| Have you ever wondered what the difference | | | | ingredient quantities. For instance there is a recipe on |
| between a great chef and an ordinary chef is? How | | | | our website for chocolate truffles flavored with |
| can one produce food recipes that are remembered | | | | cayenne pepper. - Now that looks stupid on paper |
| and another produce food that is quickly forgotten? | | | | because it is one of those things that you must taste |
| Disregarding all the jokes about never trusting a skinny | | | | to believe. The result is a truffle that leaves a taste for |
| chef I can only say that the 80/20 rule applies in this | | | | at least half an hour after you eat it. This is just one |
| profession the same as in other professions. It is a fact | | | | example of a chef that thinks outside of the square. |
| of life that 20% of lawyers, doctors, accountants, | | | | There are many more that are not quite so radical. |
| financial planners etc. are outstanding; the other 80% | | | | Another thing I like to test when I eat out is the taste |
| are mediocre to awful. The same applies to all trades | | | | of simple boiled vegetables; you don?t need me to tell |
| and professions. So the challenge vis-à¶is chefs | | | | you that they can be bland. So, what if you boil all |
| is to find what differentiates the 20% from the 80%. | | | | non-root vegetables in chicken, beef or vegetable |
| The first thing you will notice about the top 20% is | | | | stock rather than plain water. Also boil them together |
| creativity; they create meals and set the standard for | | | | for the same time. You finish up with extra flavored |
| others to follow. The most obvious sign of creativity is | | | | vegetables and different textures because some |
| in the way that a meal is served. Can you look at the | | | | vegetables require longer cooking time than others. |
| meal before you start eating and think: This meal | | | | Does it spoil the vegetables? Only you can be the |
| appears to be unique? This must be obvious before | | | | judge, just remember that vegetables shouldn?t be |
| you taste it; the meal truly needs to stir something | | | | cooked for too long or you boil the goodness out of |
| (other than hunger) within you. Top chefs are like | | | | them. |
| interior decorators in their presentation; mixing colors, | | | | Why not start collecting your own top chef?s tips |
| shapes and textures to be sure that they are | | | | when you eat out. If there is something on your plate |
| eye-catching. | | | | that excites you ask the waiter to ask the chef how |
| Next we come to the recipe itself. Top chefs rarely | | | | he achieved that taste. Chefs are like artists and are |
| present a recipe as it is presented in a recipe book; | | | | usually happy to discuss their techniques with people |
| instead they add their own signature to it. This | | | | who show a genuine interest. |
| signature is better known as flair and varies from | | | | This article is copyright ? David McCarthy 2006. Feel |
| adding a simple extra ingredient to a number of | | | | free to reproduce it in the printed or electronic media |
| ingredients. It could also be a variation of some | | | | without alterations or additions. |