Posted On: September 29, 2011 by ChefsResources
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The contest has ended!! I put all the names in the hat, closed my eyes, mixed them up and… The winner is MPHILLIPS! Enjoy your new chef coat and thanks to everyone who participated.
Chefs Resources has teamed with Crooked Brook Chef Coats for our second giveaway! They make premium professional chef coats geared towards comfort, style and functionality. Their coats are killer and there are two ways to enter.
Contest ends October 15, 2011 at midnight pacific standard time.
Although all Crooked Brook chef coats are made to order, they have some chef jackets in various styles and sizes that were accidentally not made according to the customer’s specifications, or have slight imperfections. These men’s and women’s chef coats cannot be sold as new so, I have partnered with Crooked Brook and we are offering them as giveaways.
● White 100% 8oz Cotton Gabardine
● Left shoulder sleeve tailored welt pocket
● Long Sleeves
● Knot buttons
● Value: $152.00 including shipping
Contest Requirements
No purchase is necessary. You need to register with Chef’s Resources in order to see the comment section at the bottom of this page. There are two ways to get entered into the free drawing. First entry method: if you have purchased the Fishmonger App or the Cuts of Beef App, leave a review for the app in iTunes or Android Market and post a comment on this page saying you have rated one of the apps (include the name you used on the app review page so I know who’s who). You can get two entries in the drawing if you do a review for both apps and post a comment here saying so. (Not valid for entry into this contest if you have already reviewed the app prior to October 1st).
Here are links to the review pages:
Cuts of Beef – iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cuts-of-beef/id454144405?mt=8#
Fishmonger – iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fishmonger/id441373820?mt=8#
Fishmonger – Android https://market.android.com/details?id=com.qbiki.fishmonger2
Cuts of Beef – Android https://market.android.com/details?id=com.qbiki.cutsofbeef2
Second entry method: if you do not own the Fishmonger or Cuts of Beef apps no worries! You can enter by going to our home page and give us a Google Plus vote by clicking on the Google Plus button located in the upper left region of the page and leave a comment on this page (not the home page) saying you have done so.
The Fine Print
You need to register to add a comment, but we do not share your email with any third parties, we do not sell our email list.
Contest ends midnight (pacific standard time) 10/15/11
Winner will be chosen by a random drawing of qualified entrants.
Winner will be notified by email by 10/19/11 and will also be posted on this page. Odds of winning are dependent upon the number of entries.
Void where prohibited by law.
Prize will be shipped to winner within 30 days of contest end.
You must be 18 years or older to win.
US and Canada residents only,
US recipients must be a resident of one of the 48 contiguous states.
Canada recipients will be responsible for all duties, tariffs, and taxes.
You can enter by regular mail by sending your entry to the address below. Mail-in entries must be date stamped no later than midnight 10/15/11
Chef’s Resources
1450 Sunset Avenue #A
Ferndale, WA 98248
Comments
Posted In:Contests
Posted On: September 20, 2011 by ChefsResources
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Les Nomades Chicago Review
Chef Brent Clarkson and I attended a three day culinary seminar in Chicago and of course we had to try some Chicago restaurants when we were not in class. I had no idea that Chicago was such a huge foodie town; I needed another $3000 and 2 weeks to eat my way through this town!
Our first day there we had a fabulous dinner at Les Nomades in Chicago, a highly rated restaurant I found using the Zagat Reviews. They have maintained a Mobile 4 star rating from 2001-2009. I made the reservations a month in advance. When the manager learned that we were chefs she passed that info on to Chef Chris Nugent who offered us his Twelve Course Dugustation Menu. We also chose a five-course wine pairing and after a few questions from the Sommelier about our preferences we left the wine selections up to him.
From the moment we arrived we were treated like special guests. The service was very professional, all the plates were perfectly presented (6 o’clock position was always correctly placed), waters never got more than half empty, staff was attentive but not intrusive. Exceptional service and food all the way around.
Les Nomades Review – Twelve Course Degustation Menu
Sunchoke soup, truffle foam, gougere
The Sunchoke soup was satiny smooth with good flavor. The foam had a nice texture with good elevation, not the “spit bubble” foam which is also popular but which I find unpleasant to look at. The gougere added a contrasting texture to the dish… I think it was filled with greyere?
Three preparations of smoked salmon, celery root, fennel, preserved Meyer lemon
This was a conceptually cool plate presentation. Loved the three presentations on one plate. Up front is a lox style smoked salmon over parsley pesto. Next is a tartar variation. And in the dish is square-cut smoked salmon.
Roasted quail, spiced beluga lentils, grain mustard, locally grown apple
This dish is my favorite presentation. The main components are set slightly off-center leaving a lot of white space on the right. You have a disk shape and a line… simple yet elegant. I’ve already played with a duo of King Salmon and Lamb Chop presented in a somewhat similar manner.
