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Chef Lea Linster is one of the top female chefs who have carved a name for herself in the culinary world.  She is the head chef of her restaurant, Restaurant Lea Linster, which is located in Luxemburg.  Aside from being recognized as among the best chefs in the world, she is also recognized worldwide as the first lady chef who took home the huge prize of the 1989 Bocuse d’Or international competition.  She has indeed proven to the male-dominated culinary world that female chefs also deserve the title of top chefs.  Right now, she still holds the title as the only lady chef who ever won first prize at the much-coveted Bocuse d’Or international competition.

Chef Linster, born in Luxemburg on the 27th of April 1955, got her love and passion for cooking from her father, who was the head chef and pasty chef of their family-owned inn/restaurant.  You could say that she grew up surrounded by the aroma of fresh ingredients and the tantalizing and mouth-watering aroma of food cooking.

Having had an interest and passion for cooking, she became an apprentice to some of the best culinary houses in the country to hone her culinary skills.  She even trained under one of the best chefs in the world, Chef Fredy Girardet.  However, she had to return home to her hometown in Luxemburg, Frisange, when her father got ill and subsequently passed away.  In 1982, she finally decided to open her own restaurant in Frisange and called in Lea Linster.  Half a decade later, in 1987, her restaurant earned its first Michelin star.

Another turning point in her career was when she decided to join the Bocuse d’Or competition in 1989.  She demonstrated her technical skills during the competition, so it came not as a surprise that she took home the much-coveted prizewinner trophy of the 1989’s Bocuse d’Or.  It was a male-dominated competition, and to be the first and only lady chef to ever win the title was a very big honor indeed.

In 1991, four years after earning her first Michelin star and two years after winning the Bocuse d’Or title, she decided to open another restaurant.  She named it Lëtzebuerger Kaschthaus, and its primary goal was to showcase the Luxembourgian cuisine.  Aside from owning and managing two restaurants, she also purchased a vineyard located in Remich and produced her very own wine, which she called Elbling.

Her restaurants and her vineyard are not the only things that keep her busy though.  She has also contributed greatly to the culinary world when she wrote several cookbooks.  Her cookbooks showcased recipes from her restaurants as well as special Luxembourgian dishes.  Aside from this, she is also a writer for a gastronomical column.

Chef Linster’s cuisine is greatly influenced by the traditional and classical French cuisine.  Her cuisine is best known for its lightness and freshness.  She believes that fresh food products are what will make a good dish an excellent one, and that serving them fresh and unspoiled by heavy sauces and taste enhancers are the only way to serve them to her customers.  Chef Linster also emphasizes the importance of local and seasonal ingredients, and you will definitely see her culinary philosophy through her dishes.

This year, Chef Linster has once again graced the Bocuse d’Or with her culinary talents as she, together with other celebrity lady chefs, headed the gala dinner preparations.

Chef Lea Linster’s Bouneschlupp

Ingredients:

Stew:

• 1 kg green beans, not too thin
• 200 g celery root (celeriac)
• 3 medium potatoes
• 2 medium onions
• 1 small leek
• Sea salt
• 50 g butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Freshly ground pepper
• 150 g crème fraîche or sour cream

Garnish:

• 400 g smoked bacon in one piece
• 4 pork sausages

Procedure:

Stew:

1. String the beans and cut them into pieces 1-2 cm long. Peel and cube the celery root and the potatoes. Soak the potatoes in cold water. Peel and dice the onions. Slice the leek into 1-cm pieces.
2. Put all of the vegetables except the potatoes in a pot, cover with 2 liters water, salt lightly and cook over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, add them to the stew. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender.
3. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. With a whisk, vigorously stir over high heat to obtain a white roux. Gradually add a little of the stew broth while whisking constantly. Add as much broth as necessary to make a creamy sauce. Let cook a few minutes over low heat. Pass the sauce through a sieve into the stew and combine well with the vegetables.
4. Bring stew to a boil. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with a tablespoon of crème fraîche or sour cream. Garnish with cooked sausages and bacon.

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Our profession will take us to places far from our comfort zones, and if we really are passionate about food and cooking, then we sometimes have no choice but to follow our dreams.  We submit our resumes to hotels and restaurants even far from home in the hopes of landing a job and advancing our culinary careers.

