August 1st, 2008
The other day I caught up with Chef Heinz Klenner, as it turns out he is currently taking a well deserved break from the kitchen grind. Chef Heinz is presently seeking to secure a further Executive Sous Chef opportunity. As they say- “You can take the Chef away the Kitchen but you cannot take the Kitchen away from the Chef”.
He began his culinary career in the butchery followed by a stint in a renowned restaurant in the Austrian countryside. Following this he ventured away from his homeland for a number of short stints doing seasonal work during his “learning years”. He spent a number of winters in the Swiss ski fields as well as those of western Austria. The summer months saw Chef Heinz aboard a cruise liner or two on the lakes in eastern Austria.
Over the past few years Chef Heinz has been aligned with Do&Co, a worldwide catering company, which caters events like F1 grand prix, ATP tennis, as well as the Euro 2004.
His first “real” abroad experience was a 1 ½ year Sous Chef contract in Boston at the Westin Copley Place. For the past 4 years he has been with Hyatt; namely the Grand Hyatt Dubai as chef de cuisine followed by the Hyatt Regency Dubai in the capacity of Executive Sous Chef. Recently Chef Heinz was transferred to the Hyatt Regency Belgrade, however due to numerous reasons he decided to vacate the position.
Question Time
chef 21- Were you destined to become a chef?
Chef Heinz- I’ve liked to be in the kitchen as long as I can think back, although I have learned the trade as a butcher first before I became a chef.
chef 21- Can you offer a few words of advice for the chefs of tomorrow?
Chef Heinz- Be focused, work hard, learn as much as you can from good experienced chefs and don’t think anything will be given to you for free. I dislike young chefs, who think they can cook because they went to 36000$ per year schools, and think they’ll be stars on TV without the necessary experience. Don’t take shortcuts, simply because we’ve all been there and probably tried the same a few years back.
chef 21- What are you hobbies and spare time interests?
Chef Heinz- I do like photography, skiing and sailing, in addition I am about to make my scuba license.
chef 21- What do you eat for breakfast?
Chef Heinz- Usually just coffee.
chef 21- What were your favorite foods as a child?
Chef Heinz- I did grow up in the Austrian countryside on a family owned winery, so most foods I enjoyed, and still do, are old Austrian home-style classics like Tafelspitz (boiled beef) and Kaiserschmarrn.
chef 21- If you had one wish, what would it be?
Chef Heinz- I’d like to have my own small place where I grew up, something like a 40 seat restaurant, where I can cook as I wanted, without needing to think about any financial aspects. (Probably feasible save for the last part)
The parting words- why don’t you leave the audience
with a sentence or two to ponder over?
Chef Heinz- I have met so many great chefs over the course of my career; consequently I am grateful to have worked with them and learned as much as I could. Bottom line is that it’s the experience which makes us qualified, valuable, and distinctive.
chef 21- Thank you for sharing your views and opinions with the readers.
You can find two of Chef Heinz’s recipes in the Recipe Vault, namely;
- Gazpacho Jelly with Baby Mozzarella
-
Pan Fried Fillets of Red Snapper, Mussel Veloute, Sautéed Baby Spinach
Popularity: 30% [?]
July 25th, 2008
I caught up with Chef Graham Ash in between his commitments on the oil rig.
Chef Graham Ash began his career in a small bakery in rural Devon, England. From there he worked his way to Michelin star level, through various pastry kitchens around the world- including Bermuda, the Caribbean, UK and Spain.
Eight years ago, he took a career change and moved into bakery product development, working with the likes of Marks and Spencer and Waitrose.
After a spell as a bakery consultant and running two high volume bakeries in Kazakhstan, I am now a baker on oil rigs in the North Sea.
I began by asking Chef Graham;
chef 21- What inspires you?
Chef Graham- Many years ago, it was chasing accolades and awards. Now, it is all about keeping 130 men and women well fed and fed on time. I still get a buzz from eating out in nice restaurants or seeing a new recipe in a book or magazine.
chef 21- What is your favorite music to play in the kitchen?
