s
I cook each dish to my recipe and then photograph it
with no tricks or special effects. So
what you see is what you will get. And there are all practical recipes that
can be eaten daily and cooked by an average person with a bit of
skill in the kitchen.
I am not a big fan of celebrity 5 star dining. The sooner this style becomes so last decade the better off dining will be. At such a celebrity restaurant, I had a piece of undercooked protein fluffed up on soggy puree with some strange weeds drizzled in olive oil and over salted at an outragious price. Give me a break! I am here to eat, not look at flower arrangements. What is wrong with a bit of white wine cream sauce or a cheesey mornay. And why can't I have my vegetables separated from my meat. "Can I have the chef use a bit less salt with that, thanks" and the waiter looses the plot.
I like classic cooking styles and chefs that reconstruct the classic recipes get my business. Creating a new recipe that will stand the test of time and be cooked worldwide is a real feat. Which modern chef has done that! Other than Buffalo Wings (Kookaburra wings) I haven't seen too many to speak of in the last 25 years. Increasing the height of a dish, drizzling olive oil, heavily salting or using extreme and wasteful techniques will not create the next Duck a La Orange or Chicken Cacciatore. It seems that from the end of WW1 till about the mid 1970's most recipes appeared. From then on there are relatively few new recipes. (for mass consumption and cooked universally) Lets hope that trend reverses soon. Who can be the next Gaston Lenotre and create a whole cuisine.
I am not a big fan of celebrity 5 star dining. The sooner this style becomes so last decade the better off dining will be. At such a celebrity restaurant, I had a piece of undercooked protein fluffed up on soggy puree with some strange weeds drizzled in olive oil and over salted at an outragious price. Give me a break! I am here to eat, not look at flower arrangements. What is wrong with a bit of white wine cream sauce or a cheesey mornay. And why can't I have my vegetables separated from my meat. "Can I have the chef use a bit less salt with that, thanks" and the waiter looses the plot.
I like classic cooking styles and chefs that reconstruct the classic recipes get my business. Creating a new recipe that will stand the test of time and be cooked worldwide is a real feat. Which modern chef has done that! Other than Buffalo Wings (Kookaburra wings) I haven't seen too many to speak of in the last 25 years. Increasing the height of a dish, drizzling olive oil, heavily salting or using extreme and wasteful techniques will not create the next Duck a La Orange or Chicken Cacciatore. It seems that from the end of WW1 till about the mid 1970's most recipes appeared. From then on there are relatively few new recipes. (for mass consumption and cooked universally) Lets hope that trend reverses soon. Who can be the next Gaston Lenotre and create a whole cuisine.
To become a good cook you need to make mistakes. I do all the time. Trial and error. Narrow in on the things that make a recipe work. Quality ingredients,texture, taste and feel. Attention to detail with a plan during the cook and then after the cook think it through. What would make it better. Plan adjustments for the next time. Note them down. Might be less flour or more herbs, a different technique. Whatever. As time goes by good cooking becomes instinctive.
