Author: Chef Gason

I look at being a Chef like being the starting QB. You have to think quick on your feet. Like a QB when he comes to the line and doesn’t like the defence he sees… In a split second the QB makes a call. He makes sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be. The same thing goes for a Chef. A Chef has to make sure his strongest cooks are working the right stations. A chef makes split second menu adjustments when the product doesn’t arrive or, what does arrive, isn’t up to his standards. A Chef pivots, makes calls, and makes it happen. I remember one private dinner in the French Quarters in New Orleans at an AirBnb. When I got to the AirBnb – I looked around and realize – they didn’t have a stove or oven. Talk about a WTH moment! But, like a QB, I didn’t panic. There was a Creole restaurant next door. I ran over and explained what was going on. The Chef could totally understand. He gave me a little corner and one burner on the stove. That’s all I needed. And you know what? I put out an amazing meal. Being a Chef carries a lot of responsibility. If you want to be a Chef, you need to make sure you’re up to the challenge. Because every day brings one.

Food has a powerful presence. It even has its own personality. Think about it… no matter what mood we’re in food can make us smile and feel better. Hell!! Food can even heal your body. When it comes to food – it’s limitless. Ingredients, techniques, flavor combinations…. You can always learn something new and make yourself a better chef, cook, homecook – and even a better person. Food makes me a happier person, no matter what I’m going through. Now, let’s go make some Spaghetti & Meatballs.

Plating is an Art form; Beautiful food presentation is so important because great cuisine is eaten with the mouth but also the eyes…Styling a pretty plate of food is not necessarily easy; just like a fine painter and his blank canvas, an empty plate is a Chef’s canvas to design and create an appetizing food presentation.

It’s funny, sometimes I’ll have a certain vision for plating a dish and then, at the time of service a new idea sparks my imagination! It’s an opportunity to create a totally new concept ‘in the moment’ that wows my clients and increases their appetite and enjoyment of the meal. Being a Chef is awesome experience!!

A chef is someone who understands the kitchen, food cost, product, preparation, execution and staff management. Most of all a chef understands the grind and sacrifice of this career path. A chef gets up in the middle of the night to perfect a recipe that didn’t work the day before. A chef is more interested in creating a stellar dining experience for his guests than he is in attaining the glamorous rock star status of today’s notable chefs. Chefs display grit when everything in them says walk away. Being a chef is in you and can’t be suppressed. It’s in you and can’t be denied. It’s in you and can’t be replaced by the promise of better occupation, because it’s just who you are. It’s in you!

Now let me get to my daughter for father daughter time.