Thursday 17 May 2012

NEW KITCHEN COMING ALONE - WHY CHEFS ARE PERFECT

There really is no greater excitement for a chef than building a new kitchen.
Everything as you want it, everything where it should be and the tools you want, where you want them. Draw all this up and put it on paper for the contractors and builders to perform their skills and deliver on their promise and VOILA.....
The kitchen you never ordered.... ?
You know the reason why I have so much belief in chefs and pastry chefs in this world is that we are about the only people left who actually have to deliver everything EXACTLY as the client wants it or we get huge trouble for it. Chef's can't deliver late, we can't deliver sub-standard work, we can not substitute products for something else and we can't say we are out of stock !! Chefs should rule the world !
I went and spoke with a Equipment Rep yesterday, I told him I wanted the R5 he looked up the R6, Why, .....because he gets a bigger commission from selling me the R6 for sure, not the one I really need or want or the one that best suits y kitchen!!
Contractors look at your requirements, think for themselves and deliver whatever they want, a chef has to deliver a dish of food as the guest perceives it, value for money or greater value than they pay in most cases,and within 15-20 minutes or LOOK OUT....if there is not enough salt we have to hear about it......for a contractor if their is ONE CRACKED TILE I complain and he thinks I should get over myself !!!!
Anyway,Thankfully all is working to plan now and  just letting you know that the kitchens are about ready despite some delays and the store too is absolutely gorgeous....New three deck oven is in transit, as is...well.... pretty much everything else...
A view of Hot Zone ! Except for the other hot zone which will will have our new three deck ovens. And before anyone mentions it, yes the hand wash sink is getting all the additions to it soon !!! Remember we are still building !! ha ha
Teasing you with a picture but you'll have to wait, Kitchen move in Date is May 31st  and the PRECISE LAUNCH DATE OF THE STORE NOW IS JUNE 11th...INSHALLAH

Thursday 10 May 2012

Writing that COOK BOOK !!

Interested in writing a cookbook?
Then here is a few words of advice on what to look forward to and what to prepare for when doing so...from someone who has written 15 cookbooks over 20 year period spanning self publishing to the largest publishing houses in the world.
Good luck !!
Article appears in the newest magazine to hit the online world, THE WORD.. Currently online and soon to be on book shelves everywhere...
Enjoy !!

http://www.thewordmagazineonline.com/the-word/booking-the-cooks/


COOKING SCHOOLS - Investing in yourself and your Career !!

I read an online comment by someone recently that stated "Don't waste your money on overpriced pastry schools." 
Seems the person took negatively to the comments I had also posted on LinkedIn advising a young new comer to the industry about the schools in which I have had the pleasure to train and learn...
Yes,"Pastry Schools" are not cheap...but instead of thinking of this as an expense, think of it as an investment..!!
Once you have trained in any given trade, the learning does not END on the completion of a four year apprenticeship...
In fact it really has only just begun.
I have been cooking now for 3O years and the reason I try to go to a cooking school "somewhere" other than my home area every year, is not really just to get educated, I think after 30 years I have a pretty good grasp of the whole Pastry trade, but mores the reason I go to School every year is to re-learn and remind myself of the skills that working hard and fast in our industry can remove from you...
I invest in reminding myself that taking time and care in production ends with better production methods, smoother flow of production and greater volume of production.
I go to remind myself the reason little tricks where taught to me 30 years ago and the reason some tricks should never be forgotten.
I go to remind myself that trends change in a heart beat and finally I go to remind myself exactly why after 30 years I am still in love with pastry....because it is simply amazing to create food people adore every day.

Many people expect the career they choose to just reward them with ever increasing incomes year after year, but even a bank account or investment never grows unless you invest into it... The more you give the bigger the reward.
And thats why I go to school every year.
To invest in a richer future for myself and for my customers and clients.
There is no such thing as a "wasted investment" in my eyes, if you are serious about your trade. We can never learn enough, we are simply not on the planet long enough to ever  know enough and even if a skill is not learnt then sometimes the richer reward can simply be to show you that you are better than you imagined.
I for one will always "INVEST" into my self, invest in my career and invest in the taste possibilities for my customers because after 30 years, they all deserve nothing less.
In the words of MARK TWAIN....“Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned.” and I could not agree more.


My favorite school for value for money and value of education is as mentioned on this site before BELLOUET CONSEIL... I love their professionalism, the ease of classes, the acceptance that we are all professionals and the fact that they have always made me feel comfortable despite the sometimes language divide.. ECOLE Bellout Conseil now headed by JEAN MICHEL PERRUCHON is one of the leading book publishers for our global industry today and their books are as precise and clean, methodical and clear as their classes. Class notes can be provided in English and French and some lecturers have understanding of both languages. (http://www.ecolebellouetconseil.com/) check their link for the lecturers....I have been going to Bellouet for many years now and their professionalism is second to none.
THE ECOLE BELLOUET CONSEIL TEAM


If Paris is too far then I have it on great note that SAVOUR School for Pastry and Chocolate,(http://www.savourschool.com.au/)...featuring internationally trained, and award winning chefs, Kirsten Tibballs, Paul Kennedy and Robyn Curnow host classes and international chefs (Some of the best chefs in the Pastry world) who conduct classes on their premises. Savour is also just releasing its own cookbook and for those who find the Australian state of melbourne closer and cheaper than flying to Paris, you will be rewarded by a city equally as delightful with just as numerous pastry shops to choose from for added education.
THE SAVOUR TEAM


EDUCATION is never wasted, sadly too few people invest in themselves and into their careers to truly get the rewards and bonuses that they could so easily achieve, and those that do, well , the world truly is their's to rule.

Sunday 6 May 2012

GREAT THINGS....just getting started !!!


Great Things …just getting started. !!!




I apologise to those who where following this blog as to my apparent absence for the past few months….but things are about to change folks…we are almost there…!!!

According to an old saying…”all good things come to an end”…and the same could be said for the time of my life I have just been through…it has been amazing…travel to many countries, Vietnam, Philippines, Korea, Canada, USA and the delicacies of so many cultures, fun with friends, time to write and yet again I was published…this time not food and not a solo venture.... but a collaboration with 50 other talented writers…Check out MY BEAUTIFUL BAHRAIN (http://www.bahrainwriterscircle.com/my-beautiful-bahrain/)... and I even bought myself another home to live in …. in yet another country where I do not reside (exactly, how many does a single guy need!!!)…. But you know what….I MISS COOKING SO MUCH !! ...and I really miss customers !!!

Truth is… I have been cooking ....A LOT…but just not commercially !!!.
We have been searching the globe for the right ingredients, looking for the new and the creative in products and equipment and eating plenty , building relationships with our suppliers and testing the products we want to use while simultaneously building our new premises for the new store and the kitchen…

The staff are ready and within days we will be putting the final touches to everything...... Launching soon (a month or close to)  will be the new Patisserie in Abu Dhabi….and I could not be more excited…...….Good things may come to an end, but GREAT THINGS…well they are just about to get started …. Coming soon, the new concept, No names, no locations just yet as it will all be revealed soon enough.....but the first store is open and soon after we hope for stores in multiple locations ,  already there are  two more planned and a solid track for great performance is on coarse…stay tuned for the exciting pics, desserts and commentary of what we are up to….and thank you so much for your patience……. It will be rewarded…!! soon.....

Chestnut and chocolate tart with Vanilla Brulee and fresh figs

Flourless Chocolate and Apple Breakfast cakes

Tartlettes de Marron Glace 

Petit gateau Halwa