Passionate cooks from around the world combine wisdom, synergy and passion for the ultimate meal – devoted diners show their appreciation by returning again and again. Many explore the world of becoming a personal chef boulder co to gain the freedom that often is not available when working as a chef in a restaurant
Rich, rustic culinary influences which are raw and untethered can be found in many authentic chefs around the world. Having a sleeves up attitude leads to culinary feats that many never quite find. For instance, how many chefs do you know that travel to the farm and select a pig which they then take home of break down in their inhome slaughterhouse. Witnessing all that blood and bone connects you to the animal and makes you, believe it or not, a better personal chef in Boulder co.
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Black pudding is a popular byproduct of the above ritual and it has inspired many a chef. It goes well with strudel, cabbage rolls and other experiments. Everyone wants to experiment with food with a base of ‘sameness’. Something new grounded in the known and loved. Recipes remained the same but variations would emerge – but the original recipes are passed down from generation to generation.
“In a day where everyone wants to experiment with food, there is something comforting about the sameness of it all. My mother would never change a recipe. It’s the passing down of those traditions that I always loved.” These traditions are strengthened when my parnets who ran a French restaurant on the east coast in the 80’sd Chez Jeane. “With our mother, she cooked with an air of loving and nurturing support”. “Even though we had a restaurant, at the end of the day we had a home cooked meal on the table and we knew exactly why. What other than love would cause a woman who worked with food all day to come home and prepare more food for 3 children? She was amazing!” This was part of what inspired me to take a commercial cooking course and to endlessly reading old cook books.
I was late to become a chef at 25 yrs old but after travelling extensively I landed my first job which is where I was introduced to the concepts of seasonal dining and the freshness of local products. It was a wine bar with amazing food – the atmosphere was amazing. I made it to head chef. Just the interior of the ‘bar’ made the food taste better it had ambiance in addition to over 400 wines to sample. I took to further developing the menu which I did. We also started introducing the concept of shared foods – and matched wines. The food was meant to compliment the wine – we didn’t want the food overshadowing the wine experience. We matched the food to the wine rather than what is traditionally done – the other way around.
Modern Euro food lends itself well to being complemented by wine. I tried to maintain a composure that was not the norm in many kitchens – no yelling or profanity. We would chat about food and wine philosophies in between dishes. We would encourage diners to peruse the extensive list of French and Italian dishes available in our revised menus and then to go on a ‘shared plate’ adventure that is still fairly unusual. This enabled them to have an experience of the full range of the menu such as local whitefish wrapped in olive leaves with a fresh zucchini and fregola salad. We do not overpower food with too many spices. King prawn and saffron terrine with a quail filled with mushroom duxelle, sweatbread etc… was a favorite dish. We also take pride in making both the dishes look amazing but also the ambiance of the restaurant.
As a chef you have to get used to converting negative feedback into your future strengths. Also, service can be stressful but planning well ahead is one tried and true way to combat this vocational annoyance. With experience you can actually learn to get in synch with what we refer to as controlled chaos. Keep the big picture in mind, learn from your mistakes and create amazing food. At the end of the day, I review the dishes I created and ask myself if they were delicious – if the answer is yes then I’ve done my job!