Chef Graham- Nothing too funky, or else I start dancing around the galley and become a safety hazard!
I like something easy to listen to now I am older….Steely Dan, Journey, that sort thing.
chef 21- What has been the greatest influence on your career thus far?
Chef Graham- Becoming a development chef certainly knocks any inflated ego from a chef. You very quickly learn that it is NOT about what YOU want – but what the CUSTOMER wants. If the customer wants a plain bread and butter pudding, then give it to them; don’t mess around adding apricots and Grand Marnier.
Certainly there is a lesson to be learnt for all when writing menus.
chef 21- Do you enjoy cooking at home when the opportunity presents itself?
Chef Graham- Absolutely – this is when I get to cook what I want to eat. Besides – working offshore is a 100% alcohol free zone.
When I am at home cooking for my wife, Karen, there is no pressure and I can relax with a nice glass of red.
Chef Graham- I work offshore on an oil rig in the North Sea for Universal Sodexho. I work 14 x 12 hour shifts, then have 14 days off.
I am employed as a night cook/ baker. Typically, this involves preparing a midnight meal, consisting of salads, 4 hot choices and hot and cold desserts. The rest of my shift is spent baking the bread, hot and cold desserts. A typical rig would have about 130 persons on board, with about 30 of them on night shift. All bread, cakes and pastries are baked fresh daily.
It is true, the guys (and girls) do like the old favourites like chicken curry, meat pie and roast beef. However we do offer more contemporary and healthy choices as well.
Not working with luxury ingredients is not a hurdle, but a challenge. You can still achieve high standards.
You will certainly be told, in no uncertain terms, if the food isn’t up to scratch. They are a discerning bunch offshore!
chef 21- Can you offer a few words of advice for the chefs of tomorrow?
Chef Graham-
- When you are starting out – don’t be shy – ask as many questions as possible and write it all down, in a book, in your pocket – NOW. Trying to remember it all a week later on your days off, will be too late
- It is not about the money (that will come later) it is about gaining knowledge and experience.
- Finally piss people off on the way up, you never know who you may meet on the way down!
The parting words- why don’t you leave the audience
With a sentence or two to ponder over?
Chef Graham- Good food cooked and presented well, will always be well received. One thing I have learnt since working in the contract business is that you don’t need fillet steak and foie gras to produce a good meal.
chef 21- Thank you for sharing your views and opinions with the readers Graham.
Chef Graham- Thank you for giving me the opportunity Matthew.
You can find two of Chef Graham’s recipes in the Recipe Vault, namely;
Blueberry Cheesecake
- Sweet Round Bun
Popularity: 19% [?]
July 18th, 2008
Recently I caught up with Chef Indrajit Saha, he is currently in the Republic of Djibouti working in the capacity of Executive Sous Chef. Chef Indrajit is a true example of a passion- not only concerning food but also the people and the process associated. First impressions tell you that he seems to have an introvert character, but he assures me that when it comes to the kitchen he is one of the most extrovert people who would ever meet.
In respect to product quality- he believes that second grade ingredients cannot produce first grade food so the secret to success actually begins with the ingredients. He has a great ambition to have some sort of business involvement dealing with organic produce. Indrajit mentioned that “I love what I do and I do what I believe”.
Question Time
chef 21- What pursued you to become a professional chef?
Chef Indrajit- To be honest it was an accident that I ended up at catering school but once I went there from the first day I knew that I wanted to be a chef. Basically, I felt the comfortable with the whole atmosphere.
chef 21- How many different Countries have you worked in? Which one did you enjoy the most?
Chef Indrajit- India, Maldives, Caribbean, Africa and Dubai. I enjoyed the Maldives the best. I had plenty of time to concentrate on my cooking.
chef 21- What is your favorite ingredient you like to use in your cooking? Why?
Chef Indrajit- Well Matthew, I have 2, the first one is “Aubergine” -it absorbs lots of flavours and release also lot of flavors and the second is “Lemon” – a dash of it changes the whole nature of the dish.
chef 21- What is the latest cookbook you purchased?
