomas Keller: Superstar chef in Haute Cuisine”

Turn some chopsticks into a very easy to use utensil to eat

We want to show you three tricks to turn some chopsticks into a very easy-to-use utensil for eating, since you don’t always control the two chopsticks with your fingers when comes to taking food with them. For children it can be a solution when they start using chopsticks to eat, and for many adults too.

tricks for chopsticks

When you have tried to actively and passively use Chinese chopsticks to eat and it is not achieved, if you do not want to use their traditional cutlery, you can use the chopsticks that are joined by the top and act as if they were a pair of tweezers. Although you can also do something with the classic chopsticks to turn them into tweezers and not have the need to buy some special chopsticks. There are several tricks to turn some chopsticks into tweezers easy to use to eat sushi, noodles, sauteed vegetables and meat, fish… Continue reading “Turn some chopsticks into a very easy to use utensil to eat”

How to bake two pizzas on a single tray

Only one standard-sized pizza fits on a baking sheet or oven rack, but sometimes you have to make several pizzas at the same time for all the diners to take it freshly made. Today we tell you a trick to be able to put two pizzas at once in a tray, this happens by cutting them in half and placing the straight part parallel to the edges of the tray, and the rounded parts will remain inside.

made pizza

It is possible that this weekend at the table of many homes pizzas are served for dinner, because this appreciated way to enjoy an informal meal, many families usually reserve it for Friday or Saturday nights, and also if they are organized dinner with friends. In these cases, it is very common to have to make several pizzas, and the problem is to be able to serve all at once freshly made, sometimes you have to juggle …

Needless to say, our recommendation to enjoy good pizzas with friends or family is to make them yourself, with this, in addition to eating pizzas made with the best ingredients and chosen to taste, being able to make the combinations that you most please, you can spend some time in the kitchen, sharing another activity with those who like to share time.

bake two pizzas

But we are aware that many people buy refrigerated or frozen pizzas that later only have to bake to be able to eat them, if not, they would not be in the market, and although we do not share this choice, we do want to share a trick that can serve you to bring several freshly made pizzas to the table, in the image above you can see how to bake two pizzas on a single tray, and using two trays, you can bake four pizzas at once.

And who says tray, says grid, because when it comes to baking precooked doughs it can be more interesting to make them more crispy. The trick is to cut the pre-cooked pizzas in half so that the parts that have been left with the straight cut, are placed in parallel with the edges of the tray, and the circular parts (the half circles) will be inside the tray.

Depending on the diameter of the pizzas and the size of the tray, this trick will be a solution to bake two pizzas at once or not, the truth is that there are several factors to consider, but the pizzas that are not very large should not give problems, at most, that are minimally mounted between them by the central part.

cutting round food

It is possible that this kitchen trick can be applied to other situations in which you need to get more out of the oven space, can you think of an example? And we also wondered what would have been the first idea of ​​cutting round food to get straight sides, baking the pizza or serving a bologna sandwich without it coming out of the bread, you can see the photo. What is your opinion?

What are the benefits of fish oil?

Fish oils, such as cod liver oil, tuna or salmon, are a nutritional supplement to the most consumed. They are very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, especially in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both considered essential polyunsaturated fatty acids.

fish oil

Among the positive effects on human health, omega-3 fatty acids are well known for their cardioprotective effect and improving cardiovascular health in general. In addition, fish liver oils being also rich in fat – soluble vitamins A and D.

What are omega-3 fatty acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids are fats that can be found in many types of foods, mainly vegetables and marine animals, that human cells need but cannot synthesize, that’s why they are considered an essential nutrient that must be consumed through the diet. Continue reading “What are the benefits of fish oil?”

How to use knife as an experienced chef?

Surely when you watch cooking shows on TV that is currently in fashion, you’ve wondered how the hell the chefs do to handle the knives with that insulting ease. But the truth is that learning to use the knife professionally, like almost everything, depends on two conditions. The first is to know the technique, and the second is practice and work between the stoves.

how to use knife

In this article we will give you some tips to learn how to use the knife like a professional. Take note!

Before using the knife as a chef

Before imitating the professionals and cutting ourselves for not doing things well, let’s prepare. First of all, have a good knife with the best cut and possible balance. Continue reading “How to use knife as an experienced chef?”

Why does ice cream melt?

