Archive for the ‘Personal Q & A’ Category

Favorite Celebrity Chef

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Hi Chef Sylvia,

There are so many celebrity chefs cooking on TV and, well, some not so famous. Do you think the influx of celebrity chefs have been a good thing for the industry or negative? If you could just choose one celebrity chef to watch, who would you choose? Hope you will answer both questions!

Thanks,

Jack

New York City

____________________________________

Great question! There are 2 ways in which to answer.

The Pros: It is great that the profession is acknowledged by the masses through the medium of entertainment.
The Negatives: Gives a false sense of what the profession is really about and tends towards a glamorous feel, when it is really a lot of hard work and long hours.

I base my watching criteria on 2 things.

1)    Education – how much I actually learn from the show in terms of the origin of the food without being well-rehearsed, discusses & demonstrates techniques, innovative ideas, cool secret ingredients & creativity


2) Personality – how entertaining and captivating is the host, without distracting from the food… and if I can go the entire show without uttering a negative comment to myself

With that being said… I LOVE watching Jacques Pepin prepare food. There is little editing and the actual time to make the dish is the actual time on TV. He does all the prep work without any assistance and shows a broad range of knife skills and techniques. And, all the while, he is immensely entertaining. He’s the real deal, a superbly trained chef who can make the simplest food elegant. They don’t make people like him anymore. I could go on and on.

       http://blogs.kqed.org/essentialpepin/

Keeping it Fresh!


Chef Edward Sylvia

 

TO SUBMIT A QUESTION FOR CHEF SYLVIA, EMAIL HIM at HowToBoilWater@CERTENYC.COM

Friday, November 25th, 2011

Personal Q&A with Chef Edward

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

“Ask the Chef” forum is a place to ask all those questions you’ve had about our food, certe’, catering, Chef Edward, or just anything and everything you ever wondered about food. Ever wonder about those food myths and if they are really true? Have a healthy cooking question? Now’s your chance to find out.

 

 

What dining trends are you tired of?

“Molecular Gastronomy. I like food in its purest form. I’m all about Grandma (or Grandpa).”

What are 3 things you can’t live without?

“Chef’s Knife (It’s the only knife I need). Digital Recorder (I have a bad memory). Hand Blender (saves an amazing amount of time and energy).”

How do you manage 2 restaurants?

“With a great team of over 80 employees behind me! My restaurants are within walking distance, so at anytime I can pop up anywhere.”

How many hours in your work week?

“80 Physical/168 Mental. I dream certe’ every night.”

Describe an early food experience that has influenced the way you think about food and/or cooking.

“Picking Garden Peas from a family member’s farm and wondering why they even cook it.”

What’s the largest number people you ever cooked for?

“We have done breakfast for 7,000 and lunch for 5,000.”

Apron or no apron? “Always an apron.”

Who is the most famous person you’ve cooked for?

“Luciano Pavarotti. He had Quail Eggs & Watercress Ravioli, Crispy Pancetta, Brown Butter & Sage as an appetizer. I have cooked for more famous people such as Bill Clinton, but Pavarotti was my favorite.”

How hard is it, as a Chef/Owner, to maintain a healthy diet?

“It is not hard to maintain a healthy diet. It is difficult to maintain portion control. Picking and tasting all day, it is tough to keep track. When you sit and have a real meal, you forgot what you had earlier.”

In a nutshell, what is your philosophy?

“A Tomato should taste like a Tomato!”

 

TO SUBMIT A QUESTION FOR CHEF SYLVIA, EMAIL HIM at HOWTOBOILWATER@CERTENYC.COM