What If, Part 2

Courtesy of Chef Amadeus

Chef Amadeus thrives in the What If world. What if you added
a particular ingredient to a classic dish? What if you changed that
ingredient’s format – dehydrate and grind it instead of serving it fresh or
smoke it first? What if you substituted that ingredient with a complementary
ingredient?

That’s the key to innovation in the kitchen. Don’t say, “I
should create this because the chef down the street has this on his menu.”
Instead, ask, “how can we mix this up?”

 Why create something
and put it on your menu if your customer can find it down the street, or
especially if it can be found in a chain restaurant menu? Why would you serve
something that Outback is serving?

Chef Amadeus is constantly asking, “what if,” and he charges
younger chefs and cooks to ask themselves that question, too.

Next week: follow up on whether culinary school is
good for cooks