My Culinary Library

So I have already posted a few books I own and my reviews of them, but I decided to write down my entire culinary library and share it with you all as well as my feelings about the books. Some I will lump together based on authors, some because they are a series. So I hope these all help you as they have helped me.

The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America.
This book helped me a lot. It contains everything you need to know about cooking and the kitchen. It contains explanations of utensils, food preparations, styles of cooking, nutrition, health and safety, and contains several helpful hints and recipes. I suggest this book to anyone who is wanting to cook professionally. It will help you in the long run. Think of it as your cooking textbook.

Ad Hoc at Home and The French Laundry By Thomas Keller.
These two books are collections of recipes and stories from one of the best chefs of the past 20 years. Thomas Keller never went to culinary school, but he runs several restaurants that have waiting lists so long it will take you months to get in. These foods are fancy, but he explains them so well anyone can do them.

Culinary Artistry and The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dorenburg
Both books help you in the combining of flavors and textures. They explain how each food and spice reacts with each other and helps you create dishes you never thought you could create. They also explain how to arrange foods on plates to make them look better.

Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook
This cookbook is great if you are a fan of Bourdain or not. The book contains helpful hints and recipes that Bourdain used while the chef at Les Halles in NYC. All recipes are written and explained so even someone new to cooking can do it.

The Joy of Cooking
This book is all you need really if you just want to cook at home. It is over a 1000 pages of recipes that have been updated and added to the book in the past 80 years. This book is a must have.

Practical-Meat dishes, Quick and Easy, One Pot, Italian, Chicken Dishes, and Meat Dishes.
This series of six books are all one something else and make easy reads for quick and great meals at home. Just straight recipes and nothing else. All you need for a quick good idea.

German Cookery by Elizabeth Schuler
Great for those who love German food but do not know how to prepare it. This book has alot of recipes and alot of new foods to try.

Cuisine Niçoise by Jacques Medecin
Great collection of Niçoise style food recipes. Niçoise is a style of food started in Nice which is on the Mediterranean and has French and Italian influences. Great combination and great food.

Best Burgers
A great collection of burger recipes. It had tuna, salmon, chicken, beef, pork, and all other kinds of burgers. Great for summer cooking.

Beer and Food-Great Recipes to Complement Great Beers
Contains explanations of the different styles of beers, what they go good with, beers to try of that style, and some recipes for each beer style. Great if you are a beer lover like me.

Traditional Irish Recipes by John Murphy
No joke here, this is real Irish food. I have used this book a few times for ideas for St. Patrick's day. No corn beef and cabbage here. These are great foods that you will enjoy time and time again.

Pagan Feasts by Anna Franklin and Sue Phillips
This book is all vegetarian foods but it is designed for people of pagan faiths. It breaks down each sabbat with an explanation and has a list of foods and beverages with recipes. I have used this book time and time again.

Kitchen Confidential, Medium Raw, The Nasty Bits, and a Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain.
The first three books are about professional kitchens and the food industry as a whole. All three will paint a vivid picture of being a cook. The last one is all about being a food writer and working on a tv show devoted to eating foods in other countries. All are must read books and will help you love food as much as I do.

The Making of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman
I just got this book and have not started reading it, but it is all about surviving culinary school at the CIA in NYC. The CIA is one of the best culinary schools in America and both Bourdain and Ruhlman graduated from it. So it is helpful for that aspect of life and is sure to be filled with helpful hints and such for cooking.

The Devil in the Kitchen by Marco Pierre White

This is the autobiography of the youngest British chef to receive 3 Michelin Stars. Three stars is the highest you can get and he got them at age 33. Marco has trained Gordan Ramsey and Mario Batali and was considered the first celebrity chef. So this book is filled with helpful stories and will show you what it is like to be a chef in a place like England.

I add to my library alot and I will update it on here when I can. Read this books and any you can find, but I suggest staying away from crappy books from celebrity chefs like Paula Deen and the likes. They are good, but not as good as others and you can find much better recipes and helpful hints in other books. Enjoy and keep cooking.

