Chef Rene Redzepi – Jumping Seven Places up the Culinary World

By: Matthew Goudge

Blumenthal and Adria should watch out, Chef Rene Redzepi is steadily gaining his momentum. Jumping seven places up El Pellegrino World’s Best 50 Restaurants list is no small feat. The restaurant also received the Chef’s Choice 2009 award. One can say that this is just as well as people could expect. After all, people are flocking to Noma these days. It is the most popular restaurant in Denmark. The genius behind this is none other than its chef and owner, Chef Rene Redzepi.

Let’s Get to Know the Chef

Noma’s chef is considered to be one of the most influential chefs in the world. His cooking practically defines Nordic cuisine. With his modern style of cooking, one can say that he has redefined how people perceive this form of European cuisine. As the head chef of Noma, he has managed to earn Michelin stars for the restaurant.
Chef Rene Redzepi is a traditionalist when it comes to his cooking. He has always been fascinated with traditional Nordic cuisine. He loves the different flairs and flavors of various regions. Although he continually draws ideas from cultural cooking, he manages to give these traditional cuisines his own unique style. Over the years, he has adopted modern techniques, and this shows in how he prepares his dishes. You can say that he is a fairly innovative and inventive chef – just as you would expect from the chef and owner of one of the world’s best restaurants.

How He Got Into Cooking

Noma’s chef had a classic culinary education and training. In 1993, he started working inside the kitchens of Pierre Andre, a restaurant in Copenhagen. After a stint in this restaurant, he moved from one dining establishment into another. He did not work in just any restaurant; he worked in some of the best restaurants in the world. He slaved away in the kitchens of Le Jardin Des Sens, the French Laundry and the famous El Bulli. With his experience, it is not really surprising that he and his restaurant, Noma, has managed to land the third spot in this year’s El Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Now, Noma is the testament to the amazing skills of its owner and chef, Rene Redzepi. Over the years, this restaurant has continuously received awards and accolades from all over the world. If you are looking to try genuine Nordic cooking, you should definitely try Noma. You will be surprised at the selection of dishes they have to offer. It is surprising how Redzepi manages to unearth even the long-lost Nordic recipes. Needless to say, Noma doesn’t fail to meet expectations.           

About the Author:

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360 Blog, is an expert in culinary arts.
He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world.
His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites.

He endeavored to discover the secrets behind generating huge traffic and leads for his websites.
He studied the secrets behind generating sales by piggy-backing on high-traffic social media sites.
Over time, he has developed 77 techniques on how to generate huge amount of traffic through the use of social media.

Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.

Articles Source:http://lifestyle.ezinemark.com/chef-rene-redzepi-jumping-seven-places-up-the-culinary-world-7d2e3f2f2b8c.html
           

Improving Your Stewarding Department

Author: Matthew J. Goudge

Do you want to improve the flow of your restaurant kitchen? Are you looking for ways on how to go about achieving such improvement? If you are, then here are four things that you should ask yourself and address to improve your restaurant flow, and it all starts with the stewarding department.

Why Start with the Stewarding Department?

A good flow starts at the back of the restaurant. Make your kitchen more orderly and organized, and the chefs can do their jobs quickly. The better the chefs move about in the kitchen, the easier the foods will be cooked, and the faster the servers can serve the customers. Of course, to achieve all, you should start at the Stewarding Department. They are, after all, the so-called backbone of the kitchen, without which you can expect chaos.

