A Pair Of Gourmands

Submitted by The Chef in Stead - Why don't Dads Cook?

She says:

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, it always seemed funny to me that Chefs were mostly men and yet at home it was mostly the women that cooked. Most men know how to cook, but if they are with someone else they often just don’t bother. They will cook their specialty (often on the BBQ – maybe to satisfy those primal urges to play with fire?) I can empathize with this haphazard style of cooking, because in our house it is me who only bakes those special desserts once in a while!

I know how to cook. We met cooking for goodness sake! But when I get home from work, he is already hungry and so he starts to cook almost immediately. If I was to cook, I would have to change, and then think about what I wanted to cook, maybe pour a glass of wine… we wouldn’t eat until 8 pm. So, I only cook on my days off, or when I really have the urge to bake something one night after dinner. I sometimes miss being creative, but I have channeled that energy into the garden, as it is easier to put away the trowel and come in for dinner than to walk away from a pot of risotto halfway through cooking!

I adore the fact that I get a lovingly prepared, home-cooked meal almost every night. I will cherish the opportunity to make something special for my guy, just the way I used to enjoy helping my Mom make Sunday brunch for my Dad when I was a kid.

Happy Father’s Day to all of those special guys out there!

He says:

Happy Father’s Day!

Over the years, I have seen many men cook the same two or three recipes over and over and over, just because it was a big hit the first time around. An old pair of shoes is great, but a new pair is as great if not better because one day, it also has the chance to achieve the “old pair” status.

I don’t mind going back to a classic or a family favorite once in a while, but keeping my guests and family interested with new stuff helps me too in the long run. I find that I can become a better Chef by pushing my skills a little bit every time I cook. If you ever need someone to coach you to cook new dishes, send me e-mails and I will do my best to answer your questions and help you dazzle your guests…

I guess, because I’m a chef, I always feel the need to jump in front of the stove and do my share… Father’s Day is finally here, the one day where I can put my feet up and let my wife prepare, cook, serve me and clean up the mess without having that feeling that I should do something to help!

To all the fathers out there, enjoy your day!


Chef Martin’s Tip 16

Sauce versus gravy?

I can still hear my chef screaming at me when I was an apprentice, saying “Sauces are made by chefs, gravy is made by moms!” and every time my answer was, “That’s why I love gravy.” It’s OK - I was not there to be his best pal anyway!

All kidding aside, here are the differences between the two of them:
usually, gravy will be made from meat drippings, thickened up with flour, or in some houses with cornstarch.

Sauce is often made from the reduction of certain ingredients it thickens up naturally. The French chefs love their whipping cream, and many classic sauces have dairy in them. We love them and hate them at the same time, as today we think more before we eat those rich foods!

In the last 10 years or so, chefs around the world have started using other ingredients beside cream. These days, it is not rare to find in restaurants a piece of fish served with some type of vinaigrette or vegetable purée foamed up. Light and tasty!

I still enjoy cream reductions, and Beurre Blanc is still one of my favorites, but not every day anymore! And I still love gravy, too.

“No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize.”
(Julia Child, 1912-2004)

The Chef in Stead - Website For Previous Chef Tips For comments or questions, you can reach Martin at 250-712-4440 or Email.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.