More or Less: A Culinary Opinion
by Judi Sandall
judi.sandall@chefschoolreview.com
Chef School Review Columnist
To provide some insight into the culinary likes and dislikes of chefs and restaurant industry insiders, Zagat.com surveyed them and published an article, What the Pros Want in 2007. Their opinions about ‘what we need more of’ and ‘what we need less of’ in the culinary arena might surprise you.
We Need More
A recurring culinary theme is the need for more seasonal, environmentally friendly, healthy, and sustainable food ingredients along with more simple food preparation. In line with the ‘simpler is better’ theme, a number of prominent chefs emphasized the need for more home-style comfort food like casseroles and grills in casual, fun restaurants. Noted chef sommelier, Gregory Condes, from Gordon Ramsay in NYC would like wine lists to feature more “eclectic, interesting, and [good] value wines from undiscovered regions like Greece, South Africa, and Lebanon.” Smaller, more intimate and quieter venues that serve classic cocktails made the ‘we need more’ cut, along with higher levels of service and an increase in vegetarian items on the menu.
We Need Less
There seems to be a consensus that waiters need less attitude, chefs need less fancy cooking techniques, and that we should “kiss $40 entrées goodbye.” Noted chef Tom Aikens opted for less (con)fusion cuisine and chef Condes would like to see less intimidating wine service because, “Wine should be easy and accessible and enjoyed by all.” I’ll drink to that. Tom Douglas, chef-owner of Seattle’s Dahlia Lounge, would like to see fewer kitchen reality shows on TV because they “don’t show what a real kitchen works like, where people are treated with respect.” “Less tapas” said some chefs, and “fine-dining restaurants should be less pretentious.”
Room for More
No matter what your personal view on these issues, you can see there’s always room for more cooks (and culinary opinions) in the kitchen. The culinary world—this week’s popular food trend or last week’s old news—changes rapidly, which is what makes it so exciting and dynamic. A culinary school education will give you the solid foundation you need to be able to improvise in this fast-paced industry.
Source
About the Author
Judi Sandall is a technical writer and a regular Chef School Review columnist. She is a graduate of the State University of New York, with a BA in English Literature.
Posted on January 29, 2007 at 4:03 PM
Earlier: Rising Culinary Star: Chef Corey Lee
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