The Four Things to Consider

As stated above, there are four things that you will need to ask yourself as well as address and give importance to if you are after a smooth flow in the kitchen. These are:

1. Stewarding department service monitor. Do you have someone who monitors the services of the stewarding department? If you do, is he doing it on a regular basis? If not, you should appoint one. A staff who can monitor the department's service will give you an idea of what needs improvement in all your kitchen staff.
2. Customer feedback. Do you have someone who monitors customer feedbacks? Do you have a program that gathers customer feedbacks? If not, then it is recommended that you implement a customer feedback program into your restaurant. You can print out a simple feedback form template and place it somewhere where it is easily seen, and you can have someone gather it at the end of the day for review. This is a good way to listen to your diners as well as improve your service.
3. Acknowledgement of staff's efforts. Do you praise your staff if they did well? Or do you simply take your stewarding department for granted? Remember, nothing inspires others to give the best that he can than to acknowledge his good efforts, and this is extremely true in the stewarding department. Give your stewarding department the acknowledgement that it deserves for a job well done, and you can expect better quality in service. If they make a mistake, address the issue in a positive way, rather than a negative way, and the response will be just as positive.
4. Staff Adaptability. Does your stewarding department have the ability to adapt quickly to changes and challenges? Can they take accountability for errors and mistakes? If not, then actively engage them to exchange ideas on what needs to be done to correct the common errors and mistakes done in the stewarding department. Ask them for their opinions, know how they feel about working in your kitchens, and know if your stewarding department has aligned values.

These are just some of the things that you can do to improve your restaurant. You should always stress the importance of having teamwork because only if there is teamwork can a restaurant become a success.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/improving-your-stewarding-department-4662064.html

About the Author

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360 Blog, is an expert in culinary arts.
He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world.
His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites.
Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.

Chef Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers – The Superwomen of the Culinary World

Author: Matthew J. Goudge

After what happened last year, who would have thought that the River Café would have survived the devastation that the fire caused? But Chef Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers did it! Not only were they able to rebuild a more beautiful restaurant, they were also able to make it to the 71st spot in El Pellegrino World's 100 Best Restaurants list.
The River Café is located along the north bank of the Thames River. This was once as an old oil storage facility which was converted in the late 80's to what is now one of the best restaurants in London. It is also one of the most popular ones. The actual renovation was actually handled by Chef Roger's husband, Lord Rogers who is an architect. Now, the old facility is a beautiful restaurant with its own garden.
This dining establishment offers outrageously delicious Italian cuisine prepared by the chef partners, Gray and Rogers. This restaurant has been around for more than 10 years. It firs opened for business in 1987, and ever since then, it has been able to sustain its success and popularity.
Over the years, Chefs Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers have managed to bring the attention of U.K. and the rest of the world to this quaint but charming London restaurant. This is where they offer world-class Italian cuisine. With the renovation of the restaurant, it now offers a really charming and innovative kitchen plan. The dining area is also well designed and decorated.
Chef Gray and Rogers, in partnership, manage the restaurant together. They have devoted most of their culinary lives to creating a world-class restaurant. The River Café is indeed one of the best restaurants in the world. It has received countless commendations and recognitions. It has also won numerous accolades over the years.
The River Café's chefs have played a huge role in reintroducing sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil to the English palates. They have achieved so much – one would think that they actually received culinary training. This is not the case however.
In truth, Chef Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers learned through experience. They never received formal culinary education either. They actually learned through trial and error. They built a world-class restaurant while they were also building a family on the side. Yes, you can even call them the "superwomen of the culinary world". Despite their busy lives, they have managed to build a dining establishment to rival the best in the United Kingdom.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/restaurant-reviews-articles/chef-rose-gray-and-ruth-rogers-the-superwomen-of-the-culinary-world-4662188.html

About the Author

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360 Blog, is an expert in culinary arts.
He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world.
His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites.
Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.

The Catering Business

Author: Matthew J. Goudge

These years are a financially-trying time. We have to come up with ways on how we can augment our incomes, and this is especially true if we have to rely only on our monthly salaries. If you have the culinary skill, then why not try out the catering business. Many have succeeded in this venture, but then again, many have failed. For this reason, here are some of the things that you have to consider before you launch your own catering business.