Rules of the Back of the House aka the Restaurant Kitchen

So I have been working in the restaurant business now for almost 10 years, so I have seen alot of kitchens. Some have different rules than others but most have the same standing rules that one must obey, if not you will get no respect and will not be well liked in the kitchen. Some of these rules are also just for people outside of the kitchen as well. So listen up, read every one and take note if you plan to be a professional cook. This may help you one day.

Rule #1: Never trust the front of the house aka the servers- Now this also includes those people at the bar and the hosts. They are not to be trusted for many reasons and I shall explain. For one, they seek to cause trouble. They will try and be your friend one minute and then the next they will use you. Do not date one or sleep with one. They will ruin your life. They will never keep a secret because they are servers, you are a cook. Trust only the back of the house. We know you better than them, and we hate what is going on just as much as you do. Plus we throw better parties.

Rule #2: Never, ever get offended- You will hear some of the grossest, most disgusting and meanest things working in the kitchen. It is all said in fun and amusement. So do not take it literally or get mad about it. If someone is doing it to make you mad, the best thing to do is roll with it and throw it back at him. If you get upset and start a fight, you will not last long in the kitchen.

Rule #3: If it is not your knife or utensal, do not take it, use it, or break it- Sometimes I take my knives to work and I never let them out of my sight because I have seen how some people treat their knives. You break my knives, I will break yours or your neck. Same goes for company property. If I am using a knife, and I set it down to grab a pan, do not take it without asking. If you do, it will get taken right back and no one will trust you. Trust and show respect and you will get it in return. Do not and see what happens.

Rule #4: If you are not a cook, stay the hell out of the kitchen- I do not care if you are the front of the house manager. If you do not cook in the kitchen, stay out and stay in your area. I will not feel bad about burning or cutting someone who is not part of the kitchen. We know our way around it, you don't, accidents happen, and we will laugh. Nothing pisses a cook off more than a server who walks through the kitchen asking questions. Stay out, stay back, and leave us the hell alone. Would you want us stumbling around in your area or waiting your tables? I doubt it.

Rule #5: If you are sick, stay the fuck away from everyone- Don't you hate being sick? So does the rest of us. So stay home and stay the hell away from us. Get us sick and you will pay the price.

Rule #6: Bathe yourself- Everyone sweats and such, that is fine. But if we can tell you have not showered in a week, we will soak you in soap and run your ass through the dish machine.

Rule #7: Do not overuse breaks- if you smoke, smoke, don't gab and sit there for 15 minutes while the rest of us are dying to rest. Take your break, get back, and let someone else go. If I am getting stuck in the weeds while you are outside, smoking, talking to your girl, and just being lazy, prepare for hell when you get back, because you will be doing everything by yourself. Cooks never forget or forgive.

Rule #8: Culinary School means nothing to those who have been in the kitchen longer than you have been at school- Culinary school does not make you a cook or a chef, so do not act like you are better than a cook who has been in the kitchen twice as many years as you have been in school, he will laugh in your face and make you wash dishes. I have seen good cooks come out of the schools and I have seen terrible cooks come out of them. I know some who are spoiled because they went to school and daddy bought them their own restaurant so they can play chef, only to laugh later when they fail. Earn your stripes, make your bones, then you can brag. No one likes a loud mouth who does not have the experience. I know I can not out cook my chef or Mario Batali, but I know I can out cook some newbies with a chef complex.

Rule #9: Learn fast or get the fuck out- As someone who has had the pleasure of training those who have never cooked before, I know from first hand, not everyone can do it. If after 2 months of training you are still asking me what to do, how to do this, or what goes in this, maybe you need to find a different job. Learn fast, adapt, and keep learning. You want to advance and make more money, don't keep fucking up the simple chicken wrap or the house salad. Cooks are a dime a dozen, but good cooks are hard to come bad.