Butter poached Maine lobster, sweet corn ragout, sea beans, tarragon lobster jus
Butter poached lobster must be cooked correctly so as to not make it tough (over-cooked). This dish was perfectly prepared, tender and sweet. Sea beans can be very salty with a natural sea water flavor. These were lightly cooked which decreased their natural salinity making them a nice match for this dish.
Veal sweetbreads, wild mushroom risotto
Wonderful caramelization on the Sweetbreads, making them crunchy on the outside but tender on the inside giving it a wonderful contrast of texture. Just enough risotto to complement the dish but not bulk it up with unnecessary starch.
Heirloom tomato salad, fennel, mache, Roquefort cheese, Minus 8 vinaigrette
Three or four varieties of heirlooms were used in this salad along with Minus 8 vinaigrette. I hadn’t heard of Minus 8 before so here’s the story in brief. It is produced in Niagara, Ontario Canada and is named for the temperature at which the grapes are harvested; -8 Celsius. Their marketing states, “Minus 8 Vinegar is characterized by mouth-watering acidity, natural sweetness, balance in taste, ripe fruit and wine flavors, and a roundness and depth from years of aging in French Oak.” Chefs who use it on their menus include Thomas Keller, Eric Ripert, and Tom Colicchio. You can purchase Minus 8 from Amazaon.com Minus 8 Vinegar (6.76 ounce)
Loup de mer, lobster ragout, preserved Meyer lemon, Cognac jus
Loup de mer usually refers to Sea Bass which can be a generic name for several white fleshed, mild flavored fish but I’m not sure which variety was used. This was yet another well balanced course, the fish was tender and juicy and the flavors combined well to elevate the entire dish. The Parisian vegetables added a nice visual contrast.
Roasted venison
Look at the way the venison is cooked… a perfect circle of doneness all the way around and beautifully rare-medium rare in the center. It is presented over Israeli cous cous and I think it was a parsley pesto in the center with roasted red & yellow bell peppers.
Artisan Cheeses
I overlooked getting a picture of this course!
Fresh fruit soup
I remember the fruit soup being refreshing, but I don’t remember the flavor profiles! We were about 3 1/2 hours into dinner and had consumed a fair amount of wine and bourbon by this point. I had pretty much gone into full indulgence of culinary pleasures, screw everything else!
Pastry Assortment chocolate mousse cone, lemon tart, coconut crème brulee and caramel ice cream
WTH! I didn’t get a picture of the dessert course either! I saw it and dove right in… it was delicious.
Petits fours
Finally, back on track! For the closing to the dinner we were presented an assortment of house-made petit fours. In American culture, this seems like dessert twice and is not part of most menus. But in classic European restaurant service, this course is served after dinner with tea, coffee, cordials or dessert wines.
It took us four hours to complete dinner at a leisurely pace. We met a wonderful “foodie couple” who were professional musicians in the orchestra and they shared some info about Chicago. We enjoyed conversation with them through-out the night and they actually called a chef friend of theirs to arrange dinner for us if we had time the following night, but unfortunately this didn’t work into our schedule.
I very much enjoyed my experience at Les Nomades and would recommend it to anyone. I’m not sure if the 12 Course Degustation Menu is always available but of course they have a regular ala carte menu.
Our total bill for two before tax and tip: $506.50
Food: $350.00
Wine Pairing: $130.00
Bourbon: $26.50
Posted In:Restaurant Review
Posted On: September 16, 2011 by ChefsResources
Should your Line Cooks Smoke?
What are your thoughts and/or policies regarding smoke breaks for your Line Cooks?
I’ve been in restaurant kitchens for over 30 years and in that time it seems like line cooks, chefs, and cigarettes are always found together. Watch Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and you will see the stereotypical professional cook who always has either a cigarette or alcohol in his hand. I love Bourdain because he gives an un-adulterated view of the psyche of the kitchen culture.
But what effect does all these smokers have upon the hospitality industry in general, and upon your kitchen specifically? It’s generally known that smokers take more breaks than non-smokers. And in some establishments this causes resentment and/or animosity for obvious reasons… the non-smokers do more work. Several other issues come into play as well. For instance, if your saucier has just finished his cigarette and is now putting the finishing touches on sauces for service, is his ability to finesse a sauce compromised by the cigarette he just inhaled? I think that smoking a cigarette during work compromises one’s ability to taste accurately. So much so that in one kitchen I oversaw no one was allowed to smoke during service. We did lots of pan sauces and I expected the cooks to taste each sauce before it hit the plate.
Do Smokers get Special Treatment?