You might be inclined to think that creating a resume or curriculum vitae is easy, but it actually is not.  This piece of paper will tell who you are professionally, so you would naturally want that piece of paper to convey who you are as a professional and who you are as a chef.  For this reason, here are some tips on how you can create a good impression with your CV.

Look at Your CV as an Advertising Tool

You are marketing yourself anyway, so you have to look at your CV as an advertising tool.  You future employers are going to take a look at your CV, so you have to let it really speak for you.  So before you make your CV, list down all your important skills as well as highlight some of the experiences that you have had in your profession that will make you shine out more than your competition does.  Aside from this, you also have to make your CV interesting so as to engage the interest of the interviewers and make them want to “get to know you more” by inviting you for an interview.  However, be careful not to share too much unnecessary information in your CV.

One tip in creating a list of skills though is to only include skills that are relevant to your trade.  You can also include a short description of your skills or provide useful examples and demonstrations during the interview.

The Professional CV

Because you would naturally want your CV to look as professional as you are, then here are the qualities of a professional CV.

1. It should be well presented.  Not only should it contain personal details of yourself such as hobbies and interests as well as education, certificates, and professional qualifications, but it should also contain your skills, achievements, and employment history.
2. It should be interesting.  Never write your CV by hand or use an old-fashioned typewriter to type it out.  You would want to look professional, and these will not do you any good.  Instead, make use of a word processor, a professional-looking font like Arial, and bright and clean white bond paper.  Do not use colored papers, and do not use too much “italics” and “underlines” as it can be distracting to look at.
3. It should be simple and very easy to read.  Make use of the right headings to separate your CV content and use “bold.”  Never use too long paragraphs, lest they become boring.  Keep the paragraphs short, simple, and easy to read.
4. It should be straightforward and honest.  Do not lie in your CV.  Your future employers can easily call up your character references, and you would not want to be caught in a lie.
5. If there is one thing that is a big no-no when it comes to creating CVs is to leave gaps or missing periods of time in your CV, may it be months or years.  Some interviewers and employers find the missing periods of time suspicious, so it would be better if you clarify what those missing periods were.  If you were on vacation, then say so in your CV.

Applying Online

Because there is a worldwide need for skilled chefs, especially in big hotels and famous restaurant branches, there will be instances wherein you will submit your CV online.  For this reason, here are some tips on how to submit CV via your email accounts:

1. Create a more professional-looking email address, preferably a username that makes use of your name.  Your future employer would want to see the name of the applicant, not some fancy username like “redchef” or “masterchef.”
2. Clearly state the purpose of your email in the subject line.  This way, your future employer will know in a glance that you are applying for a certain position.
3. One mistake that many chefs make is that they think an email correspondence is informal.  It actually is not.  Just like in any other job applications and interviews, you have to have a respectful and professional tone to your email.
4. If you are going to attach your CV, make sure that the format is easily accessible, retrievable, and readable.  You would not want to send a good CV only to find out that your employer couldn’t open the attached document so they sent it to the “trash.”

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Simplicity and sophistication, these are the best adjectives defining Ukraine and its food. The combination of fresh and unusual ingredients balances the not-so-complicated cooking processes, therefore making Ukrainian food a standard on its own. Food is neither bland nor heavily spiced but is prepared in seamless fashion. The cuisine also relies heavily on variety and value in terms of health and nutrition.

If there is one element undeniable in Ukrainian cuisine, that would be its bread as staple. Once considered the ‘Breadbasket of Europe,’ Ukraine enjoys the reputation for producing quality breads along with giving these items as customary gifts to guests and neighbors.  In a place full of history and tradition, it is likewise natural to serve customary dishes and no greater example would equal to Ukraine’s national dish, aptly called as Borscht.

Borscht is not your typical soup. In fact, the dish was emulated and gave life to many versions. You can have this meatless or full of stock, depending on region and preferences by the cook. However, this recipe is still prepared using pork, beef and various kinds of vegetables.

