Chef's Secrets to make life easier in the kitchen

One of the greatest lessons one can learn in the kitchen is how to work organized and efficient. I have spent my career teaching staff and students how to work smarter, not harder. When we owned the restaurant, we wrote that mantra on the walk-in door so we could see it every day as a reminder to be more mindful of our intentions of the day. As I continue to log hours behind the stove, I still learn lessons and I hope I never stop. Cooking is a journey, never a destination. Here are some random thoughts about cooking smarter for you to think about when you are in the kitchen.

My mama never used recipes for savory cooking. She may have thumbed through a magazine or watched a show on the food network for inspiration but her repitore was in her head. "This will make it taste good", she used to say. Over the years I learned not much was written down, so I asked a lot of "why" questions to understand the motives behind the flavors. I eventually wrote a book about her recipes.