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A COOK’S SENSUAL OVERLOAD – SMELL

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chefs, cooks, kitchen, sense of smell, senses

Now that I have your attention – allow me to walk you through a cook’s journey of experiences that activate the senses.  One of the most amazing aspects of the human mind is its capacity to store and remember every single experience from birth to last breath.  These experiences whether they are tactile, social, psychological, or spiritual are stored in the subconscious mind – a person’s “built-in” hard drive.  Sometimes those experiences are buried deeply in that hard drive and take real effort to bring to the surface while others simply require a small prod to jump into the conscious realm and activate all of the senses.  It truly is amazing.

What cooks and chefs talk about quite often is “food memory”.  Oftentimes the difference between a good cook and an exceptional one is the breadth of a person’s food memory.  Sometimes we refer to them as flavor benchmarks – significant additions to a food memory data bank that become the standard-bearers of how we approach and compare food experiences moving forward.  Cooks and chefs are bombarded with these benchmarks – each and every day.

WHAT IS THAT SMELL?

*Bacon – is there any deeper, more intoxicating, more all consuming smell than that of thick strips of bacon frying in a pan or rendering in an oven.  Every kitchen is filled with this gratifying aroma that greets cooks and chefs as an old friend wrapping his or her arm around their shoulder and telling them that life is good?

*Onions – what makes us salivate, wake up and direct our attention to our palate is the rich smell of caramelization.  Onions are the mistresses of the kitchen – that irresistible link to the passion of eating.  Every cook snaps to attention when those onions hit the surface of a hot pan and squeak and hiss as they turn from white to transparent, to lightly brown.

*Garlic – Ahhhh – garlic.  What is that smell that reminds us of home cooked meals, of the beginnings of a rich Bolognese, the foundations of shrimp scampi, or the start of a sear before the long and slow process of braising those veal shanks or short ribs?   Garlic, to cooks, is the magic ingredient that only gets better as it is used with reckless abandon.

*Grilled meat – a cherry red grill fed by the flames from briquettes laps around that ribeye, New York strip, or Black Angus filet.  The marbled fat that webs through the eye of those steaks begins to melt and drip – fueling the flames even more and sealing in the flavor and moisture of the steak with grill marks and an exterior crust that shows the power of the Maillard Reaction.  This smell is like no other – it reminds us of a good life, of summer bar-b-que with family and friends, and the best partner that a robust red wine could have.  This aroma welcomes cooks to their station and reminds them of why they do what they do.

*Sauté’ mushrooms – When we use the term umami we often think of the savory aspects of roast pork or a 109 rib pushing it’s internal temp close to 120 F.  But the smell of fresh mushrooms like porcini, shiitake, crimini, morels and chanterelles is as close to umami nirvana as one might ever expect to achieve.  This is the environment that cooks live in.

*Bread from the oven – the work, the time, the physical handling of a living product, the elegant simplicity of four ingredients, the marvel of a sour dough starter uniting the gluten strands and lifting a dough to a remarkable stature pales in comparison to the smell of the finished product being pealed from the oven.  Let the loaf dance in your hands as you flip it over, pull it close to your nose and drawn that completely unique smell into your being.

*Cinnamon Danish – if you have worked in a kitchen where breakfast is served – then you are familiar with the sinful smell associated with cinnamon rolls or Danish pastries fresh from the oven.  You know that you shouldn’t, but it is nearly impossible to get anything else done until you break apart the rings and allow that first bite to melt in your mouth.  You must take a moment with a familiar cup of coffee to relax and just let the magic happen.

*Simmering Stock – I always made sure that every kitchen that I orchestrated had a stock working every day.  Sure, the stock was important as the foundation to soups and sauces, but maybe even more importantly it sets the tone for a kitchen dedicated to foundations, to building flavors in layers, and to respecting the traditions of a professional kitchen.  Stocks are a statement and their deep aroma welcomes every cook to his or her station, allowing them to know that they are part of something special.