Rule #10: Snitches will get stitches- Now if I kill someone, please tell the cops, but if I drop a bowl, do not go running to the chef and start telling him. He will roll his eyes, and I will claim your right index finger the next chance I get. Accidents happen, don't blow them out of proportion because the chef will not reward you and the kitchen will see you as untrustworthy and will kick you out of our world. Now if someone hurts someone else, steals the $1000 mixer, or pisses in the pickle jar, tell the chef, but a nibble of food, a broken bowl, a bent spoon, a dropped steak, or a little drink outside should not be shared with anyone. Learn what is wrong and what is acceptable.

Rule #11: If you can't do your job, leave-This is different from Rule#9 because I am directing this at the older folks and those who weak and lazy. If you are so old you can not lift a 10# pot or a 5# bag, retire. Lifting a 50# pot of potatoes is best with help, but not something small. Most things in the kitchen can get heavy, so if you can not handle it, beef up or move on. Ask for help with the real heavy things, but handle the small shit yourself. Same at remembering things. I know a server who has been working at the same place for 30 + years. When asked why the steaks she had written down didn't have temps, she said, "Oh I didn't know I was supposed to ask." Time to retire lady because it has been the same setup for 30 + years there. Also if you are lazy and keep passing up work or keep trying to get others to do it for you, the kitchen will soon catch on and will kick you out. Do your job, do it well, or find another job.

Rule #12: Use common Sense- If it is hot, use a towl. If it is too heavy, ask for help. If the knife is falling, do not try to catch it. If the water is boiling over, turn it off. If they grill is on fire, put it out, but not with the fire extinguisher, unless it is that bad, a little water goes a long way.

So I will probably remember some more rules or have some friends suggest some more, so stay tuned. I hope these help and remember I wrote this as a kitchen guy. I am no chef so I will sugar coat nothing.

Why Must Other Kitchens Give Others Bad Names?

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/gutcheck/2011/11/mortons_steakhouse_lawsuit_sexual_harrassment_asparagus.php

The above link horrifies me as a professional cook. I have never seen nor will see this happen in any kitchen I have or will work in because it is an isolated incident. Yet no matter how isolated it is, everyone will think it happens in every kitchen because it was in the news. That is what makes me sad.

People will always read one story and automatically think it happens everywhere. When Columbine happened my High School, which has less that 500 students K through 12, wanted to install cameras and metal detectors because they thought one of the students would pull that stunt. It got so bad that no student was allowed to wear a long coat for several years. Now this story will scar kitchens like mine.

Things do happen in kitchens but never this bad and it is usually in the fast food industry. You always hear about the local burger joint getting busted for someone spitting in a burger or urinating in the pickles, but never a fine dining or similar restaurant. This one kitchen has a chef who should never have been a chef because he does not take food seriously. Any chef who stuffs food in his pants to get a laugh does not deserve a culinary degree or a kitchen to lead. I actually believe that he doesn't even have a degree, he may have been someone they just called a chef to give their kitchen a better image, which would explain his behavior as he was never taught professionalism.

In the kitchens I work in there are jokes, there are fights, and their have been sexually suggested comments, but never anything to cross the line or make people uncomfortable. No one has done what that chef did because we know there is no place for it. If I heard of my chef doing that I would call him out, if not punch him out. We are professionals, yet we have fun in the kitchen.

So if you work in a kitchen that does stupid things like the one in Florida, fix yourselves, you are professionals and this is a professional industry. If you can not take it seriously, find another job. Now to the patrons of these restaurants, do not judge the entire food industry based on isolated actions of a few. We are not all like that and we are here for a reason, to make great food. So keep coming out, keep eating and drinking, and never judge us because of a few assholes. We are professionals, not amateurs.