Ingredients Utilized in Ukrainian Cuisine

Meat:

Beef, Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Veal, Duck

Fish:

Carp

Vegetable:

Beet, Lettuce, Pickles, Potatoes, Cabbage (Sauerkraut), Mushrooms, Green Pepper, Carrots, Tomatoes, Peas

Condiments:

Mayonnaise, Vinegar

Dairy:

Cheese, Butter, Sour Cream, Eggs

Fruits:

Sour Cherries, Strawberries, Apples, Lemons, Pears, Plums, Blueberries

Grains:

Rice, Wheat, Rye, Barley, Corn, Oats

Nuts:

Hazelnut, Walnuts, Almonds

Spices, Herbs and Seasonings:

Onions, Garlic, Dill, Poppy Seeds, Cinnamon

Traditional cooking and recipes often rely on availability of food items and ingredients used. This is the apparent reason why certain dishes are enjoyed already in pickled form. Seasons naturally dictate the presence and preparation of certain specialties and dishes, which is why it is very common to enjoy a special dish at certain times of the year then not be able to taste it at a later period.

Holidays such as Ukrainian Easters highlight so called ritual foods. A selection of eggs, baked cheeses, butter, relishes and sausages are simple offerings taken to the Church during this important season. Easter dinners, on the contrary, are ruled by items namely pastries, salads, hams or roast pork. There are also a variety of breads that are being made in light with other special holidays and occasions.

Surprisingly, Ukrainian cuisine has its roots on peasant dishes whose items are primarily grains and vegetables. This humble beginning did not only inspire but paved way for great-tasting food. And for a country, whose spirit is somehow defined by its warmth of friendship and hospitable people, it is only fitting to regard Ukrainian cuisine as the world’s own bread and salt.

Authentic Ukrainian Recipes

Ukrainian Meat Patties Recipe – Sichenyky

Recipe Source: http://easteuropeanfood.about.com

Makes 6 servings of Ukrainian Meat Patties or Sichenyky

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 pound ground beef chuck
• 1/2 pound ground lean pork
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1 small grated onion
• 1 large egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dry bread crumbs for dredging
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, place 2/3 cup bread crumbs and pour the milk over. Mix and let crumbs absorb milk for 10 minutes (if too dry, add more milk). Add beef, pork, veal, onion, egg, and salt and pepper, mixing well. You may want to fry up a small pattie to make sure you have added enough salt.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Form meat mixture into flat patties and dredge both sides in bread crumbs. Let rest a few minutes. Heat a large skillet and add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Fry patties, in batches so as not to overcrowd, until golden brown on both sides. Add remaining butter and oil as necessary.
3. Transfer meat patties to a baking sheet pan and finish in the oven for about 25 minutes or until completely done. Serve as is or napped with mushroom sauce and accompanied by a green vegetable such as Brussels sprouts. These patties are terrific the next day on rye bread.

Pirohy (Perogies)

Recipe Source: easteuropeanfood.about.com

These are also known as Varenyky, but are more commonly known by their Polish name, Perogies. They take time to make, but are well worth the effort. Work goes faster if you have a bunch of people working on it, so why not have a pirohy party?

DOUGH INGREDIENTS
1 egg 4 cups flour ½ tsp salt		1-¼ cups of water ½ cup of milk

- Put the water, milk and egg in a large bowl.
- Add the flour to the bowl slowly. Mix well. Knead on a board until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and leave in warm place for about an hour or two.
- Roll out like for a pie crust. NOTE: I have read elsewhere that using a pasta machine/roller is an excellent way to get the dough flat – this dough is very elastic-y, so any help is welcome!
- Cut into 2 inch squares or circles. Place a teaspoon of filling (see below) on each one.
- Fold the dough in half, then pinch the edges together to form a ridge, thus sealing the filling in. See photos of pirohy assembly.
- Place the pirohy on a teatowel until they are all made. Cover the waiting dough with a teatowel, and the finished pirohy with one also, to prevent them from drying out.
- Drop into salted boiling water and stir with a wooden spoon to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Boil 4-5 minutes, strain in a colander–rinse once in cold water, then drain.
- Serve hot, with sour cream. May also be served with some lightly fried onions. At this point, if you wish, you can fry the pirohy in a little oil or margarine until golden brown.