Smokers are also difficult to regulate. On the one hand you need them in the kitchen prepping for service or slamming out food during the dinner rush. On the other hand, the worst smokers need a cigarette on a regular basis otherwise they become frustrated and lose focus. So you’re left with either trying to accommodate smokers, and therefore show special consideration for them which you don’t show for non-smokers. Or you hold everybody to the same bar regarding breaks and start documenting your smokers who cannot perform their jobs correctly without having a cigarette every hour.
One possible solution to this mess is the way in which breaks are taken. Many states suggest or require two fifteen minute breaks and one thirty minute break for every eight hour shift. One possible solution is to break the two fifteen minute breaks into four 7 1/2 minute breaks or six five-minute breaks for smokers. This allows the same amount of time for breaks but just divides them up into more frequent segments. The difficulty with this is tracking it and making sure that again the smokers aren’t stretching their breaks and ending up with an hour and a half worth of breaks while your non-smokers are only getting the standard hour.
So what are your thoughts and experiences on this topic? What solutions have you implemented in your kitchen? Is there conflict in your kitchen between smokers and non-smokers? Do you believe that smoking during service impairs a cook’s ability to taste? Do smokers deserve more breaks than the rest of the staff? Follow the discussion at Chef’s Resources on LinkedIn.
Posted In:Kitchen Management
Posted On: September 6, 2011 by ChefsResources
Tuesday September 6, 2011
The contest has ended!! I put all the names in the hat (some of you qualified for two entries and so had two names in the hat), closed my eyes, mixed them up and… The winner is Chef David Ledinsky! Enjoy your new chef coat and thanks to everyone who participated. Check back next month as we may be running another contest in October 2011.
Chefs Resources has teamed with Crooked Brook Chef Coats for our first giveaway! They make premium professional chef coats geared towards comfort, style and functionality. Their coats are killer and there are two ways to enter.
Contest ends September 15, 2011 at midnight pacific standard time.
Although all Crooked Brook chef coats are made to order, they have many chef jackets in various styles and sizes that were accidentally not made according to the customer’s specifications, or have slight imperfections. These men’s and women’s chef coats cannot be sold as new so, I have partnered with Crooked Brook and we are offering them as giveaways.
● White 100% Cotton Seersucker
● Left chest tailored welt pocket
● Long Sleeves
● Faux MOP-B buttons
● Value: $150.00 including shipping
Contest Requirements
No purchase is necessary. You need to register with Chef’s Resources in order to see the comment section at the bottom of this page. There are two ways to get entered into the free drawing. First, if you have purchased the Fishmonger App or the Cuts of Beef App, leave a review for the app in iTunes or Android Market and post a comment on this page saying you have rated one of the apps (include the name you used on the app review page so I know who’s who). You can get two entries in the drawing if you do a review for both apps and post a comment here saying so.
Here are links to the review pages:
Cuts of Beef – iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cuts-of-beef/id454144405?mt=8#
Fishmonger – iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fishmonger/id441373820?mt=8#
Fishmonger – Android https://market.android.com/details?id=com.qbiki.fishmonger2
Cuts of Beef – Android https://market.android.com/details?id=com.qbiki.cutsofbeef2
Second, if you do not own the apps no worries! You can enter by leaving a comment providing the following info about a fish not already listed in our Finfish index (for a list of fish on Chefs Resources see the left side menu after clicking the Finfish Index link):
- Name of a fish not listed on this site (must be a fish served in restaurants, ie not an aquarium or other non-culinary fish)
- Name a country and location which the fish inhabits (ie USA Pacific Ocean)
- Any information which you already know about this fish
- Why this fish interests you
- You can get two entries by doing this for two different fish
The Fine Print
You can only have a maximum of two entries, but you can mix those entries by any combination of acceptable entry methods. You need to register to add a comment, but we do not share your email with any third parties, we do not sell our email list.
Contest ends midnight (pacific standard time) 09/15/11
Winner will be chosen by a random drawing of qualified entrants.
Winner will be notified by email by 9/19/11 and will also be posted on this page. Odds of winning are dependent upon the number of entries.
Void where prohibited by law.
Prize will be shipped to winner within 30 days of contest end.
You must be 18 years or older to win.
US and Canada residents only,
US recipients must be a resident of one of the 48 contiguous states.
Canada recipients will be responsible for all duties, tariffs, and taxes.
You can enter by regular mail by sending your entry to the address below. Mail-in entries must be date stamped no later than midnight 09/15/11
Chef’s Resources
1450 Sunset Avenue #A
Ferndale, WA 98248
Comments from before Site Migration
Posted In:Contests
I +1’d as well. Love this site. Found a lot of very useful things. The downloadable content is awesome! I left a comment there as well!