How Do You Cook Well???

I was once asked by a close friend, "how do you cook well" This of course caught me by surprise, I mean i really never thought about it, sure everyone has there own approach , preferences, but have you ever thought why? I finally sat down, which is now, thought about it and this is what i wrote..............



As a Chef myself, cooking to me is well beyond just following recipes from a magazine or a recipe card that written in chicken scratch and stained from previous attempts. Its about having the passion to cook and create a dish from farm fresh produce, free range meats whatever they may be. In theory a locavore.

This is were the cooking well piece comes in for me, food, were did it come from? Was it picked prematurely and placed in a cardboard box and shipped across country to you local grocer? Why? With the available resources these days, getting fresh local produce its so easy, a little more expensive, so what i will pay more to have a tomato that tastes like it just came out of my grandmothers garden any day over a unripened flavorless grocery store variety. That little bit more you pay is for the TLC a farmer gives to his crops and prides himself or herself in quality of quantity.

Having my culinary degree to me is a huge advantage of having the common knowledge of cooking, knowing your ingredients and how to apply all in a medley in which will form a fresh, well cooked meal that flows from farm to purchaser(being you) to plate, to the final resting place, but before doing so will send a euphoria of textures to your mouth, followed by a explosion of flavors old and new.

The last and final way i believe i cook well, is seeing people smile when they eat my food, they understand and appreciate the effort that went into creating a simple, fresh homemade meal, it never gets old, if anything for me it drives me to get better, strive new heights and make simple food fresh food.