Category: General Food Recipes

Be Inspired, Become a Celebrity Chef!

Whoever in the world does not appreciate a well-cooked food? Do you know that those cuisines that you have fallen in love with in the fancy restaurants are prepared and cooked by the well-equipped chefs? It feels utterly significant to you that people appreciate and in fact love your cooking. Now who has the right to become chefs themselves? Who deserves to enjoy the feeling of being appreciated and revered? Everybody does! And if someone has the talent for cooking, definitely he could officially become a certified chef.

Who ever thought that being in the limelight is all what the celebrities could be good at? There are a lot of celebrities who have other careers to busy themselves with. Many of them have long realized that they could excel in other areas and one of which is in the cooking arena. Yes, many of today’s actors, actresses, and directors are in fact good cooks. They have their own specialties as well. Moreover, some of them have taken the right path and have landed themselves in the reputations of great celebrity chefs. Among them are Julia Child, Alton Brown and Wolfgang Puck.

What are the components of becoming a great celebrity chef? They could be the combination of proper timing, talent, strong personality, dependable education, and the will to excel in the field.

One of the best schools, the CHIC or Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago is aimed at preparing the learners in handling several careers that are related to the culinary arts by the use of the influences on food preparation in the areas of the traditional, Midwest, American, and the European settings. Let us take a look at the celebrated great celebrity chefs of all time.

Julia Child lived in the outskirts of Marseilles and Paris right after the Second World War. It was in this time when she took interest in learning the French culinary arts. She took classes at the Le Cordon Bleu and cooked for her family and friends. Her focus was on mystery meats and casserole so the Americans loved her craft.

Alton Brown basically grew up assisting his grandmother and mother in the kitchen. He found a career as a video director and cinematographer but because of his passion for foods, he came up with a niche to expose his culinary knowledge. Now, he is the host of Good Eats of the Food Network.

Wolfgang Puck is a restaurateur whose name could be spotted in several malls. His Franco-Californian attack on food recipes has definitely warmed the hearts of millions of food lovers. He started mastering the culinary arts at fourteen.

There are great differences between the educations received by these well-known celebrity chefs but they agree at one point and that is in terms of sharing a similar passion and the drive to share that passion to the rest of the world. These great celebrity chefs encourage the budding chefs out there to only believe that they could excel in other aspects of life and that learning could not only be confined in one shell.

Becoming a celebrity chef is not a dream that would be hard to fulfill. Equipped with the right components, attitude, and point of view in life, you could also gain a credible reputation for yourself. It is a matter of faith in yourself!

4 Components of How to Become a Personal Chef

In learning how to become a personal chef, you have to realize that people require much more than the certificate ion order to hire you to cook for them personally. There are certain skills and attributes expected of you. Some of these skills can be acquired in the normal course of study at a culinary school, while others can be acquired through experience. Here are some of the skills that people expect you to acquire when you learn how to become a personal chef:

1) Hygiene Would you hire someone to cook your food if it you are not sure of their cleanliness? In learning how to become a personal chef, people expect you to have great hygiene. If you are applying for a position as a personal chef, you should not treat it as an application for just another job. You have to make sure that your appearance is not just presentable, but neat. You should expect people to observe your every move, looking for signs that you have poor hygiene and you should definitely make sure that they will not find any.

2) Taste Basically, a personal chef will share his or her taste of food with whoever employs him or her. In learning how to become a personal chef, people expect you to have acquired a taste for fine food. That is, future employers expect you to give them food which they will like.

Oh sure, some people think that eating escargot is the peak of fine dining, but would your employers really want you to prepare snails? In learning how to become a personal chef, you need to learn how to let go of your personal taste and how to expand it to include the preferences of other people. If you own a restaurant, then you can scoff at the person who wishes to have more salt. But if you work as a personal chef, then you have to realize that your livelihood depends on that person and you must make accommodations.

3) People skills Some people think that in order to become a personal chef, you need only to know how to cook well. However, you also need to learn how to interact with the people around you. In learning how to become a personal chef, you need to realize that you will not be working alone.

