The Five Essentials for Next Gen Chefs
- Piece of Cake Staff
- 13 hours ago
- 5 min read
Written by Lindsay Grohs
As this year comes to a close, along with the completion of both my recent culinary internship and college, I wanted to write a reflection piece on the fundamentals that I found crucial to know throughout both work and school, specifically in the culinary field. As a young chef, restaurateur, or individual hoping to grow in the culinary world, it can oftentimes be difficult to navigate where to start. My hope with this article is to share advice and practical tools that can help you begin, or continue, your growth in the culinary industry. Alright, chefs, let’s begin!
1. Knife Cuts
Knife cuts are a foundational skill to master in the kitchen. The last thing you want is a chef asking you to julienne onions and you having no idea what julienne means. I used to think that I could get away without having these fully mastered. Boy, was I wrong. When your knife cuts are off, it makes it hard for people (mainly chefs) to focus on other elements of your dish because the basic work is not present. Which, in turn, takes away from the presentation, flavor elements, and overall composition of your dish. If you don’t have your knife cuts perfected, I suggest buying some vegetables, looking up a YouTube video, and getting into practice. The time and effort will be beyond worth it, I promise. And a bonus, there’s a much smaller chance of you looking like a fool in the kitchen!
2. Mother Sauces
So many items involve the mother sauces, so you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t know them. Béchamel is a white sauce made from a light roux used in lasagne, various pastas, and, sometimes, gravy or light fish dishes. Velouté is made from a roux and light stock, and typically pairs with poultry and seafood dishes. Espagnole is made from a brown roux and used in thicker sauces such as a demi-glace or beef bourguignon sauce. Hollandaise is a sauce made from butter and egg yolks, often used in breakfast dishes (eggs Benedict), paired with fish or steak, and for accompanying other savory items. Lastly, tomato sauce is a combination of stock, fresh herbs, tomatoes, and pork fat. For this sauce, think classic Italian dishes: pizza, pasta, breads, etc. The tie between all of these sauces is their use of French butter! Pretty cool, right?
3. Critical Chef Tools
There are a few tools that every chef needs. One of the most important is a chef's knife. A chef's knife offers versatility, allowing you to practice a variety of knife cuts and skills in the process of creating dishes. A paring knife is also good to have as it aids with more detailed cuts. Measuring cups and spoons are crucial as they are important for accuracy in recipes. Another tool worth adding to your set is a meat thermometer. This is an easy way to ensure that your meat/fish is fully cooked through. You do not want to be the chef who gives someone food poisoning by accidentally serving raw meat. Come on now!
Not necessarily a “kitchen tool”, but it’s extremely important to have a mini notepad and pens and sharpies in your chef coat and/or pocket, as you never know when you’ll need to label something, jot down instructions for a recipe, or write down something you learned. Finally, kitchen towels. You should keep one or more on you at all times in the kitchen setting, as you never know when you’ll be asked to grab something from the oven or a hot pan during a service rush.
Transitioning to the home kitchen setting, I would say it's also good to have a saucepan, sauté pan, stockpot, wooden cutting board, deli cups (heat safe), mixing bowls, whisk, and microplane. A wooden cutting board reduces the amount of microplastics getting into your food. Deli cups make food storage more manageable with the ability to store sauces, dressings, soups, cut veggies, etc. A microplane is perfect for your zesting and grating needs. All of these tools pair together to provide a foundation of efficiency and purpose in your kitchen.
4. Knowing the Knife
Circling back to the knife again, because it’s one of, if not the most, important tools in the kitchen. This being said, the knife should be your best friend. Not only do you need to know your knife cuts, but you also need to know how the knife works so that you can use it efficiently and effectively. The point is the very end of the sharp part of the knife. The tip is literally right below it. The tip is the sharpest part of the knife, used for cutting.
Next is the blade, or the body of the knife, used for a variety of functions, including cutting, peeling, boning, and more. Then comes the edge of the knife on the bottom side of the blade. The edge is the sharpest part of the blade and can be used to chop, slice, and pierce. The heel is the very end of the edge. The spine is located on the opposite side of the blade as the edge, making up the thickest part of the blade. The spine is there to provide strength, stability, and control when using the knife. Next is the bolster, the piece that connects the blade to the handle. It’s there to ensure the handle and knife as a whole remain durable. Additionally, it allows for greater user stability, ensuring the knife doesn’t slip. We all know how that goes…
Getting into the parts of the handle now, we have the scales (the little circular dots). Some knives have these, while others don’t. These are here for grip and aesthetics. The rivets join the scales and tang together. The tang is the bottom side of the handle that provides structure to the knife, allowing the weight to be distributed effectively. Lastly, there’s the butt of the knife. Pretty self-descriptive there; it’s the very end of the handle.
5. Storytelling Behind Your Dish(es)
Lastly, there should be a story for each dish you make! Whether it’s a personal one, a tie to a company’s vision, or something in between, make sure that you’re always prepared for that question, because it will get asked and you definitely want to be ready for it when it does. It’s also good to have a specialty in the kitchen. And it doesn’t have to fit into some tight window. It can be broad, niche, or something that you’re still in the process of discovering. For example, I have two specialties that I am especially passionate about: cooking with exotic meats and the farm-to-table approach. I encourage you to continue experimenting, find what you like, and dig into it.
I hope these tips help you develop as a chef and individual in the culinary world. Embrace learning, especially while you are young. Remember that if you fail, it is all part of the journey, and oftentimes, the best lessons come from mistakes made. You got this! I believe in you. Keep chasing your dreams!
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