Restaurant prices

Today I head about a man who came into a restaurant. He ordered his food for himself and 5 of his friends, he was paying. When it came time for the wine, he ordered and then complained. He did not complain about the taste, but of the price. He said he could buy the same $40 bottle of wine for the half the price at a local grocery store. He then said he would not pay the $40 for the wine, even though he drank it. He said he would, however, pay the price he said he saw at the store. He did end up paying for the wine at full price, even after he threatened to have the restaurant shut down and that he knew people at the local paper and blah, blah, blah.
Most people do not understand what goes into priceing for food and beverages at restaurants. They think that the reason the prices are so high is that we are trying to "scam" them out of their money. This is not the case. Price of stuff at restaurants depends on alot of things. First comes the actual price of all the ingredients or the price we paid for said product. When it comes to say a bottle of wine, it could be bought for $100 a case. At maybe 6 bottles of wine a case you are looking at about $16.66 per bottle. To mark this bottle up you need to remember the fact you need to buy another bottle to replace this one when it sells, plus you have to pay for employees. Most places have a set mark up depending on how large they are. The larger, more famous the place, let us say a franchise italian place, this $16 bottle of wine may go up to 32 or 34 a bottle. At a fancy, small place, this bottle may go for 40. This is because of the fact that corporate places with big backing boards of stock holders, have alot of money. They can afford to sell the wine at almost cost. Same with a store. They sell this bottle at a little above cost because people see it as cheap and will come in all the time and buy it because the have 40 cases in the back. A small place may have 6 bottles until they all run out, so they need to pay for the next case, plus the expenses of the place that the owner, who is not filthy rich, is paying out of his pocket.
With food it is more complicated. Everything from seasoning to sides to plate is figured in. Sure you can get a steak at the franchise steak shop for half the price, but it was probably cooked real fast because the 3 guys on the grill had to make it plus 15 others in a short amount of time and have it out to you in 15 or less. Also 9 times out of 10, it was not hand cut. It was sitting in a package with old blood. Food prices deal with how well the food is handled plus expenses. At a franchise place it is done fast by a line of 10 people. In a small place, maybe one guy touched your steak and sides, at the most 3. They also maybe did 40 orders all night, whereas the other place did close to 500.
I worked at a steak place for 3 years. Our best night was mothers day where we made almost $20,000. The place I work at now, we maybe do $5,000 or a busy Saturday night. If we did the steak house prices, we would have been shut down long ago because we would be flat broke.
Less people means better food because it was lovingly prepared, but higher prices because of the cost of the food versus the demand and the financial backing.
Restaurants are not like chain department stores. We will not match the price of another restaurant. We will not accept their coupons. We will not give you a discount because you are a father on father's day. We have to pay the bills just like everyone else. So remember that the next time you eat out at a small place. The food was prepared by skilled people who love to do their job, not by a staff of 25 ill trained teenagers who are looking to make a quick buck. Support your local restaurants before anyone else. We make the city that much more better.

How One Should Act When Going Out to a Restaurant

Having worked in Kitchens for going on 9 years now, I have seen alot of people come in to eat dinner. I have observed good manners and some of the worst manners. Nothing will get you worse service or even disliked at a restaurant than bad manners when out eating. So I am going to explain how one should act when they come out to eat. This will help you to get better service and may ensure that your food tastes and looks the best.

Rule Number 1-Wear the correct clothes for the restaurant. Flip flops, shorts, and tank tops are fine for fast food burger joints, but not for fine dining. If you play to eat at a 3 star place, dress for it. A suit or a nice dress is great, but just some nice formal wear would be nice. Jeans and t-shirt are good at the family style steak joint, but is kind of frowned upon in fine dining. In fact it will get you labeled a redneck and the waiter may not expect a nice tip and therefore will not try to earn a tip. if you look like you belong, the waiter will do everything in his power to make sure you have a great time, but only if you follow the other rules.

Rule Number 2-Know something about food. Everyone knows what a burger is but if you do not know what a Filet Mignon with béarnaise sauce served with Potatoes Anna and Roasted Asparagus, then maybe you should not order it. Everyone should experiment with food, but if you have to ask the waiter for a Filet Mignon is and if it comes with Bacon wrapped around it, they will look at you funny and there goes any chance of them being there for you when you need a refill. Know a little something about the food you are ordering and you will not need to ask the waiter questions and you will even know what is in it in case you are allergic.