Studying the Market

It does not matter if you are opening a part time or a full time catering business, but what matters is that you study the market. You have to know just how high or how low the demand for catering in your area is. You should know that the demand for catering depends upon your location, your neighborhood, the income of the households in your area, and the competition, of course. All these data will help you come up with a good plan.
In connection with studying the market, you should also know and fully understand the laws and regulations of your local area as well as your State when it comes to food handling and safety. Remember, your clients are going to be the lifeblood of your new catering venture, so you should be knowledgeable too about the current FDA guidelines.

Budgeting and Knowing the Start-Up Costs

Any new business will need money, of course, so for this reason, you have to know the start-up costs of starting a catering business so as to come up with a good budget. This step will involve knowing the cost of the license and insurance fee and other fees associated with starting a catering business, of course.
These are the questions that you have to ask yourself in this step.
Are you going to work in your own home using what you currently have in your kitchen, or are you going outfit your kitchen like that of a professional's? You can save a lot of money with the former, especially if you are just starting out and want to keep your start-up costs down.
There are some clients who allow on-site cooking, and you can make use of their kitchen equipment; however, there are also those who do not. If you want to have a professional kitchen but still keep the costs at a minimum, then you can consider renting the items. This way, you can build your reputation without spending too much on kitchen items, and when you have a good client base, you will then have the ample capital to invest on brand new kitchen items.
Are you going to go solo, or are you going to hire employees? Going solo is cheaper than hiring employees, but it is also very impractical. One, you will need some help in the food preparation and cooking, and two, you will need help in transporting the dishes and arranging them on site. Going solo is okay if you are just starting out and are catering for a small group of people, but once your catering business grows, you will need to hire employees.
Aside from knowing the cost of the license and insurance fee and other fees, the cost of working from your own kitchen versus renting kitchen equipment versus outfitting a professional kitchen, the cost of hiring employees, you also have to consider the impact it will have on your home financial budget. The first few months are the rockiest months, so you have to have enough money to cover not only your initial overhead costs for your catering business but also your expenses at home like bills, mortgages, food, groceries, medical, education, etc.
Lastly, you need to know the prices of the food products in the market. It will help you a lot if you know a local farmer or a local provider who can give you good discounts on their products. By knowing the food product prices in the market, you can come up with a good price for your products and services that is not only competitive but also profitable.

Getting Your Name Out There

Provided you already have answers for the above and you are now ready to launch your new catering business, the next step is to get your name out there. So, advertise, advertise, advertise!
Start small, and cater for your friends, relatives, and family's parties. Through word of mouth advertising, they will refer you to their friends who will also refer you to their friends. For this reason, quality is more important than quantity, and you will get more clients if you are consistently delivering quality products and services.
It would also not hurt you to put up your own website and join social networks like Facebook and Twitter. This is a free way to advertise your new catering business.
Lastly, if you have the budget for it, advertise in the yellow pages, newspapers, radio shows, local TV shows, etc. This will give you a bigger audience and get your name out there much faster.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-ideas-articles/the-catering-business-4638968.html

About the Author

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360 Blog, is an expert in culinary arts.
He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world.

His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites.
Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.

Potato Skin Twist

Author: Matthew J. Goudge




Are you wondering what to do with the potato skins that you have leftover from your mashed potato dish? If you are, then here are a variety of ways on how you can make use of the potato skin.
Instead of throwing them away or putting them inside the compost bin, you can utilize them for another purpose, the loaded potato skin.

Reusing Potato Skin

Have you ever heard of the loaded potato skin? This mini-dish is often served in bars and pubs, and it serves as great snacks or appetizers. Simply put, loaded potato skins are the carved out potato skins with some meat, veggies, cream or cheese, etc. placed over it. The potato skins are then popped into the oven to bake.
You can set aside the flesh or the meat of the potato for another dish, such as the mashed potato. Or when you are making a mashed potato dish, you can set aside the potato skins for the loaded potato skin dish. Either way, nothing is going to waste.
These loaded potato skins are perfect for simple get-together with your friends, and they will also be good snacks when you are watching sports or movies with your best buddies. Couple this dish with beer, and you have yourself a healthy and delicious snack.

