Secrets of Restaurant Chefs
These days, it seems everyone is an expert on cooking. There are many television food shows to choose from to learn how to cook, magazines galore with pages graced with beautiful looking dishes, and unlimited information on the internet.
Is it really that easy to learn how to cook or even become a master chef?
To cook, maybe it could be that easy, but to become a master chef, no.
Master Chefs train under other professional chef’s usually up to 4 years where knowledge is imparted from the teacher and skills are taught to the student.
There are many secrets learnt in the professional kitchen that you won’t read in magazines or learn from television cooks. These are secrets that are learnt and passed down from one Chef to another.
Chef’s can be a funny bunch, often they don’t like to impart of their recipes, and so it is with their trade secrets, and it’s only by working closely with them you can learn these secrets. It’s not that they are selfish, the reason is, they have worked long and hard to learn these things, they have done the hard yards, worked the long hours, sacrificed time from loved ones all to build up their career. Imparting such secrets to a “fly by nighter” would be like throwing “pearls before swine’s”.
There are many secrets however that if a domestic cook knew it would make life easier for them.
Here are some secrets I’m going to share with you:
1. Adding salt to the pasta water is another pointless step, it does not make the water boil faster or add flavor. Add flavorings after the pasta is cooked and strained.
2. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice each quart of water when cooking rice to keep it fluffy and reduce sticking.
3. When boiling milk, add a pinch of baking soda and stir in before boiling. This will make the milk not curdle when heated.
4. Store flour in an airtight container with a few dried bay leaves to deter pests such as flour bugs- this will not change the flour’s flavor.
5. Be sure to beat egg whites in a glass or plastic bowl rather than an aluminum one, as aluminum will darken them.
Chef’s know many secrets that would make life a lot easier in the kitchen for the home cook. When you learn a few of these tips incorporating them into your cooking will most likely prevent disaster and could well save you money.
Marsher Smiman is a qualified Chef, a mother, and a business owner. She loves to share her cooking knowledge with others.
