Question Of The Day #47

What would you say has been the most important lesson you've learned from ChefSteps? Is it the use of a particular ingredient? A technique? A mindset? What's your big takeaway from being involved with CS?

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Comments

Tim_Sutherland_52834

Weigh your ingredients, in grams.

Johan_Edstrom_5586

Working by weight and taking a step back looking at what I'm trying to accomplish.

T__2156

CS helped release me from the tyranny of "only thirty years in a kitchen - receiving, repeating and passing down the hazing of your famous mentors - will teach you to know from a single glance the exact time/temperature to roast a crispy skinned, tender, juicy bird."

Now, I portion the bird, sous vide each part the way it wants, fry the skin and share it with my friends.

tshewman

Flexible and curious mindset. Meals/recipes can be simple, or complex, techniques can be modern or traditional and stretch the comfort zone. Even just a little can make a big impact. They keep me asking why. :-)

Christopher_Perry_68879

Working clean and working by weight have been big revelations for me since being involved with CS. I was terrible for using lots of pans, dishes and utensils when cooking and, while I still have my moments, I am much better at prepping my mise and cleaning as I go now. I am slowly but surely converting all my recipes to weight measurements which also helps keep the mess down.

Jess_Voelker_90708

I love all these answers.

I know, since working here, I've become way more thoughtful while I cook. I'm way less likely just to do something because a recipe says so. With a better understanding of how things work, I find I'm way better at predicting outcomes as well, which allows me to mess around with recipes even if I haven't cooked them before. Am I a perfect cook? Hell no. But I'm a more confident one. Incidentally, these lessons come not just from the team I work with but you guys in the community as well.

ttpoker

The right mindset, and the ability to predict the results. CS helped me think logically in the kitchen, and I now know how to learn from failure while cooking. I am no longer afraid to deviate from recipes, I can now "wing it" - and embrace my failures as much as I can embrace my successes. I also see the lines between modernist and traditional more blurred than I did before, the concepts are the same, the techniques are not that different - they are just improved.

For those of you who read my posts, it might surprise you to know that I started cooking only 2 years ago; I started by reading MCFH and I had virtually no tools. I was a very experienced gourmand, but I spent literally zero time in the kitchen before 2012. Now I have a better stocked kitchen than most of my friends who are professionals, and they often turn to me for guidance (my cookbook collection has also grown significantly). Its also interesting to note that I have never spent a single day of my life working in a professional kitchen, and I don't intend to. I do run a very popular pop-up dining experience, but our team works in the kitchen - I am only involved in management and R&D.

Davide_Tassinari_86770

This is going to sound shallow compared to everything else in this thread, but in terms of immediacy it's equilibrium brining. Seriously, it's such an improvement over traditional marinades and brines, and at no added effort.

jonathan.mota

I've been working in the culinary-related business for the last 3 years (not behind the stove). Much before that I was attracted to it, but more in a romantic/utopia kind of way (guy opens a restaurant... restaurant gets famous just because!). There was no clear strategy, no main idea from which start developing from.... not until 2 years ago, when I crossed with Modernist Cuisine series books. I crossed with it almost by accident, but it felt like "eureka". Those books set a a before and after to me. After I finished them I finally knew what would make that dream restaurant different, how it would work on its insides. They gave me a starting point.

But it was Chefsteps what gave me the philosophy of that future place. When you read this Web it's kind of impossible not to imagine the team behind. How they are, what they think (as a group and towards cooking) and what they are after. They really mean it, they want you to "cook smarter".

Chefsteps is the kind of "fraternity" I would like to join in! They have helped me to improve my knowledge on cooking and even get interested in chemistry!! They have pushed me to want to make the simplest puree a remarkable dish. They are even seriously making me to think about quitting my job and go for the dream! Its their philosophy what I appreciate the most.

Johan_Edstrom_5586

I don't think that was shallow at all - I do remember having the same sort of experience, I had a similar one just doing it by weight instead of relying on magically proportioned measuring of Salt X in cup Y means you probably will get it right.

HammeredChef_DEFINITELY_does_NOT_work_at_22134

Absolutely important and game changing

ttpoker

Any specific equilibrium bringing technique, guide, post or recipe that helped you with your "ah hah" moment? I don't think I have come across that yet.

ttpoker

Are you my "mini me"? I could have written your post, very similar experience!

jonathan.mota

hahaha... well, I guess CS gathers people with the same kind of thinking and golds (in spanish there is a saying that I don't know how to translate "Dios los cria y ellos se juntan". And by the way my position in the company kind of relates to yours... management and logistics.

Davide_Tassinari_86770

For me it was the main article: http://www.chefsteps.com/activities/equilibrium-brining

In particular it was the parallel traditional cooking : sous vide cooking = traditional brining : equilibrium brining. I was literally sitting there with my mouth agape asking myself how I could have missed it. Of course, just like many powerful concepts, you get it immediately if you're told it, but it's totally non-trivial to work out alone.

Also, I am very angry at myself for brining in the past and not questioning how it worked. If all you have to go by is osmosis then it makes no sense, and using a method blindly because it works even though it should make no sense is seriously unprofessional.

DiggingDogFarm_65362

There's lots to learn here....what I appreciate most is the comfortable atmosphere....no control-freaks...no over-moderating...no out-of-control egos....no BS!

jonathan.mota

I found it: "birds of a feather flock together" is the phrase I didn't know how to say in english the last post.

HammeredChef_DEFINITELY_does_NOT_work_at_22134

I really agree with the second part, I think many of us realize that you get focused on "that" piece and forget what we are looking for in the end. This is also true in life.. Ignore that last comment. That is too philosophical and I haven't had enough wine to back it up..