Back when I was a teacher of professional cookery, one of the areas we were constantly reminded of and told to keep on top of, was CPD (continuing professional development).
To a lot of fellow teachers, this involved looking at occasional websites and blogs. To me, I kept a part time job at a restaurant which enabled me to keep my chef skills on point, which in turn made me a better teacher.
That was then. Now I'm working as a full time chef again am still very aware that I need to keep the dishes which I produce, current and up to date with trends.
Of course there are some timeless classics which shouldn't be messed with, that's not to say they can't be jazzed up a little. But only slightly.
I read blogs, I follow other chefs, nutritionists and food producers on social media. As well as chatting with fellow professionals in the real world. No matter what industry you work in or have a passion for, staying on point with 2015 is vital. Or we run the risk of producing the same dish/product in the same way for 20 years.
This week was able to get hold of some pigeon breasts. My first thought was Black pudding, bacon and pigeon salad with croutons. A real classic. but then I remembered that I've down that dish almost every time.
So through after a search through the mind archives. I came up with this Linguine dish.
Firstly I knew that the breasts would go well with wild mushrooms. The next step was getting the sauce right. I used a light demi glacé with some diced concasse tomatoes and fresh thyme. When cooking with meats which have a distinctive flavour, it is very important to not kill it off with an overpowering sauce or garnish.
So to summarise, stay current, time sneaks up on us all. Don't jump on every trend, but cherry pick styles you can relate to.
Have a lovely day.
To a lot of fellow teachers, this involved looking at occasional websites and blogs. To me, I kept a part time job at a restaurant which enabled me to keep my chef skills on point, which in turn made me a better teacher.
That was then. Now I'm working as a full time chef again am still very aware that I need to keep the dishes which I produce, current and up to date with trends.
Of course there are some timeless classics which shouldn't be messed with, that's not to say they can't be jazzed up a little. But only slightly.
I read blogs, I follow other chefs, nutritionists and food producers on social media. As well as chatting with fellow professionals in the real world. No matter what industry you work in or have a passion for, staying on point with 2015 is vital. Or we run the risk of producing the same dish/product in the same way for 20 years.
This week was able to get hold of some pigeon breasts. My first thought was Black pudding, bacon and pigeon salad with croutons. A real classic. but then I remembered that I've down that dish almost every time.
So through after a search through the mind archives. I came up with this Linguine dish.
Firstly I knew that the breasts would go well with wild mushrooms. The next step was getting the sauce right. I used a light demi glacé with some diced concasse tomatoes and fresh thyme. When cooking with meats which have a distinctive flavour, it is very important to not kill it off with an overpowering sauce or garnish.
So to summarise, stay current, time sneaks up on us all. Don't jump on every trend, but cherry pick styles you can relate to.
Have a lovely day.