*Fresh brewed coffee – We all have a relationship with coffee.  To many, it is the first thing that we seek in the morning, the finish to a great meal, and the last acknowledgement to signal the end of the day.  Each sip allows us to engage our olfactory senses as well as our taste receptors.  In professional kitchens – coffee is a baseline aroma that is always there, always luring us over for another jolt of caffeine.

*Cured meats – The inspiration for this article was a video clip that I watched a dozen or so times – a walking tour through a curing room filled with thousands of Prosciutto hams hanging and working their way through the long process of fermentation that yields one of the culinary worlds most heavenly aromas and flavors.  Picture what it must be like to walk through that cure room, take a deep breath, and let your senses turn to high alert.  This is a cook’s moment.

*Cheese affinage – As enticing as the prosciutto cure room might be, the musty, fruity, deeply fragrant smell of a cheese cave takes it a step further.  It is the affinage that takes the pressed curds from milk and transitions them into signature cheese from runny soft, and stinky Epoisse, to firm, mature Manchego, or the aged and intelligent aromas of Parmigiana Reggiano.   Cheese, bread, cured meat, and great wine combine to tempt the nose to understand the mystical nature of the food that we eat.

*Shaved truffles on scrambled eggs or pasta – Not an every day experience, even for the most experienced chef, but if there were an aroma that’s impossible to describe except to say “truffle” this would be it.  Nothing else smells remotely close to a truffle, nothing will make you stand tall and give all of your attention to food, and no smell is more addictive than a fresh truffle that is shaved over loosely scrambled eggs or fresh pasta.  If there were a smell to describe heaven – this would be it. 

As cooks we are privileged to work with, be enticed by, and enjoy the pleasures of aromatic foods.  This is the environment we work in and this is quite possibly one of the greatest benefits of choosing a life behind the range.

Up next:  TOUCH, TEXTURE, and CHEW.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

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THE SENSUAL EXPERIENCE OF BEING A COOK

13 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by culinarycuesblog in Uncategorized

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chefs, cooks, culinary, kitchen, senses

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I miss the full experience of working daily in a busy restaurant kitchen. When that kitchen is the hub of activity in a hotel or resort then the experience is even more pronounced. From the moment that a chef walks into the hustle and bustle environment of the hotel kitchen, his or her senses are bombarded with the smells, visuals, textures, tastes, and cacophony of sounds that make up the kitchen experience. These are my memories:

[]         THE SENSE OF SMELL:
Walking through the back door of the kitchen at 7 a.m. The intoxicating aromas of the early morning kitchen always greeted me. It was these smells that brought me to attention and energized me for the day ahead. The aroma of bacon exiting the oven, the deep yeasty aroma of bread on the rise, the caramelization of sugar that gave breakfast Danish and croissant their unique character, and of course onions and potatoes taking on that crisp exterior en route to becoming the early risers home fries. There are few smells that are more enticing than fresh brewed coffee and eggs over easy – the daily wake-up call for cooks and guests alike.

By this time, prep cooks were well under way with their morning checklist. After browning veal bones in the oven to release their marrow, and caramelizing a mirepoix to sweeten and strengthen the mixture, a stock was taking form. Garlic is being roasted lightly for a batch of hummus, and fresh rosemary was added to the seared lamb shanks as they were being prepared for the long and slow braise that would mark the evening feature. The blend of smells might seem conflicting, but I was always able to pick out their uniqueness and determine at what stage each production was at, even without seeing the process.

Later in the day as work turned towards lunch and then dinner, these aromas would be replaced by steaks and chops grilling over open flames, butter and shallots from sauté, crisp pommes frites coming from the fry station, and countless sauce reductions as line cooks signed their plates with mouthwatering creations. It might be the smell of popovers being pulled from a 450 degree oven as they await a slice of prime rib, buttermilk onion rings on a New York strip, the garlic butter and white wine reduction in a pan of scampi, or crispy duck breast with it’s fat rendered perfectly while maintaining that beautiful pink medium rare color to the meat – in all cases the aromas throughout the day kept multiplying.