Simple Loaded Potato Skin Recipe

As stated above, there are a lot of loaded potato skin recipes that you can try out at home, the most common of which is regular bacon and cheese loaded potato skin.
All you will need to have are the potato skins left over from your mashed potato dish, bacon, cheese, butter, salt and pepper, sour cream, and chives. If you have none, you can make use of whole potatoes.
Clean the potatoes and make sure that they are dried before you place them inside the oven. The oven should have been preheated to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake the potatoes inside the oven for about 50 minutes or until the potato skins have turned crisp. Once done, transfer the potatoes onto a plate to allow them to cool, and if they are cool enough, slice the potatoes into halves, lengthwise.
Remove the flesh gently, making sure that you leave at least 0.25 inches of the flesh intact. You can set aside the flesh for another dish, such as your mashed potatoes.
Once the potatoes have been hollowed out, brush some melted butter over the potato halves, inside and out, and then season it with some salt and pepper. Pop them into the oven once more and bake them until the skin begins to crisp. This will take about a couple of minutes. Once done, flip them over and bake them for another couple of minutes.
Remove the crispy potato skins from the oven and fill them up with fried bacons that you have crumbled to smaller pieces. Top the bacon off with cheese and pop them in the oven once more until the cheese melts and begins to bubble. This will take about four minutes to five minutes.
Once done, remove the loaded potato skins from the oven, add a dollop of sour cream to each loaded potato skin, and then sprinkle them with chopped fresh chives.
Loaded potato skins are best served immediately so as to preserve the crispiness of the potato skins.
There are other recipes for loaded potato skins. You have Philly cheesesteak loaded potato skins as well as Reuben loaded potato skins. You can also try tuna melt loaded potato skins or smoked trout loaded potato skins. Of course, you can always invent your own loaded potato skin recipe using your leftover meat dishes. You can make all-veggies loaded potato skin if you are into healthy foods.
What loaded potato skin are you going to make today?

Image Credit: recipetips.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/recipes-articles/potato-skin-twist-4620831.html

About the Author

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360 Blog, is an expert in culinary arts.
He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world.
His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites.
Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.

The Kitchen Exhaust Hood and Its Filters

Author: Matthew J. Goudge

The kitchen exhaust hood, also called the kitchen exhaust fan, is one of the most important parts of any restaurant kitchen.  Because it is an integral part of any commercial kitchen, it should always be kept clean at all times, and it is the Stewarding Department's duty to make sure that the cleanliness of the kitchen exhaust hood is maintained, especially its filters.

Importance of Kitchen Exhaust Hoods

As stated above, the kitchen exhaust hood is very important:

1. It helps circulate the air inside the hot kitchen.  Fire is needed to cook the food, but it also increases the temperature inside the kitchen.  A very hot and humid kitchen atmosphere can definitely increase the tension inside the kitchen.  For this reason, the kitchen exhaust hood will suck the hot air out and help the air circulate around the kitchen better.
2. It helps remove smoke quickly.  When you cook, smoke appears.  The odor of the smoke and the smoke itself will fill up the kitchen.  Now, to quickly remove the smoke, commercial kitchens make use of kitchen exhaust fans.  Not only will it help dissipate the smoke and its odors quickly, but it will also help in the prevention of smoke stains coating the kitchen walls and equipments.

Cleaning the Kitchen Exhaust Hoods and Its Filters

In time and with repeated and prolonged use, the kitchen exhaust hoods and its filters accumulate dust, grime, bacteria, etc.  Because of this, it is very important to make sure that these are cleaned from time to time.

In commercial kitchens, it is recommended that the kitchen stewards give the kitchen exhaust hoods and its filters a thorough cleaning weekly.  Here are the common guidelines on cleaning them.

