When we think of winter, we often think of cold, short days, and long for fresh fruits and vegetables from our home gardens. However, we can have some culinary fun with winter too as this season provides some great winter vegetables to satisfy our palettes. We can keep our gardens alive and our bellies full…
Category: Chef
Understanding the Rockwell Hardness Scale
There are many ways that we can measure the quality of a knife. Some of the more popular and obvious ways to determine the quality of a knife are feeling the weight and balance of the knife and knowing what material the blade is made from. A less known method of determining the quality of…
The Ultimate Chef Ruler
The Culinary Student’s Cheat Sheet! Whether you’re in secondary or post-secondary school, this is the ULTIMATE learning tool. It provides the most comprehensive and useful information available and is European made to exacting standards with tempered stainless steel and non-toxic ink. The UCR features precise cutting and modelling guides for: classic vegetable cuts, culinary facts and…
The Science of Cooking
This post was written with ideas from “The Complete Book of Knife Skills” by Jeffrey Elliot and James P. DeWan. There are various publications that discuss many key points to help the aspiring cook or foodie master the skills a good chef possesses. Today, we are going to dive deeper into understanding The Science of…
Forget Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread Everything!
December is just around the corner! No really, it’s December tomorrow! Hard to believe we were just drinking our Pumpkin Spice Lattes and participating in fun Fall activities! It’s time for the Pumpkin Spice to move on over because Winter’s favorite flavor is moving in…GINGERBREAD! Gingerbread Cake Cookies Classic Gingerbread Cake Gingerbread Pancakes Gingerbread Cupcakes
Part 2: Crafting the Perfect Knife
The Final Outcome To truly test the quality of a piece of chocolate, it is recommended to take a bite and really taste it. A chocolate confection can be very attractive to the eye yet disappoint in its taste and quality. Believe it or not, the same principle applies to knives (just without the tasting)!…
Part 1: Crafting the Perfect Knife
How the Perfect Knife is just like the Best Chocolate You’ve Ever Had Written by Canada Cutlery Inc. (CCI) For CCI, crafting the perfect knife is a lot like the process of making the best chocolate. As one of the main ingredients, it is essential to only get cocoa from the best trees found in…
Are You Whisking the Best Way You Can Be?
Video Credit: America’s Test Kitchen From America’s Test Kitchen: We’ve noticed that different cooks seem to favor different motions when using a whisk. Some prefer side-to-side strokes, others use circular stirring, and others like the looping action of beating that takes the whisk up and out of the bowl. That got us wondering: Is any one…
Carving, Garnishing and Decorating: Colorful Leaves
au·tumn ˈôdəm/ noun noun: autumn; plural noun: autumns the third season of the year, when crops and fruits are gathered and leaves fall, in the northern hemisphere from September to November and in the southern hemisphere from March to May. “the countryside is ablaze with color in autumn” There are so many fun outdoor activities…
Facts About Thermometers
CALIBRATING A THERMOMETER Calibrating a thermometer is actually a very simple process. It may be necessary to do from time to time to ensure accuracy. The following instructions should help you. DIAL THERMOMETERS By placing the stem of the thermometer in an ice water bath you can check the lower temperature on the scale. Alternately,…
How to: Use a Julienne Cutting Set
For the professional chef, making julienne cuts is a simple task. As one of the first things they learn in culinary school, these basic knife skills are what allow them to prepare stunning meals that seems entirely impossible to recreate at home! Luckily, the stainless-steel, German made julienne set has made the job easier for the everyday…
Professional Knife Safety Facts
WHEN HANDLING A KNIFE Cuts and lacerations are some of the most common injuries reported in restaurants. These types of injuries can be reduced by implementing some simple strategies. Keep knives sharp (dull knives are unsafe and cause fatigue) Never leave knives soaking in water Make sure your hands are dry and the surface you…
Tools for The Discriminating Chef 