[]         THE SENSE OF SOUND:

To the novice, the cacophony of sounds that emanate from the kitchen may seem chaotic, but to the chef and the cook, they are as interesting as a symphony. Many chefs claim that they can tell how well a dish is progressing by assessing the sounds that surround it. The way that a knife blade sounds on a cutting board can indicate whether or not the tool is properly sharpened, that sound of carbon steel on a wet stone is quite musical and the rapid chopping of a French knife as it works through 20 pounds of sliced mushrooms is as rhythmic as a professional drummer might produce.

The clanging of pots and pans can bring a smile to a chef’s face and the clink of clean plates being stacked as they arrive hot from the dishwasher is even more melodic. As the day moves on and more cooks arrive to start their mise en place, the sounds of the kitchen become more complex. The sear of a fillet of salmon or breast of duck, and the sizzle of a steak produced by blue and yellow flames lapping up from the char grill, are complemented by the barking of orders from the expeditor, the cadence of the POS printer, and the resounding response from line cooks: “Yes Chef!” One person’s version of chaos is another’s recognition of beautiful organization.

[]         THE SENSE OF SIGHT:

If the chef were to walk through the kitchen with open eyes and a sense of wonder, he or she would see beauty in everything. Organized walk-in coolers filled with clear Lexan tubs displaying fresh vegetables, fruit, herbs, and in-production preparation. Perfectly marbled beef being cut for steaks, glistening fresh fish being scaled and sliced into fillets with a knife so sharp it seems as though it is moving through butter, and piles of onions, carrots, and celery cut for mirepoix are visuals that represent the intense sensual overload that the kitchen offers.

Walking through the dining room just prior to service is equally stimulating amidst perfectly pressed tablecloths and napkins, shimmering Riedl stemware to support the wine list, fresh flowers that welcome the season, starched bistro aprons, and freshly dusted bottles of liquor on the back bar. Back in the kitchen, as the chef prepares to inspect the line before service, cooks are putting their finishing touches on station mise – polishing stainless steel, folding side towels, adding monte’ au beurre to sauces in the bain marie, lining up ingredients in 1/6th pans, and organizing sauté pans with their handles pointing to 5 o’clock. Soon attention will be directed to the proper marking of steaks, the even caramelization of sautéed proteins, the grill marks on whole fish, and the artistic assembly of finished dishes as they are placed in the pass for that final plate rim wipe by the expeditor. But, the most visually pleasing part of the kitchen is the orchestrated motion of line cooks working in sync – this is the dance that is worthy of a permanent place on You Tube.

[]         THE SENSE OF TOUCH

Textures are ever-present in the kitchen, but we rarely take the time to truly notice them. There is something really comforting about holding a quality knife in your hands. The handle, the bolster, sensing the weight and balance of the blade, feeling how the blade slices through vegetables, meat or fish without any effort, gives a cook a sense of completeness. The knife at times, becomes an extension of a cook’s hand – more than a tool, it is one with the cook who can control the actions of the blade when the two are in sync. When the sauté cook grabs the handle of a sauteuse that same connection takes place. A push forward and a quick, controlled flip back allows the contents in the pan to move in a wave like motion, turning over and balancing the cooking time while blending the flavors of the dish. This motion becomes second nature to the cook and happens hundreds of times during a shift without ever losing an ingredient or drop of liquid.

Cooks can tell how fresh a vegetable is by simply holding it in his or her hands. The snap of a green bean helps to assess when it was picked and the crunch of an apple is as accurate as looking at a calendar. When there is a snap and a crunch to the apple then it must be September. Throughout the shift – touch plays an important role in a chef or cook’s existence. The clicking of tongs at the ready – one of the line cooks most important tools, the touch that evaluates the spring of a steak or chop and signals to the grill cook when the item is rare, medium rare, or worse. The sense of touch and the cook’s hands are the first line of defense in establishing control over the activities that he or she engages in throughout the day.