For the filters:

1. The first thing that should be done is to remove the filters.
2. You then have to fill up the cleaning tank for the hood filter with water, at least 3/4 of the tank, and once done, you can now attach the steam pipe line to the water-filled tank.
3. After connecting the two, pour in caustic soda into the tank and then put the filters into the tank.  The proportion of the caustic soda should be 1:10.  This means that for every 10 liters of water, it should contain I kg of caustic soda.
4. Once done, you can now open the valve for the steam pipe line and leave the filters in the tank for half an hour.
5. After half an hour of soaking the filter, you can now remove it from the tank and then wash it off with clean, running water.  Use a detergent solution as well as a hand brush to thoroughly give the filter a good scrubbing, after which, you can now rinse it off with clean water.
6. Lastly, use a clean cloth to wipe the excess water off.

For the kitchen exhaust hoods:

1. It is not that difficult to clean the kitchen exhaust hoods as all you have to do is to make use of a detergent solution as well as a scrubbing pad to give the hoods a thorough cleaning.
2. Once done, you can simply wipe the excess fluid off.

Image Credit: qrbiz.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/restaurant-reviews-articles/the-kitchen-exhaust-hood-and-its-filters-4530031.html

About the Author

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360 Blog, is an expert in culinary arts. 
He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world.

His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites. 
Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.

He endeavored to discover the secrets behind generating huge traffic and leads for his websites.

He studied the secrets behind generating sales by piggy-backing on high-traffic social media sites.

Over time, he has developed 77 techniques on how to generate huge amount of traffic through the use of social media.

Chef Pascal Barbot – The Quirky Chef Who Loves Milk

By Matthew Goudge

Unpretentious, unassuming, humble, genius – those are the words that Chef Pascal Barbot’s colleagues would use to describe L’Astrance chef. They are not far off the mark. Chef Barbot possesses exactly those characteristics and more. He is driven by his insatiable curiosity for culinary arts and his innate desire to offer something new evertytime.

With this kind of drive, it is not surprising that he has managed to create a name for L’Astrance as one of the best restaurnats in France. If asked though to comment on his achievements, Chef Barbot would just like shrug his shoulders. He wouldn’t regale you with his accomplishments. He wouldn’t even likely tell you that his restaurant secured the 11^th spot in this year’s El Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

You wouldn’t know if you would just talk to him that his restaurant is one of the hottest dining establishments in Paris. It’ll take you a month before you could get a table reseravation – and this was before the restaurant earned its Michelin stars. It is even much harder to get a reservation these days with the restaurant earning Michelin stars and Barbot winning Chef of the Year.

The Milk and Barbot

Barbot loves his milk. He loves to use it in practically every dish that he prepares. This is the one ingredients that has flirted with every other ingredients in Chef Barbot’s cooking. It’s amazing what he can create from milk and other ingredients. This is not really surprising if you know where he hails from. He is actually from Auvergine. In this part of France, people are fond of using milk in their cooking. In fact, they use milk in practically everything! Chef Barbot grew up drinking, eating and using milk. Naturally, he also learned how to use it in his cooking. You should definitely try his carrot puree. It is one of his most wonderful milk dishes.

The Magic of Barbot’s Cooking

Aside from using milk, Chef Barbot also insists on using the freshest local ingredients. He personally scours food markets in order to look for the finest ingredients. He likes foraging for unique items that he can use. He likes exotic or in-season ingredients. This is why you wouldn’t find menu in L’Astrance. The selections vary depending on the available ingredients for the day. His daily outing consists of personally visiting several local markets. He buys vegetables in Rungis. He searches for fruits in the markets of Iena. He gets his meats from Marche. He often buys by the bulk. For Chef Pascal Barbot, cooking is the finest form of art. This is why you can only expect the best from him.

Image Source: lo-mejor-de-la-gastro

About the Author:

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360Blog.com, is an expert in culinary arts.  He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world.  His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites.  Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.
He endeavored to discover the secrets behind generating huge traffic and leads for his websites.  He studied the secrets behind generating sales by piggy-backing on high-traffic social media sites.  Over time, he has developed 77 techniques on how to generate huge amount of traffic through the use of social media.