Rule Number 3-Know what you are drinking. Know something of wine before you order any. If you have to ask what the differences between each kind of wine is, do not order any wine. Also, most fine dining restaurants have a limited selection of soda, so do not ask for Mt. Dew or Coke Zero, you will not get it. Most places have a beverage menu, so do not ask the waiter, what do you have to drink? Look for yourself. Also if you have an urge to drink a Bud with your meal, chances are you will once again be labeled a redneck. If you are ordering a beer with your meal, go for something with a little more class.

Rule Number 4- Be clear when you are ordering food. If you want two order of the chicken with the regular sides plus two extra sides, do not have one person order for both people and say; "Can we get the chicken with Rice and Asparagus." The waiter will write down one order of chicken with Rice and Asparagus and it will be split between the two people. Each person should say their order and should be clear on what they want with it and if it is a steak, be clear with what temp you want. if you say Med-rare to Medium, you will get a medium steak. If you say you want a med-rare steak with no pink in it, you will get a well done steak and you will be laughed at by the kitchen. This goes back to knowing your food. If you know something about food, you can order it right.

Rule Number 5- Act your age. If you are a famous person of the city, act like you have so class. If a waiter brings you a ticket, do not smack it out of their hand and demand someone else pay for you. Also, do not get drunk and act like an ass. No one will want to wait on your table if you act like a fool. I know certain people that when waiters see them walk in, pay others to wait on their tables so they do not have to. This also goes for the kitchen. If you are a regular, we know what you eat. So do not come in and ask us to make you something special. Every kitchen hates to be asked to make special food for special people just to please them. You have to remember that the kitchen staff is dealing with countless other tables and to focus on doing something we have never done before can affect other tables. So keep that in mind when you ask the french bistro to make you a BBQ Pork Pizza when they can easily make you a Porterhouse Steak with a nice mushroom bordelaise in half the time.

Rule Number 6- Know your restaurant. This means if you are in the mood for a burger, do not go to the steak place. If you ware wanting pasta, best bet is to not go to the bistro on the corner. Know what the place offers as far as food, wine, drink, and even atmosphere. If you want nice and quiet, avoid the chains and franchises. If you want someplace nice for your anniversary, stick to the fine dining. Keep that in mind to for large birthday parties and things like bachlorette parties. A small fine dining place with a kitchen staff of 3 and a seating capacity of 45 will not have enough room and can not make food fast enough for your frats birthday bash. Knowing where you are going to eat will help you avoid any problems.

Rule Number 7- Come in knowing you can not get everything you want done the way you want. This means if the waiter says they are out of Filets, do not cause a scene and call the manager over and chew them out. Good restaurants prep for the day based on the reservations. If they prep too much, food goes bad, so they want to run out of everything by the end of the night. That is what makes a kitchen happy. No waste, no spoiling food, and no worries. So be happy that filet is out. In a bad restaurant it may sit down their for a week before it is sold. It may even be in a plastic package sealed in and stewing in its own blood. Things happen, products run out, and on busy nights they do not have the time to cut more steaks. So be happy that the next day, after you make your reservation early, your filet will be fresh and will be great.

Rule Number 8- Unless you are a famous chef, the kitchen knows more about cooking than you, so do not try and tell them how to do their job. Now this not true at say the local burger hovel, but it is true at fine dining places and some good local mom and pop places. The kitchen staff is 9 times out of 10, restaurant veterans. I have worked with chefs, managers, and cooks in places making burgers, pizzas, BBQ, steak, pastas, and even Escargot. I know how to make a mother sauce and I know how to cook your steak to perfection. So please, PLEASE, do not call me out to your table and tell me how to prepare your steak or curry or seafood unless you are Eric Ripert, Anthony Bourdain, or Emeril. I know what I am doing or I would not have been there as long as I have been. We know what we are doing or we would not be in business. Medium is not slightly pink. Med-rare is not pink. Well is not charcoal black. Certain fish can to be cooked Rare. It is hard to sautee vegies with just a dry skillet so I do need to use that oil. We know our food and how to cook it, trust us.