Personal chefs depend on their assistants to make sure that they create delicious dishes. Personal chefs need to be able to manage the kitchen staff with efficiency in order to make sure that people get their meals on time.

You need people skills most of all because you need to interact with your employer. You need to be able to tell what a person wants to eat. You need to excite them with the next dish you prepare. Not many people know that a huge part of taste is psychological. No matter how good you say your cooking is, if people don’t want it, then it is useless. Learning how to become a personal chef does not require you to develop telepathic powers, but you need to know what other people are thinking just the same.

4) Showmanship In learning how to become a personal chef, you should have acquired at least a bit of showmanship. Learning how to become a personal chef will show you that some dishes need a little bit of flourish in order for people to enjoy them.

Your First Charcoal Grill

Perhaps you have just moved into your first place, or you decided that you wanted to broaden your horizons and try new things. Maybe you went to a Fourth of July barbeque party and tasted the beautiful smoked flavor, and decided you wanted to try to replicate it. After doing your research, you decided that a charcoal grill is right for you. Now what?

Now that you have decided you want a charcoal grill, you have to decide what type of charcoal grill will suit your needs. Are you planning on traveling and using your charcoal grill? If so, you will need a charcoal grill that is small enough to travel with you. Smaller charcoal grills are ideal for cookouts, camping, and tail gate parties, but would not be useful if you were cooking for a larger amount of people. If you plan on feeding a larger amount of people, a larger charcoal grill will better suit your needs. If you are having issues deciding on which type you should get, you may consider getting both. Smaller charcoals grills can cost as little as $10 to $15 dollars, and will give you the ability to travel.

Charcoal grills contain hot embers and fire when it is in use. Safety should also be a major concern when you are picking out your first Charcoal grill. Look for a charcoal grill with a sturdy structure and sturdy legs. If you grill does now have sturdy legs, its chances of falling over is much greater. When a charcoal grill falls over, it will send the hot coals flying. Many charcoal grills also have built in safety features such as a water reservoir and smothering valves. Undoubtedly, when you are cooking with fire, accidents can happen. In the case that your grill gets out of control or become to hot, these safety features will prevent potentially dangerous fires. The fire department has much better things to do then help you cook.

One of the most noticeable features when using charcoal is the flavor of the food you cook. To cook with a charcoal grill, you must buy charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid. Charcoal is a one use item, and will need to be discarded after each use. Charcoal can be picked up at your local superstore, gas station, or grocery store, and is typically pretty inexpensive. Charcoal must be light and allowed to burn until the charcoal is no longer on fire, but is red embers. The best way to get the pile to burn is by stacking it in a pyramid.

While no one likes to clean their grill, it is necessary to maintain your grill if you want it to last its intended lifetime. Leaving the grill dirty for any amount of time will cause the buildup to become hard, and may make it harder to remove. Use a wire brush to clean off the surface areas of your grill, and then spray cooking oil on the surface. Take the racks off and clean them with dishwashing soap. Dawn or other brands that have degreasers work best. Rinse the racks off, and replace them in the grill.

Why is Barbequing So Popular?

Barbequing is an American tradition. Each year, statistics show that at least 90% of families attend at least one barbeque party or celebration. About 40% of families delight in throwing parties that center around the idea of barbequing. With statistics like that, one must wonder why barbequing is such a popular event and tradition.

First, barbequing or grilling allows you to create a meal that is unmatched by any other type of cooking. The grilled smell and taste will perk up even the pickiest meat eater.

A variety of meats and side dishes are used when barbequing. Traditionally, families cook pork, beef, and fish on their grills. When visiting your local grocery store, look for meats that are specifically cut and packaged for barbequing. If you do not find pre packaged meats, then chances are spices, marinates, and kits for grilling are somewhere near by.

Traditional side dishes include potato salad, beans, and coleslaw. These sides work well with the variety of meats available and are easy to prepare and store until it is time to eat.

Your traditional condiment bar should include pickles, relish, and onions.