Articles Source: Chef Pascal Barbot – The Quirky Chef Who Loves Milk

Thomas Keller – The Story of the Best American Chef

Author: Matthew J. Goudge

There are many popular chefs in the United States, but one name really stands out, and that's the name of Thomas Keller. He has been named as America's Best Chef several times. Although a renowned chef, he is also known for being one of the best restaurateurs in the United States. He has won countless accolades for his cooking and his restaurant, The French Laundry. His restaurant secured the 12th spot in this year's El Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list. In truth, this is not the only restaurant of Keller that has nabbed a spot in the list. His Per Se has managed to land a spot in the top 10.

And a Great Chef was Born

Thomas Keller is an American through and through. He was born in Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. Eventually, his family moved to Palm Beach, Florida. It was here that he discovered his culinary destiny. At that time, wanting to earn some extra bucks, he got a job at Palm Beach Yacht Club as a dishwasher.

Working inside the kitchens of the club, he began to take an interest in cooking. He eventually found himself eagerly learning how to cook. From being the kitchen's dishwasher, he eventually ended up as the cook. It was his time here that he discovered his genius for cooking. He had the natural knack for creating wonderful dishes. It was during his time here that he created his Hollandaise Sauce recipe.

Finding His Way up the Culinary Ladder

In order to hone his skills and learn more techniques, he left the Club and went to work in various kitchens. He worked as a cook in one of Rhode Island's restaurants. It was during his time here that he met Roland Henin who introduced him to French cooking. Thomas Keller had a natural knack for it. He learned enough to land him a job at La Rive where he stayed for three years. Upon leaving La Rive, he worked in other restaurants and then found his way to Paris where he stayed for many years.

Upon returning America, he opened his first restaurant Rakel. He eventually cut ties with the restaurant due to some problems with his partner. When he moved to California, he discovered a steam laundry which was converted into a restaurant. He bought the same and he opened The French Laundry. As all good story ends, the rest is history.

Image Source:http://www.city-eating.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/restaurant-reviews-articles/thomas-keller-the-story-of-the-best-american-chef-4509949.html

About the Author

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360 Blog, is an expert in culinary arts.
He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world.

His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites.
Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.

He endeavored to discover the secrets behind generating huge traffic and leads for his websites.

He studied the secrets behind generating sales by piggy-backing on high-traffic social media sites.

Over time, he has developed 77 techniques on how to generate huge amount of traffic through the use of social media.

Cuisine Focus – Historical Cuisine – Where It All Began

Our very different cuisines did not just spring out from nowhere. It has a beginning and a history. So when we eat a particular cuisine, it will seem like we are being transported back in time where that particular dish started and getting a taste of what history tasted like those hundreds and thousands of years ago. Here is a look at historical or medieval cuisine where all our lovely dishes began.

What Shaped Historical Cuisine?

As stated above, what we call cuisine did not just happen. It developed slowly over time, and it has been shaped not only by the land and its produce but also by the people, their culture, and their needs. Aside from this, historical cuisine also encompasses the eating habits of the people as well as their cooking techniques and methods.

Other factors that shaped historical cuisine include the events that were happening during the period, the social classes of the people, their social norms, and their religions and beliefs. There is also the belief that upper class deserves refined and very expensive cuisine, while the working class deserves less refined and less expensive cuisine, simply because there is the idea that one’s food should resemble one’s labor. So if you do manual labor to make a living, then your food should be coarser and cheaper than what the rich people usually have.

The Early Cuisine

If there was one thing that was very important to the diet of the people who lived during the Middle Ages is that it was the cereals. It has always been a part of the people’s diet, with the rich having wheat and the poor having barley as well as rye and oat. Rice was a later introduction to Europe though.