[]         THE SENSE OF TASTE:

The sensual experience for the cook comes full-circle with the social sense. The sense of taste ironically does not exist on its own. Taste is a culmination of all of the senses combined and how they come together determines the true experience of taste. The absence of, or any change in one of those components of sense will change the experience of taste. There are few places on earth where taste is more pronounced, more exciting, and more exact, than in the kitchen.

That first cup of coffee is uniquely satisfying, necessary, and delicious. There will be numerous other cups during the day, but none as gratifying as that first one to help you greet the morning. The smell of the morning bacon is only a precursor to the salty crunch of a piece or two while you walk the kitchen to inspect the activity taking place. Maybe a full breakfast will follow, or at least that second cup of coffee and a croissant hot from the oven.

Throughout the day you will be required to taste everything from a reduced demi, to salad dressings, a cream soup for the luncheon special, that hummus with roasted garlic, a few new wines being considered for the list, cheese from a local producer, a Georgia peach that is at peak season, a new sorbet flavor, and a couple fries from a fresh batch of fryer oil. The tasting never ends, and it rarely gets old. The chef may never sit down to a legitimate meal throughout the day, but might end a very long shift after the evening push, sitting in the office while reviewing tomorrows production schedule and enjoying a simply medium rare burger on toasted bun – simple and unaltered with excessive add-ons.

I miss this. I miss the people, the smells, sounds, visuals, textures, and flavors. I miss the kitchen – a place that epitomizes the complete food experience.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant and Culinary School Consulting

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COOKING THROUGH THE SENSES – THE CHEF’S UNIQUE SKILL

02 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by culinarycuesblog in Uncategorized

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cook. chef, cooking, kitchen, senses

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We are familiar with the human senses and likely understand that they are all connected as individuals try to distinguish flavor and the experience of eating. As cooks we know that there are many more opportunities for people to distinguish smells than tastes, that texture impacts how our mouths separate the experience of one ingredient or dish from another, and fully appreciate that the visual impact of food is paramount to the guest experience. We might even appreciate that certain sounds that encase foods can stimulate the appetite – the crunch of a potato chip, the sizzle sound of a steak or onions on a grill, and even the snap of an apple picked in late September at the peak of its growth cycle. What me might take for granted is how sophisticated a cook’s senses become as they aspire to the position of chef and make their mark on the culinary arts.

If you stop and think about the acuity of a chef’s senses you will discover one of the true distinctions between a cook and a chef. Time and experience will help fine-tune a cook’s senses to the point where they become one of the greatest tools in his or her kitchen arsenal.

[]         A BAKER FEELS FLOUR FOR ITS STRUCTURE POTENTIAL

A baker develops a special relationship with the ingredients at his or her disposal and develops the ability to determine a great deal through the sense of touch. Sifting through a baker’s fingers – flour is evaluated to determine how well it will absorb liquid and what its structure potential might be. Flour is never a product of definitive consistency and it is up to the baker to tap into this sense of touch and adjust how the ingredient is approached. Until this sense is developed over time the end product will likely be plagued with inconsistency. At the end of baking – a light tap on the bottom of a loaf reveals the hollow sound signifying a finish to the baking process.

[]         A CHEF CAN DETERMINE IF A SAUTE ITEM IS ON TRACK BY THE SOUNDS IN           THE PAN

Walking through a busy production kitchen – the chef must be able to assess what is going on, determine how well cooks are approaching methods and techniques, and how products will reach their intended outcome. Each process reveals a great deal through the senses – one in particular is this sense of sound.   When a protein hits a sauté pan the chef will be able to tell, even from a distance away, whether or not the pan is hot enough to produce that essential caramelization enhancing flavor and whether or not this same protein will dance and slide during cooking or stick to the pan leaving it’s real flavor stuck to the metal. A chef’s ears are always tuned-in to these sounds, keeping track of how dedicated each cook is to correct process.