Rule Number 9- It is ok to tip the cooks, no matter what anyone says. That waiter may be making less than me, but they get more than me in tips. So an extra $10 or even $5, will make a big difference for me. I will also make sure to make the food just as good if not better if you come in again after tipping me. Same goes to all cooks. I made $20 at a pizza place because the guy said I made a great pizza, and it was a franchise place with rules on how to make the pizzas, so it was easy. Your Lobster Newburg is a little harder. Also, never give the money to the waiter in hopes they will give it to us. Call the chef or even manager to the table and tell them who it is for. They will be happy.

Rule Number 10- Kitchen's are not like they are on tv. Just know they are chaotic and cramped. Do not expect it to be like on your fav. show. We know how to work in it, so this means stay out. No kitchen likes someone from the front wondering in because they wanna see the chef. We will kick you out and we will not be cool about it.

Rule Number 11- Know the time. If a kitchen closes at 10, please do not come in at 9:50 and expect a 4 course meal. It may close at 10, but they started closing the kitchen at least 30 mins before you even walked in the door. Same goes for opening. if we open at 5, do not show up at 4:30 and expect the door to be unlocked and food to be served. No matter how much you beg, we are not ready. Another thing. If the hours say 10, but you walk in at 9:30 and the place is dead, the kitchen closed at 9. No chef will let his kitchen stay open another hour if the place has been dead, he needs to save money. If they are still open, there will be only 1 guy in the back, maybe 2 instead of the normal 3 or 4, so do not order a ton of things. Eat light and be happy they served you and were open. It cost more to make the food then what they get in profit. Prompt reservations mean great food and a great time. We can serve you and you wont have to worry.

So keep these rules in mind. I shared these because not a lot of people will. I do not mean to anger cooks or guests or waiters. If everyone followed these rules people would have a great time and the people trying to make money can do some in a happy mood. No one wants to work at or eat at a place like the one in the movie Waiting. Trust me, I have worked at places like that and I will not go back. So I hope this helps.

More things one should know about cooking aka how to cook like a pro part 2.

So I have been wondering lately, what should everyone need to know in order to know how to cook or at least to get by in life. About this time I read a chapter in Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain called Virtue. This entire chapter is about this subject of what everyone should know in order to cook or be good at cooking for one's self or a few friends. I read the chapter and then asked my peers if this is true and all agreed. So I will provide the list as Chef Bourdain listed it, but I will explain it in my own way. I will also add a few things I myself think everyone should know about cooking.

First, everyone should know how to use a knife. Not just for chopping onions, but one should know how to dice, chop, and at least julienne. Do not worry about tourneeing or any of the other ways to cut like Paysanne, fermiere, or Lozenge. There is one called Rondelle, but this just means to cut rounds, which is easy of the food is already round. Most recipes call for diced, chopped, or julienne vegies, fruits, meat, and herbs. Mincing is just a smaller chop so know that as well. When it comes to dicing there is small, medium, and larger. If you want really small there is Brunoise and fine brunoise. Same with Julienne. You have fine julienne, julienne, or batonnet which is a larger julienne.

Knife skills also go into knowing how to care for your knife, how to sharpen it, how to clean it, how to store it. They tell infantry soldiers that their gun is now part of them, without it they are nothing. This is same with a cook and their knife. You had better care for your knife like it is a brand new child, even a extension of your own arm. You would never let your child be filthy 24/7 so why your knife? You want your child to be smarter than you, sharp as a knife they say. You would never drop your child, throw your child, hit your child, so why drop a knife, throw a knife, or smack its fine edge of a cutting board corner or a table? Nothing angers a real cook more than seeing a stupid amateur taking their knife and chopping away at wood or a cutting board in anger or boredom. It also angers them if they see you cutting on a metal or glass surface. Cut only on a wood or plastic cutting board. No marble, no steel, they surface must be a weaker material than the steel of your knife or it will chip it.