STANDARD FILLING:
- This is my mother’s favorite filling, and one of the most common.

Ingredients:
Potatoes (see below for quantity)
Mild Cheddar Cheese (375 g – 13.2 oz package)
1 slice processed cheese (optional)

-Use your biggest saucepan and fill it with potatoes. It will be enough for the dough recipe above.
-She recommends using a mild cheddar cheese (but you can use a sharper one, if you prefer).
-Cut the cheese into fairly small pieces, and put them in the pot with the cooked, drained potatoes. My Gidu used to add a sliced of processed cheese – he thought it added a nice extra bit of cheddar flavour.  Mash it all together until smooth. That’s all there is to it!

STANDARD, with ANN’S TWIST
What goes perfectly with sour cream, potatoes and cheddar cheese? Why, bacon of course!  Fry some bacon (as much or as little as you like, about 1/4 to 1/2 slice’s worth per perogie). Drain on paper towels, let cool. Then chop it into little pieces (or use kitchen scissors, I find that handy). I took the dough, put a little filling on it, then added some bacon, then added a little more filling. Seal it up, and boil as normal! It’s a fun addition to a classic recipe!

• • • • • • •
Here are some alternate fillings, from the Ukrainian Daughters’ Cookbook.

SAUERKRAUT FILLING:

Ingredients:
1 qt sauerkraut 1 medium onion, chopped ½ cup oil		½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper optional: mashed potatoes.

- Cook sauerkraut, about 20 minutes or until done. Drain and press out water. Saute onion in oil until golden. Add sauerkraut, salt, and pepper. Fry for 10 minutes. Cool before putting filling into varenyky. Yield about 4 dozen.

POPPY SEED FILLING:
Ingredients:
1 cup poppy seed
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp sugar

- Scald poppy seed. Grind finely. Add egg yolk and sugar. Mix well.

And another one, this time from Canadian Living Magazine:

GARLIC POTATO FILLING:

Ingredients:
2 ½ lb potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 tbsp vegetable oil 10 cloves garlic, quartered ½ cup milk		1/3 cup cream cheese, softened ¾ tsp salt ¾ tsp pepper

-In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes, covered, for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well and return to pot; mash with potato masher until smooth. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and return heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and softened. Mash garlic and add to mashed potatoes. Blend in milk, cream cheese, salt and pepper, stirring just until smooth. Let filling cool to room temperature. Makes about 4 cups.

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An excellent restaurateur and an excellent chef, Chef Pierre Gagnaire is one of the top French chefs who have defined what fine dining really means.  He, together with his brother, Jean, elevated their parents’ humble and quaint restaurant to one of the must-go-to restaurants in the world.  Through them, the restaurant has earned numerous awards and recognitions from different award-giving bodies.  Chef Gagnaire has long retired from directly overseeing and managing the kitchen of La Maison Troisgros, and his son, Chef Michel Troisgros, an equally talented chef, is now the one who heads the kitchen of the family restaurant.  You could say that he is following on the footsteps of his father as he earned his own three Michelin stars and a spot in the S. Pellegrino list.

Chef Gagnaire was born in Chalon-sur-Saone on the 2nd of December 1926.  He grew up surrounded by the aroma of food cooking and the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant kitchen as their parents, Jean-Baptiste and Marie, manage and run the kitchen of Café des Negociants, situated at that time in Chalon-sur-Saone.

In 1930, when Chef Gagnaire was only about four years old, the whole family relocated to Roanne.  It was there that they opened Hotel-Restaurant des Platanes which caters mostly to the middle class.  Their parents had no formal culinary education, and what they serve to their clients are dishes that they have learned through their own parents and from their own experience.  Because the couple relies on the business to take care of the family’s finances, they have instilled in their children the love and passion for cooking and the need to maintain a very excellent standard when it comes to the business.

The restaurant soon grew popular that, in 1935, they changed its name to Hotel Moderne.  Because the brothers are expected to take control of the kitchen when their parents retire, Chef Gagnaire and his brother, Jean, began their apprenticeship and training at some of the top restaurants in the country.  Chef Gagnaire went to Normandy where he found work and apprenticed in Etretat’s Hotel du Golf.  He also went to the Basque Country and worked in the kitchens of Saint Jean de Luz.  On the other hand, Jean found work in Paris.

