Welcome Back to Pressure Cooker Cooking
While many think of a pressure cooker as an anachronistic tool grandmothers used—and sometimes misused—the new reality is that pressure cookers are in vogue again. Some of the newfound popularity has surely been stirred by seeing television chefs using pressure cookers to speed up their cooking. They have found their way into the professional kitchen as an adjunct to standard 
pots and pans. These pots deserve another look, as they have arisen as a dynamic product offering.
One Iron Chef cook, Ming Tsai, said in a recent interview, “My newest favorite toy for braising is a pressure cooker….If my eyes were closed and someone gave me pressure-cooked duck legs and then something that had been braised for three hours, it would be really hard to tell the difference.” High praise for this steamy pot!
The Joys of Pressure Cooker Cooking
While there are many reasons to consider adding a pressure cooker to the professional kitchen arsenal, speed is at the top of the list. Food cooks in about a third of the usual time. Meat cooks in 20 minutes or less, and vegetables take ...continue reading
A Day in the Life of an Executive Chef
Executive Chef- Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Most aspiring chefs look forward to the day that they can add “Executive Chef” to their signature, the day when all compliments (and let’s face it, complaints) will be directed toward them and when they will be running their own professional commercial kitchen. So now that you’ve earned the title Executive Chef, what does that mean for you?
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Chef Training
There’s a lot of training involved in becoming an Executive Chef and being able to run your own successful professional kitchen. A reputable degree is of utmost importance, as well as a few years of apprenticeship learning the trade.
Chef Career
An Executive Chef actually spends less time in the kitchen than any other chef does. He or she is responsible for all the paperwork and has to make sure the inventory gets taken care of. Furthermore, an Executive Chef has meetings to attend, whether it’s with vendors or with his own staff members, has to manage the kitchen and its environs and deal with the many issues that crop up on a daily basis. He or she has to plan the menus, and create innovative recipes that will be appetizing and successful. It is for this reason that the actual cooking is typically done by the Sous chef or Line chefs. ...continue reading