Next thing a person needs to know is how to make an omelet. This sounds funny but it is true. If you can make an omelet you can do just about anything with a pan. Eggs burn and stick easy to a pan. Learn to control them and learn how to control a pan. Not to mention an omelet is one of the basic breakfast staples. As Bourdain says, "I have long believed that it is only right and appropriate that before one sleeps with someone, one should be able-if called upon to do so-to make them a proper omelet in the morning." This means that if you can cook a person a omelet they will love you, they will see you in a new light, and chances are if you are single, they may come back for another date or another night with you. They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but if a guy can cook for a woman, chances are you will keep her around longer. I know my wife loves it when I cook for her.

Next a person should know how to roast a chicken. If you can roast a chicken you can roast a pot roast. I will add to this that you should be able to do prime rib or a crown roast as well. They are easy and will impress people. Only difference before a chicken and a prime rib is getting the temperature of doneness right. Chicken must be cook well done, at least 170F. Prime rib, roast, and a crown roast, depend on what you like. You can cook them rare to well, but I suggest rare to medium. Well done meat is like shoe leather. You will get more flavor eating your shoe than a well done steak. You should also try and learn how to cook the meat to the right doneness without the use of a thermometer. This takes practice, but it can be done.

Next you should be able to grill a steak or even a burger or a chop. If you master this, you can grill just about any cut of meat. I will say when it comes to grilling, do not play with the food, let it cook. If you are constantly picking it up to see if it is getting grill marks, it will not look good and will take longer to get done. Let it sit in a place of moderate heat, turn the meat only 3 times after you place it on the grill. For diamond marks, turn the meat a quarter turn from what you have it at. Once you get the diamonds on one side, flip over and let cook, turn it again after a a few minutes to get the diamond marks. For a rare steak, only wait a few minutes before each movement of the steak. Increase the time for a more well done steak. Also let the steak rest at least five minutes off the grill before eating. This lets all the blood rush back in and it will look much better, and taste much better. This is also true with roasts and prime rib too. let it rest before you cut into it.

One should know how to cook vegetables. No one likes veggies that are overcooked and look like they are almost mush. Same with being undercooked and crisp. A veggie should have a little crisp to it, but should be pleasing to the mouth. Al dente they say, to the teeth, just like pasta. Though some people like raw veggies or even the almost mash, that is their own worry and can do as they please, but the best are done Al dente.

Next a person should know how to make an easy vinaigrette. Ranch and such dressings are good if you want the same old, same old, but if you can master a raspberry or even a red wine vinaigrette, you will experience new flavors and open up people's minds to new things to put on their salads. French dressing will only go so far. Plus a vinaigrette is healthier.

You should know how to shop for produce and know what is in season. Best bet is if it is winter, watermelon is not in season. Same if it is spring and you want a fresh pumpkin or pecans. You need to know what produce is bad and what is fresh. A green banana is not ripe, but give it a day or two at home and it will be. If the head lettuce has started to get a brown tinge to it, best bet it is not fresh.

One should know how to tell if a fish is fresh or not and how to prepare it. if it smells of ammonia, it is bad. Bets bet if you live in the midwest, everything at the store is already days old. If you live on the coasts and can get to a fish market, get there early. The freshest fish are those right there first thing. You should know how to cook and cut the fish as well. Whole fish is good, but if you can cut a nice filet from the fish, it shows that you know what you are doing to those who eat it.

Steaming shellfish and lobsters is a must know. A lobster is only red after it is cooked. With clams and mussels, if you steam them, the ones that open are done and good. The ones who stay closed are bad and need to be thrown away. Want to get sick, eat bad seafood.

Roasting and mashing potatoes is a must as well as cooking rice. In order to get a nice roasted potato, boil it first. Use red potatoes or fingerlings and do not peel. Cut them into equal sizes and throw them in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil until they start to get soft but not to the point of falling apart. Then you can roast them in an oven. Mash potatoes us the same process, but throw potatoes in a hot pan when soft, mash, add cream and seasonings, and cook until they right consistence. Rice is a little tricker, but not hard. For boiling rice it is 2 cups water to 1 cup rice. Let water be absorbed and cook until the rice is al dente not crisp or crunchy or mush.

