Things in the Kitchen

Another post, another day.

Hello everyone! Here is the tip of the day: 

“Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.” 
― Julia  Child

One of my favorite chefs!! Thank you Julia Child for that amazing quote!!!
       Alright, As my title suggests, I want to talk about the kitchen today and talk about somethings that every good chef should have in his or her kitchen, regardless of the size or shape.
       A list of things would be good but before that, let's talk about what the kitchen should be like to a chef and how we should approach it. Also later I am going to give a couple of tips to what you should do to keep your Kitchen, healthy and working correctly.
       Close your eyes, imagine you just walked into a large, state of the art, fully equipped kitchen. The kitchen is just yours and you have a special team of chefs at your fingertips and will do exactly what you want them to. Sitting besides you is your sous chef de cuisine, waiting and ready for your orders.

What would you make?
What would you do? 
What would you be responsible for?
What would you create?
How would it look?
How would it taste and smell?

Now open your eyes, how did it feel?

       This one experience, if you felt great or awesome, is proof that you have what it takes to be a good cook and that feeling first comes when you know you have the equipment necessary to do what you want to do. 
       So then, here are some things that can boost up your cooking abilities and also boost up your Kitchen's stamina and overall health. 

• Good, clean, sharp knives, and pick only a select few that you know will get the job done and get knife protectors for each one. And DO NOT put them in the cupboard with the rest of the cutlery, but find a place just for the knives
• A handheld manual sharpener
• Several solid pots and pans that are good and sturdy. Preferably stainless steel works the best.
• A good fry pan or griddle that is either cast iron or nonstick.
• A good Chop block for meats and a good cutting mat for veggies.
• Several wood or plastic cooking utensils.

I know this is a lot, but when you acquire everything on the list, you can be sure that you will cook better with better tools.
Be confident, bold and remember "...anyone can cook!'

-Chef Sheets

Food and Wine... Well not really.

       Hello there! My name is Chef Sheets, or at least I would love to be called that. I am not currently a chef but I am an ABSOLUTE fan and critic of food. Join me on the Culinary Experience of a lifetime as I create, express, and envision what it takes to truly understand food.

The Philosophy:

       People out there think they have to be top notch to cook and to be like the greatest chef out there, but I don't think that is true. I love to cook and not to brag, I love my cooking, it's flavorful and consists of good ingredients that are fresh and tantalizing. Never have I been perfect at cooking and in some ways I never will be perfect at cooking. But once you get the hang of it and start to make your own recipes. You are going to rock at what you do best! I want to start by getting off on the right foot by adapting my favorite quote from one of my favorite movies: 'Ratatouille' By Disney Pixar. The quote is "Anyone can cook!" -Chef Gusteau.
       I know, it's a little cheesy but isn't that the point? Anyone can truly cook if they put their mind to it, I promise. It will take time and effort, but it can be done.

The Mission:  

       My whole point of starting a blog like this is to show people that they can cook, nothing else. I'm not a health nut nor am I Martha Stewart, I am simply a person with some good advice on how to cook. Enough said.
       My hope is that after everything I have done to teach people about cooking, is that one of you will actually have learned something, or taken something from what I have given out. And in addition to that, I hope that you can become a better cook and a better fan of food after reading what I have to share.

The Low down:

       This blog is for recipes, ideas, creativity, writing and ultimately cooking. I am going to show you some of my tricks and tips on how to make amazing food. And I need your help to do it. No I am not asking for money nor for donations. All I am asking for is your participation and ideas. If you think something isn't right or you have a suggestion to make a recipe better, then let me know and comment on what I have put out. Suggestions and ideas are where greatness begins to sprout and where we can become better and better at what we do.

My Background:

       When I was twelve I really started to get a feel for cooking and I experimented with lots of different things. I  learned that about 99% of those 'experiments' expired, and fast! I learned the basics of cooking and still learn quite a bit even after a lot of practice.   

       I have never cooked with wine and don't plan to. And yes people will tell me to and that it gives really great flavor, but my values are too important to give up for some alcohol.
       As a kid I watched food network and all of the cooking and traveling channels and learned so much from each one. I learned to identify smells, tastes, texture, color and depth of flavor.
And that is what brought me to such a passion for food and for cooking.

Well enough about me; Let's get down to my first post.

The Post:

       First I want to include something that I call the tip or suggestion of the day. This is a chance to share what you know, and to show that you have what it takes to be a great cook! So take the opportunity to send me a tip or a suggestion that you think might help people in their cooking and I will post it up in the next post!

"When making a fried egg, if your pan isn't hot you'll end up with a rubber egg and a dirty pan."
-My own little suggestion

       Today I wish to talk about pan skills and using certain utensils to cook with. First is that you should adapt this rule when cooking: When cooking with a Teflon or non-stick pan, do not use a metal or ceramic spatula. Use wood or plastic. When using a silver steel or aluminum pan use a silver or steel spatula or a plastic one. These rules will save your pan from scratching and from potential damage. This will also preserve non-stick coating from rubbing off and leaving areas that are no longer non-stick.

       When using any pan to fry or saute make sure the pan is hot and I mean hot. Gage the temperature according to your liking and wait for a minute or two before putting in any oil. After a minute or so, take a couple drips of water and flick it into the pan. If it sizzles and hisses. The pan is ready for the oil. (Make sure your ingredients are completely ready before doing this process.) Pour in the desired amount of oil and wait 10 to 15 seconds before adding food. When you see the first wisps of smoke put the food carefully into the pan and cook to your hearts content.

Recipe for:

Egg omelet with fresh Mozzarella cheese and Basil

You'll need:

2 large eggs

1 tsp of water

1 tsp of garlic powder


1/8 tsp ground cumin

1 basil leaf minced

1 Small fresh Mozzarella loaf, crumbled     

Directions: 
       Beat eggs, water, garlic powder and cumin, in a small mug. Using a fork, 'cut' the eggs by quickly moving the fork side to side through the eggs and water until it is nearly mixed. 
       Heat pan and add oil, wait 1-2 minutes until you notice the first wisps of smoke coming from the pan and quickly add the eggs to the pan. Lift the pan and tilt and rotate it to allow the eggs to cover the entire pan. Count to 25. After 25 seconds have passed fold the egg into itself to form a small omelet. carefully flip the omelet on to other side to seal the edge and cook the egg further. Wait 20 more seconds for over easy or 30 seconds for hard set. Immediately plate with crumbled Mozzarella and basil for garnish. Enjoy!

(For those who do not like eggs to be slightly runny or soft set, allow the egg to cook for longer if desired.)