Chef Indrajit- Nobu. I haven’t looked back since- I picked up many nice ideas to include in my own cooking.
chef 21- Any tips for chefs that are just beginning their career?
Chef Indrajit- Be honest and passionate to your career and yourself. It takes lot of hard and smart work to be chef. Do not only run for the money, it will come in time.
chef 21- As a professional chef what is the most intriguing fixation you have witnessed in the kitchen?
Chef Indrajit- As an expatriate in the daily life you hear people speaking different languages, however in the kitchen all of the various languages boil down in the cooking. So you hear people speaking their own individual language however we as chefs can easily grasp the meaning.
The parting words- why don’t you leave the audience
with a sentence or two to ponder over?
Chef Indrajit- To all culinary professionals, if you drop something on the kitchen floor make sure that you do not forget to pick it up. It only takes few seconds; do not leave the kitchen dirty, it is your pride.
chef 21- Thank you for sharing your views and opinions with the readers.
You can find one of Chef Indrajit’s recipes in the Recipe Vault, namely;
- Duet of Duck
Popularity: 16% [?]
July 11th, 2008
Chef Gilbert Steiner, a French national like many other chefs within “Our” Network has been a part of family from the humble beginnings. Recently I asked Chef Gilbert about his career thus far. The full interview along with a number of Chef Gilberts dish creations follows. A big thank you to Chef Gilbert for his time and energy he spent to partake in this initiative.
chef 21- Who inspired you the most as a young cook?
Chef Gilbert- During my days cooking in France, many names of great master chefs come to my mind- each of them with their own merits, however I would say that the ones that particularly stand out are Paul Bocuse and Joel Robuchon when they were at the heights of their careers. Namely for the unique product research, its originality and creation. They managed to put the bases of modern cuisine into society, to this very day they are inspiring the future generations. In a nut shell I have a deep respect for both of them.
chef 21- What are 3 top traits that someone should have to succeed as a chef?
Chef Gilbert- Well I would say, passion, generosity and taste; as the major factors, creativity and curiosity to compliment.
chef 21- Currently you are working in China; previously you were based in the Maldives? Was it a difficult transition?
Chef Gilbert- Yes, I was in the majestic Maldives, for sure it’s a major change but I can adapt to change with relative easy. I received a very warm welcome upon my arrival in China which made the transition very straightforward. In addition the switch was simple due to the fact that I like to discover new things plus the fact that I am very open to new cultural experiences.
chef 21- What is your favorite cooking gadget?
Chef Gilbert- I will surprise you, it is a soup spoon, because of its multi-function, from tasting soup, adding sauces and dressings to the dishes and to dressing up the plates.
chef 21- How do you define “taste”?
Chef Gilbert- Difficult to say quickly and concisely… firstly taste is a combination of little touches that give great pleasures; it is often linked to childhood, what was known or lived.
I was lucky to have a grandmother and mother who cooked many fabulous dishes, this gives me many wonderful memories of taste.
Taste is one of the five senses in which we perceive flavors. It is an education and also a gratification to be able to gather around a table, sharing and enjoying a meal.
In conclusion, we can say that when something has taste it has nerves, personality and texture. In addition taste is a feeling of extreme quality.
The parting words- why don’t you leave the audience
with a sentence or two to ponder over?
Chef Gilbert- “Cooking is just like Love” you need to give a little every day to make it work and to feel good.
“A Chef is like a General” as chef you need to adapt, share, guide and motivate your team because a chef is nothing without his/ her kitchen brigade.
chef 21- Thank you for sharing your views and opinions with the readers.
You can find two of Chef Gilbert’s recipes in the Recipe Vault, namely;
- Tropical Salmon Three Ways
- Roasted Pigeon with Baby Spring Vegetables
Popularity: 10% [?]
Australian Chef- Matthew J. Goudge is the mastermind behind the formation of the ProChef360 platform.