[]         THE SMELL OF CARAMELIZATION

By far, the most acute sense is smell. Over time, we are trained to distinguish certain smells as positive or negative and can, through experience, quickly assess a smell and determine the ingredient and the process being used. A chef will know if those onions are caramelizing or burning, if the oil is too hot for garlic, if the oil in the deep fryer is in need of changing, if those sliced almonds or pignoli are on the verge of burning in the oven, if it is too late to save the bacon, when bread is perfect and even when a coffee pot has been left to dry on a brew burner. The chef’s sense of smell is always on high alert.

[]         THE SNAP OF A GREEN BEAN

How will those vegetables taste once prepared? How can a cook tell if produce is acceptable from a vendor or not? Each vegetable has a story to tell and the chef has read those stories many times. Do those green beans snap signifying their freshness, does the apple crack open with first bite, the sound of a French knife slicing through an onion will talk to it’s power, the resistance of a potato to being cut into pommes frites will signal it’s sugar content, and the firmness of a grape reveals how well it was stored and when it might have been picked. The textures and sounds of produce speak a universal language to a chef pointing those responsible for cooking in the right direction.

[]         THE TOUCH OF A STEAK

One of the most tactile positions in the kitchen is that of the grill cook. Some may say that the only surefire way to determine degree of doneness is with a thermometer – yet a highly experienced grill master can delineate a perfect medium rare from medium with the touch of a finger. At this stage the cook has become one with the meat – he or she understands how the muscle works and the give of that muscle will send a message of doneness through the cooks fingers to the brain. The grill cook knows, through the sense of touch, just how long the steak or chop needs to rest before cooking, understands when to turn the steak to get the perfect grill marks without impacting the continuity of doneness throughout the meat, and can quickly assess how much longer it will take that meat to reach it’s intended outcome. This is mastery of the sense of touch.

[]         THE VISUALS

The visuals of food are important to the chef. From the standpoint of understanding the ingredient – the chef will be able to determine how fresh the ingredient was to begin with, how it was handled, whether or not the cook followed proper technique, and how flavorful the final dish will be without ever sampling the results. When a chef stands at the pass as expeditor – he or she is able to immediately assess all of those factors in a split second, wipe the rim, adjust the fresh herb garnish and transfer the plate to a waiting server knowing full well that the product meets the standards of the operation.

[]         THE SIGHT OF AN EMULSIFICATION WHEN IT HAS REACHED ITS ABSORPTION

Egg yolks will only absorb so much clarified butter, the right amount oil and egg yolks will marry in a perfect mayonnaise, a beurre blanc is sensitive to the right proportions, and egg whites will reach their peak as a meringue, but can quickly fall if the process carries on too long. All of these simple, yet sensitive products rely heavily on not just recipes, but more importantly the cook’s visual interpretation of the right proportions and the timing of incorporation. The longer a person cooks, the more astute this assessment becomes.

[]         WHAT IS THAT FLAVOR – DOES THIS DISH BRING EVERYTHING TOGETHER THROUGH THE SENSE OF TASTE?

I remember talking with a friend who is an accomplished flavorist and owner of a flavor company. I started the conversation with the assumption that his lab would be totally dependent on tools like a gas chromatograph to separate the chemical components of an ingredient or a taste to figure out how to replicate it and computer modeling to build a formula to that end. Yes, he had all of those tools, but he told me that a flavorist relies on his or her palate more than any other tool.

The chef doesn’t have access to the equipment of the flavorist, but he or she does have a palate – the tool developed over many years of tasting and assessing. A seasoned cook (no pun intended) is able to taste a product and define its components and what might be missing in achieving a flavor goal. Like a master sommelier for wine – the chef is able to pull together the senses of smell, touch, sight, sound, and taste to evaluate a dish and establish a protocol of adjustment or evaluate a raw material and determine how it will be addressed in cooking and menu planning.

Some cooks are born with well defined olfactory senses and taste buds, but this gift without multiple experiences with tasting and building flavor benchmarks is somewhat wasted. Cooks need time and exposure to be able to fine-tune the most important tools that a chef relishes – the tools of human senses.

PLAN BETTEER – TRAIN HARDER

Patience and Experience Help to Define the Chef

Restaurant Consulting and Training

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

 

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