When it comes to meat, again, the upper society were the only ones who can afford meat particularly since it was a bit expensive during the Medieval Ages. In fact, game was normally only seen on the nobilities’ tables. Other types of meat that were also prevalent during that period were the usual pork as well as chicken, and they also have the domestic fowl. However, beef, on the other hand, was not the common for the simple reason that the butchers will have to invest more not only in land but also in feeds if they want to raise livestock like cows.

As for fish, those who live near water have fresh fish daily, the staples of which include cod as well as herring. However, those who live inland have to rely on the different techniques to preserve fish. Some of these techniques are smoking as well as drying, and you also have pickling as well as salting. In fact, these techniques are not only used for fish alone as they also use it on meat to preserve it.

The poor have the local herbs and spices, of course, and these are those that can be found in the forest as well as those that can be grown in their gardens. On the other hand, the rich people get to enjoy exotic spices, especially if those purchased from traders who bring imported goods from neighboring lands.

During the late Medieval Period, upper class society’s cuisine became more refined with the use of seasonings. The most common of which are vinegar as well as verjuice. They also made use of wine in their cooking to enhance the flavor of the dish. It was also during this period that the combination of spices and seasonings were used to create exotic flavors such as sweet and sour.

This is also the period wherein they began using sauce thickeners in their soups as well as sauces and stews, the most common of which is almonds and almond milk.

The historical or medieval cuisine made use of ingredients that were available to them. There were exotic spices, other exotic meats, and food imports brought by traders, but it is usually the upper class who can afford such luxurious items. However, the traditional historical or medieval cuisine was soon influenced by the many wars, crusades, and invasions that were so prevalent during that period.

Ingredients Utilized in Historical or Medieval Cuisine

* The following list is, by no means, exhaustive. It is only intended as a reference source.

Cereals: Rye, barley, buckwheat, millet, oats, wheat, rice

Vegetables: Cabbage, beets, onions, garlic, carrots.

Fruits: Lemons, citrons, bitter oranges, pomegranates, quinces, grapes, apples, pears, plums, strawberries, figs, dates.

Dairy Products: Milk, cheese.

Meats: Wild game, mutton, lamb, veal, pork, hedgehog, porcupine.

Birds and Fowls: Swans, peafowl, quail, partridge, storks, cranes, larks, linnets, chicken, duck, geese.

Fish and Seafood: Herring, cod, mollusks, oysters, mussels, scallops, crayfish, pike, carp, bream, perch, lamprey, trout.

Bake Mete Ryalle or Pork Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. pork
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. mace
• 2 tsp. cubebs
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 4 tbsp. butter

Procedure:

Boil or slow-cook the pork until tender. Allow to cool and then chop into small pieces. Add spices and sugar, put into pie crust, dot with butter, cover with a top crust, and bake at 350°F until golden brown – about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Bukkenade or Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs. beef, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp. parsley
• 1 tsp. sage
• 1 tsp. hyssop
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. mace
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/8 cups verjuice (if verjuice is unavailable, use 1/4 cup wine and 1/8 cup lemon juice)
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. salt
• pinch saffron

Procedure:

Put the beef into a large pot along with water to cover – about 8 cups. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off and discard any scum that forms on the surface. Add parsley, sage, hyssop, cloves, and mace. Stir well and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the beef is tender. Temper the egg yolks in a separate bowl by slowly whisking in a cup or two of the broth from the pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot along with the egg mixture and stir. Remove from heat when as soon as it comes back to a boil.

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medievalcookery.com

medievalcookery.com

About the Author: Matthew Goudge

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360Blog.com, is an expert in culinary arts. He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world. His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites. Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.

He endeavored to discover the secrets behind generating huge traffic and leads for his websites. He studied the secrets behind generating sales by piggy-backing on high-traffic social media sites. Over time, he has developed 77 techniques on how to generate huge amount of traffic through the use of social media.

Articles Source: Cuisine Focus – Historical Cuisine – Where It All Began