Learn to braise meats. Braising softens tough meat and is a must if you want to make beef bourguignon. If you are having lamb shanks or osso bucco, braising is a must as well.

Last on Bourdain's list is to know what to do with bones aka making stock and soups. Stock is simple and it is the building block of soups and a cooking. Roast your bones, roast your mirepoix, deglaze with a little wine, toss into a stockpot, add water, and reduce. If you want a veggie stock, just roast a bunch of non-starchy veggies with your mirepoix, deglaze, add to pot with water, and reduce. No need to reduce to a few tablespoons, but reducing by half would be great. Never boil stock, let it simmer. Never stir stock when it is simmering or it will be cloudy. Add a bay leaf, some thyme, a few peppercorns, a couple cloves of crushed garlic, and a little parsley to the mix for stock and it will bring out the flavors more.

Bourdain goes on to say that we should find our own paths. In essence, find a few things you can make well and keep making them till you master them. This is good advice which I have done since I even knew who Bourdain was.

Now here are my additions to the list.

One should know how to care for and wash all their equipment. This means pans, food processors, cutting boards, etc. A clean kitchen and workspace is a must.

Understand what Mise en Place is and follow it. It will cut down you working time and you will not have to search for anything because you will have everything already "in place."

Read every book on cooking you can find from amateur to professional cooks. Knowledge is power.

Do not try to be the next Bobby Flay or Mario Batalli or Gordon Ramsey. Be you. Let the pros be them and you be you.

Learn about herbs and spices and how to use them. Too much of a herb or spice will ruin a dish. Know what goes with what and how much is enough. If it covers up the natural flavor of the dish completely and all you taste is that herb or spice, it is too much.

Experiment, experiment, experiment. You will never know what you like or what you can cook unless you try to make it or eat it. So don't be afraid to eat some liver or tripe or even a dish from some country you have never been to. You may think it is bad, but how will you know until you try it?

My last piece of advice for the younger generation out there, do not laugh at home ec. classes or even the cooking classes at your VOTECH school. These classes will help you to be a better person and you will never go hungry if you know how to make at least one dish. It does not make you gay if you love to cook or even know how to, but it does make you a loser if you can not even feed or support yourself. So think about that the next to you are broke and can not afford fast food when your parents are gone for a week and all you have is what is in the pantry.

So keep cooking and keep learning. Better yourself and pass on your knowledge to the next cook.

Two New Books to Check Out

So the other day I picked up two books I have been wanting to buy for a very long time. Normally they are $60 a piece but I found them in a two pack for just under $30. These books are called "The French Laundry" and "Ad Hoc at Home" by Chef Thomas Keller.

http://www.frenchlaundry.com/

http://www.tkrg.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Keller

Those links will help you to understand who Thomas Keller is and what he does. His books are amazing and laid out in such a way that you will grow to love him and his food. Both books show food that he prepares at two of his famous restaurants and shows you why he does it and how you can do it.

Each book contains not just recipes, but stories. Some are about him, some about his food, some about where he gets his food, and others are little tid bits of things that have happened at the restaurant and in his life. Ad Hoc at home I suggest to anyone who is wanting to be a cook at home or who is just starting out. In fact the first chapter is called "Becoming a better cook." The French Laundry, however, is for the more advanced crowd of cooks. It features what he does best, the more award winning, star earning food. This way of cooking requires a knowledge of food and the ability to focus and prepare food in a way most cooks are not familiar with at home.

Both books were great reads and are stuck on my books shelf of cooking books and books on food. I suggest them if you want to see what profession cooking is and what it is all about. It will show you the art and the love we have for what we do. To top it off, it will show you how a man who never went to culinary school can pull off star worthy food. So go out and pick them up sometime, you will not be disappointed.