Style:
What is the key difference between two cooks or two recipes? Style. A cook’s style is his or her artistic expression. The life of a professional cook or chef is not an easy one. The hours are long; the pay is often low, and the job is almost a thankless one. A professional cook has to enjoy, if not love, what they do in order to live that lifestyle. The driving force is the love of the food and the artistic expression of their own creativity. It is an unparalleled joy to create a new dish or reinvent a traditional dish into something modern that a whole new generation of culinary fans will enjoy.
There is a deliberate difference between cooking techniques; baking is much more precise than savory cooking. But that’s not the style I’m talking about. A cook’s style develops after trial and error and depends on personal taste and preferences. Some cooks use heavy seasoning, while others allow the natural flavors of the entrée to dominate the high notes. I’m interested in other people’s styles and incorporating many aspects of each into a fully balanced style. Bruce Lee did this with the martial arts and created a whole new discipline of mixed martial arts. What is your favorite style and why? I find many people cook based on traditions and use traditional methods. Traditional cooking isn’t bad by itself, though it can lead to a creative rut. I find it more enjoyable to experiment with different methods. Some of the best culinary creations were discovered by accident. These accidents came about by experimenting with different styles and techniques.
I shared a recipe for homemade Spaetzle Mac and Cheese in a previous blog that highlights how easy creative cooking can be. The goal of this recipe for my culinary arts class was proper mise en place and how to stay organized while cooking. However, there are many other elements to this recipe as well. There are contrasting flavors, nutty low notes, and several cooking techniques involved. And this recipe only takes a few minutes to make. That is the point of this recipe. Simple is often better. Sometimes recipes call for a lot of time (marinades, smoking, etc.) or complicated processes (beef bourguignon), but most of the time, it is unnecessary. As long as you are having fun and creating recipes that you enjoy, you’re on the right track.