It is one of the most consumed temptations in the world; I believe that there is no person who does not like a good and smooth ice cream that massages our palate with its delicate flavor. Recipes, tastes and tricks to achieve good results are many, but here we will focus on something so simple to know, which is why it melts and how it loses its texture.

ice cream melt

Ice cream Composition

To understand their behavior well, we must know what is done. From the whole range of possible ingredients and flavors, we will focus on the following elements:

1. Ice crystals

It is the water that freezes; it can come from several foods, both fruit and milk. This element is the main support of the ice cream, since it will determine its texture, consistency and smoothness. The more crystals it has, the harder the ice cream will be, the less it will be softer but less resistant.

So to get a good product, you have to have balance between the ice crystals. But something important we lack, the size of them. Since the more children are (micro crystals), the texture of the ice cream will be softer and silky, but if we achieve larger crystals (macro crystals), it will be a more rough texture and not as pleasant, almost as icy. Continue reading “Why does ice cream melt?”

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Sous Vide cooking system

Nowadays, chefs can show off their menu by writing things like “Roasted strip cooked during 24 hours” which tempts the diner to savor that dish. The important thing is to understand the benefit of cooking the products with this method and understand well what it is about.

sous vide cooking

We go for the basics; this is a system and therefore consists of several phases. First we have the “Sous-Vide”, we talk about sealing a product in a bag in an environment practically without oxygen. This can be used both for conservation and for cooking; now if we talk about Sous-Vide Cooking is to apply heat to this product in the bag (which must be heat-resistant) and in a constant temperature controlled environment. This environment is usually water or water vapor (which is the best heat conductor). Fundamental is that in many of the cases, we look for tender, sweet and juicy textures. This is obtained by applying, in the second phase, the discipline of slow cooking, which is cooked at a controlled temperature and long time: starting from 45 minutes and going through more than 48 hours. The latter is not exclusively associated with the Sous-Vide; we can achieve similar textures with cooking methods such as candied, poached and braised. Continue reading “Sous Vide cooking system”

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How to treat a waiter to be well cared for

Knowing how to deal with a waiter, is part of the experience of going to a restaurant, provides good service and makes the stay a more pleasant one.

treat waiter

We all have gone to a restaurant sometimes, the frequency of our visits can be variable, as can the restaurant and the menu, but there is something that will never vary… and that is the presence of the waiter. These uniformed characters have the titanic task of serving hundreds of guests – of variable humor and education – with the best disposition and a broad smile, but do you know how to act to get better care?

The treatment that the customer gives to a waiter is essential at the time of having reciprocity – good attention – as it usually happens that, due to the speed of life, we forget the important function that these people fulfill in a restaurant. Continue reading “How to treat a waiter to be well cared for”

Why does fish cook faster than other meats?

Within this journey of cooks, sooner or later it is learned that the fish takes little cooking time. Either because of inertia or because the recipe always says that it takes at least 7 minutes. The important thing is to be interested in knowing why this happens. For that we must analyze its meat.

fish cook faster

First of all, I remind you that the fish meats that we consume are its muscles, as in the rest of the animals; it is the edible and appetizing part for the human being. Within the muscles we find the elements of its composition:

  • Muscular fibers: those that have water, the juice of the meat
  • Connective tissue: mainly collagen, determines the resistance

Continue reading “Why does fish cook faster than other meats?”

5 things that (personally) can not be tolerated in a cook

Not everything is beautiful in gastronomy; you have to know how to deal with problems in order to find ready solutions. Usually, in a kitchen, we are faced with a team of people who have the purpose of achieving an excellent and tasty work. But always within any brigade, we will find some or several people who have errors or attitudes that do not seem very appropriate to us. From unhygienic actions, abundance of pride, sabotage of colleagues, dislike of dishes, criticism without foundation, rumors, gastronomic ethics, etc…

not tolerated in cook

Within the learning in the kitchens, when I assume high positions I worry about the good functioning and professionalism of the work team. The idea is to show why you are here and to encourage people to correct mistakes in a disciplined and respectful way.

The vocation and constant monitoring are keys in this. Even so, it is normal to find attitudes or actions quite unpleasant, and each can assign the degree of severity in each case, as far as I respect, this is a listing of 5 things that I personally cannot tolerate in a cook: Continue reading “5 things that (personally) can not be tolerated in a cook”