Different types of grills will present different types of flavors. Charcoal and smoker grills present a natural smoked flavor which is one of the most known tastes of barbequing. Smokers even allow you to control slight changes in the favor of the meat by using different types of woods. Alternatively, propane grills allow grillers to cook their meals faster, but still have a grilled flavor.

Some grills have the ability to come with many different types of cooking surfaces. These different cooking surfaces include a BBQ surface, a flat grill, and a ribbed grill. Some grills even offer these types of surfaces as none stick, which allow you to cook a whole array of foods that you would not be able to cook on a grill otherwise. You will be able to cook your whole meal, including side dishes if you plan correctly. Some gas grills even contain a Wok type surface for cooking pasta and rise dishes, or a full rotisserie set that allows you to cook rotisserie chicken.

Another reason barbequing is so popular is the fact that it gives you a reason to hold a party or celebration.

Outdoor parties not only allow your guests to be present during the cooking of the meal, but also give them the opportunity to be with friends.

Themed parties are always fun for your family and guests. Festive decorations can be found at any local party or general store. You may also consider purchasing decorations that can be stored and reused at a different time, such as reusable tablecloths and Tiki torches. Give your clambake a beach theme by adding tropical music and you may even consider adding some sand.

Finally, barbequing is popular because it can be considered a hobby as well. Barbequing, like anything else in life, takes time and practice. It can be fun to play and experiment with different techniques and recipes. Once you have developed a like for barbequing, then you can focus on creating your own variations on traditional recipes and ideas.

Barbequing is typically thought of as a summer event, but some diehard fans of barbeque will not think twice about breaking out their barbeque grills right in the middle of winter.

Using Gas Grills

The act of Barbequing or Grilling has been around as long as humans. Cavemen quickly realized that food tasted good after it was cooked over an open fire. Barbequing has become a standard American tradition for families. The reasons as clear as to why, not only does the food that comes from barbequing have a taste that is unmatched by other cooking methods, but barbequing presents a reason for families to gather together.

Gas grills work by a spark igniting the gas within the grill. Gas grills typically have a knob or button in which you push, which in turn activates a small hammer. The hammer hits the top of an ignition crystal. Then the burner mixes the gas with oxygen and spreads it all over the cooking surface.

Gas grills come in all shapes and sizes, which makes then ideal for just about any type of barbequing party. Smaller gas grills give you the portability needed to plan barbeque parties away from home. Larger gas grills are handy and efficient for cooking larger amounts of food quickly, and without the mess of other types of grills.

So after deciding that you indeed are in the market for a barbeque grill, there are several factors that you must consider when you purchase your first gas grill.

Weight

Gas grills literally come in all shapes and sizes. The type of grill you get should really depend on what you plan on using the grill for. If you foresee camping trips, barbeques at the beach or tailgate parties, you may want to consider getting a smaller gas grill. Smaller gas grills can range from anywhere from 10 to 40 pounds. Portable gas containers are also available for these types of grills.

If your plans are move focused on home cooking, then larger grills should suit you fine.

Cooking Surfaces

Gas grills, unlike some of the other grills types, have the ability to come with many different types of cooking surfaces. These different cooking surfaces include a BBQ surface, a flat grill, and a ribbed grill. Some grills even offer these types of surfaces as none stick, which allow you to cook a whole array of foods that you would not be able to cook on a grill otherwise. You will be able to cook your whole meal, including side dishes if you plan correctly.

Some gas grills even contain a Wok type surface for cooking pasta and rise dishes, or a full rotisserie set that allows you to cook rotisserie chicken.

Surface Area

Similar to weight, you should consider the amount of cooking surface area you will need, depending on the situations you will be in. If you will only be cooking for yourself or you and one other, you will want a gas grill with a smaller surface area, as it will be easier to clean. If you plan on holding parties or cooking for a larger family, then you will want to consider a gas grill with a larger surface area.

This surface area may also include different types of cooking surfaces. Look for the type that suits you best, or is interchangeable.

Cost

Gas grills are typically on the higher end of the cost scale, as they require more mechanical parts then other grills. You can expect to spend anywhere from $50 for a smaller grill up to $400+ for a large stationary grill.

You also have to remember that you must also purchase the gas for your grill.