Later on, both brothers worked in Paris in the kitchens of Lucas CArtion where they got to work and train under the tutelage of the famous French chef, Chef Gaston Richard.  They also found landed a position in Vienne’s La Pyramide and worked under Chef Paul Mercier as well as Chef Fernand Point.  Aside from this, they also landed jobs at the Maxim’s as well as at the Hotel de Crillon.  It was also while they were in the city that they met Chef Paul Bocuse and created a lasting bond and relationship with the famous French chef.

In 1954, they went back to Roanne to take control over the kitchens of their family-owned restaurant, Hotel Moderne, when their father gave them the keys to the business.  Chef Gagnaire was the head chef, while Jean was the master saucier.  Their father was still very much active in the restaurant as he became the official maitre d’hotel as well as sommelier.  By the next year, the restaurant received its first Michelin star, and three years later, in 1957, they then changed the name to Les Freres Troisgros.

Through the efforts of the brothers, Les Freres Troisgros’ reputation soon grew.  Their extraordinary French cuisine became known for their sophistication and perfection that it became highly in-demand not only among the middle class but the upper class as well.  In 1654, Michelin Guide gave them their second star and the third star in 1968.  Aside from this, the restaurant also received recognition from Gault Millau in 1972 as the Best Restaurant in the World.

Meanwhile, Chef Gagnaire’s son, Michel, was starting his own journey to being a chef.  He went to Grenoble where he furthered his culinary skill from the year 1974 to the year 1982.  He also went across the globe to learn from great chefs such as Chefs Michel Guerard and Fredy Girardet.  Clearly, he was going to follow in the footsteps of his father.

Jean’s death in 1983 prompted Chef Gagnaire to call his son home to help him manage the family business.  So, after ten years of traveling and becoming an apprentice to some of the best chefs in the world, Michel went home to Roanne to help Chef Gagnaire run Les Freres Troisgos, with his wife taking a very active role in decorating and renovating the restaurant to suit the present times.  The father and son tandem has also redefined their cuisine, taking it to a whole new level of elegance and excellence.

In 1998, Chef Gagnaire finally relinquished the kitchen reign over to his son.  What used to be known as Les Freres Troisgros is now known as La Maison Troisgros, and under his son’s guidance, it became even more popular.

Chef Pierre Gagnaire’s Salmon with Sorrel

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds salmon
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil, for pounding
• 2 cups Pierre’s Fish Stock
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup dry white wine, preferably Sancerre
• 3 tablespoons dry vermouth
• 1 1/4 cups crème fraiche
• 4 ounces sorrel leaves (about 1 quart tightly packed), washed, stemmed, and large leaves torn into two or three pieces
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper

Procedures:

1.   Choose the thickest center section of the fish. Using a flexible boning knife, cut apart the two fillets, and carefully remove skin.

2.   With pliers, pull out the tiny bones hiding in the center of the flesh. They can be found by running fingers against the grain of the fish. Divide the fillets in half horizontally to make four pieces weighing about 6 ounces each.

3.   Lightly oil two pieces of parchment paper with peanut oil. Lay one piece of parchment on a flat surface. Place fish on parchment. Top with second piece of parchment. With a wooden mallet or the side of a cleaver, gently flatten so each fillet is of equal thickness.

4.   In a medium saucepan, combine fish stock and shallots. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes. Add wine and vermouth, and continue to cook until bright and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add crème fraiche, and boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Pass through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pan.

5.   Add sorrel, and cook for 25 seconds. Remove from heat. Add butter a little at a time, swirling or stirring with a wooden spoon until completely incorporated (be sure not to break up sorrel leaves). Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

6.   Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season salmon on one side (the less presentable side) with salt and pepper. Place in pan, seasoned side up. Cook 25 seconds, turn, and cook 15 seconds more. The salmon must be undercooked to preserve its tenderness (it will continue to cook in the finished sauce).

7.   Distribute sauce among four large plates. Place salmon, seasoned side down, on plates. Season with salt. Serve immediately.

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