The 3 Moms are excited to introduce you to Chef Keith Hanks, our newest contributing writer at Happy to be at Home. We’re looking forward to what Chef Keith will be sharing with us about all-things-food!

Being a professional Chef for 20 years, I have seen firsthand the miracle of food. The whole experience, from satisfying our most basic human need (nourishment), to the scent, to the flavor, to the “mouth feel,” to the enjoyment of it all. I have been given the gift of being a Chef. I have been given the ability to understand food — how to buy it, prepare it, and cook it. In all that I write, I wish to bring glory to God. So I’ll start at the beginning.

I love the idea that God has made food a necessity. As a result, for most of us, our lives (especially those responsible for cooking) are connected to food a minimum of twice a day. What an opportunity to be creative, to bring pleasure, to serve, and to give thanks!

When it comes to cooking, here are my first few bits of advice.

1. Flavor should be the first priority. Flavor is the single most important component to preparing good food.
2. Cooking Technique is the key to producing quality, tasty food. One must have a good understanding of technique to do so consistently.
3. La Repertoire (food or dishes that are familiar to you) is also very important to develop.

Flavor

Starting with the idea that Flavor is the single most important component to good food is also a good lead to giving you insight as to where my Culinary perspective derives. I cannot take credit for this theory; I am just reiterating what I was taught by some of the world’s greatest Chefs including David Bouley and his Sous Chef Joseph Pace.

While working in NYC at one of Manhattan’s finest restaurants, Petrossian Paris, I was schooled in the ways of “French Technique,” how best to prepare and present food. More than anything else I was reminded (often in a horrible French accent) FLAVOR FIRST!!! Thus, you can be certain that whatever the recipe or the meal, I advise you to consider flavor first.

Cooking Technique

Second, Cooking Techniques are the fundamental building blocks to operating in a kitchen. All good Cooks must know technique. As my Chef would say “TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE!!!”

Webster’s defines technique as “the method of procedure in artistic work and scientific activity.” This is everything in cooking. Note the emphasis on both artistic and scientific. These two things are key ingredients to being a great Chef. Technique has evolved over the centuries from primitive to way advanced. Somewhere in between you will find the basics of Modern Cooking Technique.

Believe it or not, you already have (to a certain extent) an understanding of this greatness. In the early- to mid-19th century, two great Chefs were born to this world: Antonin Careme and Auguste Escoffier. They defined cooking as the world knows it today. Even the most cutting-edge cuisine is built on the foundation these two Chefs have laid.

In your kitchen you prepare meals using such techniques as Sauté, Sweat, Roast, Fry, Grill, Poach, Steam, and Braise — the building blocks to cooking. These eight cooking techniques are what you use most often. Truly understanding these techniques will enable you to cook with the best. Mastering these techniques will give you the power to dominate in the kitchen.

La Repertoire

Repertoire is a French word used in theatre that means a list of dramas or operas that a company is prepared to perform. This has been applied to the culinary world — and this applies to you, too. What is your culinary repertoire? Do you have a list of dishes that you can prepare? Of course you do.

But have you ever written them down? This list is critical in planning meals, preparing shopping lists, and controlling your grocery budget. What dictates this list is your experience, and of course your understanding of technique.

I hope this short note has helped to spark a greater interest in real cooking. I mean not just following recipes, but perhaps developing them (more on that someday, too). I look forward to being a regular contributing writer on Happy to be at Home so that I may expand on these and many other Culinary truths so that maybe some of you and your families will reap the benefits of being a good cook.

Whether cooking in a professional kitchen or cooking at home, if you put flavor first and know technique, your daily experience with food will be a huge success!

I would be happy to answer any questions you might have for me. You can either leave a comment on this post or email me at chefkeithhanks@gmail.com. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Chef Keith

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