The Chef's Special


Executive chefs spend years perfecting their craft.  After years of culinary school, the real education begins. With an excellent resume and reference letters, a graduate may be fortunate to garner a position in a renowned restaurant as a su chef. Working his/her way up the ladder of success, a future executive chef starts on the bottom rung keeping the kitchen clean, chopping vegetables, and cutting and preparing the ingredients. By the time an individual reaches the esteemed position of executive chef, he/she has probably found a niche in culinary expertise.  For example, the chef's special may be main dishes, desserts, appetizers, or ethnic foods. Among the growing specialties, Cajun cuisine and pastries are two favorites.

Cajun cuisine is a bold and spicy mix of meats and vegetables.  Cayenne and black pepper, combined
with other fragrant herbs like thyme, tarragon, and basil, give the dishes a distinctive and pungent taste and aroma. Roux helps thicken the gravies, and clarified butter is used during the cooking process. Minus milk solids and water, the butter can withstand the high temperatures necessary in preparing Cajun delights.

Along with equally spicy vegetables, a favorite Cajun dish is crawfish.  Many communities actually host an all-you-can-eat yearly festival.  However, many people prefer the more traditional meats.  Shrimp, steak, fish, lamb, and poultry are excellent meats for Cajun cooking. The ultimate key to scrumptious Cajun cooking is the selection of spices used to bring out the flavor of fresh meat and vegetables. Thus, a professional Cajun chef will only pick the best of ingredients to create mouth-watering jambalaya, stews, soups, fricassees, and other tasty grilled meats. A Cajun chef's specialty may also include a combination pot of fresh meats and vegetables.  Boiled together in the heady spices, the flavorful meats and vegetables mingle to create a delectable treat.

Cajun cuisine is definitely growing in popularity.  Coupled with his/her personal style of cooking, chefs specializing in the bold and spicy can definitely establish a successful career in the culinary arts. The aroma alone will bring patrons flocking for a plate o the chef's special.

For individuals with a more delicate palette, the chef's special may be a sweet and delicious pastry. However, the flaky confections do not magically appear on the customer's plate.  Years of schooling and experience go into every tasty morsel.

Pastry schools are totally devoted to the art of creating wonderful wedding cakes, holiday confections, sweet sculptures, and individual servings of delightful desserts. In addition to teaching the basics, classes devote time to the ultimate presentation of the finished pastry.  Essentially, a wonderful pastry will look as good as the taste.  So, the plating is vital.

As a fundamental part of his/her education, a future pastry chef serves an internship with a successful pastry chef. The hands-on experience is the key to creating an awesome pastry chef. Under the pressure of deadlines, detailed and specific orders, and the everyday preparation of assorted sweets, a young chef will learn if he/she has what it takes to specialize in pastry.

To establish an excellent reputation as a pastry chef, and individual may compete in contests of skill and expertise.  For example, sugar sculpting takes exceptional talent, perseverance, hard work, and countless hours of practice.  On the day of the actual contest, the amazing artwork has been re-created and timed to perfection.  For some, all hopes are dashed as a sculpture topples when being moved to the presentation table.  For others, the contest garners significant prize money and recognition by potential employers.

Like sugar sculpting competitions, cake-decorating contests can also make/break a pastry genius.  Guided by a theme, contestants create unimaginable designs, too lovely to eat. Judges definitely have a difficult task picking the winning entry. Meticulously, the cakes are examined for any flaws in icing and ultimate presentation. The winning pastry chef receives recognition and satisfaction in perfecting his/her craft.

From sweet confections to spicy Cajun cooking, and everything in between, experienced chefs usually have a specialty.  Thus, the consumer benefits from years of education and hard work.  Whether the platted result is a uniquely spicy main dish or a delicately delicious dessert, the chef's special is sure to be a tasty treat.

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