Overall, I enjoyed our visit yesterday to StudioKitchen in South Philly. My favorite thing that we ate yesterday was the pizza Shola made in his outdoor pizza oven. Everything about the pizza tasted really fresh, especially the tomato "sauce" and crust. It was interesting to try the cheese soufflé, too. It tasted like mac n cheese minus the pasta noodles. I learned that soufflé and mac n cheese start with the same base: béchamel sauce. I did not enjoy the texture very much, though. I wish Shola had created some more unique dishes for us, like the ones seen in his blog posts and in the articles we read. All of the foods we tasted I have had before, and I was hoping to try something new.
I was impressed by the cooking technology that Shola used to create his dishes. The pasta maker was able to create various noodle shares just out of flour and water. The industrial oven Shola used was impressive too. By injecting steam into the oven and combining it with dry heat, chefs can create dishes that are both fully cooked and moist inside. It also allows dishes to be cooked faster than in a conventional oven.
I think Shola is a chef. Initially I thought chef was defined as someone who worked in a restaurant to create the dishes. Visiting StudioKitchen has changed my view, though. I now see a chef as someone who cooks for their profession. I also see a chef as someone who creates new foods and recipes, which Shola does. I see a cook as someone who likes to cook food but only follows recipes, they do not create them.
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