Behind the Line
Topic: Help for Home Cooks/Bartenders
Cooking Tips and Hints
The path to a successful home cook begins with mastering knife skills. What are your tips for the essential knife skill basics?
- Matt Danko
- Pastry Chef
- The Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat
- Cleveland, OH
Always make sure your cutting board is secure, so it won't move around while you cut. You can do this by simply putting a wet paper towel or kitchen towel underneath your board. Also use a knife yo...
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When dining at home, pizza can be more than just delivery fare. For the pizza-making novice, what are your tips for crafting a tasty pizza at home?
![Melissa2_web[1]](/system/avatars/1174/thumb/melissa2_web[1].JPG?1320965073)
- Melissa Trimmer
- Pastry Chef
- Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Pastry Chef Instructor
- Chicago, Illinois
the crust is key. whether you are making your own, or using a purchased dough, please par bake it first! let it bake until it is golden brown, then add sauce and toppings and bake again.
Put on your instructor cap. Cooking lesson 101: What's the first thing a home cook should learn to make, and why?
- Carrie Nahabedian
- Executive Chef/Owner
- NAHA and Brindille
- Chicago, IL
Cook an omelet.
Blanch vegetables.
Grill a steak without burning it or making it WD.
French toast.
Kevin Hickey, the Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Chicago taught his
wife Javalen how to make r...
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Help a home cook out and go back to basics. Do you have a simple piece of kitchen wisdom to share?
- Melissa Trimmer
- Pastry Chef
- Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Pastry Chef Instructor
- Chicago, Illinois
The most basic thing I can share is this: take time to peel your apples! Peel-ie apples in pies, tarts, and crisps are just gross, it's very much worth the extra effort.
The home grill. It's all about the marinade, the meat, the heat. What are your tips for a home grill cook preparing to grill up a bunch of steaks (or chicken, pork, you name it)?
- Matt Danko
- Pastry Chef
- The Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat
- Cleveland, OH
Start your grill early and have plenty of fuel whatever it may be. Getting the grill up the the proper cooking temperature is important, and can't be rushed an hour before dinner hits the table.
Wine and food go together like coffee and doughnuts. And not just on a place setting. What are some of your basic tips for cooking with wine?
- Melissa Trimmer
- Pastry Chef
- Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Pastry Chef Instructor
- Chicago, Illinois
hmmm, that's pretty easy... deglaze the pan, then add a bunch more!
What are the five things you wished people would make from scratch?
- Melissa Trimmer
- Pastry Chef
- Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Pastry Chef Instructor
- Chicago, Illinois
1. bread
2. jam
3. pickles
4. pasta
5. ice cream
Sandwiches. An essential lunch item with bounteous directions and possibilities. What are three tips for making better sandwiches?
- Melissa Trimmer
- Pastry Chef
- Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Pastry Chef Instructor
- Chicago, Illinois
1. don't forget the butter, it's delicious spread under almost any other topping
2. really high quality bread, it's okay if you buy it, but wonder bread just doesn't cut it anymore, folks
3. pick...
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Recommend an ethnic spin on Thanksgiving for someone who wants to break with tradition.
- Carrie Nahabedian
- Executive Chef/Owner
- NAHA and Brindille
- Chicago, IL
I had a great Thanksgiving one year in Los Angeles with friends who were
Italian. They cooked amazing Italian food, a real feast....it was very
enjoyable and different!
What is the most unique dish you make with a common pantry item?
- Melissa Trimmer
- Pastry Chef
- Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Pastry Chef Instructor
- Chicago, Illinois
This is a hard question to answer as I'm really just teaching basics anyway in the student-run restaurant. However, I would say that my fried whitefish banh mi takes the cake for turning simple pa...
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What are three "scraps" home cooks shouldn't throw away, and how should they use them?
- Matt Danko
- Pastry Chef
- The Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat
- Cleveland, OH
Never throw away bones of any kind make stock. Never throw away and vegetable scrap make stock. Never throw away cheese or charcuterie rinds, make stock.
What are the top five dishes to make with kids?
- Melissa Trimmer
- Pastry Chef
- Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Pastry Chef Instructor
- Chicago, Illinois
1. pizza
2. spagetti (this is really fun if you have a pasta machine)
3. ice cream/ then a build your sundae bar
4. popcorn, do it by hand then find lots of creative toppings
5. cookies, there ...
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You're popping the question at home; what's on the dinner menu?
- Melissa Trimmer
- Pastry Chef
- Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Pastry Chef Instructor
- Chicago, Illinois
lots and lots of bubbly and chocolate
Home cooks always strive to impress their guests. But it's hard to find a dish easy enough to tackle. Name one easy-to-prepare dish that gives the "wow" factor?
- Paul Virant
- Executive Chef/Owner
- Vie and Perennial Virant
- Western Springs, IL
nicely cooked fish, that is seasoned well
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and any respectable home cook would do well to take on more than cereal. What's one breakfast dish you feel is essential for home cooks to master?
- Matt Danko
- Pastry Chef
- The Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat
- Cleveland, OH
The runny omelet is essential, the eggs must still be runny and cannot be browned in any way. Goes well with triple creams and other soft cheeses.
Stuffing poultry. Whether it's the Thanksgiving turkey, or a plump roasting chicken, where do you stand on stuffing inside the bird? Are the outside-the-bird skeptics just alarmists? Is the extra flavor worth it?
- Jill Barron
- Executive Chef/Owner
- MANA food bar
- Chicago, IL
definitely out of bird for at least a few reasons-
1. Takes longer to cook.
2. Can only accomodate so much stuffing, other stuffing will taste
different.
3. we use the cavity of the bird to impart ...
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What are some tips you have for individuals looking to get into gardening?
- Paul Fehribach
- Executive Chef/Owner
- Big Jones
- Chicago, IL
Double dig and compost. It's hard work, but your best shot at successful vegetable growing comes from dee, well-drained, fertile beds with lots of organic matter to retain moisture during dry spell...
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Baking can be a daunting task for home cooks. What are some of your basic tips for home bakers?
- Melissa Trimmer
- Pastry Chef
- Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Pastry Chef Instructor
- Chicago, Illinois
Some basic tips for home bakers:
1. invest in a digital scale, then weigh everything with religious ferver
2. have three great knives, one french or chef knife, one paring, and one serrated slice...
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Homemade bread is a wonder every home baker should experience. But it's notoriously tricky to master. What are some of your tips for baking a successful yeast bread?
- Matt Danko
- Pastry Chef
- The Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat
- Cleveland, OH
Be patient and get to know your dough raise times can be different depending on numerous variables. The more you make it the more comfortable you will get with the way your dough should look and ...
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