Kitchen Preparation Techniques

Blanching and peeling fava beans is a spring "right of passage" for many cooks. Labor intensive and somewhat time consuming, when prepped properly you're rewarded with meaty little green morsels that are well worth the work.

This video will teach you how to peel and blanch asparagus. After blanching, the asparagus is now ready to be finished with a high heat cooking method including grilling, sauting, roasting, etc.This video will teach you how to peel and blanch asparagus. After blanching, the asparagus is now ready to be finished with a high heat cooking method including grilling, sauting, roasting, etc.

I first fell in love with salsify when working at a French Restaurant in San Francisco. The edible root portion most commonly served in restaurants, looks like a dirty tree branch but when properly prepared, has an extremely unique flavor and texture that closely resembles a cross between parsnip and potato. A member of the sunflower family, salsify is a tuber that can be used just like any other common root vegetable.

Fruit trays are a great way to welcome guests to a party or event and can add a festive, visual "pop" when done correctly. Demonstrated in this video is an easy and efficient method for laying our a fruit platter or mirror. I chose to make the above video part of the "Kitchen Prep Series" because as a prep cook, your value will be greatly increased if you can properly prep and compose a fruit tray.

This video will demonstrate three different techniques for roasting garlic. Also, a brief lecture on the science behind roasting garlic, and why its strong, pungent flavor will become mild and sweet when heat is applied over a long period of time.

In this video we go over basic pan terminology used in a professional kitchen including the definitions of a hotel pan, third pan, ninth pan, sixth pan, and more. These are important terms to learn if you plan on working in a professional kitchen.

Beets are one of my favorite food products to work with during fall and winter. They are extremely versatile, come in all different shapes and sizes, and have an earthiness that just screams “winter comfort food.” Although there are many different ways to prepare and serve beets, one of my favorites, and most classical methods, is roasting.

Here's a quick video demonstrating how to clean and blanch green beans. After the green beans are prepared, their ready to be finished using a high-heat, secondary cooking technique such as sauteing, frying and roasting.

This video demonstrates the prep process for making oil poached and pressed potatoes. Fingerling potatoes are first slowly poached in flavored oil until tender, slightly cooled and then pressed with the skin still on. These potatoes can then be fried in olive oil or clarified butter until the exterior is crispy, finished with fresh herbs and sea salt and served as is or as an accompaniment to a meat course.

Here's a quick video that will teach you how to peel and blanch pearl onions. Once prepped, pearl onions make a great accompaniment to many saute dishes.

Flavor infused oils are a great way to add colorful contrasts and interesting tastes to a dish, especially as a last minute garnish. When making your own oils infused with the essence of a fresh green herb, you'll be walking a fine line between extracting the most flavor and color, and completely breaking down the chlorophyll molecules which will give an off taste and appearance.

Tapioca Maltodextrin is a light weight bulking agent derived from tapioca starch that has no perceptible flavor. When mixed with fat, it has the ability to absorb it, transforming the fat into a powder like substance. Further adding to the "dehydrated fat illusion," the maltodextrin disappears almost immediately when it comes into contact with a small amount of moisture. This sensation most notably occurs when a dehydrated fat is placed in one's mouth; the saliva dissolves the maltodextrin leaving behind only the fat, which gives the impression that it's "rehydrating" back to its original form.

In this video I demonstrate how to bind together two boneless, skinless chicken breasts using the transglutaminase enzyme. The resulting piece of meat is cohesive, easy to portion and will cook more evenly then a traditional chicken breast.

This video demonstrates one of many methods for candying nuts. Once candied, these nuts can be used as a garnish for desserts, salads, or any dish that would benefit from a salty-sweet crunch

The basic method used in this video is extremely simple; powdered sugar is thinned with liquid until it forms a light glaze, and then seasoned with salt, spices, and acid. Nuts are then tossed in this glaze and baked until a candy like shell is achieved.

Animal fats are all the craze, and rightfully so. They're a great way to add flavor to a dish, whether you're using them in high heat cooking applications such as searing and sauteing, or cutting them into your pastry doughs when making tarts or pie crusts for a pot pie.

A good place to harvest animal fat is from stock. During the stock making process, fat is skimmed off the top, and even more is removed the following day after the stock has a had a chance to cool in the fridge.

I've seen a lot of cooking videos lately, including some starring really talented chefs, zesting lemons and other citrus in a less than effective manner. In this short video, I demonstrate what I believe to be the best way to zest a lemon and other citrus fruits.